The Mohammedans of Sioux Falls

The ‘Mohammedans’ of Sioux Falls, 1900 – 1920:

 From Peddlers to Grocers

A Public Lecture*

by Stephen R. Cusulos

Thursday, October 24, 2013

7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Gilbert Science Center, Room 100

Augustana College

Free and open to the public

This presentation will explore the growth and development of the Syrian/Lebanese community of Sioux Falls, a commun-ity that had its beginnings over one hundred years ago.  This community was unified to some degree by a common language (Arabic), a common homeland (the area of the Middle-East that is now Lebanon), common customs (food, music, “a gift for gab”), common occupational proclivities (from peddlers to grocers). And it would appear these common roots led to common bonds; this despite the fact that the community was bifurcated religiously. On one hand, there were families with roots in Christianity (primarily in the Eastern Orthodox Church); on the other, there were those whose religious lineage was “Mohammedan” (an antiquated term then used instead of “Muslim”). The focus of The ‘Mohammedans’ of Sioux Falls will be on those for whom the Koran was the common book of prayer. But given the commonalities within the community, the discussion will sometimes make reference to the larger community of “peddlers and grocers”.

A Presentation Preview:

Census documents from 1900 reveal Sioux Falls experienced what might best be described as An Invasion of the Peddlers. Over fifty were recorded. According to the census documents, all seemed to have been recent immigrants.  And under “place of birth”, we find Syrian, Assyrian, and Turkey.  By South Dakota standards, their names were somewhat odd: Mohamed Chmme, Mohamed Hash, Abraham Salem, Joseph Alex, Joseph Odga, Ameal Abdella, Assam Hammod, and Assine Farras, among others (and magnified by the fact that the spelling is sometimes hard to decipher).  What is also somewhat odd is that most of these persons whom we’ve identified as peddlers seem to have been “Mohammedans.”  (A fact that can be evidenced through various kinds of cross-referencing with primary source documents).  And there is something else that might seem a little odd: in 1903, six of the thirteen dry-goods stores located in downtown were owned by individuals from the Middle-East, and of those six stores, four were owned by persons whom we can indentify as being “Mohammedans”: The Dahrouge Bros.; Hasen Kareeb; Mahadeen & Asankie and Rashed Sweiden.

Among the non-Muslim immi-grants during these early years were the Nemir Bros. (Frank, David, Paul, and Abe) who were engaged both in “peddling” and in the dry goods business. They ran a store at 223 South Phillips, a location which would become incorporated into the site for the Carpenter Hotel.

The photo to the right was taken in or about 1900 and presents David Nemir with his peddlers-wagon. Around this time, such a wagon would have been a typical form of transportation used by peddlers when they traveled out into rural farming communities. The photo was taken directly in front of the Pay Building, which still stands at or about 124 South Phillips Avenue in downtown Sioux Falls.  

David Nemir in front of the Pay Building (Photograph courtesy of Rob Nemir)