Sanborn Central, SD

The Marks of History series is a project of the South Dakota Office of Tourism, designed to highlight historical markers all across South Dakota. In the 1950s, the historical markers became a cooperative program between the Historical Society and the Highway Department. Over the years, approximately 700 markers have been created. A majority of the markers are funded privately by individuals or groups throughout the state. The Historical Society, which is part of the South Dakota Department of Tourism and State Development, oversees the program.

The Marks of History series is part of Goal 1 of the 2010 Initiative to double visitor spending in South Dakota from 2003-2010 and Goal 4 to enhance history and arts as tools for economic development and cultural tourism in South Dakota.

Click here to see the press release regarding the Nobles Trail marker.

The third annual Teens for Jeans drive begins on January 19th. This is a campaign that empowers you to collect jeans for homeless teens.

Just drop off any pair of your gently worn jeans to any Aéropostale store between January 19th and February 14th and we’ll make sure they get donated to a local homeless shelter or charity.

To say thanks, Aéropostale will give you an additional 25% off your next pair of jeans.

Last year you helped us collect over 200,000 pairs and this year we want to top that, so start collecting today!

Donna Beegle is a nationally known speaker on changing lives for people in poverty. There will be a free workshop open to the public at the AmericInn in Ft. Pierre, South Dakota on Tuesday, January 5, 2010.

• Session 1 – 12:00 – 3:00 pm – “Breaking Barriers”
Geared toward professionals working with people in poverty

• Session 2 – 4:00 – 7:00 pm – “Interrupting Generational Poverty”
Geared toward community leaders working to reduce poverty in their area

Sponsored by South Dakota Horizons through the South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service and The Northwest Area Foundation

What does your Christmas lights look like, inside and out?

Send us a picture to post.

Irene’s lights on the inside.

 Thanks, Irene…here are pictures of the star that’s on our barn.

Merry Christmas…Dawna

Here are a few safety tips:
•Choose Christmas lights that have been tested and deemed safe by a reputable testing laboratory.
•Try to use the cooler-burning “mini” Christmas lights as opposed to the traditional larger bulbs. The older style burns much hotter.
•Only use Christmas lights that have fuses in the plugs.
•Inspect each set of Christmas lights - old or new - for damage. Return or throw out any set with cracked or broken sockets, frayed or bare wires, or loose connections.
•Replace burned out bulbs promptly with bulbs of the same wattage.
•Never hang Christmas lights on a metal tree. The tree can become charged with electricity and shock someone. The tree can also short out the Christmas lights and cause a fire.
•Want Christmas lights outdoors? Use outdoor Christmas lights. The packaging will note whether the lights can be used indoors, outdoors, or both.
•All outdoor electrical decorations should be plugged into a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI). You can buy portable units for outdoor use, or you can have them permanently installed by an electrician.
•Use extension cords properly. Outdoor cords can be used inside or outside. Do not overload extension cords - they can get hot enough to burn.
•Stay away from powerlines or feeder lines (these go from the pole to the house).
•Secure outside Christmas lights with insulated holders (never use tacks or nails) or run strings of lights through hooks.
•When you leave or go to bed at night, turn off your Christmas lights.
•Never pull on a string of Christmas lights, it stresses the cords and can lead to fraying. Store Christmas lights loosely wrapped for the same reason.

Irene Graves
Sanborn County Extension Educator

These presentations have been cancelled.

They will be rescheduled for sometime in January. The rescheduled date will be announced as soon as the arrangements are made.

FREE Workshop Open to the Public!!

Donna Beegle, nationally known speaker on changing lives for people in poverty.

AmericInn, Ft. Pierre, SD
Monday, Dec. 7, 2009

Session 1 – 3:15 – 5:30 pm – “Breaking Barriers”
Geared toward those who work with people living in poverty

Session 2 – 6:15 – 8:30 pm – “Interrupting Generational Poverty”
Geared toward people in communities working on issues of poverty reduction

Sponsored by South Dakota Horizons through the SD Cooperative Extension Service and The Northwest Area Foundation

For more information, call Kari Fruechte at 688-4946 or Karla Trautman at 688-4790.

Benefit Pancake and Sausage Breakfast

To be held for David Schwemle, Forestburg. Proceeds go to help pay David’s hospital and rehabilitation expenses. Benefit will be on Sunday, November 22nd from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the 4-H Building in Forestburg. A Silent Auction and Bake Sale will be sponsored by Sanborn County Chapter of Thrivent Financial, Forestburg Lutheran Church, and Sanborn Central Communities “Good Stuff Committee.”

Missy Hoffman did an excellent job of organizing the Halloween party on October 31st in Letcher. The costume judging started at 3:00 p.m. with some very cute and original costumes. There was a great turn out and the kids enjoyed playing all the games. After that there was trunk or treating on Main Street. Everyone had a great time!

Little did the pioneers know that this marker would be erected in their footsteps. A closer look at the marker tells us that Col. W. H. Nobles constructed this ford over the James River on the Fort Ridgeley and South Pass  wagon road in 1857. In 1851 Noble discovered the South Pass, Nebraska territory.  He argued that Fort Ridgeley, Minnesota was a better starting point than Independence, Mo.  In January,1857 congress passed a bill to gave him the money.   Col. Nobles spent six years planning for S.D. first federally funded highway.  The highway was used for exploration, freight and settlement.  The wagon road provided the intrastructure for railroad and statehood. Do you have any treasured family connections or stories to the trail?  Please feel free to share them with us. The Monument is located north of Forestburg at: Latitude 44.129° N, Longitude 98.095° W  

Horizon II Sanborn Central

 Roaming Reporters            

 Nobles Trail Monument NE of Forestburg SD on James River

September 29, 2009     Latitude:  44.129°N   Longitude: 98.095°W

Last evening, my husband and I enjoyed an historical connection into the past.  With my camera in hand we traveled the 3 ½ miles to Nobles Trail Marker.     Tall prairie grasses along the minimum maintenance township road carried us back in time.  We traveled the same road as the early pioneer wagon trains. 

We stopped where the Noble’s Trail marker stands erect and announces the early day’s adventures. Looking past the marker we saw the Ford and imagined how it was for the pioneers to across the James River.  Pioneers chose this location because of the solid bottom and narrow river bed. They crossed the river, angled northeast and headed up the buff through Sanborn County. 

Horizon II Sanborn Central

Roaming Reporters