Since I was little, the Corn Palace has fascinated me.
At first, it was just plain awe. Look at all of that corn, I would think
to myself. Is it solid corn throughout the entire building? Do stalks of
corn actually hold the whole thing up? Why doesn't dad's corn grow that
tall?
An inside visit with my family was all it took for me to know that it
was indeed just a building, only it used corn instead of paint or
wallpaper. Tourists from all over the country were stopping at Mitchell,
S.D., to take pictures of this thing and to buy little plastic Corn
Palace replicas, souvenir dishes and postcards.
During high school I played many basketball games on its hardwood floor
but didn't really think about being inside a tourist attraction and
Midwestern icon. Big deal, I thought. Why is everyone so crazy about the
Corn Palace?
Touted as the World's Only Corn Palace, it has been featured on numerous
TV shows and in dozens of magazines and newspapers since its
construction in 1892. Tourists bring millions of dollars to Mitchell's
economy each year.
But that isn't why I'm fascinated with it.
My grandmother finally told me why the place is so darn interesting. She
shared a lot of memories in the years before her death, and one of those
memories provided the key to my curiosity.
She spoke of a time when it was a treat to head to Mitchell and have
picnics at the Corn Palace. Back then, in the 1920s, trips to Mitchell
came only a few times each year. Her family would bring some fried
chicken and spread lunch over a blanket in the grass. The kids would
play, and the adults would muse over the designs adorning the palace.
My parents added to the mystique by talking about the great performers
who had visited the Corn Palace in their time� �� ��Bob Hope, Lawrence Welk,
Red Skelton and others. I was even more amazed to find that John Philip
Sousa spent time performing early in the 20th century between the
kernels.
So after years of youthful ignorance, I finally appreciated the Corn
Palace for what it really was� �� ��a 100-year-old Midwestern tradition.
The Corn Palace was built in 1892 to house a "Corn Belt Exposition," an
event that was designed to revitalize immigration to South Dakota and
prove to farmers that abundant corn and wheat could be grown in the
state. A wooden structure was built and covered with various local crops
including corn, wheat, wild oats, bromegrass, bluegrass, rye straw and
dock.
The first couple of years were a success, but the Midwest soon fell into
a severe drought and the exposition was cancelled. Not until 1901 did
the event resume, and four years later a newer building was constructed
a block north of the original location. It was rebuilt into a steel and
concrete structure in 1921, and that was the last major renovation.
Each year, the outside murals are replaced with new designs that follow
a general theme. Decorating starts in midsummer and is completed toward
the end of September.
Mitchell spends around $100,000 each year to decorate the Corn Palace,
and 3,000 bushels of corn are used in 12 murals. The indoor murals at
the Corn Palace are replaced less often (the last major redecorating was
done in the early 1990s).
The late local artist Cal Schultz was hired for years to design the
murals, and farmer Dean Strand is paid to grow the crops. Their services
aren't lost on the thousands of tourists who stop to view the Corn
Palace each year. Most stop because it's a logical resting place during
their drive on I-90, but they leave with an admiration for the
craftsmanship and dedication that goes into the decorations each year.
I've learned to do the same, and now when I drive by I always make a
point to look at it.