The Dakota Scout

The Dakota Scout

Share this post

The Dakota Scout
The Dakota Scout
The Scouting Report: A weekly digest
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More

The Scouting Report: A weekly digest

True Irish, School of Mines basketball, Frontier photographer, Save the frogs

Jonathan Ellis's avatar
Jonathan Ellis
Mar 17, 2023
∙ Paid
3

Share this post

The Dakota Scout
The Dakota Scout
The Scouting Report: A weekly digest
Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More
1
Share

The St. Patrick’s Day Parade Extravaganza Committee in Sioux Falls found a legit Irish American man to be the event’s March 18 grand marshal.

Dick Sweetman is an actual citizen of Ireland whose family traces its lineage back 10 generations into the early 1700s. The family hails from the County Wexford along the southeast coast of Ireland.

Sweetman, 86, graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1958. The Sweetman name is a familiar one. He headed Sweetman Construction Co. from 1959 to 1996 and was founder of the Ellis and Eastern Railroad. He was part of the leadership team for Ramkota Cos. and Kelly Inns. 

Sweetman and his wife, Kathy, donated the state’s first planetarium. It will open later this year in the Washington Pavilion.

This year is the 43rd year for the event. It starts at 11 a.m. with the traditional painting of a shamrock in front of Mrs. Murphy’s Irish Gifts at 219 S. Phillips Ave. The parade follows.

Give a gift subscription

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The Dakota Scout to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 The Dakota Scout
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share

Copy link
Facebook
Email
Notes
More