Sometimes all it takes is a simple conversation to spark an idea.
About two weeks before the Fourth of July, Marcus Damm was driving down Main Street when something struck him.
'I was thinking, the Fourth is coming up, and there's not a whole lot here on Main Street,' he said.
When he shared the thought with his wife, Lynn, her response was straightforward.
'She said, 'Well, then do something about it.'' So he did.
The next day, Damm counted every light pole along Main Street — 24 in all — and ordered enough Betsy Ross-style American flags to line the downtown business district.
Getting the flags was the easy part. Finding an affordable way to mount them proved more challenging.
Traditional aluminum flag poles were too expensive, but a conversation with Ryan Jensen, owner of Springs Food Market, pointed Damm in another direction.
'Ryan told me to check with Amkota,' Damm said.
Using 10-foot lengths of electrical conduit, each cut in half to create two flag poles, Damm had the foundation for the project. With help from Jim and Jean Ferguson, holes were drilled and the flags were secured with zip ties before being mounted along Main Street.
Before beginning the project, Damm contacted the Wessington Springs city office to make sure the idea had the city's blessing.
'They had no issue with it,' he said. 'They said, 'Yeah, go forward.'' The Wessington Springs Chamber also helped answer questions as the project came together.
For Damm, the inspiration came from childhood memories.
'I remember growing up in Bridgewater, and there were just flags and banners everywhere,' he said.
The patriotic display helped welcome residents and visitors during one of Wessington Springs' busiest weekends of the year.
'There were a lot of people in town compared to previous Fourths,' Damm said. 'The events they had up at the park were amazing. I hope they continue that because there were a lot of people up there enjoying everything.'
The Fourth of July flags may have come down, but Damm is already thinking ahead.
He hopes to work with the school to display Spartan and Bucks flags during the fall sports season and is also considering lining Main Street with South Dakota flags each November in recognition of the state's birthday.
'I'd like to keep adding to it,' he said. “I really think there’s room to grow this.”