SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Sioux Falls had a population of just 40 people in the mid 1800s. In 1857, the Western Land Company sent a group to Dakota Territory to found a town near the falls of the Big Sioux River. One of those people apart of the group was 22-year-old Dr. Josiah Phillips. "He helped establish Sioux Falls as a village, as a territory," Josiah's Coffeehouse founder Steve Hildebrand said. During the Dakota War of 1862, the town became a 'no-man's land,' and it wasn't until after the conflict that the population started to grow. Phillips left town to practice medicine in Dubuque, Iowa. In 1867, he married his wife Hattie C. Dagget and they welcomed their first child a year later. At the end of the Civil War in 1865, the federal government established Fort Dakota in what is today's downtown Sioux Falls. It existed until 1869. "The military controlled most of what is modern-day Sioux Falls. They owned all of the land around. So many of these settlers who had been here in the early days couldn't come back and reestablish themselves," Siouxland Heritage Museums Curator of Education Kevin Gansz said. "The military was here, but the military left in 1869 and many people started to come back into the community." New era dawning for tribes, SD governor’s office? One of those people was Dr. Phillips. "From 6th Street to 9th Street and then from Phillips Avenue over to Minnesota Avenue, that land was all purchased by Josiah and Hattie Phillips. It was the first plot of land in our city," Steve Hildebrand said. At the same time, many people were opening businesses of their own along the main road. With its upcoming popularity, Phillips decided the street needed a name. "He had the honor of naming the street after himself and he named the street Phillips Avenue. That's where we get Phillips Avenue today," Gansz said. The intersection of 9th and Phillips became the 'heart' of downtown. Today, that intersection serves as a boundary between the north, south, east and west sides of Sioux Falls. South of 10th Street was primarily residential, including a farmer's market that stood right where the KELOLAND News station is today. "When we did as a city, begin to assign street addresses, they assign them starting at the corner of 9th and Phillips. Of course, you start your street numbering at 1st Street and the 100 block is between 1st and 2nd, and the 200 block is between 2nd and 3rd, but in Sioux Falls, it starts at 9th Street," Gansz said. The unique numbering system stems from a historical landmark: the Cataract Hotel. Built in 1871 by the Corson brothers, the hotel stood at the 9th and Phillips intersection, where Wells Fargo Bank is today. By the late 1880s, the Corsons had expanded the hotel several times. In 1900, a fire destroyed the building. "Because of the significance of that Cataract Hotel fire, the city established a full-time paid fire department, and that is the beginning of Sioux Falls fire rescue that we have today," Gansz said. The Cataract Hotel would be rebuilt and serve as a gathering point for many years, but it was ultimately torn down. The driving force behind early Sioux Falls' growth shifted to something new: the railroad system. "The first train steamed into Sioux Falls on August 1st, 1878, and that really started a boom time in the community. The train meant an easy way for people to come to the area. It transported not only people but goods and services on the railroad," Gansz said. "There were just over 2,000 people that were living in Sioux Falls around 1880. By 1890, the population had expanded to over 10,000 people." Buildings like the Minnehaha County Courthouse were constructed in the heart of downtown. To the south, residential areas were giving way to places like the Federal Building. However, the new railroad system was east of the Big Sioux River, and downtown was west. Residents wanted a bridge rather than having to ford the river. In 1878, their wish was granted with the completion of the 8th Street Bridge, the first bridge in Sioux Falls. "People could now easily move between the east bank and the west bank of the river. So, we start to see things pop up on the east side and the east side is kind of its own community," Gansz said. As Sioux Falls continued to grow over the next several years, along came another problem: parking. In the early 1960s, complaints about the lack of parking spots downtown became common. In 1962, the River Ramp was built at the foot of 9th Street. "You literally parked your car in a parking ramp that stretched over the river and that was considered new and innovative at the time and really kind of became a landmark for that area of downtown," Gansz said. Downtown was becoming a vibrant hub filled with business, shopping and entertainment. But when the Empire Mall opened in 1975, many of those places began to move. This sparked Phillips Avenue's walking mall, but it wouldn't go over as well as city planners would hope. "By the time we get into 1980, downtown is really suffering. A lot of businesses have left. Those people that are coming downtown much of the time, they are coming downtown to work," Gansz said. City leaders decided to remove the walking mall and offer incentives to new developers. Gradually, new attractions took off, with a focus on restoring some of the city's original character. Fast forward to today, modern downtown businesses have incorporated much of Sioux Falls' history into their own buildings, including Josiah's Coffeehouse. "I would walk by this historical marker by the Holiday Inn and read about Josiah Phillips. I always thought, you know, somebody ought to take a piece of history and start a restaurant or bar called Josiah's," Hildebrand said. That vision and others would help keep the story of Sioux Falls' creation and development alive. At the end of 2024, city leaders reported Sioux Falls had a population of just under 220,000 people.