Electric Motor Line

The Minnehaha County Historical Society just planted a fresh marker at the Mary Jo Wegner Arboretum, right in what used to be the bustling boomtown of East Sioux Falls. Back in the late 1800s, this quarry town thrived—until it didn’t. Folks believed in an endless supply of Sioux Quartzite, but demand, as it turns out, wasn’t endless.

This marker honors the history of the Electric Motor Line. Imagine a trolley-like system connecting the city, expanding its reach, and cruising along at a whopping 10 miles per hour—cutting-edge for the time! Built in 1889 and open by 1890, it didn’t last long, closing as the quarries did. The stone cutters and their families were the heart of East Sioux Falls, and when the quarries shut, so did the town and the motor line.

Yet, the legacy endures. Even after the quarries closed, people flocked to East Sioux Falls for picnics along the banks of the Big Sioux River, far from the city's hustle. Today, it remains a retreat, even as Sioux Falls stretches to its doorstep.