Site of the Official State Fishing Museum

The Museum of Wildlife, Science, and Industry Adopted: February 19, 2004

Economic interests were prominent motivators for House Bill No. 1143 (HB1143).

State of South Dakota

SEVENTY-NINTH SESSION
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, 2004

129J0595

HOUSE BILL NO. 1143

Introduced by: Representatives Sigdestad, Elliott, Engels, Fryslie, Hanson, Hargens, Hennies, Hundstad, Konold, Kroger, Lange, Miles, Nesselhuf, Peterson (Jim), Rhoden, Solum, Thompson, and Van Norman and Senators Symens, Abdallah, Kelly, Koetzle, Moore, Olson (Ed), and Schoenbeck

FOR AN ACT ENTITLED, An Act to designate Webster as the site for the official State Fishing Museum.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA:

Section 1. That chapter 1-6 be amended by adding thereto a NEW SECTION to read as follows:

The Museum of Wildlife, Science, and Industry located in the city of Webster is designated as the site of the official State Fishing Museum for the State of South Dakota.

Indeed, the bill did not name a particular museum as the “official state fishing museum” of South Dakota, rather; it named a "site" for the “official state fishing museum.”

Though the bill implied the existence of an “official state fishing museum,” in fact, when the bill was passed by the South Dakota Legislature and signed by the Governor, no such fishing museum existed.

Museum of Wildlife, Science and Industry, Webster, S.D.

What did exist was the Museum of Wildlife, Science and Industry and a promise that, should HB1143 be signed into law, certain parties would create a fishing museum on the site of the Museum of Wildlife, Science and Industry in the City of Webster, Day County, South Dakota.

The process is made clear by a quote from the website of the Museum of Wildlife, Science and Industry. According to the website (accessed July 9, 2011), the "fishing museum" is located in the "Main Complex," the William P. & Mabel Peterson Building.

South Dakota Fishing Museum -In March of 2004 Governor Rounds signed the bill that designated MWSI as the future home of the South Dakota Fishing Museum. It started with a temporary display including a collection of fishing equipment, lures and fish related memorabilia. This "museum within a museum" is being added to on a regular basis.

Perhaps the principle protagonists in the story of the “official state fishing museum” were a fellow named Dennis Daly and another fellow named David Sigdested.

In 2003 or 2004, Dennis Daly provided State Representative David Sigdested, Museum of Wildlife, Science and Industry board member, with a letter detailing his interest in "placing the state fishing museum in Day County at the site of our county museum here in Webster." This letter was read by Rep. Sigdested, before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee on January 24, 2004.

Mr. Daly offered many reasons why such a museum should be established in Webster and related that "After visiting with state officials in Pierre, I was instructed to have the legislature designate that a state fishing museum be placed in Day County, Webster, South Dakota."

Day County contained the greatest number of lakes in South Dakota and included Waubay Lake, the largest in South Dakota.
Fishermen came to Day County from all over the upper Midwest to enjoy the bounties of the lakes.
A state fishing museum would offer an additional attraction in the area and provide a boost to other local attractions. Mr. Daly mentioned the state fish hatchery near Waubay.
Space for the fishing museum would be provided by the already established Museum of Wildlife, Science and Industry.

Mr. Daly concluded by elaborating that he had "collected old fishing equipment for the past 22 years," had knowledge and experience in the field and was "willing to donate my time and energy to have the state fishing museum succeed should it be placed here."

Webster Area Development Corporation

Establishment of the museum was also supported with letters from the Mayor of Webster, the Webster Area Development Corporation and the Webster Chamber of Commerce.

The House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee unanimously recommended passage of HB1143 on January 27, 2004.

It was passed by the full House of Representatives the following day.

The reception in the State Senate was a little cooler.

Concern was expressed about offering a designation to a museum that did not exist. Others questioned the idea of providing a state designation to a local entity. Senator John Koskan thought that offering an "official" status to an entity that required continued funding was a mistake.

On February 11, 2004, however, the full Senate voted 22 to 12 to approve HB1143.

On February 19, 2004, Governor Mike Rounds signed House Bill No. 1143 naming The Museum of Wildlife, Science and Industry, in Webster, the "site of the official State Fishing Museum for the State of South Dakota."

The official state fishing museum seems to be a work in progress.

In a January 18, 2007 article in The American News, John Papendick offered:

Jan. 18--After reeling in a dream come true, a Webster man is trolling for more bites. A couple of years ago, Dennis Daly lured the South Dakota State Fishing Museum to Webster. The 50 feet of museum space is part of a building at the Museum of Wildlife, Science and Industry site on the northwest side of Webster along U.S. Highway 12. Daly, a 1961 Aberdeen Central graduate, wants to snag help to expand the 2-year-old fishing museum with its own building and board of directors.

A "Must See!" museum

There are 24 buildings on the site! This museum looks and sounds like a "must see!" It's located in the northeastern South Dakota community of Webster, about 140 miles south of Fargo, N.D., about 224 miles west of Minneapolis, Minn., or about 150 miles north of Sioux Falls S.D., depending upon where you are coming from.

If you're coming from the west, Webster is located about 1,581 miles from Eugene, Oregon or only 325 west of Rapid City, S.D.

South Dakota Law

The following information was excerpted from the South Dakota Codified Laws , title 1, chapter 1-6, section 1-6-15.1.

TITLE 1 STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT
CHAPTER 1-6 STATE EMBLEMS
1-6-15.1 State Fishing Museum.

1-6-15.1. State Fishing Museum. The Museum of Wildlife, Science, and Industry located in the city of Webster is designated as the site of the official State Fishing Museum for the State of South Dakota.

Source: SL 2004, ch 6, § 1.

Sources...

The South Dakota Legislature. An Act to designate Webster as the site for the official State Fishing Museum. Pierre: State of South Dakota, 2011. Web. 9 Jul 2011. .
The South Dakota Legislature. South Dakota Codified Laws. Pierre: State of South Dakota, 2011. Web. 12 Jul 2011. .
The Museum of Wildlife, Science and Industry. SDMuseum.Org. Web. 9 July 2011. .

Additional Information

View Larger Map

Museum of Wildlife, Science and Industry: Site of the official state fishing museum of South Dakota.

760 W. Highway 12
Webster, S.D. 57274
Phone (605) 345-4751
info@sdmuseum.org

Webster Chamber of Commerce: Official website of the Webster Chamber of Commerce.

Economic Development: The Webster Area Development Corporation (WADC).

South Dakota Tourism: The South Dakota Department of Tourism.

More symbols & emblems: Complete list of official South Dakota state symbols from NETSTATE.COM.