Historic Sites
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Bruguier's Cabin
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Central High School/Castle on the Hill
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City Halls of Sioux City
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First Brides Grave
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First Schools in Sioux City
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Floyd Monument
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Grandview Park & the Band Shell
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Historic Fourth Street
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Peirce Mansion
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Prospect Hill
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Riverside Park Area
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Sgt. Floyd River Museum & Welcome Center
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South Bottoms Memorial
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War Eagle
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Woodbury County Courthouses
First Schools in Sioux City
Mary Wilkins arrived in Sioux City on the first steamer of the season, the Omaha, on April 26, 1857. Her schoolhouse, the first in Sioux City, was located on a sloping lot on the east side of Nebraska Street, between Seventh and Eighth Streets. The unpainted wooden building had three brick pillars, six wooden steps and a school bell. Inside, it was fitted with long wooden benches. Long tables were placed against the walls for writing. The schoolhouse was used for many community activities including lectures, music and church services. Woodbury County Courthouses
William Thompson’s little log house at Floyd’s Bluff was selected as the first county seat of Woodbury County in 1853. The little town of Sioux City became the county seat in the spring of 1956. For the first twenty years, Woodbury County’s government did not have a permanent building. The courthouse offices were scattered in other buildings around town, often in homes. Grandview Park & the Band ShellIn 1906, an independent park commission headed by Edwin C. Peters purchased thirty acres of pastureland on the city's north side. Peters later recalled, "When the commission was appointed, there was no park sentiment in Sioux City - After a prolonged fight, we got a 2 mill levy for park purposes, and that levy raised $16,000." The commission decided that the north side of town, since it had no park, would be the park commission's first undertaking. City Halls of Sioux City
War Eagle Wambdi Okicize is commonly known as War Eagle. He was born in either Wisconsin or Minnesota around 1785. While his Indian name means "Little Eagle," whites always referred to him as War Eagle, which is odd because all through his life War Eagle sought to keep peace. He even left his home tribe the Isanti (sometimes referred to as Santee) to avoid a battle as to who was to become chief.
War Eagle served as a riverboat guide or pilot on the upper Mississippi, he worked for the American Fur Company delivering messages, and during the War of 1812 he carried messages for the government. Having spent all this time with the whites greatly affected his view toward these people. He saw them as friends rather than enemies.After marrying Mazakirawin in Minnesota, he was adopted into the Ihanktonwan or Yankton Sioux around 1830. War Eagle and his wife had seven children, four girls and three boys. More Articles... |
When the little town of Sioux City was just a few years old, its citizens became eager to open a school. A board of education was formed, but funds were not available right away. Then, a group of businessmen agreed to fund a school session of six months, and Miss 
Woodbury County was officially organized with an act of the Iowa legislature in 1853. The area was originally named Wahkaw, but when the county was officially organized, it was named after a Supreme Court justice, Levi Woodbury. From New Hampshire, Woodbury served on the Supreme Court for five years until his death in 1851.
Sioux City’s first City Hall was actually as a library. Built in 1891 by the Library Building Association for $122,000, it stood on the northwest corner of Sixth and Douglas. The library occupied the first floor and city offices were located on the upper floors. On March 8, 1913, the library moved to a new facility at Sixth and Jackson, and the building became the official City Hall. |
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