US State Capital History Rhode Island, South Carolina, and South Dakota

The Growth of Providence

Roger Williams was the first to settle the area which became Providence the capital of Rhode Island. He also gave the city its name and cultivated it as a refuge for persecuted religious dissenters.

The city ran into troubles during the mid-1920s. At this time, many different immigrants started arriving. The Great Depression was really tough and the downtown area of the city flooded during the New England Hurricane of 1938. From the 1950s to the 1980s Providence saw many problems with organized crime.

The city’s “Renaissance” began in the 1970s. Its revitalization occurred in the 1990s. Today visitors come to the city to see the 18th and 19th century homes lining the streets of College Hill.

Other tourist attractions include the Marble House and Roger Williams Park.

The Rhode Island State Capitol

The Capital on the Congarees River

In the area that was to become Columbia The Congarees, frontier fort was built on the west bank of the Congaree River. The colonial government established a ferry system to connect the fort with the growing settlements on the east bank in 1754. It was chosen as the new state capital in 1786. Columbia, South Carolina finally became a chartered city in 1854.

During the Civil War on February 17, 1865, a great deal of the city was destroyed by fire while it was under occupation of Union troops. After reconstruction, in the first few years of the 20th century, Columbia emerged as a regional textile and manufacturing center. In 1917 the city was selected as the site of Camp Jackson, a U.S. military installation. Columbia continued to grow and flourish and became a city with many museums.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, there was a revitalization of the Columbia downtown area. The Congaree Vista district became home to art galleries, shops, and restaurants. The Colonial Life Arena opened in 2002 as a venue for big-name concerts and shows, and the Colonial Metropolitan Convention Center opened in 2004 and in 2007 the new convention center hotel opened its doors.

South Carolina State Capitol

Visited by the Lewis and Clark Expedition

Pierre the capital of South Dakota sits on the eastern bank of the Missouri River in the geographic center of the state. It is located a few miles from Lake Oahe, one of the largest man-made lakes in the world.

The early inhabitants of the area were the Arikara and Sioux Indians. The area was visited by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1804. On the western side of the river the first permanent settlement, a fur-trading post was built. The city of Pierre was founded in 1880 as the western terminus of the Chicago and North Western Railway. It was named after Pierre Chouteau, Jr., a fur trader and entrepreneur.

Fort Pierre, across the river, was the fur-trading capital of the Northwest from 1832 to 1855. A monument stands are the spot where Louis-Joseph and Francois Verendrye buried a lead plate in 1743 claiming the region for France.

Some of the highlights when visiting Pierre include the South Dakota Discovery Center and Aquarium.

Pierre is located on the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail.

The South Dakota State Capitol Building was built with various materials among them native field stone, Indiana limestone, and Vermont and Italian marble. The building has Terrazzo tile flooring laid out by 66 Italian artists. A marble staircase inside the front door displays cases housing the First Lady Gown Collection. Miniature replicas of the gowns worn by each First Lady to the inaugural balls.

On the second floor is a 96-foot-high open rotunda decorated with 16 images of the Tree of Life, as well as acanthus leaves, and a pasque flower, the South Dakota state flower.