Divorce Capitol of The Nation Was Once Sioux Falls?!
Here's an interesting fact about South Dakota that we bet that you may not have heard before.
And there's actually a landmark that symbolizes what Sioux Falls was once known for downtown.
Did you know that Sioux Falls was once known as the divorce capital of the United States?
"During the early 20th century, most states required at least one year of residency and grounds of adultery for a married couple to legally split up. In contrast, Sioux Falls had a residency requirement of only three to six months, and allowed individuals to divorce on six grounds. Thanks to these conditions, more than 6000 divorces were granted from 1889 until the laws were overhauled in 1909"- Mental Floss.
Of course, most people (about two-thirds) who took advantage of this 'divorce condition' weren't even from South Dakota.
In 2009, it was decided that the historic name of 'divorce capital of the nation' should be remembered as there were just about 6,000 divorces granted at the time.
Here's what the historic capital plaque looks like today:
The plaque is located in downtown Sioux Falls just to the right of The Minnehaha county CourtHouse building.
Source: Mental Floss