After 150 years, Sioux Falls continues to attract many people to the area. It was the beauty and power of the falls of the Big Sioux River that attracted early pioneers from other states in 1856 when the first town site, Sioux Falls, was organized in the Dakota Territory. Run out by Native American uprisings, these early settlers soon fled the area and did not return until 1865 when the government stepped in for protection and established Fort Dakota, a military reservation. From that early village to a city with a population of 141,000 in 2006, Sioux Falls continues to be one of the best places to live and a beautiful place to visit.