Dr. Josiah L. Phillips, Civil War physician
Physician, Civil War surgeon, and early town founder, Josiah L. Phillips helped shape Sioux Falls from a remote frontier settlement into a growing city. From amputating limbs on the battlefield to platting the town’s streets and building his home at Fort Dakota, Phillips’ life traces the city’s earliest struggles and successes.
Josiah L. Phillips is one of Sioux Falls early historical figures. As both a physician and the owner of the old Fort Dakota, Phillips played an important role in building Sioux Falls. Born in 1835 in Farmington, Maine, Phillips grew up during a time of exploration of the American West. He pursued an education at the Rush Medical College in Chicago, studying to become a physician. After completing his studies at the age of 21, he began practicing in Dubuque, Iowa, where he gained a reputation for being a skilled physician. It was here where he joined a town site entity known as the Western Town Company.
When the Western Town Company announced an expansion in 1856 to establish a settlement in the Dakota Territory, he joined them to improve and occupy the new city. The company founded a small settlement near the Big Sioux River, the same area that would grow into Sioux Falls. After they arrived at the falls, another group showed up from Minnesota with similar plans. The two decided to work together and merge companies to build the town. In 1858, he amputated both legs of his good friend Wilmot W. Brookings, who made a full recovery, but Phillips was unable to keep his medical practice alive on the settlement since there were so few people living there at the time. The settlement began to struggle because of isolation from railroad markets, harsh weather, and Dakota Sioux attacks. After the company left in 1862, many of its members left the area and so did Phillips.
Once the Civil War broke out, Philips enlisted in the 16th Iowa Infantry as a surgeon’s assistant. He mainly helped wounded soldiers and performed amputations on and off the battlefield achieving the rank of major and a surgeon. His infantry served under General William T. Sherman and participated in the famous March to the Sea in Georgia. During this campaign, Philips suffered an injury to his eyes which prevented him from pursuing his medical practice after the war.
During the Civil War, the townsite that would become Sioux Falls was turned into Fort Dakota because of the U.S.-Dakota War. When the war was over, he returned to Dubuque, Iowa, where on July 1, 1867, he married Harriet “Hattie” C. Daggett. Phillips came back later in 1869, after the fort was closed; his wife Hattie, and their young daughter, Annie, followed a year later. He bought the old fort buildings at auction, making it their new home.
Phillips was not only one of the first doctors in the area but also a civic leader. In 1871, he surveyed and platted the land that would become Sioux Falls. His medical skills made him indispensable in the small town despite his poor eyesight. In 1882, Josiah and his wife began building a grand mansion near Covell Lake. Tragically, Josiah died later that same year at the age of 47 before his house was finished. Hattie continued the construction, and by 1884, the Phillips Mansion became a cultural center for Sioux Falls. In 1916, Hattie Phillips sold the estate to the city for $15,000. The property became part of Terrace Park. Today, Phillips’ legacy lives on not only through Terrace Park but also in Downtown’s Phillips Avenue. His work as doctor, surveyor, and founder he lives on in our beautiful City.
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