Once Upon A Bandshell

Bandshell, Prospect Park, Huron, SD

Once upon a time in a bandshell far, far away, I remember bands playing, choirs singing, children laughing and people generally just having fun. Prospect Park was a place to go and usually no fees or tickets were required. Mostly the people who came to the park with their lawn chairs were older folks (like me now) and parents with young kids. Older kids were hanging out at the Starlite Theater, JJ Newberry corner, Stony Run, Byron, or some other place far away from adults. The bandshell, the “center” of town, is a symbol of small town America.

South Dakotans are a fiercely independent group of people, no matter their background. The Sioux, Norwegians, Germans, and more have been tied to the land and to the needs of the land for centuries. I left the great plains when I joined the military 50+ years ago and haven’t been back except for family visits. My thoughts on Huron are only memories, I don’t know what “is” now. In the old days, the people would talk over coffee at Randall’s, discuss politics/crops/weather, debate the issues, shake their heads, and then choose what was good for South Dakota and its people. People from both parties were sent to the State House and to Washington. And then “sides” seemed to become more important than issues.

Now, we are a divided country, seemingly agreeing on few things except that anger and hate are the only methods of discourse. I believe this division is a product of racism, to the fear that racism incites, and to the politicization and polarization of every single institution and place we, The People, go. Maybe even this bandshell.