How a tiny South Dakota town nearly stole the state capital with corn

Mitchell’s Corn Palace Campaign for South Dakota’s Capital

The Midwest once built palaces out of corn, wheat, and grass.

Between 1887 and 1930, at least thirty-four crop palaces popped up across the plains to lure settlers west.

Railways backed these grand schemes, spending millions to sell their land after the Panic of 1873 left many folks jobless.

In Mitchell, South Dakota, city leaders went big in 1904, building a massive Corn Palace twice the size of their first one as part of a bold bid to steal the state capital from Pierre.

Though that plan failed, the Mitchell Corn Palace stands today as the world’s only surviving crop palace, its exterior murals now showcasing "Wonders of the World" in twelve natural corn colors.

Corn Palaces Popped Up When Railroads Needed Settlers

From 1887 to 1930, a clever marketing trend took over the Midwest. Farmers struggled after the Panic of 1873 left many Americans jobless and looking for fresh starts.

Railroad companies owned huge chunks of land they needed to sell, so they spent millions showing off the region’s farming potential.

The first corn palace opened in Sioux City, Iowa in 1887, starting a trend that caught on fast. These striking buildings covered in grain became key to bringing settlers west.

Farmers Decorated Buildings With Their Harvest to Show Off

About 34 different crop palaces went up across the Midwest during this time. Locals covered these buildings inside and out with corn, wheat, oats, and other crops grown nearby.

The decorations changed yearly with fresh harvests.

Towns held big festivals around their palaces, bringing thousands of visitors who loved the corn murals, grain art, and farm displays.

They wanted to show potential settlers that the soil was rich and anyone could grow plenty of crops in these areas.

Sioux City’s Palace Drew 130,000 Visitors In Its First Year

Sioux City, Iowa built the first corn palace in 1887, creating buzz across the country. Over 130,000 folks came to see this unusual building during its first show.

Workers covered the walls with colorful corn murals and filled the inside with farm displays. The palace ran yearly shows until 1891, setting the bar for what a crop palace should look like.

Other towns soon wanted their own version of this popular attraction.

Mitchell Spent $1,500 On A Palace That Took Just Two Months To Build

Mitchell, South Dakota joined the crop palace trend in 1892, putting up their first corn palace in just 60 days. The town spent $1,500 on the project, big money back then.

Workers covered every inch with local corn, grains, and native grasses arranged in patterns and pictures. Mitchell built their palace to compete with other towns’ attractions.

Town leaders wanted to show off South Dakota’s farming potential and get attention from both settlers and investors.

Towns Tried To Outdo Each Other With Grain Buildings

The crop palace trend spread quickly as towns competed for settlers and bragging rights. Gregory, South Dakota put up its own corn palace not far from Mitchell.

Plankinton, South Dakota went with a grain palace instead. Over in Creston, Iowa, locals built a bluegrass palace to highlight their special crop.

Towns spent money and effort making their buildings bigger and fancier than their neighbors’. This friendly competition pushed towns to create more amazing structures.

Newspapers Bragged About 11-Foot Corn Stalks

South Dakota papers printed some bold claims about local crops.

Reports in 1891 talked about farmers getting 50 to 100 bushels of oats per acre and 30 bushels of wheat. Some stories mentioned corn stalks growing an amazing 11 feet tall.

These big numbers showed up in ads sent east to attract settlers.

The crop palaces backed up these claims, with their walls covered in the actual grains grown nearby. Hopeful settlers read these stories and packed their wagons, dreaming of similar success.

The Milwaukee Railroad Backed Mitchell’s Big Political Dreams

South Dakota picked Pierre as its temporary capital when it became a state in 1889, but the final location stayed up for grabs. Mitchell saw a chance and made a play for the prize.

The town sat on the Milwaukee Road railroad line, giving it a powerful friend with deep pockets. City leaders used their corn palace as the perfect showcase for visitors and state officials.

The railroad company liked this plan too, since a capital city on their line meant more passengers and freight.

The Corn Palace Doubled In Size For The Capital Campaign

Mitchell rebuilt their corn palace in 1904-1905, making it twice as big as the first one. This wasn’t just about tourism, it was a smart move in their campaign to become state capital.

The new palace had fancier architecture and better decorations to impress state lawmakers and visitors. The building served two goals: showing off Mitchell’s success while providing a grand space for political events.

Town leaders spent plenty of money creating a building worthy of a capital city.

Pierre Fought Off Mitchell’s Well-Funded Challenge

The battle between Pierre and Mitchell for capital status got fierce.

The Milwaukee Road railroad put serious money into Mitchell’s campaign, paying for ads that showed off the town’s farm wealth and bright future.

Pierre fought back by talking up its central spot and existing government buildings. Both cities spent heavily trying to win votes.

The campaign heated up as each side made big promises about what they offered the young state.

Drought Dried Up Crops And Dreams

The crop palace movement hit a big problem: reality.

Bad droughts struck the region from the 1890s through 1905, making those newspaper claims about amazing harvests look pretty empty.

Many hopeful settlers who moved west based on those promises ended up leaving their farms when the rains stopped coming.

The dry years created a stark difference between the abundant farm displays in the crop palaces and the struggling farms outside. Still, the marketing campaigns pushed forward despite these problems.

Only Mitchell’s Palace Survived The Test Of Time

Among all those crop palaces built across the Midwest, only one remains standing today.

Mitchell’s corn palace outlasted all its competitors, becoming a permanent fixture rather than a temporary promotional tool. While Pierre kept the capital, Mitchell found lasting fame with its unique building.

Over the decades, the town rebuilt and redesigned the palace several times.

What started as a settlement promotion transformed into a cultural landmark that still draws visitors from around the world – the last surviving example of this remarkable chapter in American agricultural history.

Visiting The Corn Palace, South Dakota

The Corn Palace at 604 N Main Street in Mitchell shows how frontier towns competed for settlers and state capital status through elaborate grain-decorated buildings.

You can visit for free daily from 8am-5pm (8am-9pm summer) with free parking and guided tours during summer. The seven large murals change annually, featuring Christ the Redeemer and Sydney Opera House in 2025.

Inside exhibits cover corn palace history and Mitchell’s 1905 state capital campaign.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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