Commerce on the Frontier
October 12, 13, 14, 2017
The 25th Annual West River History Conference, will be held October 13-15, 2016 at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Rapid City, South Dakota. This year’s theme is Commerce on the Frontier. South Dakota and the Northern Plains were settled relatively late in our country’s long history of westward expansion. But once pioneers made their way here, merchants, newspapers, government officials (to file all those land claims), bull trains, and then railroads were not far behind.
Commerce of course, takes many forms: Native Americans had developed a very complex trade network across North America long before Lewis & Clark came this way. Mormons financed their cross country migration by building bridges, ferries and sometimes entire communities to house emigrants awaiting spring. Teamsters provided the means to transfer merchandise.
Do you have a story to tell about this expansive time in our region? We’d love to hear it!
Make plans now to attend the 2017 West River History Conference in October.
The collected papers of the conference are published annually in a permanent bound volume available for purchase by schools, libraries, museums and other interested parties. Prizes for the best papers in adult and student categories will be awarded.
West River History Conference, Inc.
PO Box 9276
Rapid City, SD 57709
605-343-4852
wrhistoryconf@gmail.com
