Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 110: William Labarth Steele Part 5: Florence Crittenton Center

Over the last 126 years the Crittenton Center has evolved to meet the needs of children and families. It started out by helping women and children experiencing homelessness and personal crisis with no other place to go. Today the Crittenton Center Mission is to foster independence and dignity in partnership with families.

Along with evolving to meet the changing needs of families the Crittenton Center has also changed physical location. One of these locations is an empty building that still stands today which William L. Steele designed.

Its location is at 1105 28th St. This building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2000. It is in much need of repair. WHen I stopped to take the photo's of the building I talked with a woman who lives in the neighborhood. I asked a little about the building. It has been empty for at least 15 years, if not more. Unfortunatly it has attracted a criminal element of sorts. She told me people break into it and deal/do illegal drugs and use it for prostitution activities. She wishes whom ever owns it would do something with the building, but does not want to see it torn down because of its historical value to the community. The building does need a lot of work to restore it. It could be turned into something useful, like a community center or apartments.

I fear the building is destined to be torn down. That will mean another piece of history will be lost to the ravages of the wrecking ball. It would likely be because of those that only see this building as an attraction for criminals and they think that by removing the building the criminal element goes away and the building will be eventually lost to time.

The goals and focus of the Crittenton Center will survive no matter the physical location. It would be nice that an historical building they used to occupy would also survive from being demolished.

Here is the info. from the National Register of Historic Places:
Florence Crittenton Home and Maternity Hospital (added 2000 - Building - #00000306)
Also known as Crittenton Center
1105-1111 28th St., Sioux City
Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Beuttler & Arnold, Beach & Steele
Architectural Style: Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals
Area of Significance: Social History, Health/Medicine, Architecture
Period of Significance: 1900-1924, 1925-1949, 1950-1974
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Health Care
Historic Sub-function: Hospital
Current Function: Domestic, Work In Progress
Current Sub-function: Multiple Dwelling

Here is a chronological history of the Crittenton Center:
History of Crittenton Center

Here is some more info. about the Crittenton Center:
About Us - The Crittenton Family of Agencies
Crittenton Center - IA - Sioux City

Here are the photo's of the building:

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 109: William Labarth Steele Part 4: Williges Building

Located at 613 Pierce Street and built in 1929 - 1930 for August Williges this 2 story terra cotta building was designed by architects William L Steele and George Hilgers. The building has decorative terra cotta banding along the roof line, at the top of each pier and around the windows.

August Williges was an important Sioux City business man, was born in Germany on March 26, 1858. At age 14 he was apprenticed to a fur manufacturing plant in Hanover, Germany. Williges emmigrated to the U.S. in 1881 when he was in his early 20's and live for a short time in Mew York City and Springfield, Illinois before coming to Sioux City in 1895. In Sioux City he opened a store where he tanned, manufactured and sold furs. In 1929 - 1930 He moved to the location on Pierce Street and eventually expanded his operation to include womens apparel. The Williges store operated until 1998.

Since then and up until recently the building was empty. Security National Bank, located a half a block south owned the building and they were going to tear it down to make room for more parking. A group of people got together and said no we are not going to let you tear this grand historic building down and they saved it from demolition. Recently a law firm decided to renovate the building for their use and I believe they have finally moved in after having new windows installed as well as making the inside suitable for commercial offices.

The Williges Building was one of the very last built in Sullivanesque style architecture. It is part of both the Terra Cotta and Pierce Street Walking Tours.

Here are some Sioux City Journal stories about it:
With Williges gone, is Sioux City still a Great Place?
Local developer saves Williges Building

Photo's:

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 108: William Labarth Steele Part 3: Davidson Building

Built in 1913 by brothers owners Ben, Dave and Abe Davidson the Davidson Building was designed by William L. Steele, with money from Arthur Sanford and stands as one of the finest examples of Sullivanesque Architecture in Sioux City. Standing on the NE corner of 6th and Pierce Streets it is a commercial building very popular with lawyers and it houses Pecaut and Company, a longtime Sioux City stock brokerage firm. The building is also home to a very good Japanese resteraunt called Fuji Bay.

The Davidson Building was the first building in Sioux City contructed specifically for for office use. Built in buff colored roman brick and terra cotta at a cost of $450,000.

The Davidson brothers came to Sioux City in 1882 and began their business as street vendors selling tin-ware. In 1891 they opened a department store at the corner of 4th and Pierce Streets and succeeded in becoming among the city's leading businessmen. The department store was demolished in the 1970's and the Davidson Building is the only remaining commercial property associated with the Davidson brothers. Notable terra cotta features include a highle decorative cornice, medallions with lion heads, a shield and floral pattern, and beneath each window, a letter "D" set on a field of 18 carat gold leaf.

The Davidson Building was place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. Here is the info.:
Davidson Building (added 1999 - Building - #99000736)
505 6th St., Sioux City
Historic Significance: Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Lytle Construction Company, Steele, William LaBarthe
Architectural Style: Early Commercial
Area of Significance: Architecture
Period of Significance: 1900-1924
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Commerce/Trade
Historic Sub-function: Business
Current Function: Commerce/Trade
Current Sub-function: Business

The Davidson Building is also part of the Terra Cotta and Pierce Street Walking Toursof Sioux City.

Photo's:

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 107: William Labarth Steele Part 2: Woodbury County Court House

Typically I would save the best for last, but not in this case. I am posting about what I think is the best building William L. Steele designed, the Woodbury County Courthouse. This building is truly a beautiful monument to Prairie School Architecture in a government building. The courthouse was completed and opened for business in 1918 and is one of the best examples of Prairie School Architecture in a government building. Steele was the supervising architect on the project. William G. Purcell and George G. Elmslie designed the building. Because Steele was the supervising architect he gets the credit for the building.

When the building was first designed there was some resistance from county officials as to why they needed such an ornamental building. After some discussion and redesign the building was designed as it is today and built. As a result the courthouse has attained national recognition, was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and became a National Historic Landmark in 1996.

Here is a Parabiography about the design of the courthouse:

WOODBURY COUNTY COURT HOUSE, Sioux City, Iowa

Mr. William L. Steele of Sioux City was a drafter in the office of Louis H. Sullivan at the turn of the century. He became one of the leading architects of Iowa and in 1924 missed by only a small vote becoming president of the American Institute of Architects, a position which he would have ably filled with less deference to the eastern royal family and more regard for the common man than the administration which followed during the next few years. He was one of two or three outstanding architects in Iowa, a lifelong friend of George Elmslie, and later became the business partner of Thomas H. Kimball, certainly one of the most distinguished and lovable characters in the Institute, and one of its past presidents.

In saying that Bill Steele was essentially and primarily the business man and engineer, one not leave the impression that Bill is lacking, in poetic feeling, or a sensitive soul for what is fine and good. He is a ready writer and has done a large amount of hard work for the profession. He is clever with a pencil, makes cutes caricatures. He has a clear idea of the thesis of Sullivan and Wright - but he has not creative ability as an architectural designer. It was for this reason that he wanted George Elmslie to design the Woodbury County Court House when he had finally landed the commission. Thus it came about that Purcell and Elmslie were associate architects for the building. I had nothing to do with its design. Mr. Elmslie went to Sioux City and did about sixty percent of the designing there. The rest was done at our Minneapolis and Chicago offices.

Several instances occurred in connection with this building which illustrate how far outside the field of building, either architectural or aesthetic, the determining values of a building project may go. The young architect who omits a keen understanding of the human nature of crowds, and the psychology of men and their politics, who has not got a canny perspective of events moving beneath the surface, will not go far, however able he may be in his chosen profession. Even the art of advertising is essential. No matter how brilliant your achievement, as the course of Frank Lloyd Wright clearly illustrates, the man and his work must find some sort of ties to people individual and collective. Wright was just as capable in the late 1920s but it took both publicity and the fortunate turn of the mass mind toward something the public called "modern", that outwardly resembled his thesis, to put him back again at the head of his profession throughout the world.

To secure the commission for the Woodbury County Court House was essentially a political battle. But in order to cooperate with the commissioners who wanted to see Bill land the job, and at the same time make no move that would furnish ammunition to the enemy, Bill submitted designs for a conventional style Court House, with classic orders and tin dome - the sort of thing that would not disturb the general public taste. Only when Bill had the signed contract in his pocket did he say to his friends on the County Board, "Now we will lay aside this mess of a building and design you something useful and beautiful - a building of permanent quality." Official approval of Mr. Elmslie's designs by the Board were given as a matter of routine, as Bill Steele's friends were in the majority. But not so with the public.

This absolutely radical building, different in every aspect from any public building that they had ever seen, or indeed had ever been built, was an insult to the unimaginative mind. A considerable body of citizens, led by the defeated wing of the politicians, started out to cancel the project. Probably the determining factor in our favor was the fact that Mr. Elmslie's designs called for the use of brick made by the local brickyard and as it owners and those who worked for it and did business with it represented a considerable block in the community, they, of course, were favorable, and fought for the design because of the cash which would be spent in the community. There remained, however, a great deal of opposition even when actual construction of the main walls was complete. The stark and unusual forms, plain to all, looked all the more forbidding without windows and doors.

About this time the Chicago Grand Opera Company arrived in town with a full complement of foreign artists, and when interviewed for the local press about the building, these people who had seen something of the modern movement in Europe, were high in their praise of the building. After that no word of dissent was heard from anybody.

Another and more serious opposition was that of the Indiana Limestone Association. Their efforts to have us removed were especially bitter because all public buildings had heretofore been built of Indiana limestone - occasionally marble or granite. Brick had never been used except as a substitute material or in an effort to reduce prices in very incidental court houses. Even in such cases the base of the building, window sills, trim and some of the cornice members were likely to be limestone.

But here was a building where brick was used by deliberate choice with Terra cotta trim, and the quarrymen realized that this might be an entering wedge to displace their material in other structures. At any rate, to lose the dollar business represented by a contract for the stone for this building was sufficient, and they began a bitter campaign in the opposition newspapers, attacking us from every angle, personal and professional. Of course, such propaganda gained a considerable following, but the brick people in Sioux City backed up the chairman of the County Board, and the stone men finally faded out with the rest.

It is safe to say that this Sioux City Court House is the first public building in the United States based on the philosophic concept of form and function and expressing itself in free form. With the exception of a few buildings by Richardson and his followers in Romanesque, and I suppose an occasional building with Victorian Gothic details in the [18]70s, all, public building were designed not only with classical details, but were often literal transcriptions of ancient Roman buildings.

So far as I know, neither Wright nor Sullivan ever did a public building [this draft was dated 1953, pre-Marin County Court House-MH]. In Europe Nyrup [sic: Nyrop] was architect for the Copenhagen Town Hall, which must have begun taking form in his mind about 1900. It is a purely functional building, a fact missed by most, because historical, ethnic, social and community relations are so expressed in this building that it is at the opposite pole from the constructivism which the contemporary mind demands as evidence of modernity. The great difference between Nyrop's use of historical references is that all the forms that seem familiar exfoliate from the building's concept, and are not transferred irrelevancies.

One interesting reversal of habitual planning in our building is the removal of the grand stairway - an obsolete and unused feature in every public building since the advent of the elevator. And George placed the elevators in the most strategic and convenient location, directly in front of the main entrance.

Find the right sculptor for the large groups and some incidental accents was a problem to which we gave considerable thought. In this matter I had great satisfaction in renewing my contacts with Gutzon Borglum. I had first met him in 1912 at the time H. P. Berlage came to this country; and his support of Berlage and his views on indigenous American architecture gave Borglum a clear view of how democratic thinking could find expression in sculpture.

When one who has lived his architectural days in the world set up by Sullivan and Wright, comes upon the work of a man like Borglum, it requires no great discrimination with respect to sculpture, to see how superficial is the work of special pleaders like that of Lee Laurie, for example, on the Nebraska State Capitol. Laurie is not superficial and cynical in the same way as Paul Manship, but he is essentially a style-formist using the pattern and cliches of Mestrovic and other creative sculptors of our time, to create a result that can only be designated as "modern" and which has no deep fundamental sculptural integrity as related to Time, Place and Man. In leaving his partnership with Ralph Adams Cram, Goodhue, who designed the Nebraska State Capitol began to see the light. He had an earnest desire to say something in the way of living architecture, but he was spoiled through his long association with the style-form world, and it is not possible for a man to lay aside that to which he has been conditioned, and reconditioned into the fiber of his being like a coat. Of course, the Nebraska capitol was a great thing for living architecture in American because it finally broke the ranks of official bozart, but this was largely due to Thomas H. Kimball of Omaha who wrote the program for the National Competition and selected a jury that was not necessarily free in its own collective mind, but perhaps for no really architectural reasons, set against the old crowd because they had political control, and had had it too long.

I spent an interesting couple of hours in Borglum's New York studio, an enormous barn of a place, with some bright young fellows working for him. His fee for the Sioux City work was nearly double the allowance made for a sculptor, and we reluctantly gave up the idea of having him. He however gladly recommended one of his young apprentices who had recently moved to Chicago and upon him we called. Perhaps we did just as well in the end, for Alphonso Ianelli did a very sincere and able piece of work for a fee that amounted to nothing more than journeyman's wages. The great frieze over the principal entrance was fourteen feet high and forty feet long, and contained more than a dozen life-sized figures.

This represented an enormous amount of clay to be shaped. There were four more than life-size figures at secondary entrances. And all this for $3,500 ready for the "Teco" Terra Cotta Works (American Terra Cotta and Ceramic Company). Ianelli studied his work most faithfully, and cooperated with Mr. Elmslie in order to secure a nice relation between the feeling and texture of his sculpture, and the terra cotta architectural framing and other ornamental details in Mr. Elmslie's characteristic style which lay near it. All the architectural terra cotta, including the eagle at the top of the stair tower, was done by Christian [Kristian] Schneider. The ornamental detail is superb in dexterity, translating Mr. Elmslie's designs in a way that absolutely no one else could do, but the eagle is not especially inspiring, although modeled with a force that makes it carry very well at that height. Even in its perhaps too naturalistic forms it may have more meaning than the extreme symbolistic [sic] types of eagles developed on the drawing boards of our present day competitionists [sic], and done into stone by fashion following modelers. The most popular conventions of today refer to embryonic creatures which are so far removed from the sense of birds or anything that could take flight, that they become meaningless.

Annotation by GGE on the original Parabiography draft for the St. Paul Church [Commission List 86]:

"I designed a chimes tower and clock for the Court House that was good using the chimney an an element of stablization. W.L.S. [William L. Steele] was afraid of cost, which was apparent, not a well-founded fear (at least I think so). If we had only had that to pierce the sky! I wonder where my drawing is. Have not seen it for years."

This was taken from this web site:
Purcell and Elmslie, Architects

The Woodbury County Courthouse is also part of the terra cotta tour in Sioux City. Sioux City was and I think still is the Terra Cotta Capitol of Iowa. The buildings in this city have some of the best and most beautiful terra cotta I have ever seen.

Here are correspondence regarding the courthouse:
George Grant Elmslie to William Gray Purcell (February 9, 1915)
George Grant Elmslie to William Gray Purcell (February 16, 1915)
William Gray Purcell to Gutzon Borglum (February 18, 1915)
Gutzon Borglum to William Gray Purcell (February 20, 1915)
William Gray Purcell to William L. Steele (February 23, 1915)
William Gray Purcell to William L. Steele (February 23, 1915)[separate letter from one above]
William Gray Purcell to George Grant Elmslie (February 23, 1915)
William Gray Purcell to George Grant Elmslie (March 4, 1915) [Lengthy response annotated by Elmslie]
William Gray Purcell to Gutzon Borglum (March 8, 1915)
William L. Steele to William Gray Purcell (March 15, 1915)

Up until I read these correspondence I had no idea famed sculpture Gutzon Borglum had anything to do with the Woodbury County Courthouse. Of course he is most famous for designing and sculpting Mount Rushmore in the Black Hills of South Dakota. To me the fact that he had anything to do with the Woodbury County Courthouse adds to his fame as well as the historical value of the building. Borglum was not hired to sculpt/design the terra cotta that make up part of the building, they could not afford him. Instead he recommended/provided Steele, Elmslie and Purcell with one of his apprentices to sculpt the terra cotta. You can see Borglums obvious influences in the scuplted terra cotta created by Alphonso Ianelli.


Photo's:
These photo's really do not do the courthouse justice. One really has to come and see the building for themselves to understand its true beauty and historical value that it holds to Sioux Cityans and Iowans.

Here are web sites with photo's of the courthouse:
Woodbury County Courthouse Photo's (from county web site)
Woodbury County Courthouse (Purcell and Elmslie, Architects web site)

Here are the photo's I took:


















The Woodbury County Courthouse is located on the SE corner of 7th and Douglas Streets in downtown Sioux City, Iowa.

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 106: William Labarth Steele Part 1: Short Bio. and Info.

William Labarth Steele is perhaps one of Sioux City's most famous architects. He was born May 1875 in Springfield, Illinois. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1896. Much of his training was in Chicago under famed architect Lewis Sullivan, father of Sullivanesque architecture, who also trained with Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1904 Steele moved to Sioux City to work for, and later form a partnership with W. W. Beach. Steele designed dozens of homes and buildings, and many of these structures are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A few of his designs include the Woodbury County Courthouse, the Willeges building in downtown Sioux City, and several of the city’s Branch Libraries. For a time he lived at 2512 Jackson Street. In 1928 Steele moved to Omaha and died in 1949.

William Steele was the 3rd generation of Prairie School style architecture. It was created by Frank Lloyd Wright, the 2nd generation was Lewis Sullivan who incorporated his own style into it creating Sullivanesque style architecture and from there continued by William L. Steele.

Looking at several fo Steele's buildings it is obvious where he got his influences from.

Here is a brief description of Prairie Style architecture:
Prairie Style (1900 – 1920)
• Low, long appearance
• Low-pitched roof, gently sloping
• Widley overhanging eaves
• Often massive square porch supports
Foursquare (a sub category)
• Simple square or rectangular plan
• Low pitched roof symmetrical façade
• Entrance may be centered or off-centered
• Front porch usually extends full length of house

This post is a first in the series about William Labarth Steele designed buildings in the Sioux City area. Next will be buildings I had already posted about that were designed by Steele, starting with commercial buildings, then churches and finally houses. I have also been doing research on the other buildings Steele designed and will post about the commercial buildings first, then churches and finally houses. There will also be a post about the buildings he designed that are no longer standing. Please note not all of these buildings were soley designed by William L. Steele, some of them he helped and others he was given credit for because he had the highest influence on the design. Such info. will be posted as it becomes known to me during my research.

I think it is safe to say while men like Jon Cook founded Sioux City and men like John Peirce and William Gordon helped promote Sioux City it was men like William Labarth Steele who helped design and build Sioux City.

Thank you for reading and please enjoy this next series of Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle.

History and Culture by Bicycle Part 105: Coca Cola Holiday Caravan

On Friday Dec 12 and Sunday Dec 14 the Coca Cola Holiday Caravan was on display for all to see. The Coca Cola Holiday Caravan is a full sized 18 wheel semi-truck with over 25,000 lights on it that Coca Cola sends around the country during the Christmas Holiday Season. People can come and have their free picture taken with Santa and the Coca Cola Bear. Coca Cola is also partnering with the Marine Corps Reserve with their Toys For Tots program. This was the 3rd year I have seen the truck in the Sioux City area. This is the first year I took photo's of it. It really is an impressive truck.

I am sure some of you are thinking who would be crazy enough to ride bike to see this thing in the winter time. Well, not me, at least not this year. I have 2 very good reasons why not. One is I work until 7 pm and would not have made it on Friday night in time to see it even though the temps. were not too bad, I could have ridden and stayed comfortable. The other is when I did take photo's of it on Sunday night it was severe winter weather. It was around -3 degrees F, with a wind chill of -30 degrees F, the wind was blowing the snow around between 20 and 40 mph. I was only out there taking the photo's for maybe 5 to 10 min. I had my heavy winter coat on, winter boots, winter bomber style fur lined hat and gloves on. By the time I was done I could not feel most of my fingers, a good portion of my legs were numb and I could not feel my face at all. I imagine had I been out there any longer any exposed areas of my skin would have had frost bite. So not exactly bike riding weather, though there are probably some who would ride in this type of weather.

Despite the severe weather I braved the elements, took my tri-pod, digital camera and captured the photo's you see below.

I know the caravan travels to area where it is nice enough to ride bike pretty much year round. In past years when it has been in Sioux City it has been nice enough to ride, just not when I took the photo's in this blog post.

Here is the news paper story and more info. on the Coca Cola Holiday Caravan:
Coca-Cola Holiday Caravan will visit Siouxland
Coca Cola Holiday Caravan

Photo's:

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 104: Discovery Dogs

As mentioned in the previous post about the Prairie Dog Quest that was during the Lewis and Clark Corps of DIscovery Expedition celebration from 2004 to 2006 there were also statues created called Discovery Dogs as part of the celebration to commemorate the journey that was from 1804 to 1806. These fiberglass statues were painted and decorated with specific themes like the prairie dogs and placed through out the Greater Siouxland area. After they were on public display for a period of time they were auctioned off. Some ended up in private collection never to be seen again by the public but others are still on public display.

The Discovery Dogs were created because of Captain William Clarks Newfoundland dog Seaman. Seaman was an important part of the expedition. One time he even saved the camp by chasing off a bison who had wandered too close. This is mentioned in the journals written during the trip.

Here is the location of where the Discovery Dogs were located while on public display:
Seaman, the Discovery Dogs public art program now on display at 30 locations around Siouxland

I have managed to take photo's of the dogs I know of that are still on public display. Here they are:


The News Hound is on display outside the Sioux City Journal office.












The Discover Art Dog is on display in front of a beauty saln on Pierce St.












Dreamer is on display in front of the Sioux City Art Center.













Hot Fudge Hound is on display in front of the historic Green Gables Resteraunt on the corner of 18th and Pierce Streets.












One Giant Step Dog is on display at Karls Electronics across from Southern Hills Mall in Morningside.

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 103: Prairie Dog Quest

Starting in 2004 and ending in 2006 Sioux City along with several other communities along the Lewis and Clark Corps of Discovery Route celerated the 200th Anniversary of the historic trip that was made from 1804 to 1806. Captain's Meriwether Lewis and William Clark were commissioned by President Thomas Jefferson to make this trip shortly after the Louisana Purchase. During the trip they made many discovery's and brought back plants and animals white man had ever seen before. One of these animals were prairie dogs.

As part of the celebration during the 200th Anniversary the Sioux City Art Center sponsored a project to have 40 prarie dog statues created out of fiberglass and painted/decorated in various themes to be placed around Sioux City. After a period of time when they were on public display they were then auctioned off. After the auction a majority of the prairie dog statues were put into private collections never to be seen again by the public. But a some are still on public display today.

There are 22 that I know of in this regional area that are still on public display. Keep in mind this is as of 2 years ago. Some of these may no longer be on public display.
1. Prairie Children - located at Motor Parts Central 801 Lewis Blvd.
2. Mister Money - located in one of the Security National Bank branches, I do not know which one.
3. Prairie Dog Blues - located at the Century 21 office on Historic 4th St.
4. Prairie Doordog - located in the front lobby of the Orpheum Theater Building in downtown Sioux City.
5. Downtown Dog - located in front of the Downtown Partners office in downtown Sioux City on Pierce St.
6. Gumball Dog - located at the various First Federal Bank locations.
7. Multi Facted Mozaic Murray - located at the Sioux City Convention Center.
8. Fargo - located at the downtown branch of the Wells Fargo Bank.
9. Charger - located on the campu of Briar CLiff College.
10. Lovey Dog - located at the Siouxland Regional Cancer Center.
11. Prairiewether Lewis - located at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.
12. William-Dog Clark - located at the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center.
13. Prairie Dog Tales - located at Sgt. Floyd Museum and Welcome Center.
14. Corn Dog - located at one of the WIlson Trailer locations.
15. Family Dog - located at the Boys and Girls Home of Sioux City.
16. Prairie Dog of the Heartland - located at the offices of Cardiovascular Associates.
17. Prarie Explorer Dog - located at the CNOS office in Dakota Dunes.
18. Generations Dog - located at Regency Square Center.
19. Prairie Perspective - located at Chesterman Company.
20. Tile Dog - located at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.
21. Prairie Dog with Friends - possibly lcoated at the Onawa Chamber of Commerce office in Onawa, Iowa.
22. Nothin' but a Prairie Hound Dog - located at Winnevegas Casino in Winnebago, Nebraska.

There may be others still on public display but these are the only ones I know of right now.

Here is a map of where the statues used to be and where the current ones still are:
Where to find the Prairie Dogs

Here is a list of where the Prairie Dogs are located today:
Here's where oh, where the prairie dogs have gone

History and Culture by Bicycle: Update

As a lot of you can tell I have not posted anything recent in this blog. The reason is simple. It is too darn cold, snowy and icy out to be going out and taking photo's. At least for me it is. How ever that does not mean I am not busy gathering the info. I need to continue with posting about historical and cultural sites, locations and events. Far from it. I do have a few things to post about that I need to do a little bit more of a internet search for.

I am also working on my next large historical project for this blog. It is going to be on William LaBarth Steel. I have already posted about his architectural style and some of the buildings he designed or has taken credit for designing. I have a lot more to post about and have recently found out I have barely scratched the surface. I am doing most of my research at the Pearl Street Research Center in downtown Sioux City. They literally have several boxes of files on Steele.

Here is a tentative idea on how I am going to post about William L. Steele. First I will do a recap post about all of the buildings he is credited for desiging that I have posted about so far. These buildings will be catagorized by type, commercial, churches and houses. They will be in one post that will include more information that I have on him. Then I will post about the buildings he is credited for that I have not posted about, like the buildings I have psoted about they will be catagorized by type, commercial, churches and then houses. After which I will post about the buildings he is credited for that are no longer standing today and again they too will be catagorized as mentioned above. Included in this information will be information from a thesis that was written about him called Sermons in Stone. It is about the churches he designed.

I have a lot of research to do on William L. Steele and by the time it is noce enough to take photo's of the buildings I will have enough to start posting about him once again.