Quartzite and bank robbers: The history of Dell Rapids

DELL RAPIDS, S.D. (KELO) -- From mining quartzite to corn husking, the events of the past made Dell Rapids the unique town it is today.

The Dell Rapids Museum houses hundreds of artifacts telling the story of the town's history.
This museum and town would not have been possible without a man by the name of Peter Morse.

"In 1871, Peter Morse came on horse from Osage, Iowa, and he was incredibly bored on his horse ride because the scenery had been the same mile after mile. But, as he neared Dell Rapids, he started to see the Red Rock and the River and some trees on the river, and he was so impressed with the beauty that he stopped and said, 'I'm going to build a town here.'" Dell Rapids Museum president Rhonda Schildhauer said.

It was originally called Dell City, but the name was changed to Dell Rapids a few years later as an ode to the Big Sioux River that runs through town. You could also use the term rapid to describe the town's early population growth.

"The first Christmas of 1871, there was a population of 13 in Dell Rapids. All of them got together in one house and celebrated Christmas together. It was hard times getting through the winter in a little town in the middle of nowhere for supplies, but by 1880, the population of Dell Rapids was just under a thousand," Schildhauer said.