The Town of Rowena Dakota Territory
Posted by: 
MNSearchers
N 43° 31.284 W 096° 33.770
14T E 696964 N 4821603
On July 27, 1888, Thomas Ryan of Dubuque, Iowa purchased land for the Rowena townsite from Nelson Webster.
Waymark Code: WMJJG
Location: South Dakota, United States
Date Posted: 07/28/2006
Views: 32
On October 10, 1888, Ryan platted the town into 43 city blocks and named the streets after various kinds of stones. He named the new town Rowena for the heroine in Sir Walter Scott's novel Ivanhoe.
Ryan contracted with Madison and Winfield Webster to open stone quarries on their adjacent farm. He formed the Minnehaha Granite Co. and erected the Mastodon "Jasper Crusher", the first stone crusher in Dakota Territory. The artistry and skill of immigrant Welsh and English stone cutters was soon evident in the quartzite buildings designed by Prairie Architect Wallace Dow and others. Many miles of streets were paved with hundreds of railroad cars of cobblestones from area quarries.
Following the Depression of the 1930s and the growing use of cement, the quarry industry declined and Rowena became a trade center for area farmers.
Marker Name: The town of Rowena Dakota Territory
Marker Type: City
Marker Text: Not listed
|
Visit Instructions:
A photo of the 'Marker' or 'Plaque' is required to identify the location, plus a picture of the 'Historic Site'. If you do not post a photo your log will be deleted.