I enjoy a good mystery, but I spend most of my reading time with a good non-fiction book. Most of those non-fiction books migrate toward history. World War II history is a favorite subject, but being from South Dakota, I really enjoy any SD history book I can pick up.
I am currently reading two such books, Six by Marc Rasmussen and The long, hard winter of 1880-81 by Dan L. White.
Six is the story of the Claremont Honkers six man football team. They reached national fame between 1947-1953 under coach Bill Welsh by recording a record of 61 consecutive wins. This is not just the story of the sports team, however. It is also the story of Bill Welsh and the family tragedy that landed them in tiny Claremont, SD. It is also the story of small town SD and the importance of sports in bringing communities together. Sadly, the Claremont school closed in 1970 and all that remains is a stone arch where the school once stood. 2010 census figures list Claremont with a population of 127. But in the heyday of six man SD football in the 40's and 50's, this was the place to be.
The 2010-2011 winter was a tough, long winter for a lot of people in SD, but reading The long, hard winter of 1880-81 made last winter seem like a breeze. Winter 1880 started with an early blizzard on October 15 in Dakota Territory and other states throughout the region, and over the course of the next seven months, settlers endured blizzard after blizzard in their sod homes and shanties. The railroads closed due to the deep, deep snow and supplies dwindled. When the winter finally ended, floods the likes of nothing we saw last summer inundated areas along the Missouri. The book highlights the floods that occurred in the Vermillion and Yankton areas of the state, and had me shaking my head with disbelief at the chaos and destruction that ensued.
Both of these books are less than 200 pages and are a great look into South Dakota's past.
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