Pioneer Information
Born in 1888, in Dubuque, Iowa, Spellerberg, known as the “architect of the Sioux Falls park system,” was the son of second-generation German American parents. He studied forestry at the University of Minnesota, graduating in 1912. In 1916, he was hired as the first Superintendent of Parks of the new Sioux Falls, South Dakota, park board. Spellerberg was integral to the development of several major parks in Sioux Falls, including Sherman Park, Terrace Park, and McKennan Park. He was elected to senior membership in the American Society of Park Superintendents in 1919. His First Public Report of the Board of Park Supervisors, which covered the years from 1915 to 1920, outlined a broad vision for the park system, including Big Sioux River Greenway. Spellerberg died on January 29, 1925, at the age of 37 in Sioux Falls. In 1968, Spellerberg Park was named in his memory.
