PIERRE, S.D. – The Trail of Governors Foundation, the state of South Dakota, the city of Pierre, and dozens of governors’ family members celebrated the final unveiling of former governors’ statues at 10 a.m. CDT on June 17, 2022, at the State Capitol Rotunda in Pierre.
The three new life-size, bronze statues portray:
Andrew E. Lee who served as governor from 1897 to 1901. Lee, born in Norway, worked as a store clerk in Wisconsin before moving to Dakota Territory. He started a mercantile and owned farms near Vermillion. The Lee Medical School building at the University of South Dakota is named for Lee, on land he donated.
Frank Byrne was governor from 1913 to 1917. Byrne was born in Iowa and lured to Sioux Falls by the Dakota Boom. He worked for homesteaders before filing his own claim in McCook County. He later moved to Faulk County and become a land company owner at Faulkton. He was lieutenant governor before being elected governor.
William J. Bulow served as governor from 1927 to 1931. He was born in Ohio and received his law degree from the University of Michigan. Bulow moved to Beresford where he opened a law office and served as mayor. After his term as governor, Bulow was elected a U.S. Senator, serving 12 years.
Statues of South Dakota’s 3rd, the 8th and the 12th governors will join 28 governors already featured on the trail, completing all 31 former governors’ statues. This project has been in the works for more than a decade. Each statue portrays a governor from his time of service, as reflected in the garments and items displayed. Each one tells a story of that governor in South Dakota’s history.
The South Dakota artists that sculpted the three new statues are James Michael Maher, James Van Nuys, Lee Leuning and Sherri Treeby.
Future governor statues, beginning with Gov. Kristi Noem, will be added after each governor leaves office.
The Trail of Governors is funded by donations and donor opportunities are still available for Govs. Bulow, Byrne, and Samuel H. Elrod. Donations are tax deductible, managed by the South Dakota Community Foundation, and information is online at TrailofGovernors.com.
