In the southeast of the state is its largest town, Sioux Falls (pop. 82,000). Originally founded in 1856, it had soon afterwards to be abandoned because of continual Indian attacks and began to develop only after the construction of Fort Dakota to provide protection. The waterfalls from which the town takes it name are situated to the north of
Downtown. Also of interest are the Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum of Natural History in Sherman Park and the USS South Dakota Battleship Memorial, as big as the World War II battleship itself and housing a military museum.