In the beginning of this series I mentioned an urban legend. Well, today we will be looking at this local mystery, and some even say it’s haunted. Albeit, it is definitely secluded, and quite creepy,
In the beginning of this series I mentioned an urban legend. Well, today we will be looking at this local mystery, and some even say it’s haunted. Albeit, it is definitely secluded, and quite creepy, which is why I opted to hike it with my husband, and not alone.
Who was the first bride?
Rosalie Menard Leonais was believed to be the first bride of a non-Native American in what is now Sioux City. Born in 1838, she moved to the area with her family, eventually meeting Joseph Leonais, a French/Canadian fur trapper, was married to him and together they had four children.
She unfortunately passed away in 1865 at the young age of 27, and was buried near Perry Creek. One hundred years after her birth, in 1938, a monument was erected in her honor near her burial site in South Ravine Park.
South Ravine Park
South Ravine Park is quite easy to drive by and miss since it is hidden away on the corner of Lincoln Way and Lewis Boulevard. With not a lot of parking available, one would assume it was a simple picnic area amongst the trees. But this park almost reminds me of Stone State Park since there are no paved trails, and some passage ways are overgrown.
Rugged but beautiful, visitors get a glimpse at what Sioux City looked like long before colonization. This park is wonderfully preserved, and the fact that not a lot of people know about it, means much of the landscape remains untouched.
Deciding to hike this park on a warm day, we were pleasantly surprised at how much shade was offered by the plethora of trees. When you first enter the park there is a large maintained meadow with picnic tables, but we came across a second landing later in our walk. Thinking this was the end of the trail, we were quite surprised to realize this clearing was enclosed with no access to the road.
Are we there yet?
We hadn’t found the First Bride’s Grave, and almost gave up, but we pressed on a little further, and finally came upon the monument. Whew! This was an intense climb, venturing all the way out here, but it was so worth the experience, and to confidently say we found a piece of Sioux City history.
Plan your visit
When you decide to come out here, you will realize why there has been an on-going, yet unproven, story that this site is haunted. Concealed amidst a heavy canopy of trees and shrubs, with hardly any visitors, one can assume how creepy this place would be at night. Wherever the dead are buried, there are always chilling stories of the unknown, but rest assured this is just a monument, and her actual grave site is off-site in an undisclosed location. So, enjoy your trek through South Ravine Park and your visit to the First Bride’s Grave.
Read more about the First Bride’s Grave here: http://www.siouxcityhistory.org/historic-sites/101-first-brides-grave
712-279-6126
Lincoln Way & Lewis Blvd
Sioux City, IA 51106