Governor's house in Wessington Springs - listed on National Register of Historic Places

SACOTA (Springs Area Council Of The Arts) will sponsor a Mother’s Day Program at the 1905 Opera House at 2:30 on Sunday, May 10, 2009. This will be followed by a Mother’s Day Tea at the historic Governor Vessey home in Wessington Springs.

Governor /Robert Vessey, seventh governor of South Dakota, was the first governor to proclaim Mother’s Day as a public observance. His proclamation was dated “this Sixth day of April, Nineteen Hundred and Nine”. This year will mark the 100th anniversary of his proclamation.

The original proclamation was signed by Gov. Vessey and Secretary of State, Samuel Polley. Mayor Jim Burg will read this proclamation as part of the program at the Opera House.

Chris Nelson, our current Secretary of State, will bring other highlights of Robert Vessey’s two terms as governor.

Musical salutes to motherhood will be sung by Susan Arnott, Brian Bergeleen, Heather Salmen and a male quartet, with Twila Zastrow and Rebecca Salmen as accompanists. Gail Arnott will serve as emcee for the event.

Robert Vessey, Wessington Springs, Seventh governor of SD