BLACK HILLS ORDNANCE DEPOT

THE NAME OF IGLOO

Prior to February, 1944, there was no official town of Igloo, S. Dak. During construction days the mailing address was Provo. BHOD and Provo were synonymous. In fact, to many who have never been here, they still are.

The BHOD Civil Association sponsored a contest to name the community of Black Hills Ordnance Depot. The winner was Donald Kolkman, then a student in the local school. The name had previously associated with the depot in the form of a weekly magazine called "The Igloo Magazine" and by various business establishments in the vicinity.

The Post Office Department, when it established an office here in July, 1944, recognized the name Igloo as the official mailing address of Black Hills Ordnance Depot.

(photo of Kolkman)

Donald Kolkman, the boy who named Igloo is pictured at right. He is presently a Staff Sargeant in the Air Force and stationed near Anchorage, Alaska.

February 4 this year marks the eighth anniversary of the name Igloo for the community at Black Hills Ordnance Depot. There have been residents on the military reservation from construction days in 1942.

Donald, a fourteen year old school boy at the time, submitted the prize winning name in a contest sponsored by the BHOD Civic Association, the forerunner of the present Civilian Welfare Council. The prize for naming the newest community in South Dakota was a twenty-five dollar war bond.

Donald is the son of Harry A. Kolkman, who until 1946 was employed here as roadmaster. The Kolkman family is presently living at Horse Creek, Wyo., where Mr. Kolkman is employed by the railroad.

The name Igloo was also sub- - - - their entries bore later post marks. In fact, the word Igloo was not entirely new on the depot as it had been used previously in connection with other activities. A weekly magazine first published in October 1942 carried the name "Igloo Magazine" on the mast head. Lt. C. R. London, Post Adjutant, was credited with the suggested name at the time.

The town was recognized officially by the Post Office Department on July 1, 1944, when a post office was established here. Previously the depot mailing address had been Provo. The residents of the surrounding territory are not entirely weaned from the fact yet. The Mail and Records Station report unofficial mail still being sent to BHOD at Provo Recruiters from the Personnel Office when in Eastern South Dakota find people still under the impression that the depot is at Provo and somewhat confused as to how the word Igloo fits into the picture.

Present resident who occasionally ask themselves if a better name couldn't have been selected should be heartened by the fact that the committee making the selection could have done much worse. Among the entries submitted, but not selected, were: Bhodepot (the contributor failed to give the pronunciation), Cactus Center, Vigorville, Strongheart, Shell City and Razor Backs.

How often have people from out-of-state querried you, "Igloo? - Ooah! I'll bet its COLD there - do you have esquimaux?"

Many citizens of the community have long taken a dim view of the name of our fair city and look with a jaundiced eye on an appelation that has a frigid connotation of isolation, vast stretches of eternal snow, the aurora borealis and blubber a bubblin' in the post in the air-conditioned igloo's kitchen - aside from this it has a harsh, unpleasant sound.

They say, "Wouldn't Prairie View, Montrose (rose of the mountain), Hillside, Pleasantville", or numerous others, "be a nicer name for a thriving city of three thousand wide-awake and progessive people?"

Finally we decided to put the question to a test among our readers. What is your reaction to changing the name of Igloo?

Please fill out the coupon, by marking your choice and turn it in to the hostesses at the Community Building or mail it to your editor, PO Box 202.

Last week the WALRUS asked its readers what they though of the name of Igloo and if they thought the name should be changed.

So far, little interest has been evinced with only 12 persons expressing their views - and these were predominately against a change.

We would like to have more opinions and are running a coupon again this week - why don't you let know how you feel?

The citizenry declared themselves, in no uncertain terms, that Igloo should remain Igloo, come Hades or high water.

With 50 persons taking the time to either return the coupon, provided in the last two issues of the WALRUS, or to write letters, 47 of them voiced the opinion that our community's designation should remain unchanged.

Some just put a check next to the "NO" box on the coupon with the query. "Should the name of our city be changed?" - while others went to great lenghts to give their reasons for believing that the name should remain status quo.

One particularly irate citizen gave ye editor a bad time but, having been called stupid so many times before, he has developed a skin with all the attributes of a rhinoceros' epidermis.

The loyalty to tradition, and the concerted disapproval shown by the citizenry is a healthy sign, according to the Depot's amateur psychologists. They say that such a demonstration of resentment, to what people obviously deemed an encrouchment on a part of their way of life, is a type of self-expression that is a keystone to our form of government.

Certainly the folks gave it some thought, and the WALRUS staff is happy that the citizenry responded so heartily. It is definately sure that the folks want Igloo to remain IGLOO!

 

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