South Dakota

Pierre, South Dakota (2022).

South Dakota known as the "Mount Rushmore" State. Mount Rushmore is a monumental carving of four United States former presidents; George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The state has an area of approximately 77,116 square miles, making it the 17th largest state in the country by area. As of 2023, the estimated population of South Dakota was around 919,318, making it the 46th most populous state in the U.S.

The economy of South Dakota ranks 47th in size among states and Washington, DC. It is primarily based on agricultural production, but tourism, forestry, and mining have also increased in importance. The state’s main manufactures are foodstuffs, wood products, light machinery, computers, and electronics. In terms of agriculture, South Dakota is a large-scale producer of corn, alfalfa, soybeans, rye, flaxseed, and wheat. The mining industry in South Dakota produces gold, cement, gravel, and sand.

South Dakota is home to several notable attractions. The iconic Mount Rushmore National Memorial is a historical landmark showcasing monumental presidential sculptures. Custer State Park offers scenic drives through diverse landscapes, from rolling hills to granite peaks, with opportunities for wildlife viewing, hiking, and historical exploration. The Badlands National Park is another major attraction, known for its unique geological formations and abundant wildlife. Other attractions include Jewel Cave National Monument and Wind Cave National Park.

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History of South Dakota

The territory of present-day South Dakota was occupied starting about 10,000 years ago by early peoples who hunted bison and other large animals. By the early 1700s, the three nations of Sioux, the Dakota (Santee), Nakota (Yankton), and Lakota (Teton). The "Sioux" name came from early French settlers who mispronounced the Chippewa Nation's name for the tribes. There are nine federally recognized tribes in South Dakota.

The first European to visit Upper Louisiana, which includes present-day South Dakota, was René-Robert Cavelier, sieur de La Salle in 1682. The French continued to explore the area in the 18th century and sold it to the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. South Dakota became the 40th state of the United States on November 2, 1889.

While South Dakota did not see any major battles during the Civil War, the period was marked by conflicts with Native American tribes. Following the Dakota War of 1862 in Minnesota, the military dispatched Gen. Alfred Sully up the Missouri River through Dakota Territory in pursuit of hostiles who had fled Minnesota. Sully’s troops engaged in several battles with the Sioux, affecting the settlement of the region.

The Homestead Act of 1862 opened the region to settlers, and the railroad connected the state to the rest of the nation. The gold rush in the Black Hills during the early 1870s attracted thousands of settlers to the western part of Dakota Territory. Despite the Second Treaty of Fort Laramie (1868), which guaranteed the Sioux peoples exclusive possession of the land west of the Missouri River, miners swarmed the area.

The 20th century saw significant changes in South Dakota’s economy and society. The Dust Bowl and Great Depression had a profound impact on the state’s agricultural economy. By the end of the 20th century, gaming had become a noteworthy factor in the economy. Despite a growing state population and recent economic development, many rural areas have been struggling over the past 50 years with locally declining populations and the emigration of educated young adults to larger South Dakota cities, such as Rapid City or Sioux Falls, or to other states.

Demographics of South Dakota

The demographic distribution of the South Dakota population is as follows:

• White: 82.62%
• Native American: 8.31%
• Two or more races: 4.37%
• Black or African American: 2.19%
• Asian: 1.44%
• Other race: 0.99%
• Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.09%

Most common surnames in South Dakota

The demographic distribution of South Dakota surnames is as follows:

	Surname	Incidence	Frequency
	Johnson	9,509	1:96
	Anderson	6,371	1:143
	Nelson	5,016	1:182
	Smith	4,774	1:191
	Olson	4,238	1:215
	Miller	4,022	1:227
	Peterson	3,907	1:233
	Larson	3,591	1:254
	Jensen	2,806	1:325
	Hanson	2,783	1:328

Researching family history in South Dakota

The National Archives at Denver hold permanent records created by federal agencies and courts for the states of Colorado, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming. The South Dakota State Archives is one of five programs of the State Historical Society, which is an office of the Department of Education maintains the historical collections and also the South Dakota Digital Archives. The Center for Western Studies at Augustana University has both books and archival collections.

South Dakota county list

South Dakota has 66 counties.

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	Faulk
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

Explore more about South Dakota

MyHeritage.com has 9 valuable collections of records from South Dakota including South Dakota, Marriages, South Dakota, Births, and several state census records. You can see the rest of the genealogically valuable records on the South Dakota Collections Catalog.

References

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