Canistota
With a population of approximately 700 people (nearly 1,000 during the week), Canistota, SD is located "five miles from anywhere" - I-90; Hwy. 81; and Hwy. 16 (now Hwy. 42); and Montrose to the East. Surrounded by farm country and Lake Vermillion, Canistota is a town that perhaps might not have been, if not for the railroad.
In 1883, the railroad from Mitchell to Sioux Falls missed Canistota's predecessor, Cameron, by as little as ¼ mile. At the time, Cameron was located approximately 1 mile southeast of Canistota and was a prospering little town with as many as 32 buildings and a twice-daily stagecoach run to Sioux Falls. In 1883, the Chicago Northwestern Railroad built a line from Huron, SD to Hawarden, IA that completely bypassed Cameron, and created a new town, Canastota.
Canistota (as we know it today) was named by Major Free, an employee with the railroad, for his hometown - Canastota, NY on October 22, 1883. An error in copying the name with the post office recorded the name as Canistota, which it officially became in 1919.
Canistota is the home of the Hawks. In 2001, Canistota built a new school, which replaced a three-story building that had been used since 1929. Enrollments are increasing each year as the area continues to grow in and around the town.
Many probably recognize the town of Canistota for its' world-famous Ortman Clinic. The Ortman tradition began in 1915 when Amon Ortman provided chiropractic care for friends, relatives and neighbors using his farmhouse as the original clinic. As word spread of his success in treating aches and pains, thousands of people from surrounding areas flocked to the Ortman farm for treatment. Amon's younger brother Noah began to assist him in treating patients as the numbers grew.
The clinic is unique in that it practices the Sitting-Up Technique exclusively. This "Ortman Technique" has become the Ortman trademark. This technique evolved from the way Amon Ortman initially treated patients at his farmhouse. He would have them sit down on anything convenient - a chair, a bucket, a wagon tongue, a buggy seat - and apply his treatment. Since 1915, over three million patients coming from every state in the United States have received treatment (www.ortmanclinic.com)
Canistota is also the home of South Dakota's Minor League Professional Team - the Dakota LawDawgs; as well as the Ortman Hotel, Cameron Inn, Good Samaritan Center, Total Stop Food Store and many other local and regional businesses.
Canistota is like many other small towns throughout the Sioux Empire that appreciates and celebrates its' past, especially with the town's annual celebration - Sport Day. Sport Day started in 1909 and is still celebrated today. Keeping with the traditions of the past, it hosts local happenings, ball games, street sports, eating contests, a parade fireworks and dancing.
Known for its clear waters and abundant fish, Lake Vermillion has become a popular area among fishermen, boaters and swimmers. During the fall, sportsmen can find waterfowl and upland game within minutes from the park, making it an ideal hunting camp. Impounding waters from the east fork of the Vermillion River in 1958 created Lake Vermillion. A French trapper who called it Otter Stream first noted the river itself on an 1801 map. In Lakota language, Vermillion means "red paint." Some say the stream got its name from the outcropping of red quartzite along its bank. This 512-acre reservoir is located just east of Canistota (www.sdgfp.info).
In 2009, Canistota will celebrate the town's 125th birthday. Looking at the past as a guide, the town will continue to grow and prosper on the Sioux Empire plains.
In 1883, the railroad from Mitchell to Sioux Falls missed Canistota's predecessor, Cameron, by as little as ¼ mile. At the time, Cameron was located approximately 1 mile southeast of Canistota and was a prospering little town with as many as 32 buildings and a twice-daily stagecoach run to Sioux Falls. In 1883, the Chicago Northwestern Railroad built a line from Huron, SD to Hawarden, IA that completely bypassed Cameron, and created a new town, Canastota.
Canistota (as we know it today) was named by Major Free, an employee with the railroad, for his hometown - Canastota, NY on October 22, 1883. An error in copying the name with the post office recorded the name as Canistota, which it officially became in 1919.
Canistota is the home of the Hawks. In 2001, Canistota built a new school, which replaced a three-story building that had been used since 1929. Enrollments are increasing each year as the area continues to grow in and around the town.
Many probably recognize the town of Canistota for its' world-famous Ortman Clinic. The Ortman tradition began in 1915 when Amon Ortman provided chiropractic care for friends, relatives and neighbors using his farmhouse as the original clinic. As word spread of his success in treating aches and pains, thousands of people from surrounding areas flocked to the Ortman farm for treatment. Amon's younger brother Noah began to assist him in treating patients as the numbers grew.
The clinic is unique in that it practices the Sitting-Up Technique exclusively. This "Ortman Technique" has become the Ortman trademark. This technique evolved from the way Amon Ortman initially treated patients at his farmhouse. He would have them sit down on anything convenient - a chair, a bucket, a wagon tongue, a buggy seat - and apply his treatment. Since 1915, over three million patients coming from every state in the United States have received treatment (www.ortmanclinic.com)
Canistota is also the home of South Dakota's Minor League Professional Team - the Dakota LawDawgs; as well as the Ortman Hotel, Cameron Inn, Good Samaritan Center, Total Stop Food Store and many other local and regional businesses.
Canistota is like many other small towns throughout the Sioux Empire that appreciates and celebrates its' past, especially with the town's annual celebration - Sport Day. Sport Day started in 1909 and is still celebrated today. Keeping with the traditions of the past, it hosts local happenings, ball games, street sports, eating contests, a parade fireworks and dancing.
Known for its clear waters and abundant fish, Lake Vermillion has become a popular area among fishermen, boaters and swimmers. During the fall, sportsmen can find waterfowl and upland game within minutes from the park, making it an ideal hunting camp. Impounding waters from the east fork of the Vermillion River in 1958 created Lake Vermillion. A French trapper who called it Otter Stream first noted the river itself on an 1801 map. In Lakota language, Vermillion means "red paint." Some say the stream got its name from the outcropping of red quartzite along its bank. This 512-acre reservoir is located just east of Canistota (www.sdgfp.info).
In 2009, Canistota will celebrate the town's 125th birthday. Looking at the past as a guide, the town will continue to grow and prosper on the Sioux Empire plains.
