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More Old Highway 16
Jul 21, 2015
Our July/August ’15 issue includes a lengthy feature on Highway 16, which was the major east-west road across South Dakota before it was supplanted by Interstate 90. But nearly all of the 400-mile corridor still exists as a patchwork of county roads. Here are some photographs of the route that didn’t make the magazine. Photos by Bernie Hunhoff.
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A fiberglass Hereford in Mitchell points travelers to Chef Louie’s, a steakhouse that dates back to the 1940s.
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Chuck’s Trailer Park in Plankinton survived Highway 16’s demise, and still welcomes fishermen and other travelers.
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A pirate was Plankinton’s high school mascot when Highway 16 was in its prime.
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Highway 16 is still cattle country. This longhorn grazes west of Mitchell.
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Fort Hays’ Old West Town near Rapid City includes the fort building and other memorabilia from the movie Dances with Wolves.
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Travelers entering South Dakota from Wyoming once wet their whistles at this bar and cafe, but it has been closed for many years.
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From the Wyoming border to Rapid City, the old road remains a federal highway.
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Owanka became a ghost town even before the highway languished because it lacked water. Residents once brought their water in by railroad.
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An old railroaders’ hotel is slowly being restored in Plankinton.
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Keith Patrick runs a repair shop at an old gas station in Vivian. He says the old roadbed is now so devoid of car traffic that airplanes occasionally use it for a landing strip.
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Three wood crosses stand on a hill east of Murdo.
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A herd of horses frolic in Jones County.
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The McKenzie family ran a campground on Highway 16 at Murdo.
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Ohioans left a tribute to the West River sportsmen on the wall of the Draper Gun Club.
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International Harvester’s fortunes mirror the rise and fall of Highway 16. This old sign is at Vivian.
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Gannon’s Market and a number of other old storefronts are sagging but standing in Vivian.
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A rural exodus has thinned out the ranching population, but directional signs indicate there are some survivors.
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A painted horse outside Osage Lakota Artworks welcomes motorists to Kimball.
Fall color is at its peak in the Black Hills. Photo by John Mitchell
Real cowboys don't brag, but if they did, they'd have a lot to say about Lemmon.
Huron is adorned with art that celebrates Beadle County's ag heritage.
Tinsel, lights and holly add holiday luster to the trains of Hill City.
Surprises await in Hot Springs. Photos by Bernie Hunhoff.
Comments
My father was the doctor in Marion and back in the day still made house calls and even delivered babies at home. Pumpkin Center was often a stop for him as it had a small telephone exchange that operated 24/7and served as his message center. My mother would take calls at home and then call Pumpkin Center to leave messages.