SIMC: A Legacy of Preserving the Prairie

Arrowhead Park

Arrowhead Park sits on the eastern edge of Sioux Falls, in what once was the rough quarry town of East Sioux Falls. The quarry of East Sioux Falls supplied the rich beautiful red Quartzite stone that graces many buildings in down town Sioux Falls, including the Old Courthouse Museum. 

In 1982 Dale and Dorothy Weir purchased the land, where they built a summer home and added access roads, but they had much greater plans for the land.

An extraordinary couple with a strong commitment to furthering the well-being of their community, they did not want to develop the land, but rather to preserve the natural prairie habitat including the three quarry ponds for future generations.  One of their first steps was the installation of aerators to keep the quarry water ice free so that the wide variety of wildlife that lived on the land would have access to the water year round.

The city of Sioux falls was growing steadily and it would not be long before the area would be swallowed by the city. By purchasing the quarry land they could maintain and preserve the native trees, shrubs, grasses and ensure the populations of the fish and waterfowl on the 131 acre prairie land as well as preserve the quarry ponds. 

Included in the  purchase of the land was the 1888 Quarry barn. It is believed that the barn was designed by the famous architect Wallace Dow.

The Weir's who were getting older and had no children to carry on their plan for the land donated it to the City of Sioux falls in 1999 to be used as a nature park. It was named Arrowhead Park because when viewed from the air one of the quarry ponds is the shape of an arrowhead. A short four years later Dorothy Weir passed on and was followed by Dale Weir in 2010. The two left behind this beautiful legacy and will forever be remembered for their support and generosity to the community of Sioux Falls, SD.

Thank you for visiting me here in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

This is my contribution to 'Sunday In My City'. 

To find out what is going on in different cities around the world hop over to

 Unknown Mami's Sunday In My City blog hop.

Contemplation

I have driven past the Forest Lawn Cemetery many times since moving to Norfolk but have never ventured inside. This month I am practicing my black and white photography, and decided the cemetery would be the perfect place to capturing images that were not dependent upon vivid color for their richness. Wandering this beautiful resting place I could not help but think about the individuals and their families. What life was like for them, if these beautiful markers were all that was left to say they had lived, loved, cried and must certainly have been missed. I certainly hope that is not the case.

This monument is dedicated to the some 240+ foreign sailors who died at sea and were buried here during the early 1900's. I had to wonder if the families of each sailor had known that this is where their loved one was laid to rest.

All throughout there are many beautiful mausoleums like this one. Intricately carved markers and statues adorn the last resting places of the very young and the very old and every age in between. All set in a lovely garden of lush green grass and the shade of beautiful trees and shrubbery. As you can see I almost forgot I was there to practice my black and white photography.

Of course I saw many angels big and small, but this one just called out to me that it needed no color to touch the soul.

Your Sunday Best Submission

The heavens must have known I was looking for a shot that would capture the beauty and turmoil one surely feels when their loved one is laid to rest in such a peaceful garden. When I looked up and saw the emotion I was looking for.  I hope that I have captured that in this last black and white photo.

Being in this setting and seeing all the markers of lives lost I couldn't help but wonder if we put to much thought into our day to day lives and not enough into our legacy?

Today I am linking up with:

and