The first inhabitants of the Great Missouri River and this Great Plains area were different groups of Native Americans. They were moving out of the central plains of Nebraska and western Iowa and settling in permanent villages along the Missouri River. These early farmers were probably ancestors of the historic Mandan and Arikara tribes. The Mandan and Arikara were pushed upriver into North Dakota by Dakota and Lakota Sioux groups moving into the area from the east.
From the explorations of Lewis and Clark in the early 1800s, until the railroads steamed across the plains in the 1880s, trading posts, explorer camps, Indian agencies, military posts, and steamboat landings dotted the basin.
The Fort Randall Military Post, built in 1856 on the south side of the river just below the present site of the dam, was established to keep peace on the frontier and served as a major navigation link on the Missouri River.
It was named for Colonel Daniel Randall, a career Army officer who also served as Deputy Paymaster General of the Army. The site was selected in 1856 by General William S. Harney, Commander of the Sioux Expedition.
In 1875, Lt. Colonel Pinkey Lugenbeel conceived the idea of building a combination church and Odd Fellows meeting hall to stem rampant alcoholism and provide some social, spiritual, and intellectual stimulation at the isolated post. Designed by George Bush (post carpenter), it was erected by the soldiers at a cost of approximately $20,000. Since the chapel was not a military building, it was built with funds and labor donated by off-duty soldiers, local citizens, and Echo Lodge No. 2 of the IOOF of Dakota Territory.
It was built in the shape of a cross from yellow chalk rock, red cedar and black walnut. It included a bell tower and a winding staircase. The bell could be heard from miles around.
When the fort was abandoned in 1892, the fort’s buildings and contents were sold at auction. The chapel was left standing. The chapel and contents were sold at a private sale in 1896. The church bell found a new home in the belfry of the Springfield, SD city hall. Since that time, the chapel has deteriorated. In 2003, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, assisted by the National Park Service and local historical societies, worked to restore the historic chapel. At the same time, local historians directed their efforts at returning the bell to its original site. Military retirees Dick Barta of Vermillion, SD and Don Barta of Wagner, SD along with Almon Adam of Pickstown, SD and also a former resident of the Fort Randall community, convinced the bell’s caretakers that the bell should be returned to its home. The bell found its way back home in the summer of 2004.
To log this Virtual Cache you must upload a photo of yourself to your found log standing in front of the bell of the chapel. Please be respectful and stay out of the fenced area. You may take the photo from the road as well. Face photos are not required but allowed if you choose. If you do not want your face in the photo you can have a photo of a sheet of paper with your geocaching name and the date written on it. Either way the bell must be in the background. Logs without the verification photo will be deleted. Please do not send photos to message center, only post them in the log.
Ft. Randall Chapel in 1902
Other points of interest in the vicinity:
- The foot trail to the east will give you a tour of the parade grounds of the Fort with informational markers along the way. Take a brochure from the box in front of the church for a building site map.
- The Fort Randall Cemetery is to the up the hill to the west. It served as a final resting place for both military personnel and civilians in the region. It has informational markers about life at Fort Randall as well as the record book for the cemetery.
- Tours are available at the Dam and Powerplant from Memorial Day to Labor Day: Three times daily at 10:00 a.m.; 1:00 p.m.; and 3:00 p.m. (currently they are doing tours Thursday to Monday)
- The Fort Randall Visitor Center is located on the western edge of Pickstown, S.D. along U.S. Highway 281 and 18. The visitor center provides a spectacular view of Lake Francis Case, Fort Randall Dam and the Missouri River. Exhibits in the center include information and displays about the authorized project purposes, construction of the dam, local cultural history, paleontological history, early exploration, and natural history of the area. The center also houses a freshwater aquarium that displays fish species of the Missouri River.
The scenic overlooks of the beautiful Missouri River are breathtaking! You will not regret visiting here! I recommend camping too. 😊
Virtual Rewards 3.0 - 2022-2023
This Virtual Cache is part of a limited release of Virtuals created between March 1, 2022 and March 1, 2023. Only 4,000 cache owners were given the opportunity to hide a Virtual Cache. Learn more about Virtual Rewards 3.0 on the Geocaching Blog.