County
Tour
14-Mile
House
Built in 1861, this 139 year old
historic home is named for its distance from Sioux City on
Military
Road, which ran to Fort Randall. It was used as a stage stop, tavern, post office and store. It
was built by Francis Reandeau, a French-Canadian, who came here from
Dubuque. The house is constructed of yellow cottonwood grown
near the Missouri River. The logs are chinked with a river sand
mixture. The primary house was twenty feet wide by fifty feet long. The home is
now a private residence. (County Road 1B 1 1/2 miles northwest of Jefferson, SD)
Lewis & Clark Historical Marker
Elk Point marks an important incident
in Lewis & Clark's journey through Dakota Territory. On the evening of
August 22, 1804 the Corps of Discovery tied up on the north shore bank of the
river at a point they even then called Elk Point, due to the number of elk seen
in the area. With the passing of Sgt. Floyd a few days earlier near Sioux City, Lewis &
Clark called for an election to fill the position of Sergeant. Pvt. Patrick Gass of
Pennsylvania was elected. The marker tells of this
first election in the Louisiana Purchase and the northwestern part of the United
States. Lewis & Clark stopped at the same location on the river on
their return trip two years later.
(Marker is located in front of the Union
County Courthouse on Main Street, Elk Point, SD)
The Union County Historical Society
dedicated the county museum in September, 1990.
Many items of historical interest
are on display, not only from Union County, but from the surrounding area as
well. The museum has acquired many family history books from
local families for genealogical searches. Hours for the museum are 1-4 P.M. Saturdays and Sundays or by appointment. We
encourage school or clubs to arrange for private tours. Our Union County Museum page offers more information
and photos from the museum.
(124 E. Main Street, Elk Point, SD)
The Charles Murtha House is a two story,
triple-walled brick house, erected
between 1873 and 1887, for Charles Murtha. A pioneer Union County resident,
Murtha was one of
the early officers of the City of Elk Point. Work to
renovate the home was started in the early 1980's. Discovery of a
collapsed brick kiln proved to be of great interest to the Historic Preservation
Center in Vermillion. The Center was already at work on a National
Historic listing for the house at that time. The upper walls of the kiln
were badly deteriorated, but the lower walls and floor remain in the original
design. The kiln was the source of brick used to construct the house, and
other area construction during that period. It was one of the earliest
commercial enterprises in the Union County area of the Dakota Territory as
well. The house and kiln are now listed in the National Register of
Historic Places. (707 W. Main
Street, Elk Point, SD)
