The natural beauty on the Big Sioux River gave the city of Sioux Falls its name and like a lot of places in South Dakota,it has a long history.

Sioux Falls is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Dakota with a total area of 73.47 square miles.

Below: Lee Duquette decided to make the tug-of-war a fair game by helping out the lone figure who was obviously losing.

Falls Park, the city's namesake, is located in the heart of the city and is home to a captivating triple waterfall, a visitor information center with a five-story viewing tower, cafe, and historic ruins built from pink quartzite that is seen throughout the park. The Falls of the Big Sioux River have been the focus of life in the region throughout history. Native American peoples were the first to visit the Falls and bring stories of them to European explorers. They have been the focus of recreation and industry since the founding of the city of Sioux Falls in 1856. Today the park covers 42 acres.

Below: View from the five-story observation tower

The falls were created about 14,000 years ago during the last ice age. The lure of the falls has been a powerful influence on this area. Ho-Chunk, Ioway, Otoe, Missouri, Omaha, Ponca, Quapaw, Kansa, Osage, Arikira, Dakota, Nakota and Cheyenne people inhabited the region previous to European descendants. Numerous burial mounds still exist on the high bluffs near the river. These people operated an agricultural society that built fortified villages on many of the same sites that were previously settled. Many Lakota, Dakota, Nakota, and other Indigenous Americans reside in Sioux Falls today.

Below: Karen and Lee Duquette on the right side of Sioux Falls.

Each second, an average of 7,400 gallons of water drop 100 feet over the course of the falls.

Queen Bee Mill: In pioneer days the falls were tapped for water power to run the Queen Bee Mill, built in 1887. The foundation of the mill is still visible and is shown in the photograph below. This structure offers a glimpse into the area's history.

Below: Lee and Karen Duquette made it to the left side of the falls.