New State Capital Fight Ribbon – Stand Pat for Pierre – Progress and Prosperity

Pat Powers

My new State Capital fight ribbon arrived and is in the display case!

Stand Pat for Pierre – Progress and Prosperity is especially exciting for me to get my hands on, as the “Stand Pat” theme was adopted at the same time that President Teddy Roosevelt used the theme in his re-election campaign, and was one of the more widely distributed slogans in use at the time, with it being popular on buttons, etc. I believe there is also a token out there with the slogan.  Peerless Pierre was also a popular slogan in use at the time, as you can tell from the other ribbons.

While the Capital Fight items are not big with political collectors, they’re a favorite of mine. If you ever run across one, let me know, as I’m always eager to add a bit of South Dakota History to my wall.

7 thoughts on “New State Capital Fight Ribbon – Stand Pat for Pierre – Progress and Prosperity”

  2. Curious if there are any for Mitchell? How many cities fought to get the state Capitol? Yankton? Mitchell? Pierre? Any others?

    1. Marshall Damgaard wrote a book which included a chunk of the history of the State Capital fights

      https://www.amazon.com/South-Dakota-State-Capitol-Preservation/dp/0979894026

      I believe there were three. One for the Temporary Capital, one for the permanent capital, and one because they wanted to fight about again.

      I have ribbons for Sioux Falls, Huron, Wolsey, Pierre, and buttons for Mitchell & Pierre. I believe Yankton was fighting for it as well, and also Chamberlain, and another city or two.

    2. If I remember my South Dakota history, Huron was the favorite, but other towns that weren’t going to win voted overwhelmingly for the little place in the ‘boons. Good politics.

  3. Now, T.R., wasn’t he the Republican president who believed in a progressive income tax and cared about the enviroment, oh, and he started the FDA, too.

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