Mortality in Minnehaha County Program at the Old Courthouse Museum

A group of University of South Dakota Medical Students will present a roundtable discussion on the historical causes of mortality in Minnehaha County between 1880-1940. Admission is free.

The group consists of 3rd year medical students currently training in Sioux Falls. As part of their education, they have been evaluating historical causes of mortality in Minnehaha County. Through data collection using cemetery records from Mount Pleasant Cemetery, the study has explored drowning mortality, the use of the term “myocarditis” as a cause of death, cancer, tuberculosis, and infant mortality during that time period. The goal of the project is to shed an important light on the historical health of our community, to show what improvements have been made, and where we can continue to improve.