Broadcaster Press 3 November 24, 2015 www.broadcasteronline.com Buffalo Bill in South Dakota Buffalo Bill came. He was seen by thousands. He conquered their hearts. “The Wild West Show and Congress of Rough Riders of the World has come and gone and left impressions which time only will efface,” read an article in the Daily Huronite on Sept. 6, 1899. “The show is interesting, historically instructive, intensely thrilling and immeasurably pleasing.” William Frederick Cody (1846-1917) was, among other things, an Army scout, buffalo hunter, expert marksman, town founder, actor and hero of highly sensationalized dime novels. The word “showman” may have best defined his life, however. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West amazed audiences for more than 30 years as it traveled in the United States and Europe. Cody’s goal was to introduce the Old West to the rest of the world. Cody brought his large touring company to South Dakota in September 1899, performing at Watertown, Huron, Aberdeen, Yankton, Mitchell and Sioux Falls. By then, Cody was one of the best-known persons of his time, according to Steve Friesen in “Buffalo Bill: Scout, Showman, Visionary.” Cody’s show had previously visited Sioux Falls, and would return to South Dakota in 1909, 1912 and 1914. Crowds would have been dazzled by feats of marksmanship, demonstrations of skills by international horsemen and horsewomen, spectacles of cowboy fun such as roping and riding, a tableau of Native American life, a Pony Express relay race and an “attack” on a stagecoach. And it wasn’t just any stagecoach wheeling at full speed around an arena. It was the Deadwood Stage. The Deadwood Stage and touring in South Dakota were not Cody’s only connections to the state. When driving a wagon filled with freight from Leavenworth, Kansas, to Salt Lake City, Utah, an 11-year-old Cody was bullied by another teamster. James Butler “Wild Bill” Hickok came to Cody’s aid. In 1872, Cody watched himself being portrayed in New York’s Bowery Theatre by a professional actor. Cody thought he could play the part of Buffalo Bill better than an actor and formed Buffalo Bill’s Combination acting troop. Hickok joined the acting troop for its 1873-1874 season, then left the show and returned to the West. When Hickok was shot in the back of the head in Deadwood in 1876, Cody wrote, “Thus ended the career of a lifelong friend of mine who, in spite of his many faults, was a noble man, ever brave and generous hearted.” Captain Jack Crawford was also a member of the acting troop. Crawford was part of an expedition that journeyed into the Black Hills in 1875. His letters telling of his experiences in the Black Hills were sent to the Omaha Daily Bee, and are contained in “Ho! For the Black Hills,” edited by Paul Hedren and published by the South Dakota Historical Society Press. Cody met another person destined to become a Black Hills legend when he met Calamity Jane in 1874, according to James D. McLaird’s “Calamity Jane: The Woman and the Legend.” Cody’s and Calamity Jane’s paths would cross over the years, but she never toured with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, according to both McLaird and Friesen. In 1885, learning that sharpshooter Annie Oakley was now performing with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West, Sitting Bull agreed to join the troop. The Lakota leader would ride slowly and in a dignified manner around the arena. Sitting Bull left the company after four months. In late 1890, Cody was asked to go to the Standing Rock Reservation and take Sitting Bull into custody. He proceeded toward Sitting Bull’s home but stopped after a message from President Benjamin Harrison asked him not to perform the task. Sitting Bull was soon dead, shot and killed when Lakota police officers went to Sitting Bull’s home to arrest him. Cody met and had his picture taken with other Lakota chiefs, including Red Cloud and American Horse. He employed Lakota in Buffalo Bill’s Wild West and treated them honorably, according to Friesen. Upon notice of Buffalo Bill’s death, the Lakota assembled in council at Pine Ridge and sent a telegram that read, in part, “The Oglalas had found in Buffalo Bill a warm and lasting friend.” Cody launched a film company in 1913 with the idea of creating a series of historical moving pictures, starting with the Indian Wars. The movie was filmed on locations on the Pine Ridge Reservation and used real soldiers and American Indians from the reservation. The public showed little interest in the film, and only a few film fragments and photographs taken during the filming remain of the movie The Indians Wars. Cody’s fame, however, lives on in the hearts and minds of fans of the frontier West. This moment in South Dakota history is provided by the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation, the nonprofit fundraising partner of the South Dakota State Historical Society at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. Find us on the web at www.sdhsf.org. Contact us at info@sdhsf.org to submit a story idea. Cool off this summer with the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival’s production of The Winter’s Tale Cool off this summer with the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival’s production of The Winter’s Tale The South Dakota Shakespeare Festival (SDSF) announced its 2016 season this Tuesday November 17th at the Vermillion Rotary Club weekly luncheon. This summer, the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival is proud to present Shakespeare’s late Romance, The Winter’s Tale, June 9th-12th, in Vermillion’s beautiful Prentis Park. Now in their fifth season, the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival invites you to take a break from the summer heat and travel to the far off lands of Sicilia and Bohemia, to a time long gone by. Here you will encounter a magical world where Time heals all wounds, and even the gravest of errors is not beyond redemption. The Winter’s Tale, a late Shakespeare play, features elements of heart-wrenching drama, pastoral comedy, and giddy romance, and is sure to transport and delight as it celebrates the folly, resilience and expiable nature of the human spirit! The production will feature an all-star artistic team of seasoned professionals hired from competitive national and regional markets, combined with younger professionals drawn from USD’s Theatre program. The South Dakota Shakespeare Festival (SDSF) is a professional non-profit theatre company that is supported in collaboration with USD’s College of Fine Arts and Department of Theatre, and produced by Coyoteopoly, an interdisciplinary service-learning company designed and operated by students to reinforce classroom learning in USD’s Beacom School of Business. The mission of the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival is to increase the cultural, artistic and educational offerings of the state of South Dakota and surrounding regions through professional Shakespeare performances and arts education events delivered in a lively and accessible format. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Chaya Gordon-Bland, Executive Director Greg Huckabee, and Production Manager Scott Mollman, the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival seeks to fulfill an important cultural and educational need throughout the state and Great Plains Region. In 2015 the SDSF served approximately 1200 patrons through professional performances of Macbeth in Vermillion’s Prentis Park, educational workshops for youth, outreach performances to Vermillion’s SESDAC and Sanford Senior Care Center, and a Scholars’ Roundtable discussion hosted by USD’s College of Arts and Sciences and Department of English. In keeping with their mission of accessibility, all SDSF programming is offered at no cost to the public. school students with live arts. The tour is supported with a grant from USD’s Center for Academic and Global Engagement (CAGE), matched by funds from USD Theatre, Coyoteopoly, and the United Way of Vermillion. “Wine with Will”, the annual fundraiser for the South Dakota Shakespeare Festival will be held on February 12th, 2016, at the John Day Gallery in the Warren M. Lee Center for Fine Arts, during the Stillwell Exhibition. Tickets for this event will be $50/ person and include wine and On November 23rd and hors d’oeuvres tastings with 24th, 2015, in collaboration a sommelier from RED Steakwith USD Theatre, the South house, live music and ShakeDakota Shakespeare Festival speare performances, and a will be sending a tour of silent auction. All proceeds Shakespeare performances to from this event directly high schools throughout the support production of the state. The touring group will South Dakota Shakespeare travel to Wagner High School, Festival’s 2016 season. Flandreau High School, and the Flandreau Indian School, Support for the South and is expected to engage Dakota Shakespeare Festival nearly 400 South Dakota high is provided by the City of Vermillion, the Vermillion Chamber and Development Company, Vermillion Rotary, Sanford Vermillion, the Dakota Hospital Foundation, the University of South Dakota, the Vermillion Area Community Foundation, the United Way of Vermillion, and many local and regional businesses. South Dakota Arts Council support is provided with funds from the State of South Dakota, through the Department of Tourism, and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, tickets, or to get involved, please visit our website at www.sdshakespearefestival. org EAGLE CREEK LAWSUIT BY RANDY DOCKENDORF Randy.dockendorf@yankton.net The Vermillion Chamber and Development Company is progressing in its lawsuit against a business that didn’t occupy a VCDC building as planned, according to the organization’s legal counsel. VCDC attorney Melissa Jelen responded to an audience question at Wednesday’s luncheon for the Vermillion Now! 2 campaign. The VCDC has filed suit against the Eagle Creek software business. The VCDC alleges Eagle Creek didn’t follow is commitment to locate in Vermillion at a facility provided for the business. Eagle Creek disputes the allegation. The building in the middle of the dispute is located across from Wal-Mart in the northwest part of Vermillion. At Wednesday’s luncheon, Jelen said she realized the VCDC audience wanted more information on details surrounding the lawsuit and its progress. However, she said neither she nor the VCDC officials could speak freely on many issues while the lawsuit remains in the courts. “We’re not allowed to do so at this time,” she said. “We’ll have more of an opportunity once the litigation is over and the matter is resolved.” However, Jelen said she could provide an update on the legal process that is public record and has been reported in the media. The VCDC sought a summary judgment, which would have immediately decided the lawsuit, Jelen said. “The court denied our motion and said we need to do more discovery,” she said. “The court said there are more issues that need pursuit.” In another development, the VCDC has added the Eagle Creek shareholders to the lawsuit, Jelen said. The motion seeks to hold those individuals, as well as the business itself, responsible for any damages. VCDC is also seeking to remove the lawsuit from the federal courts and return it to the circuit court, Jelen said. The legal proceedings would then likely be heard in Vermillion. “There is no active litigation until we hear from the judge (on the motion for change of venue),” Jelen said. Once the court rules on the location, the VCDC will seek a quick resolution to the lawsuit, Jelen said. “We’ll be running, and we’ll be running fast,” she said. “We want to resolve this just as fast as we can and still go places at the VCDC.” With Eagle Creek indicating it wouldn’t occupy the building, VCDC executive director Nate Welch said his organization sought other uses for the facility. At the present time, the VCDC uses the building as the Vermillion Technical Center (VTC), Welch said. The organization continues seeking tenants or a buyer, he added. “It’s a beautiful building and a great asset,” he said, adding the VCDC would like to see the site added to the local tax rolls. The VCDC has sought to make the best of an unexpected situation, Welch said. “This hasn’t turned out to be the way we wanted it, but you just have to adjust and pivot,” he said. “You just need to be flexible, innovative and stay the course.” In the meantime, Welch sees new possibilities for the building and the future. “We’re very pleased and very excited with the opportunities it’s brought us,” he said. “We have a lot of good things going for us in Vermillion.” Follow @RDockendorf on Twitter. Gentry Finance We Want to Make You A Loan $100-$3,000 228 Capital St. Yankton, SD 57078 CALL TODAY! (605)665-7955 www.gentryfinance.net Clay County Historical Society TOUR OF HOMES Friday, December 4, 2015 / 4:30 – 7:30 p.m. Tickets – $15 Available at Austin-Whittemore House, Nook ’n Cranny, and Vermillion Beauty Shop Rides Available (limited seating) Sponsored by Vermillion Public Transit For more information call 605.624.8266 Or visit our website: cchssd.org/events Watch next week for details! Two Locations to Serve You! Locally Owned and Operated Since 1972 Arlis Johnson Turned 80! 3211 E. Hwy. 50 • Yankton, SD 605-665-4540-• 800-526-8095 Saturday, November 28th, from 2-4pm O r v i s i t u s a t : w w w. m a r k s i n c . c o m Come Help Us Celebrate Her Birthday 745 E. Hwy 46 • Wagner, SD 605-384-3681 • 800-693-1990 at the Senior Citizens Center We want to make sure Arlis has a “Hatty” birthday so wear your craziest hat and come help us celebrate! No gifts please let’s just have some fun! Craig, Shelley, Tammy, Becky and families Happy 100th Birthday Goldie Sealey on December 4th, 2015 Goldie’s daughters Joyce Steinmasel, Judy Kronaizl, and JoAnne Johnson wish to honor her with a card shower. Please help us celebrate by sending a card to Goldie. If possible share a memory on the card for her to enjoy. Send cards to: Goldie Sealey 125 Sycamore St., Apt. 17 Vermillion, SD 57069 30 ACRES OF PRIME YANKTON COUNTY GAYVILLE TOWNSHIP LAND MONDAY, Nov 30th 10:00 a.m. Located: From Marks Machinery in Yankton, SD 4 miles East on SD Highway 50 to 447th Ave and 1/2mile North LEGAL: The SE1/4 NE1/4 except Dale White Addition in Sec 7-93-54, Yankton County, South Dakota 30.61 +/- taxable acres. Taxes are $708.22. The Yankton County FSA Office shows all tillable acres and is presently into alfalfa. Soil type is Ha with a rating of 91. This is an exceptionally nice tract of land with good productivity. This is a very well kept tract of land. It would lend itself to be a great addition to your current operation or for someone wishing to own a small tract of land close to Yankton. Be sure to check this out. For brochure and full details call Girard Auction & Land Brokers Inc at 866-531-6186 or 605267-2421 or check our webpage at girardauction.com for details and pictures. TERMS: 10% nonrefundable down payment due day of auction with balance due on closing. Closing is December 28, 2015. Title insurance and closing costs will be split 50/50 between buyer and seller. Yankton Title Co is the closing agent. Possession on closing. Seller will pay the 2015 real estate taxes due in 2016. Statements made day of auction take precedence over written material. Auctioneers are acting as agents for the sellers. SUSAN BURTON - KRISTI MCKEE - LISA GRANDORFF - OWNERS GIRARD AUCTION Marv Girard, BA; Ken Girard, CAI, AARE; & LAND BROKERS, INC. Mike Girard, CAI, BA; Mike Manning BA; (605) 267-2421 Scott Moore, Auctioneer Toll Free: 1-866-531-6186 GirardAuction.com