Vermillion, South Dakota

Vermillion Waséoyuze
City
Vermillion, South Dakota
Downtown Vermillion
Location in Clay County and the state of South Dakota
Vermillion Location in the United States
Coordinates: 42°46′52″N 96°55′37″W / 42.78111°N 96.92694°W / 42.78111; -96.92694Coordinates: 42°46′52″N 96°55′37″W / 42.78111°N 96.92694°W / 42.78111; -96.92694
Country	United States
State	South Dakota
County	Clay
Incorporated	1877[1]
Government
• Mayor	John Powell
Area[2]
• Total	4.03 sq mi (10.44 km2)
• Land	4.03 sq mi (10.44 km2)
• Water	0 sq mi (0 km2)
Elevation	1,224 ft (373 m)
Population (2010)[3]
• Total	10,571
• Estimate (2015)[4]	10,738
• Density	2,623.1/sq mi (1,012.8/km2)
Time zone	Central (CST) (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	57069
Area code(s)	605
FIPS code	46-66700
GNIS feature ID	1258745[5]
Website	City of Vermillion

Vermillion (Lakota: Waséoyuze;^[6] "The Place Where Vermilion is Obtained") is a city in and the county seat of Clay County,^[7] in the southeastern corner of the state of South Dakota, and the eleventh largest city in the state. According to the 2010 Census, the population was 10,571. The city lies atop a bluff near the Missouri River.

The area has been home to various Native American tribes for centuries. French fur traders first visited in the late 18th century. Vermillion was founded in 1859 and incorporated in 1873. The name refers to the Lakota name: wa sa wak pa'la (red stream). Home to the University of South Dakota, Vermillion has a mixed academic and rural character: The university is a major academic institution for the state, boasting the state's only law and medical schools, and the state's only AACSB accredited business school. Major farm products include corn, soybeans, and alfalfa.

History

Lewis and Clark camped at the mouth of the Vermillion River near the present-day town on August 24, 1804. The previous day, they had killed their first bison; and the following day, they climbed Spirit Mound, according to Clark's journal. In May 1843, John James Audubon visited the Vermillion ravine to view the bird life. The town was considered for the location of South Dakota's first mental institution (now the Human Services Center) in 1873, although the hospital was eventually awarded to nearby Yankton. The original town was entirely below the bluffs on the banks of the Missouri River, and three-quarters of the town was washed away in the Great Flood of 1881.

William Jennings Bryan and William Howard Taft—candidates for the U.S. Presidency in the 1908 election—spoke in Vermillion on September 28 and 29, 1908, respectively. Along with Eugene Chafin, they toured South Dakota by train and included stops in Mitchell, Tripp, Yankton, and Elk Point.^[8]

John Philip Sousa conducted the Sousa Band on October 26, 1926, at the facility that became known as Slagle Auditorium in 1929.^[9]

On March 24, 1967, Thomas James White Hawk and William Stands murdered jeweler James Yeado and raped his wife.^[10]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.03 square miles (10.44 km²), all land.^[2]

The elevation of the city is 1,221 feet (372 m).

Climate

Government

Vermillion operates under the council-manager form of government. Vermillion's governing body is made up of nine members. Eight City Council members are elected from four wards, with two members representing each ward. The Mayor is elected at-large and presides over City Council meetings. The mayor may vote on all matters coming before the governing body. With the consent of the City Council, the Mayor appoints individuals to serve on the Library Board and Planning Commission. The Library Board oversees the operations of the Vermillion Public Library and appoints a Library Director. All services and programs provided by the library are overseen by the board. The Planning Commission is charged with overseeing the long-range planning of the community, including zoning issues, subdivisions and formulation of the Comprehensive Plan. The Planning Commission serves a vital role in recommending major policy changes to the governing body for the development of the community.

Demographics

1888 advertisement

2010 census

As of the census^[3] of 2010, there were 10,571 people, 3,811 households, and 1,692 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,623.1 inhabitants per square mile (1,012.8/km²). There were 4,043 housing units at an average density of 1,003.2 per square mile (387.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.6% White, 1.7% African American, 3.6% Native American, 2.1% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.4% of the population.

There were 3,811 households of which 22.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.8% were married couples living together, 8.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 55.6% were non-families. 35.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.21 and the average family size was 2.90.

The median age in the city was 23.4 years. 15.3% of residents were under the age of 18; 41.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 20.7% were from 25 to 44; 14.4% were from 45 to 64; and 8.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.8% male and 52.2% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 9,765 people, 3,647 households, and 1,801 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,549.3 people per square mile (984.4/km²). There were 3,967 housing units at an average density of 1,035.6 per square mile (399.9/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 90.95% White, 1.29% African American, 3.37% Native American, 2.46% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 1.56% from two or more races. 1.07% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 3,647 households out of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.6% were non-families. 34.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the city, the population was spread out with 17.5% under the age of 18, 36.2% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 13.4% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.9 males.

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $24,095, and the median income for a family was $40,109. Males had a median income of $28,180 versus $20,975 for females. The per capita income for the city was $13,909. 26.2% of the population and 16.2% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 19.0% are under the age of 18 and 14.8% are 65 or older.

For the population 25 years and over, 90.7% have a high school education or higher; 45.4% have a bachelor's degree or higher; and 21.2% have a graduate or professional degree.

For ancestries, 36% claim German ancestry; 14.2% Norwegian; 13.4% Irish; 6.6% English; 5.5% Dutch; and 4% Swedish.

Major employers

Parks

Prentis Park includes two swimming pools: one kids pool, and one full size with a waterslide and diving boards. There is also a variety of playground equipment and wide open green space. Additionally the park features a snack bar (next to the pool area), several basketball hoops, and a disc golf course. It also contains a baseball diamond which is the home of the Vermillion Red Sox, of the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Association. Along with Prentis Park, the city maintains and owns Lion's Park, Barstow Park, and Cotton Park. The city also boasts a bike trail along the quiet Vermillion River. The Bluffs Golf Course^[16] is also owned and operated by the City of Vermillion. The Bluffs is an 18-hole championship golf course that overlooks the bluffs in Vermillion.

Museums

The University of South Dakota's National Music Museum (NMM) is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums in Washington, D.C., and is recognized as "A Landmark of American Music" by the National Music Council. It includes more than 15,000 American, European, and non-Western instruments.^[17]

Notable people

• Rachael Bella, actress
• Joseph Bottum, writer
• Kevin Brady, U.S. Representative (R-Texas)
• Shawn Colvin, singer-songwriter
• Doug Dickey, college football coach
• Carl Gunderson, former Governor of South Dakota
• Chelsea Houska, television personality (Teen Mom 2)
• Tim Johnson, U.S. Senator (D-South Dakota)
• John L. Jolley, U.S. Congressman (R-South Dakota)
• Jeff Kidder, lawman
• Ben Leber, NFL football linebacker
• Andrew E. Lee, South Dakota's third Governor
• Paradise Fears, alternative pop-rock band (Cole Andre, Jordan Merrigan, Samuel Miller, Marcus Sand, Michael Walker, Lucas Zimmerman)
• Billy Yost, musician (The Kickback)
• Todd Tiahrt, U.S. Representative (R-Kansas)
• Abby Whiteside, piano teacher and theorist
• Gerald W. Wolff, historian and academic

Media

AM radio

FM radio

Sister city

Ratingen, Germany, has been the sister city of Vermillion since 1969.^[18]

References

1. ↑ "SD Towns" (PDF). South Dakota State Historical Society. Retrieved 2010-02-16. 
2. 1 2 "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved 2012-06-21. 
3. 1 2 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-06-21. 
4. 1 2 "Population Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 7, 2016. 
5. ↑ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
6. ↑ Ullrich, Jan F. (2014). New Lakota Dictionary (2nd ed.). Bloomington, IN: Lakota Language Consortium. ISBN 978-0-9761082-9-0. 
7. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-07. 
8. ↑ Tingley, Ralph (March 23, 1982). "Brass Bands and Huzzahs: Politics at the Corn Palace, 1908". Journal of the South Dakota State Historical Society. 12 (1). 
9. ↑ Paul Edmund Bierley, The Incredible Band of John Philip Sousa (Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2006), p. 190.
10. ↑ Gerald Vizenor, "Thomas James White Hawk: Murder on Good Friday," and "Commutation of Death", in Tribal Scenes and Ceremonies, Minneapolis: Nodin Press, c. 1976.
11. ↑ "Monthly Averages for Vermillion, SD". The Weather Channel. Retrieved September 11, 2014. 
12. ↑ "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved June 9, 2017. 
13. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2013. 
14. ↑ Dun & Bradstreet's Million Dollar Database (2010)
15. ↑ "District Directory Information: Vermillion School District 13-1". National Center for Educational Statistics. 2015. 
16. ↑ thebluffsgc.com
17. ↑ "University of South Dakota". National Music Museum. University of South Dakota. Retrieved July 28, 2014. 
18. ↑ "Ratingen - International Business - Partner Cities - Vermillion, South Dakota, USA". City of Ratingen (in German). Retrieved June 4, 2017. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vermillion, South Dakota.

• Official website
• Vermillion EMS
• Vermillion Plain Talk - local newspaper
• University of South Dakota