Russ Gifford: A Ride Around Siouxland-in 1871

On Sunday, June 2 at 2:00 PM at the Betty Strong Encounter Center, join Russ Gifford for a “Ride Around Siouxland—in 1871.” He’ll pick us up as we step off the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad at the Depot.  We’ll see Sioux City from the top of the new three-story Sawyer Block building and from the top of Prospect Hill. We might stop at the pharmacy for a dish of ice cream – but don’t get seconds. After dropping your luggage at the Northwestern Hotel, we’ll take the buggy down to the levee to attend a ball on the Steamer E. H. Durfee! Everyone who is anyone in Sioux City is sure to be there!

Those are just a few of the sites that await us when Russ Gifford cranks up the Wayback machine to take us back to the 1870s to SEE and EXPERIENCE Sioux City as it first gained national attention as the steamboat capitol of the Missouri! We will see the town as any new visitor saw it, a rapidly growing metropolis with much to recommend it to new arrivals. Those places include shopping at Old Kirk Dry Goods, attending a lecture at the Academy of Arts and Sciences, trying a refreshing draft at the billiards hall, and meeting a few well-known people who are also passing through town today!

We’ll meet Ship’s Master William Coulson; Business leader ‘old Kirk’ himself; a future Iowa millionaire; a soon-to-be best-selling author; a known female suffragette; and — rather notorious women in charge of a well-known local business in downtown. But don’t worry; we will make certain you are not late for your stagecoach on Monday!