Growing up, I remember being perplexed by bumperstickers that proclaimed that the people in the car – or the car, at least – had visited Wall Drug. I just remember being so confused about why anyone would take pride in having visited a drug store.
And why was it named Wall Drug? Why not Floor Drug or Window Drug or Door Drug?
You have to remember that I was a very literal child.
After Rapid City, it was my turn to visit Wall Drug.
They build excitement with tempting signs.
Ooh! Shopping! (And they aren’t kidding about the “…and a whole lot more!”
Coffee?! I can’t wait!
If you’re going to have coffee, you might as well have…
Donuts!
And maybe a little protein with that snack.
Don’t forget your free ice water!
Actually, the free ice water is probably what saved Wall Drug, which opened up in 1931. If you are interested in the story, they do a nice job of telling it on their website. Actually, I got some of these photos from their website, because mine didn’t do them justice.
It’s kind of hard to snap photos of them while you are driving.
The signs really are works of folk art. They were all hand painted and remain hand painted to this day.
I got off I-90 and saw the sign telling me where to find Wall Drug. But there was another sign I was more eager to see.
I was happy to see this one with an arrow indicating the way to my campground. I got in and got settled. It’s kind of hard to sight see when you are towing a trailer.
After I had the Flo all set up and Bart unhitched, I strolled over to see the world-famous Wall Drug.
I liked how they used these twisted trunks as part of the architecture.
There were all sorts of storefronts and restaurants. I don’t know if they were all part of the original Wall Drug or other businesses that jumped on the bandwagon. I was a little curious about this sign. Seafood and fish…Seafood and fish? Isn’t fish seafood? I wasn’t in the market for either of those items. One thing I have learned in my travels is that you probably won’t get the best quality seafood (or fish) in the middle of a prairie.
Another set/subset problem. The Black Hill is in America. Anything made there would necessarily be made in America.
As I said, I tend to be rather literal. I guess I haven’t exactly given up my childhood ways.
I strolled around and looked at the merchandise they had for sale. Really, there was nothing that I couldn’t live without. It seemed like the different areas of the store were run by different people with their own rules. Some places had signs prohibiting photographs, so I just didn’t bother. But, if you are sorry that this is missing from my report, click here. You can even buy your souvenirs from the comfort of your own home.
The one thing I was looking for was dinner.
I had a buffalo burger, the 5¢ cup of coffee and the FREE ICE WATER!
For the kids, there is a photo-op jackalope. (I would have had my picture taken, but no one else was around.)
There was also a large post card/small bill board in the courtyard.
Before I headed out, I used the restroom.
I was pleased to see that they were committed to my total experience and included an illustration to show me how to use the SanitGrasp.
It kind of reminded me of the Opti-grab from “The Jerk”.
I’m not sure if I was overwhelmed or underwhelmed by the Wall Drug experience. One thing is for sure: I have now been to Wall Drug.
There were some other things I found interesting in Wall. One was the library.
I was on foot, so it was easy to go over and investigate.
I like to check out what is being honored and when they decided to dedicate monument.
The plaque makes it quite clear.
They also have a time capsule. I presume they have already opened the one commemorating South Dakota’s centennial. It was dedicated July 9, 1989, and was due to be opened on Wall’s centennial in 2007. It will be interesting to see what they chose to include in the more recent time capsule. Only 24 more years to go until that one is opened.
This is obviously a community that values literacy. They have a LittleFreeLibrary outside the town library.
The library was constructed in 1936 with funds from the WPA. Again, I am in awe of the lifeline our government extended to people in the Great Depression.
The structure was originally built as a community center, if I remember correctly.
I ran into the librarian as she was wrapping up her day. She told me that the people who worked on the project pecked their names into the rocks they used to build it.
At least that is what I think she told me. I figured I could find some information on line about it. Isn’t everything on line these days? But, with a population of fewer than 800, I guess they don’t feel the need to document everything for the curious public.
Quite frankly, I thought this was the most interesting part of Wall, SD. But that’s just me.
WPA projects and grain elevators – more my speed than jackalopes and souvenirs.
Tomorrow: The Badlands!
Linda Coons says:
September 12, 2018 at 3:33 pm
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I came across “Towing Silver” on Google just a day or so ago. I was writing a short history for the Salem Peace Mosaic which you visited in Salem Oregon- it seems on a quiet Sunday. The photos were great! I was one of those folks who helped create the project in 2009. I Goggled the name and just followed all the many articles since then which were 99% local posts. I worked with the folks who tossed out the seed idea, watered it and grew it. Lynn Takata was the facilitator for guiding how our dream manifested. Energy into matter that mattered so much to 600 to 700 people of all age and condition to take clay for the pieces, shape the piece, paint the piece while Lynn fired the pieces and sometimes repainted and sealed the piece. 26,000 pieces minimum make up the Wall. I just got finished reading about your Wall! A place of the people and by the people and we from the wall can visit the names of folks from your Wall. Our wall in Salem is in danger. In corporate Y’s desire to create their “brand” (like McD’s) they want a new chrome and glass version of the comfy friendly ole 1919 grand lady. So the building goes so goes the wall which was created by over 600 people from all over our county and even the tourists from across the world taking about one year to finish from 2010 to 2011. Y members loved that wall and many said sometimes on the run to workout they stopped and looked for the thousandth time at the wall. Each person recounting knowing they wanted to find one more piece or sunlit aspect that they had not seem before– and smiling as they rushed on. Lynn Takata a nationally know Mosaic Artist and three folks who were muses and facilitators in 2010 to the folks who wanted to be part of the whole picture of what does peace look like–random pieces of peace become a cohesive vision through its own energy and how it “mattered”. You took pictures of one tree of people made by North Salem High School art students. It was made in the school from big bags of clay and “glued’ to a 90 degree plyboard on stands. Each day the piece had to be moved back out of the way for next class. Ultimately the people tree weighed 400 pounds. Others in a different art meetup class in the local Bush House Art Center made the upper most limbs and leaves for a tree which they had not seen. Others in art classes in senior centers and middle schools and at art fairs made little critters who crawled, swam and took wing while others made nuts and flowers and cosmic ships and stars for skies to be placed in a universe which had no name or place. The other tree of life of animals was made by young men in a youth lockup detention center. What came forth from these young men was a trial by released emotions. They wrote their stories , they fired their emotions into pieces making up a chap book and part of the wall. One young man became overwhelmed by the process . The artist trained in working with public and at risk populations worked with young man who then created a piece . Each young man found something inside that the world could be awed to see and admire. Children love touching the porcelain animals. Lots love the Panda Bear. The dove was glass and rubbed by a woman’s hands for hours as she watched TV. She was finally in love with Dove she could hardly take her hands off its smooth soothing shape. It glows alone with overhead light now to this day. I LOVE your story of Wall!! You take me there with folksy observations right from the foundations of the place. You can google or visit Salem Peace Mosaic and Save the Salem Peace Mosaic as four ladies once again formed a board to save the Mosaic. A board was formed to become the Drs. Clinic to begin the birthing process for the “child of dreams”. 7 years later the Drs. find the child born and named “River of Peace” is actually in mortal danger. Guardians of Pubic Art protecting a picture of community working together with focus, sharing, laugher, hugs, shrugs, disagreements, agreements, sunburns, chills, hammers, nippers, pots of mortar, pots of grout, tiny brass brushes, shade canopies, hoses, blowers, cleaning shining rags, cuts, band aides, sun screen and heartfelt consensus. We had the blind , deaf and hospital patients work on the wall. Those who really see and listen and those whom are sensitive’s to notions of daily existence. Again thank you and Flow and Brad for taking me on your journey of who we are here in our country.
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your story. The mosaic is beautiful and your story of its creation makes it even richer. I hope you are able to save it. It really is a gem.