History

Sioux Falls is named for the Sioux Tribe of American Indians and the waterfalls of the Big Sioux River, located a few blocks from today's downtown district. The Falls of the Big Sioux River drew people to this area as a source of water. Industries prospered and a city grew. The Dakota War of 1862 briefly caused the city to evacuate, but many former residents returned in the following years, along with a wave of new homesteaders. By the turn of the century, the prairie settlement had grown into a city of more than 10,000 residents. Today, as South Dakota's largest city, Sioux Falls serves as the cultural center of the region.

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