History, Culture and Cultural Centers on the Missouri National Recreational River

A Rich History ...
This region was part of the Louisiana Purchase of 1803, when United States acquired 524,800,000 acres of land from France for $15,000,000.  One year later, President Thomas Jefferson sent an expedition to explore the newly acquired territory.  The Expedition was led by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark and was known as the Corps of Discovery.  Traveling up the Missouri River from St. Louis, Missouri, the Corps of Discovery reached the area in August 1804.  Lewis and Clark documented the abundant wildlife, the unique flora, and held their first council with the Yankton Sioux Tribe. 

Founding of the Dakota Territory ...
In 1861 the Dakota Territory was created ( the land between the west line of Minnesota and the crest of the Rockies).   Yankton, South Dakota became the original Dakota Territorial capital city.

16 years later, Jack McCall, convicted of shooting Wild Bill Hickok in Deadwood, was hung in the Capitol City of Yankton on March 1, 1877.  He is buried in an unmarked grave in the catholic cemetery in Yankton. 

Missouri National Recreational River Created...
1978 - Congress authorized the Missouri River (portion from Gavins Point Dam (Yankton, SD)  to Ponca, Nebraska as National Scenic Riverway.  This portion still exhibits the river's dynamic character in its islands, bars, chutes, and snags.
1991 - Congress authorized a second portion of the Missouri River between Lewis and Clark Lake (Yankton, SD)  to Lake Francis Case (Pickstown, SD) PLUS the lower 20 miles of the Niobrara River and 6 miles of Verdigre Creek.  This section represents one of the best natural landscapes with native floodplain forest, tallgrass and mixed grass prairies. 

 The river provides habitats for several endangered bird and fish species... 

Pallid Sturgeon >>

Least Tern -

Piping Plover -