Exploring Prehistoric Brown County

This exhibit features prehistoric to pre-settlement days on the prairie.

Before the last Ice Age ended, mastodons and woolly mammoths were familiar in the area. A woolly mammoth, 11 feet tall at the shoulder, which is painted on the wall, illustrates the average size of this prehistoric mammal and a replica footprint shows the average size of a mastodon foot. A carved sword and scabbard made from woolly mammoth tusk are shown in the exhibit. Notable historic events related to prehistoric animals in the area include the discovery of fossilized remains of a woolly mammoth west of Aberdeen at Mina Lake in the early 1930s and a 29-foot long mosasaurus conodon which was found at the Elm Lake Spillway, near Frederick, SD in the 1940s. This mosasaurus, one of the most complete specimens of its kind, is currently on display at the SD School of Mines – Museum of Geology in Rapid City.

A large mural map shows the most common theories of how early peoples may have arrived here and artifacts, estimated to be several hundreds of years old, found in an archeological dig by Westport, SD, are displayed alongside items from the collection. The buffalo (American Bison), represented by the specimen mounted on the wall, was a common site on the native prairie and an important resource for indigenous peoples. The bison – “Tatanka” was a source for food, clothing, shelter, tools, etc. A chart of the many ways in which the animal was used by Native Americans is included in the exhibit. Bison bones which were found in archeological excavations are also displayed. The buffalo herds, which used to cover the vast prairie, numbering individually in the millions, were nearly eliminated due to over-harvesting in the 1800s by hunters, railroad companies, settlers, soldiers and the government.

The annual migration of birds is an impressive sight on the prairie. A hands-on station provides visitors an opportunity to play various bird sounds. Many of the songbirds seen during prairie summers are tropical birds which winter in Central and South America and return every spring.

The prairie diorama is an accurate representation of how northeastern South Dakota looked before the settlement of homesteads and the establishment of towns. The diorama was a gift to the museum by the late Leroy Hoffman. It contains real preserved prairie grass, taken from Ordway Prairie, near Leola, SD and accurately replicated wildflowers. Grasslands in this area are classified as mixed grass prairie. Other parts of South Dakota contain areas of tall grass prairie (in the east) and short grass prairie (in the west). Average rainfall determines how high grasses grow. Native prairie grasses have deep root systems, reaching as far as 4 feet below the surface of the soil to draw moisture from the subsoil in periods of drought. The resulting tangled mass of roots made for a tightly woven building material composed of organic matter and dirt, otherwise known as the sod block. The diorama sky is hand-painted and is curved to give the illusion of an endless horizon. The lack of trees is correct, most found today were planted by hand. An owl and gopher represent some of the wildlife found on the prairie. The diorama portion of the gallery was installed in the late 1970s. (The rest of the exhibit is more recently updated.)

Buster the Bison (the museum’s mascot), seen in this gallery, is the friendliest bison around, and he WILL hold still for your selfies and other photos. Unlike most “fluffy cows” you might encounter while vacationing on the plains, it is OK to approach him, and even pet his furry coat, but PLEASE, BE GENTLE!