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Exhibit Opening Oct 3, 2026
New permanent exhibit opening October 3!
A Dakota Story
is a new exhibit coming soon to the Mead Museum! Located in the northeast wing of the building, 12 galleries - 2500 square feet of space! - will feature the history, stories and artifacts of Yankton, South Dakota's first 100 years.
A Dakota Story will:
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Share the history leading up to the creation of Yankton, the capital of Dakota Territory, and its first 100 years.
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Feature the city of Yankton’s regional impact on and development of the Dakota Territory. Visitors will learn from post-Lewis and Clark Expedition to the creation of the Gavins Point Dam.
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Allow visitors to gain appreciation for the Ihanktonwan people and culture of which was the namesake of Yankton, South Dakota.
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Present the narratives and perceptions of all cultures of the Yankton area.
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Provide visitors with the opportunity to experience cultural growth and understanding.
A Dakota Story features over 600 artifacts:
some beloved items that used to be in the
Dakota Territorial Museum...and many never-before displayed!
Plus: Call-outs to historic places and remnants still existing around the city, offering a catalysts for visitors to spend time exploring our community!
Gallery 1: Post Lewis & Clark Expedition 1806-1850 Information collected by the Corp of Discovery Expedition changed everything for westward expansion of Americans. Thomas Jefferson thought it would take generations to settle the Louisiana Territory, it took one. This gallery discusses the impact of this on the Ihanktonwan (Yankton) people living near what became the City of Yankton.
Gallery 2: A Changing Landscape 1850-1860 The pre-Dakota Territorial years had a significant impact on early politics and relationships. Treaties and trade changed the cultural landscape and brought many dynamic historical characters to the Midwest.
Gallery 3: Creating Dakota Territory 1861-1881 Yankton was the capital of Dakota Territory and put it on the fast track to being the St. Louis of the Upper Midwest. These Capital City years was the center of a political wild west along with the hustle and bustle of a Riverboat Port. All of it came to a rapid halt by politics and nature.
Gallery 4: Capital City to Cement City 1880-1940 Being the capital city of Dakota Territory, Yankton was afforded many opportunities to provide the first of many industries, organizations, and events in all of what would become South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming. Losing Capital status in the 1880s didn’t deter this city of entrepreneurs from reinventing themselves in a new industry to put them on a new map… cement.
Gallery 5: Inhanktonwan History 1860-1940 The city of Yankton's history is not complete without an understanding of the ongoing story of the Ihanktonwan Oyate (Yankton people). The Ihanktonwan is Yankton's namesake and their narratives are forever connected.
Gallery 6: Yankton, Dakota Territory Made National News! 1875-1890 Yankton and Dakota Territory made national headlines with the arrival of General George Armstrong Custer, discovery of gold in the Black Hills, and high profile federal court cases played out in the Capital City.
Gallery 7: Capital City Society 1880s Yankton was the capital city of Dakota Territory for 22 years from 1861-1883. This status drew eastern investors looking to make history in Dakota Territorial business and politics. Some early Yankton residents went on to be the namesake of counties across South Dakota and North Dakota.
Gallery 8: War and Ice 1890-1930 Yankton managed its way through the Spanish-American War to World War I, making contributions while it could. On the homefront, the Missouri River continued to be both friend and foe.
Gallery 9: Breweries & Bridges 1919-1934 Years of failed attempts to span the Missouri River for the economic benefit of all at last succeeds as Yankton residents take matters into their own hands. The new bridge was a lifeline while Yankton residents and businesses managed Women's Rights and Prohibition.
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Gallery 10: WNAX & Gurneys 1930-1950 The House of Gurney set the course for the first mall of the Midwest and became one of the largest branded companies of the Midwest, thanks to the help of their radio station WNAX. Radio and the House of Gurney helped farmers through the Dirty 30s and radio made residents of the vast lonely prairie feel like one big family.
Gallery 11: The Home Front in an All American City 1940-1950 Yankton was home to the United States Senator John Chandler Gurney. His influence provided Yankton with many unique ways to support America in World War II. Yankton's post-War years were added considerably by the building of Gavin's Point Dam and All American City status.
Gallery 12: Modern Age of Recreation 1950-1970 The construction of Gavins Point Dam put Yankton into a modern age of recreation. The site of the City of Yankton was chosen for its access to the Missouri River and continues to thrive for the very same reason. As the river has changed so have the people who were cross culturally impacted by it for the last 150 years.