1839 SOUTH DAKOTA 1939

50 YEARS BEFORE SOUTH DAKOTA'S RATIFICATION OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION

1846

1849

- March 3, South Dakota area, east of the Missouri River became part of Minnesota Territory.

1854

- May 30, South Dakota area west of the Missouri River, became part of Nebraska Territory.

1857

- Medary, first town in Brookings County, and one of the first three (Flandreau, Sioux Falls) European settlements in South Dakota

- August 27, pioneer Wilmot W. Brookings arrived in Sioux Falls, South Dakota and becoming one of the first settlers.

1858

- Medary town inhabitants driven out by Yankton and Yanktonnia Native Americans in Brookings County, South Dakota.

1859

- Norwegians begin to establish claims near the James and Vermillion rivers in South Dakota.

1860

- South Dakota population, 4,837 residents.

- Commerce City (present Canton) founded, on the Big Sioux River in Lincoln County, South Dakota. Coordinates 43°18'N-96°35'W.

Civil War period

- Bon Homme County established in South Dakota, seat Tyndall.

- Canton appointed seat of Lincoln County in South Dakota.

- Charles Mix County established in South Dakota, seat Lake Andes.

- Clay County established in South Dakota, seat Vermillion.

- Deuel County established in South Dakota, seat Clear Lake.

- Gregory County established in South Dakota, seat Burke.

- Hutchinson County established in South Dakota, seat Olivet.

- Minnehaha County established in South Dakota, seat Sioux Falls.

- Union County established in South Dakota, seat Elk Point.

- Yankton County established in South Dakota, seat Yankton.

Civil War period

- November 2, Newton Edmunds, appointed governor of South Dakota Territory (1863-September 5, 1866).

Civil War period

- Vanderbilt settlement along the Missouri River established by Andrew Marsch, in Campbell County, South Dakota.

1866

- September 5, Andrew Jackson Faulk, appointed governor of South Dakota Territory (1866-May 10, 1869).

1867

- Commerce City renamed Canton, in Lincoln County, South Dakota.

- Lincoln County established in South Dakota, seat Canton.

1868

- The Fort Laramie Treaty creates the native American Sioux Reservation, west of the Missouri River in South Dakota.

1869

- After Medary town, was almost 11 years abandoned, Norwegion pioneers arrived and settled in the area in Brookings County, South Dakota.

- May 10, John Albyne Burbank, appointed governor of South Dakota Territory (1869-January 1, 1874).

1870

- South Dakota population, 11,776 residents.

1871

- Turner County established in South Dakota, seat Parker.

- July 3, Brookings County formally organized in the cabin of Martin Trygstad in Medary, South Dakota. Cities-Towns-Townships : Afton, Alton, Argo, Arlington, Aurora, Bangor, Brookings, Bruce, Bushnell, Elkton, Eureka, Lake Hendricks, Lake Sinai, Laketon, Medary, Oak Lake, Oakwood, Oslo, Parnell, Preston, Richmond, Sherman, Sinai, Sterling, Trenton, Volga, White, Winsor

1873

- German settlers arrived in Dakota Territory.

- Buffalo County established in South Dakota, seat Gann Valley.

- Campbell County established in South Dakota, seat Mound City.

- Clark County established in South Dakota, seat Clark.

- Davison County established in South Dakota, seat Mitchell.

- Dewey County established in South Dakota, seat Timber Lake.

- Douglas County established in South Dakota, seat Armour.

- Edmunds County established in South Dakota, seat Ipswich.

- Falk County established in Sout Dakota, seat Faulkton.

- Grant County established in South Dakota, seat Milbank.

- Hamlin County established in South Dakota, seat Hayti.

- Hand County established in South Dakot, seat Miller.

- Hanson County established in South Dakota, seat Alexandria.

- G+Hyde County established in South Dakota, seat Highmore.

- Kingsbury County established in South Dakota, seat De Smet.

- Lake County established in South Dakota, seat Madison.

- Lyman County established in South Dakota, seat Kennebec.

- McCook County established in South Dakota, seat Salem.

- McPherson County established in South Dakota, seat Leola.

- Miner County established in South Dakota, seat Howard.

- Moody County established in South Dakota, seat Flandreau.

- Spink County established in South Dakota, seat Redfield.

- Stanley County established in South Dakota, seat Fort Pierre.

- Sully County established in South Dakota, seat Onida.

- Tripp County established in South Dakota, seat Winner.

- Walworth County established in South Dakota, seat Selby.

- January 8, the South Dakota Territorial Legislature relocated the boundaries of Brookings County.

1874

- Lieutenant Colonel George A. Custer, discovered gold in French Creek, during his expedition to the Black Hills in South Dakota.

- January 1, John Lee Pennington, appointed governor of South Dakota Territory (1874-April 13, 1878).

1875

- Brule County established in South Dakota, seat Chamberlain.

- Custer County established in South Dakota, seat Custer.

- Custer, laid out and appointed seat of Custer County in South Dakota. Coordinates 43°46'N-103°36'W. Attractions & Recreation : Black Hills National Forest, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Norbeck Wildlife Preserve.

- Lawrence County established in South Dakota, seat Deadwood.

- Pennington County established in South Dakota, seta Rapid City.

- Potter County established in South Dakota, seat Gettysburg.

- Shannon County established in South Dakota, seat Hot Springs.

1876

- First settlers arived in the Belle Fourche area in Butte County, South Dakota.

- Deadwood, founded during the gold rush, seat of Lawrence County in South Dakota. Coordinates 44°23'N-103°44'W. Attractions & Recreation : Adams Memorial Museum, Hickok Monument, Terry Peak, Theodore Roosevelt Monument.

- August 2, marshall Wild Bill Hickok killed by Jack McCall, in a saloon in Deadwood, Lawrence County, South Dakota.

1877

- Codington County established in South Dakota, seat Watertown.

1878

- Belle Fourche settled by the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad, in Butte County, South Dakota. Coordinates 44°40'N-103°51'W. Attractions & Recreation : Belle Fourche Dam, Black Hills National Forest.

- April 13, William Alanson Howard, appointed governor of South Dakota Territory 1878-April 10, 1880).

1879

- Beadle County created in South Dakota, seat Huron. Named for Brigadier General William Henry Harrison Beadle.

- Brookings surveyed, platted and founded, seat of Brookings County in South Dakota. Named for Judge Wilmot W. Brookings. Coordinates 44°19'N-96°48'W.

- Brown County established in South Dakota, seat Aberdeen.

- Day County established in South Dakota, seat Webster.

- August, Cavour laid out, the first town in Beadle County, South Dakota.

- October 2, a railroad from Minnesota came to Brookings County in South Dakota.

- Ocotober 18, first train arrived in Brookings town, Brookings County, South Dakota.

1880

- South Dakota population, 98,268 residents.

- Beadle County organized in South Dakota

- Hughes County established in South Dakota, seat Pierre.

- April 10, George H. Hand, appointed acting governor of South Dakota Territory (1880-June 24, 1880).

- May 10, Huron town platted in Beadle County, South Dakota.

- June 24, Nehemiah George Ordway, appointed governor of South Dakota Territory (1880-July 25, 1884).

- July 4, Charles Miner, S.S. Neilson and Eli C. Walton, appointed by Governor Ordway, as Commissioners to organize Beadle County in South Dakota.

- July 20, Brown County established in South Dakota.

- July 28, Huron appointed seat of Beadle County in South Dakota.

1881

- Aurora County established in South Dakota, seat Plankinton.

- Belle Fourche appointed seat of Butte County in South Dakota.

- Canton incorporated in Lincoln County, South Dakota.

- Chamberlain on the Missouri River, incorporated and appointed seat of Brule County, South Dakota. Coordinates 43°49'N-99°20'W. Attractions & Recreation : Big Bend Dam

- Deadwood, incorporated as city in Lawrence County, South Dakota.

- South Dakota State University established in Brookings, Brookings County, South Dakota.

1883

- Brookings incorporated, Brookings County, South Dakota.

- Butte County established in South Dakota, seat Belle Fourche.

- Custer, incorporated in Custer County, South Dakota.

- Jerauld County established in South Dakota, seat Wessington Springs.

- Roberts County established in South Dakota, seat Sisseton.

- Sanborn County established in South Dakota, seat Woonsocket.

1884

- Augustana Academy founded in Canton, Lincoln County, South Dakota.

- Campbell County, organized in South Dakota, seat LeGrace.

- Stage coach service established by french nobleman Marquis de Mores, between Medora, North Dakota and Deadwood in South Dakota.

- July 25, Gilbert Ashville Pierce, appointed governor of South Dakota Territory (1884--Febuary 17, 1886).

1885

- Marshall County established in South Dakota, seat Britton.

1887

- Louis Kussuth Church, appointed governor of South Dakota Territory (1887-March 22, 1889).

1888

- Campbell County seat LeGrace moved to Mound City, South Dakota.

- Meade County established in South Dakota, seat Sturgis.

- March 22, Arthur Calvin Mellette, appointed governor of South Dakota Territory (1889-November 2, 1889).

November 2, South Dakota SD, 40th state admitted to the Union

South Dakota Today : capital Pierre. Area 77,121 sq.mi.(199743km²), 17th largest state. Counties 66 : Aurora, Beadle, Bennett, Bon Homme, Brookings, Brown, Brule, Buffalo, Butte, Campbell, Charles Mix, Clark, Clay, Codington, Corson, Custer, Davison, Day, Deuel, Dewey, Douglas, Edmunds, Fall River, Falk, Grant, Gregory, Haakon, Hamlin, Hand, Hanson, Harding, Hughes, Hutchinson, Hyde, Jackson, Jerauld, Jones, Kingsbury, Lake, Lawrence, Lincoln, Lyman, Marshall, McCook, McPherson, Meade, Mellette, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Pennington, Perkins, Potter, Roberts, Sanborn, Shannon, Spink, Stanley, Sully, Todd, Tripp, Turner, Union, Walworth, Yankton, Ziebach. Attractions & Recreation : Angostura Reservoir, Badlands National Park, Crazy Horse Memorial, Custer State Park, Jewel Cave National Monument, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Wind Cave National Park

- November 2, Arthur Calvin Mellette, elected governor of South Dakota (1889-January 3, 1893).

1890

- South Dakota population, 348,600 residents.

- The first trainload of cattle left Belle Fourche in Butte County, South Dakota. At that time the world's largest livestock shipping point.

1892

- Brookings County established in South Dakota, seat Brookings.

1893

- January 3, Charles Henry Sheldon, elected governor of South Dakota (1893-January 1, 1897).

1895

- A fire destroyed downtown business district of Belle Fourche in Butte County, South Dakota.

1897

- January 1, Andrew Ericson Lee, elected governor of South Dakota (1897-January 8, 1901).

- June 27, Kid Curry of the Butch Cassidy-Sundance Kid gang, botched the robbery of the Butte County Bank in Belle Fourche, South Dakota.

1900

- South Dakota population, 401,570 residents.

1901

- Railroad arrived in Campbell County, South Dakota.

- January 8, Charles Nelson Herreid, elected governor of South Dakota (1901-January 3, 1905).

- April 21, Lake Andes platted, in Charles Mix County, South Dakota.

1903

- Belle Fourche incorporated, in Butte County, South Dakota.

1904

- Lake Andes, founded in Charles Mix County, South Dakota

1905

- January 3, Samuel Harrison Elrod, elected governor of South Dakota (1905-January 9, 1907).

1907

- Public school house built in Lake Andes, Charles Mix County, South Dakota.

- January 8, Coe Isaac Crawford, elected governor of South Dakota (1907-January 5, 1909).

1909

- Bennett County established in South Dakota, seat Martin.

- Corson County established in South Dakota, seat McIntosh.

- Harding County established in South Dakota, seat Buffalo.

- Mellette County established in South Dakota, seat White River.

- Perkins County established in South Dakota, seat Bison.

- Todd County established in South Dakota, seat Winner.

- January 5, Robert Scadden Vessey, elected governor of South Dakota (1909--January 7, 1913).

1910

- South Dakota population, 583,888 residents.

- Faith, settled in South Dakota, on the western edge of the Cheyenne Native American (reservation) nation/land. Town named after one of the daughters of the railroad company president.

1911

- Ziebach County established in South Dakota, seat Dupree.

1912

- Martin settled in Bennett County, South Dakota. Attractions & Recreation : Arthur Bowring Ranch, Brooks Memorial Park, Hodson Memorial Park, LaCreek National Wildlife Refuge

- Vetal founded in Bennett County, South Dakota.

1913

- January 7, Frank Michael Byrne, elected governor of South Dakota (1913-January 2, 1917).

1914

- Haakon County established in South Dakota, seat Philip.

- Jackson County established in South Dakota, seat Kadoka.

1916

- Jones County established in South Dakota, seat Murdo.

- Tuthill founded in Bennett County, South Dakota.

1917

- January 2, Peter Norbeck, elected governor of South Dakota (1917-January 4, 1921).

1920

- South Dakota population, 636,547 residents.

1921

- January 4, William Henry McMaster, elected governor of South Dakota (1921-January 6, 1925).

1925

- January 6, Carl Gunderson, elected governor of South Dakota (1925-January 4, 1927).

1927

- Gutzon Borglum began his sculpture 'Shrine of Democracy' on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

- January 4, William John Bulow, elected governor of South Dakota (1927-January 6, 1931).

1930

- South Dakota population, 692,849 residents.

- Campbell County population in South Dakota, 5,926 residents.

1931

- January 6, Warren Everett Green, elected governor of South Dakota (1931-January 3, 1933).

1933

- January 3, Thomas Berry, elected governor of South Dakota (1933-January 5, 1937).

1937

- January 5, Leslie Jensen, elected governor of South Dakota (1937-January 3, 1939)

- January 3, Harlan John Bushfield, elected governor of South Dakota (1939-January 5, 1943).

50 YEARS AFTER SOUTH DAKOTA'S RATIFICATION OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION