Senator Tim Johnson | Working for South Dakota

Minnehaha County South Dakota

This Month's County: Minnehaha

Largest City: Sioux Falls

County Seat: Sioux Falls

Population: 163,281

Founded: 1862

About Minnehaha County:

Minnehaha County derives its name from the Lakota Sioux Indian word for "waterfalls" which means "where the water laughs" or "laughing water." The region has played a large role in shaping South Dakota's rich history, and Minnehaha is the most populous county in our state and is located along the cascades of the Big Sioux River.

The waterfalls of the Big Sioux River brought many spectators to the area and made it one of the first areas in the Dakotas to attract settlers. The county flourished largely because the river gave access to wood and water, as well as providing a trade route.

Minnehaha County was established on March 17, 1862. The county spans 810 square miles and is home to 26 townships including Dell Rapids, Garretson, Valley Springs and Hartford. There are approximately 139,517 people living in Minnehaha County.

Two rival companies, the Western Town Company and the Dakota Land Company, came to the area within days of each other in hopes of being the first company in the county. The Western Town Company arrived first and claimed a prime location below the falls; this was a promising site because it offered a water and power supply. The Dakota Land Company arrived second and claimed an area of land above the falls.

The Dakota Land Company brought a printing press with them to help promote their business and the new town. The company printed the first periodic newspaper in the state, The Democrat.

Minnehaha County began to grow, but as the Sioux War raged on, some folks in the neighboring state of Minnesota began to live in fear. In the 1860's, the town of Sioux Falls was ransacked and burned, but its people did not give up. The government created Fort Dakota to protect the area from future attacks. By 1869, the fort was brought down and the town was re-opened for settlement.

The arrival of a railroad to the area gave way to the "Great Dakota Boom Decade." The population of the region grew significantly and transformed the county. With a severe plague of grasshoppers and a national depression, the boom quickly ended. The county's population grew only slightly over the next few decades.

Eventually, prosperity returned to the area with the opening of the John Morrell meat packing plant in 1909, the establishment of an airbase, and the completion of interstate highways I-90 and I-29 in the early 1960s. Most of the growth in the 20th century was fueled by agricultural-based industries.

The City of Colton grew because of the successes of one individual business, the Taopi Creamery Company. The Colton brothers, J.E. Colton and W.O. Colton, came from Wisconsin and established the creamery. Many businesses and settlers were drawn to Colton because of the success of the business. The town continued to grow significantly and was incorporated in 1906.

Minnehaha County is governed by ten elected officials, including five part-time commissioners, a state's attorney, an auditor, a treasurer, a sheriff and a register of deeds. The county employs 541 full-time employees and maintains two parks, the Siouxland Heritage Museum and the Siouxland Libraries.

Tim's Work in Minnehaha County:

Tim Fights for Lewis and Clark:
As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Tim secured $26.6 million in funding for the Lewis and Clark Water in the 2008 funding bill. Over the past several years, Tim has been instrumental in securing more than $110 million for the project.

Tim Fights for Area Children:
Tim secured $400,000 for the Children's Home Society in Sioux Falls in 2008. The funding will help the Sioux Falls facility care for at-risk children and child victims of abuse and neglect. The funding will strengthen family support services, forensic interviewing centers and Children's Inn emergency shelter operations.

Tim Improves Conditions for Armed Forces:
This year, Tim secured $3.7 million in funding to construct the new Armed Forces Reserve Center that will be shared by the Army Reserve and Navy Reserve in Sioux Falls in 2008. Currently, both operations are housed in leased facilities, which are more than 40 years old. The new center will consolidate all operations into a 400-member facility, which will be built on 12 acres of land.

Tim Improves Local Community:
In 2006, Tim helped secure $40 million for the Phillips-to-the-Falls project. The funds were used to remove railroad tracks in the downtown Sioux Falls area in order to redevelop an attractive and pedestrian-friendly green space between Falls Park and the downtown area.

Tim Supports Local Fire Departments:
In 2003, Tim announced a $20,160 grant for the Hartford Fire and Rescue and $20,160 for the Valley Springs Fire Department. The funding was supplied by the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant and was used to purchase new firefighting equipment and to refurbish older equipment.

Tim Modernized Local Guard Base:
In 2008, Tim secured $7.9 million in to build a new Civil Engineer Maintenance Complex at the Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls. The building will include a new classroom and training facilities. Previously, Tim had helped secure $6.5 million for runway improvements and $5.5 million for security and communications improvements that would allow an expanded mission for the South Dakota Air National Guard.

Tim Improves Area Water Supply:
In 2004, Tim secured $1 million in funding for the City of Hartford. The funding was used to help construct a new water tower and related infrastructure to address their concerns about the water supply and accommodate the rapid growth of the area.