This is a production of SDPB.

I just wanted someplace that was quiet and someplace that felt like home.

I grew up here.

And then I left and I came back, and couldn't be more proud of our community.

Philip is a very progressive and welcoming community.

It's a very giving community in times of need, everybody steps in and helps Typical small town Mayberry environment I would say Join our crew as we meet the people and make a portrait of Philip.

I'd like to welcome you to Philip.

And thank you for coming.

We really appreciate it that you take an interest in this little town on the prairie, where the motto is where the sun kisses the earth every sunset.

Greetings from Philip.

Greetings from Philip Greetings from Phillip.

Greetings from Philip.

Greetings from Phillip.

One.

Greetings from Philip.

three.

From the.

Greetings from fill up.

Dakota Life Greetings from Philip is made possible with your membership in the friends of SDPB.

Thank you.

With support from Black Hills Federal Credit Union.

Since 1941, BHFCU has supported the hard working people of South Dakota.

Whether you are financing land, livestock or a legacy, BHFCU offers financial solutions tailored to you.

They're proud to support the growth of Phillip and the rural communities they serve.

And from Philip Health Services, proudly caring for the health and well-being of Phillip and the surrounding communities.

Since 1952, providing a wide range of health care services close to home.

Learn more at philiphealthservices.com With additional support from First National Bank and Phillip, serving western South Dakota in the communities of Phillip and Faith areas for 120 years.

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Donors to the Explore South Dakota Fund support the production of local documentaries and other programs of local interest.

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Welcome to Dakota Life, and greetings from Phillip.

The town we know of today as the home of the Scotties, has changed a little bit from its founding, but its independent community spirit has not.

Once upon a time, in 1881, on the Great Sioux Reservation, a Scottish immigrant and his wife settled on the Bad River and started a really good cattle business.

Because his wife, Sarah Larrabee, was native, James "Scotty" Philip could graze his herd on some of the best country anywhere.

He would become a businessman, a state senator and credited as the man who saved the bison.

But the town that took his namesake was born when the train arrived here in 1907.

Early settlers would set up shop and create a bustling community, but the cattle business would reign supreme all the way to today, evidenced by the busy Philip Sale Barn and the shop downtown, where you can buy a bottle, a saddle and your veterinary supplies.

Today, Philip is the county seat of Haakon County.

The only county in South Dakota named after someone who's never visited this state.

For more on that, let's meet community leader, teacher, history buff and Phillip High School Hall of Famer Nancy Ekstrum to help us draw a clear picture of Philip.

Do you know anything about Haakon?

King Haakon of Norway?

Did you tell us a little story about him?

I didn't know him.

I'm old, but I'm not that old!

Of course, you've heard the story of how this was all Stanley County at 1.0.

Stanley County and Haakon County were one county, and I'm not sure where the motivation came to have a vote that should be two counties.

this part of Haakon County is hugely settled by Norwegians.

Anyway, they did the vote and the Norwegians came out heavy.

And support of Hawkins County I went to school K through 12 and then went to University of South Dakota.

the fell in love with the Charlie Ekstrum who was here with the FHA.

the rest is history.

I have a couple of children, four grandchildren.

I was a school teacher here for about, I don't know, 37 years off and on and was involved in community activities because I grew up here, my dad was involved in a community and it just was a natural flow.

And here I are.

in the 50s when the interstate system came through.

He was on a committee to go down to try to get to interstate coming through 14, because pier would have been one of the rare capitals that didn't have an interstate.

he came back and he said, you know, in retrospect, I'm not so sure that's a bad idea because we are not going to become a seasonal community.

We're not going to become a community that is contingent upon somebody coming off We are going to have to find it ourselves.

And I think that that unified goal setting is what keeps this community together.

we all can do a Walmart or whatever, but just how much money did they give to the Little League?

What did they contribute to the hospital auxiliary?

But generally, I think that might be the success of Philip is it has had little twists and turns, but it's always had a compass and it always came back there.

I one day had nothing to do when I was mayor, and I went back to the minutes as far back as they went, and I followed through the agenda items from let's say the late 1910s somewhere in there.

Same problems existed then.

As do now.

It was water, it was housing, it was streets.

And this to me, exemplifies what can happen when a community and when I say community, I don't mean Philip.

I mean all of us up as far north as the river and pass Cottonwood and south.

This was the wagon train in 1988 and 89 with Governor Mickelson, The wagon train began here in West River.

We met every Friday for well over a year, planning with farmers, ranchers, business people, city people, school people as I look back on my 80 some years here, this particular project made the biggest statement about the people who live in Hawkins County.

what can happen when people come together, leave their egos at the door and focus on an agenda that works for everybody.

Hearing your stories, you know, I see a an incredible community leader and a bridge builder.

I would hope that would be my legacy.

That's who I see when I look at this.

Thank you.

You're pretty talented.

You were such an engaging storyteller.

I found myself like zoning in on you and not doing my.

job.

Oh, yeah?

Thank you so much.

Thank you guys And I just am so happy you're doing this for Philip, because we are kind of, you know, we're out here in the middle of nowhere, but that's part of our success.

said, the barriers to Philip's growth have always been water, roads and housing.

Today, city planners are sowing the seeds of all three in a new corner of the community.

For more on that, we turn to our journalism team Delainey LaHood Burns and Jackie Hendry.

Philip has struggled with housing for many, many years.

We definitely had some challenges because we've had a lot of people want to move to Philip, and we didn't have the housing for them.

Businesses weren't able to recruit or retain employees, so it really was a struggle.

A lot of these businesses wanted to expand, and in order to have expansion, you have to have new employees.

Some of the local kids, as they grow up, they want to have a house.

And we didn't have that availability.

From its nine hole golf course to its hospital, nursing home and thriving businesses.

Philip, South Dakota has a lot to offer for a small town, but like many communities across the state and the nation, it faces housing challenges for years.

Limited housing options have constrained the local workforce and held back economic growth.

But today, a unique housing development project is creating new opportunities for residents and helping the community grow.

The Kroetch Family Jerry and Karen Kroetch.

Their family had owned Scotchman for years, and Jerry and Karen knew those problems, that of hiring people and retaining them.

In 2022, the Kroetch family donated land on the northern edge of Philip for the sole purpose of expanding housing opportunities for residents.

Around this time, lawmakers in Pierre were debating legislation that would help cover housing infrastructure costs across the state.

Their efforts eventually led to the Housing Infrastructure Financing Program, through which Philip received a $400,000 grant.

The grant was used to build streets, gutters, sewer, and other infrastructure for the Kroetch addition development, offsetting those costs for homebuyers.

The city actually has a little about about $100,000 into each lot, and we're selling them for $30,000 each.

Because of that housing infrastructure funding program grants, we were able to reduce the price on each lot for lots have been sold so far at the new Kroetch Development and construction on one residential home has already started.

In addition to the Housing Infrastructure grant, the city received funding for the project through the West River Water Development District, as well as a second city sales tax and unassigned cash.

The new development represents an investment not just in housing but in Phillips future, all made possible through community led efforts.

It started from when, Jerry and Karen, Kroetch came forward and wanted to donate the land in the city of Phillip said yes.

This is the first time we were able to expand our city limits since the late 1970s.

And so we took the opportunity and we said, we will make this work.

You would have new people come into town or the people here that upgrade, that brings more sales tax revenue.

They spend their money here.

And as we get more places for people to live, we get more outside employees, more expertise.

I think that's the biggest things.

Just the total town growth.

Here in Philip, small businesses are the heartbeat of the community.

Let's go check one out now.

Walking through the doors of Colt's Nuts and Bolts is like walking into many businesses in Philip, you're greeted with the warmth of a small town that truly cares about your business, whether it's ordering something small at Ginny's, the Gem or Dakota Country, or getting something a little bit bigger up at Scotchman's.

Local businesses are the lifeblood of a community like Philip.

But here at Philip Hardware, we find a selection you won't see anywhere else in town.

Nailed it at Phillip Hardware.

That's pretty great.

Pick up your hoe at Phillip Hardware.

Everybody knows that size matters here at Phillip Hardware.

I like big bolts, and I cannot lie.

Cleaning up one neighborhood bush at a time here at Phillip Hardware.

Did you know that here at Phillip Hardware, they sell more than hose and caulk?

True story.

Oh, no.

Get Hammered at Phillip Hardware.

That's beautiful.

All right, I think I found one.

You find a good one?

I found a great one.

I love that one.

That's my first one that I ever made.

My original.

That's the original one?

You got it right.

Well, you had a lot of good choices.

How did you ever decide which one to pick first?

I felt like it spoke to me.

It's the most like me to get hammered in a small town.

See.. Yeah, there's lots to do in a small town, but shopping at the hardware store ranks right up there with number one.

you're a small business owner here in small town, Philip.

What's that like?

It's.

I never dreamt it would be this awesome, but it is.

I never had this plan growing up to be a small business owner.

It wasn't a lifelong goal, but the opportunity kind of just happened, and we took it and embraced it and ran with it.

And it's been nothing but good to us.

I'm married to Colt, the other owner Thus the Colt's Nuts and Bolts, logo that we got everywhere.

And he's hiding somewhere, I'm sure.

But but yes.

Colt and Erin we've been in the store for 11 years, How's the community support small town business?

It's unmatched.

They are the reason we're doing well.

We're thriving.

We're we're doing it for them.

The service is what we feel is the best for what we offer.

And by service, she means that the team will drive over and help you fix it.

You get the the service of the appliance that we sell or the the product that we have that, you know, that if it goes wrong or breaks, we're going to be there to help you fix it.

So that's what sells.

And first name basis.

Building those relationships.

You don't get that in the city.

So well and if somebody needed I don't know a chainsaw.

Where's the closest chainsaw from Philip.

85 miles east or west.

You know, it's we're out in the middle of South Dakota.

And that's how we try to have so much inventory on hand is because if we don't have it, we can't sell it.

And when you need a water heater or you need a fridge, I mean, you I mean, you have to you have to have them on hand.

Otherwise you got to travel 100 miles.

So, so it's kind of a self-sufficient island.

Is there anything missing from the community?

You know, we got everything here.

We got a perfect small little grocery store that has so much to offer.

Salons, chiropractors, movie theaters, workout studios.

Newspaper.

Hospital that has LifeFlight.

Like, there's everything here.

This is a small little hidden gem that not everybody knows about.

But when they do, they fall in love.

And then they want to stay.

So, yeah, it is pretty awesome.

It's growing on me already.

[...laughs...] Now I take my new t shirt to the biggest party of the Scotty Philip Days!

We have so many fun events.

The cool thing that I'm really proud of is most everything is free for everybody.

So it's something that everybody can come and enjoy.

One of the events to kick off the big weekend is a free chuckwagon feed, Even us on the SDPB crew join in the fun.

Just when I think the kids around here are alright, they go and do this.

You're gonna have to throw it hard The kids of Phillip, everyone.

We've had everything from a chuckwagon supper to trivia and karaoke, free movies, ice cream social.

Yes, inflatables, water inflatables, regular inflatables, human slot machine.

Which you guys need to be at it's awesome.

Street Dance, five K run, and cornhole tournament.

Tractor pull, dunk tank.

the At the parade, we meet longtime attendee and participant Marsha Sumpter.

Well this big circle to I've been attending it for many, many years.

While everyone from the Philip family to local businesses and high school classes from the past pass by on everything from horses, hot rods, trucks and tractors, the spirit of Scotty Philip looks on and Marsha tells us about her parade float of yesteryear.

I used to put my bus in and have pig cut outs in the window.

I drove a school bus and hauled pigs to market.

the.

Well I'd drive into town on the sale day.

With my load of pigs, and I was the county commissioner at the time.

And I'd drop off news at the paper and take the pigs to the sale barn and take off my coveralls and go to my county commissioner meeting.

[...laughs...] That seems to be the mentality here in Philip.

Work hard and have fun doing it.

That's something that has carried this community forward for generations.

But next year is sure to be a bash as it's a great big milestone for this small town.

Next year is our 120th anniversary of being Philip, South Dakota.

So we are excited to have everybody come join us.

There is literally something for everybody from age to age 200.

For those on the younger end of the age spectrum, the Philip Volunteer Fire Department hosts a fan favorite event of the weekend.

Where the rubber, [ahem] I mean plastic, meets the road, at the annual miniature demolition derby.

I'm Brock Hanson.

I am the assistant fire chief here in Philip, South Dakota.

So we have kids aged 4 to 8 in the Hot Wheels cars.

We have 'em broke up into age categories, and they each have four balloons on the car.

And the goal is to go out and be the first one to pop the other opponent's balloons, and then the last one standing wins.

Getting by with a little help from her friends.

The first champion of the day is.

How old?

Three.

You're three years old?

Yeah.

And one word sums it up when we ask the second place finisher if he had fun.

Yeah.

Meanwhile, the five year old says winning wasn't his favorite part.

Instead it was.

When I did the drift While the Derby is all fun and games, the real deal is celebrating the community members who race towards a different kind of danger.

Yeah.

Our fire department is made up of almost 40 members.

We're 100% volunteer.

We mostly wildland side, but we do have a structure side and rescue side Unlike most departments in the state, we're not in a tax district.

So all of our income comes from donations from our community.

Not only does it take a lot of donations.

It also takes a village of volunteers to protect a place like this.

Since Philip's very beginning.

They've been the ones who get out of bed at 3 a.m.

to help the folks down the road.

The first people you call in an emergency.

The ones who spend their days on the truck out in the field and their free time down at the station.

And at the end of the day, they don't make a dime for all their time helping others.

True heroes of the community.

For today's crew.

Events like this are.

it's a way for us to give back to everybody that gives.

Gives to us.

It's just something fun to do for the kids.

Get us some future.

Future derby for our big derby that we put on tomorrow night.

And if you think the big demolition derby is thrilling, just wait till you hear how volunteers and donors raised money for the park next to the fire station.

1994.

Some of us ladies were talking about raising and some money to help our town.

This group of ladies ask us to sing to this lady at our steakhouse.

So there was about eight members at that time.

But the night of the singing, only three showed up And we just about backed out.

But then we said, we're here, Maureen, you got a beautiful voice.

So we put our crazy hats on.

We had cowbells and we went in and sang, and that was the beginning of our birthday girls.

It's your birthday.

730 00:22:16,601 --> 00:22:18,470 Happy birthday, Happy birthday.

Birthday to you.

Then our bells are ringing all through it.

And the horn was going off.

they sang to me at the steakhouse, and I was so embarrassed, that was the most embarrassing.

I wanted to crawl under the table, even when I went to sing for people, I was embarrassed.

To be real truthful.

I'm not really a real outgoing person.

I mean, I'm more now, but.. Could the simple act of singing Happy Birthday be good for people and the town of Phillip?

So then we would get phone calls.

Okay.

We charge $10 they'd be surprised, embarrassed.

And we would go sing wherever they wanted us to then we just gradually got, Oh, doubled in members or more.

And a very good asset was when Gail come aboard.

She had a French horn.

So that livened everyone up when we sang.

took lessons when I was in fifth grade all the way up and in college, and they asked me if I'd come along and play.

And, you know, a lot of times you don't see people unless you get together and have something like this in common.

So sometimes we didn't see each other.

Other than when we got together and did our birthday songs, Well, we would put leis, leis over and then like I say, the hats were just crazy.

was a lot of fun.

We laughed and we loved was fun to see how embarrassed people were knowing how embarrassed I was.

we all had jobs that we could get together.

You know, we have to ask permission.

I suppose you had to get permission to because she was a teacher and my husband was a funeral director.

And if nobody died, then I could get together with the living.

So we probably sang for about 15 years.

And this park that we're sitting in was just weeds and dirt.

And so my husband, Les Pearson and Marion Matt were very good workers.

they till the seeded it with grass.

And first we'd start out pulling the sprinklers.

Then we graduated to a sprinkler tractor and then underground sprinkling system with our birthday money and help of other foundations.

And everything just grew.

the community has supported.

I think anything that we put forth, any community thing that you need, and there's a lot of community things that that happen here.

They do so many fundraisers for people.

Sick with cancer or whatever with that.

So the community is very, very supportive.

I'd say one of the most supportive communities I've, I've known.

Yes.

To finish out our show.

We have one more musician... It feels better for me to write a song that's either like firsthand experience or or a story a good friend or family member tells me, that usually is where I seems like where I find my best work.

Try to hold my head east every once in a while... Both sides of my family were very musical.

My grandpa played bands his whole life.

My dad played in a band for 20 years.

Mom did karaoke, and she also played music.

And so I just kind of grew up around it.

I picked up the guitar as soon as my hands are big enough to play, and then I just never really set it back down, and that's kind of where I got started.

[singing in background] one of the very first songs that I was like, super pumped about learning was, "Who Will Stop the Rain" by CCR.

That was like.. it's a super easy song, but like when I could play it all the way through and singing, I was just pumped.

started here, you know, playing at the Legion Hall and playing for band concerts in town and doing the, you know, pep band and stuff.

And that's where I started and, you know, decided to take things more seriously.

You know, got in a rock band and then started writing my own music and just progressed down the line to where now it's like, we should probably leave the area and see what else there is to see.

So but I call this town my home.

Have my whole entire life.

it's been great.

You know, I still get to come home to the community that I love, but I can see anything I want to any weekend that I'm away [singing] Momma I'm tired, of this life I've been livin'... Fell down the hill, like an old rollin' stone... Walked I wrote that song, just based on how I was feeling at a certain point in my life, you can get jaded by doing the things that you enjoy if you burn out.

[singing] oh I used to, And that's where I was at, you know, burning out and tired of writing music, tired of driving for hours through the night after shows just to get back home.

And it's like, that's what I felt like as I used to be this big dreamer as a kid.

Like, I'm going to do this and do this and I'm going to go have the time of my life.

Well, I catch myself doing exactly what I wanted to do when I was a kid and it changed it.

And sometimes the industry lies to you a little bit and it's not all, it's not all flowers and roses.

It's, there's a, there's a lot of work that's involved in playing music and it's not all fun.

and it just helped me to take everything that I, that I felt in my, my heart and put it on a piece of paper and then get rid of it and just get it out of my body, I guess, so to speak.

And, and then I decided to publish it, because I know that there are people out there that struggle in similar ways.

And so since I've tried to make it a focus of mine to focus on, like men's mental health because, like, not enough people talk about that and there aren't enough people in the spotlight that really mention or speak of it.

As far as bands and stuff go, you know, I look to other touring musicians from the area like Kenny Fiedler.

He's he stays busy.

He does great, work.

I always look up to artists like Red Clay strays who kind of keep themselves humble by keeping their faith up and high.

And I value that like it's good to keep the level head through everything.

during the during the week.

During the day.

I, I have my own auto body business, and I work, also down to the Philip motor, doing some body work for them, too, so I, I kind of.

Yeah, I juggle is an easy way to put it.

During the week, I stay busy.

Windshields fixing dents, light, light body restoration.

And then evenings and weekends, I'm out playing music between the two of those.

It's kind of a never ending, never ending race I wouldn't have it any other way.

you missed any of our stories here in Philip, or just want to go back and take another look, you can see more SDPB.org/dakotalife for the crew and I here in Haakon County.

Thank you for watching.