Beyond the Markers: Churches of Minnehaha County, South Dakota
There are many rural churches in the greater Siouxland area with rich and deep histories. These churches had diverse roots from various European immigrants to small rock quarrying towns. Many of these churches still exist and lead services today, though some were not able to sustain members and were left as historical sites. This tour discovers the history of the Willow Creek Lutheran Church in Dell Rapids, South Dakota and the Rowena Methodist Church in Rowena, South Dakota.
Swedona Evangelical Covenant Church
More than A Century of Worship
In the fields of Minnehaha County, the Swedona Evangelical Covenant Church is an enduring landmark that preserves the faith and the local culture of the Swedish immigrants who built it almost 150 years ago.
View Story Show on Map
St. Paulus Lutheran Church
A Slice of Norwegian Culture
This is a story about how Norwegian immigrants came together to form a religious community where they could pass down traditions to generations of Norwegian Americans.
View Story Show on Map
Willow Creek Lutheran Church
Community and Cultural Preservation
Near Dell Rapids, South Dakota, Willow Creek Lutheran Church stands tall on the prairie, its white walls and bell tower easy to see from far away. For over one hundred years, it has watched over the land and the people whose lives and stories rest in the cemetery beside it.
View Story Show on Map
Rowena Methodist Church
The Rowena Methodist Church located in rural South Dakota was a worship space for many over the course of its hundred plus years of service. From Sunday school in dugout basements to attempted infiltrations by the Ku Klux Klan, this church has a deep and rich history.
View Story Show on Map