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Suffrage sites, army forts highlighted in “South Dakota History”

Historic sites related to the woman suffrage movement and the history of Fort Sisseton in South Dakota and Fort Totten in North Dakota are featured in the annual historic preservation issue of “South Dakota History,” the quarterly journal of the South Dakota State Historical Society.

In an article entitled “From the Capitol to Main Street: The Landscape of the Woman Suffrage Movement in South Dakota,” Elizabeth J. Almlie focuses on the courthouses, opera halls, churches, and other buildings that hosted speeches and debates on women’s right to vote in the late 1800s and early 1900s. By looking at the people and places important to the decades-long suffrage campaign, Almlie highlights how South Dakotans and national figures participated in this social movement.

Almlie is a historic preservation specialist with the State Historic Preservation Office of the South Dakota State Historical Society at the Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre.

“Two Posts, Two Pasts: Preserving Forts Sisseton and Totten” by Heather Mulliner examines the construction, use, and preservation of Forts Sisseton and Totten. Built in 1864 and 1867, respectively, these two posts initially served as bases of operations against the Dakota Sioux who fled from Minnesota in the aftermath of the United States-Dakota War of 1862. Fort Sisseton’s use as a hunting lodge and Fort Totten’s role as an Indian boarding school after their decommissioning influenced the level of preservation and the content of historical interpretation at the two forts.

Mulliner works as a data and policy analyst for the state Department of Social Services in Pierre and holds master’s degrees in American history from the University of Montana and in archival management and public history from New York University.

“South Dakota History” is a benefit of membership in the South Dakota State Historical Society. For information on membership, call 605-773-6000. To purchase individual issues, call 605-773-6009.

About the South Dakota State Historical Society
The South Dakota State Historical Society is a division of the Department of Education. The State Historical Society, an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution, is headquartered at the South Dakota Cultural Heritage Center in Pierre. The center houses the society’s world-class museum, the archives, and the historic preservation, publishing, and administrative/development offices. Call 605-773-3458 or visit www.history.sd.gov for more information. The society also has an archaeology office in Rapid City; call 605-394-1936 for more information.