For people who want to experience a little corner of America that’s off the beaten path, I highly recommend Yankton, South Dakota—for its history, its river scenery, and, above all, its remarkable citizens.
Back in the day, this was Dakota Territory, not the four separate states we know today. President Abraham Lincoln had some serious fish to fry—the Civil War being at the top of the list—so he established the provisional territorial capital in Yankton and sent his brother-in-law, General John Blair Smith Todd, to help run things for a while. (“The house is still there. See it?”)
These are the kinds of things you learn simply by walking the streets of Yankton. People will stop to say “hello,” and if you ask a simple question, they’ll gladly answer it—with local flair, genuine pride, and a finger pointing toward another landmark or historic site.
The town is filled with beautiful older brick homes, many of them meticulously maintained. There’s also a stretch of the Missouri River that looks much the way it did when the first riverboats brought settlers into the territory.
Downtown, you’ll find a historic theater that has seen better days but is now in the process of being restored. A prospectus posted in the lobby outlined an ambitious project to return the building to its former Art Deco glory.
It was my good fortune to tell America’s Story in that very theater.
Yankton celebrated Independence Day all week long with events for people of every age, and America’s Story seemed to fit right in. Parents with young children sat alongside older Americans who remembered the Bicentennial and wanted to hear a little more about this remarkable nation and its story.
The municipal band and choir performed. The mayor spoke. The audience listened attentively, applauded at just the right moments, and afterward many people came forward to shake my hand and thank me for coming.
During the celebration, I heard someone say, “The Fourth is not just a date—it’s a beginning. As a nation, we go forth celebrating not just one day, but one story.”
I love that thought.
I’m excited to continue sharing America’s Story in the months and years ahead, and I’ll always remember the fine people I met in Yankton.
Three years ago, when I first dreamed of traveling the country and telling America’s Story to its citizens, this is exactly what I hoped it could become.
Thank you, Yankton.
