South Dakota has always been considered a flyover country, but a few American Presidents have made their way to the Mount Rushmore State.
The first was William McKinley who visited on October 18, 1899. His was a campaign trip in which he traveled with the state’s governor and Members of Congress. The group made twelve stops on the Milwaukee Railroad between Groton and Elk Point, including Aberdeen, Sioux Falls, and Huron.
George H.W. Bush visited South Dakota while in office more often than any other President in the state’s history. A total of four visits while in office.
Bush’s first visit as President was on September 18, 1989, hosted by then-governor George Mickelson. The Sioux Falls visit lasted only a couple of hours and included a speech before a large audience at the Sioux Falls Arena.
On July 3rd, 1991, George H.W. Bush celebrated Independence Day by speaking at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in the Black Hills marking his second trip to the state. President Bush re-dedicated the Memorial on the 50th anniversary of completion of the national treasure. The President was accompanied on this trip by his wife Barbara who toured the Black Hills following the dedication speech.
The third visit was a campaign stop on September 2, 1992. Bush delivered a Labor Day Speech on the farm of Jeff and Susan Kapperman near Montrose, South Dakota.
The fourth and final visit by Bush 41, was on October 25, 1992, just one week before that year's Presidential election His main theme was the farm prices and the accomplishments of his administration during the previous 4 years.
Bush also made a trip as Vice President in 1982 making his total visits to South Dakota five.
17 Presidents have visited South Dakota through the years.
William Howard Taft
Teddy Roosevelt
Calvin Coolidge
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Dwight Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy
Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Ronald Reagan
Bill Clinton
George W. Bush
Barack Obama
Donald Trump
Below is a list of U.S. Presidents who have visited South Dakota while in office:
- William McKinley, 1899
- William Howard Taft in October 1911
- Theodore Roosevelt, April 1902 (After Presidency, Sept 1910)
- Woodrow Wilson, September 1919
- Calvin Coolidge, June-July & August 1927
- Franklin D. Roosevelt, August 1936
- Harry Truman, May 1948
- Dwight Eisenhower, June 1953
- John Kennedy, August 1962
- Richard Nixon June 1969,
- Gerald Ford, August and October 1976
- Ronald Reagan, September and October 1986
- George H.W. Bush, 1982 (as Vice-President), Sept., 1989, July 1991, Sept 1992 & Oct 1992
- Bill Clinton, September & November 1996, July 1999 (After Presidency, October 2006)
- George W. Bush, August 2002
- Barack Obama, May 2015
- Donald Trump, 2018, 2020
This article was originally posted by Brian Gevik on December 10, 2018
