Walter Dale Miller, 29th Governor of South Dakota

The family's bronze gives the end of Miller's governorship one line: he left office in 1995. Sworn in on April 20, 1993, the day after the plane crash that killed George Mickelson and seven others, he was sixty-seven, the oldest person to take the office, and within months he decided to seek a full term. Bill Janklow, who had already governed for eight years, beat him in the 1994 Republican primary, attacking his handling of the penitentiary riot along the way. Miller ranched north of New Underwood, on the Meade County line.

What the plaque says

Walter Dale Miller: 29th Governor of South Dakota Walter Dale Miller was born October 5, 1925 near Viewfield. He graduated from New Underwood High School and spent his life ranching in Meade County. Miller served in the State House of Representatives from 1967 to 1987. He is the only person in state history to hold every major leadership position in the House, including Speaker and Majority Leader. In 1987, Miller became the state's first full-time lieutenant governor. Serving with Governor George S. Mickelson, Miller led efforts to implement technology in state government. On April 19, 1993, Governor Mickelson and seven others died in a plane crash, and Miller became the first lieutenant governor to ascend to the governorship due to death. Governor Miller was a calm, steady leader during a difficult time. He ended a riot at the state penitentiary without loss of life and led the response to historical flooding in 1993. When a court ruling shut down video lottery causing a revenue shortage, Miller imposed emergency cuts protecting the state's budget. He left office in 1995. Walter Dale Miller died September 28, 2015. He was a persistent, God-fearing, West River cowboy who stepped up when South Dakota needed him. Erected 2018 by the family of Walter Dale Miller

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• The Journey Museum and Learning Center — 19 mi
  Four collections under one roof in downtown Rapid City, among them the federal Sioux Indian Museum, founded in 1939 to keep Lakota art in Lakota country.

More markers nearby

• Cheyenne River Rest Area — 20 mi
• Rapid City Founders Camp Site — 20 mi