Marcus P. Beebe Memorial Library

This building was dedicated on August 21, 1931 built by the heirs of Marcus P. Beebe as a memorial from his children. It stands as a permanent memorial to one of the first pioneer men of the Dakota Territories in 1881. The stone that was used to construct the architecture of the Marcus P. Beebe Library is native uncut granite rock found throughout the surrounding prairies of the Dakota Territory. The building is one large room, beamed ceilings, and seven foot high book shelves. The marble that can be found on the stairwell to the basement and the lobby is marble exported from Italy, Belgium, and Austria. There is gray Napoleon marble that leads the stairwell entrance to the library once inside the oak wood doors. The woodwork and furniture in the building is mostly oak; and was finished by Aberdeen Dakota Sash & Door Company.

Located on the south side of the entrance walk lays a five ton boulder that’s origins stretch to a farm south of Mobridge, South Dakota where the rock laid on a farm for as long as anyone can remember. The story says that long ago before the white man came to settle in the Dakota Territories, a deep path had been worn in where this rock originally laid accompanied by two sets of hand prints. The prayer rock is placed at the same incline in front of the library, just as it was in its original position overlooking the Missouri River.