Mrs. J. Moxley
Known Name(s)
Mrs. J. Moxley
Address
915 N. Main Sioux Falls, SD
Establishment Type(s)
Tourist Home
Physical Status
Demolished
Description
While the house that originally houses Mrs. J. Moxley's Tourist Home has been demolished, the footprint was recorded on the 1950 Sanborn Insurance map. The current building is a mid-size apartment building (at least 15 units). The coordinates for this establishment are approximate.
Detailed History
Etta D. Moxley (Taylor) and her children came to Sioux Falls from Illinois by 1916. In the 1920s, she worked as a hotel maid and in the 1940s-50s, as a department store matron, running a tourist home on the side. According to census records, she often had a few other Black people staying with her as lodgers.
In 1925-1926, Etta Moxley was involved with the St. John Baptist Ladies’ Aid and Missionary Societies and hosted several meetings and socials at her house. In 1943, Etta Taylor's name appeared on a list of owners who had new units constructed on their properties with federal assistance to house war workers — the Army Air Force Radio Technical Training School had opened, and there was a housing crunch, especially for Black service people. According to the article, she was building four units at her property at 915 N. Main. These additions may have allowed her to offer more rooms to Green Book travelers.
Source: The Northwestern Bulletin-Appeal (St. Paul MN), April 4, 1925, May 30, 1925; Argus Leader (Sioux Falls SD), June 9, 1925, June 13, 1943; 1910-1940 US Census; assorted 1908-1960 Joliet (IL) and Sioux Falls city directories.
