Queen Bee Mill - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

Sioux Falls was named after the falls on the Big Sioux River. Back when the pioneers were heading west the falls on the Big Sioux River attracted many. In 1879 ground was broken next to the falls to build a seven-story mill known as the Queen Bee Mill. It took two and a half years to build and half a million dollars. The Queen Bee Mill was a goliath among mills in early Dakota Territory. In less than three years the mill was declared unprofitable and shut down. The Mill was not profitable because of insufficient water power, the scarcity of high grade wheat and the inability to pay dividends to its investors. The mill complex changed ownership many times, then shut down forever at the end of WWII when it became a storage facility.

A wrecking ball knocked down most of the remains of the Queen Bee Mill, which was destroyed by fire in 1956. The lower portion of the mill remains today, alongside the Falls of the Big Sioux, and is the setting for outdoor Shakespearean players each summer.

Street address: N. Weber Ave. Sioux Falls, SD USA 57103 County / Borough / Parish: Minnehaha Year listed: 1984 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Architecture/Engineering, Event Periods of significance: 1875-1899 Historic function: Industry/Processing/Extraction Current function: Vacant/Not In Use Privately owned?: no Season start / Season finish: From: 01/01/2006 To: 12/31/2006 Hours of operation: From: 9:00 AM To: 5:00 PM Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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