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South Dakota Genealogy

South Dakota Genealogy Facts

Exploration of this area began in 1743 when Louis-Joseph and François Verendrye came from France in search of a route to the Pacific. The U.S. acquired the region as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and it was explored by Lewis and Clark in 1804–1806. Fort Pierre, the first permanent settlement, was established in 1817. Settlement of South Dakota did not begin in earnest until the arrival of the railroad in 1873 and the discovery of gold in the Black Hills in 1874.

  • South Dakota was organized as territory on March 2, 1861
  • South Dakota entered the union as the 40th state on November 2, 1889.
  • South Dakota has 66 Counties
  • South Dakota’s capital is Pierre and the official state website is www.sd.gov/.
  • South Dakota is bordered by Iowa (southeast), Minnesota (east), Nebraska (south), North Dakota (north), Wyoming (west), Montana (northwest)
  • South Dakota has a land area of 77,121 square miles making it the 17th largest state.
  • South Dakota’s 2010 population was 775,933 .
  • South Dakota  largest cities (2010) are Sioux Falls, 153,888; Rapid City , 67,956; Aberdeen, 26,091; Brookings, 22,056; Watertown, 21,482; Mitchell, 15.254; Yankton, 14,454; Pierre (Capital), 13,646; Huron, 12,592; Vermillion, 10,571.
  • South Dakota was named for the Dakota people who lived there.
  • South Dakota’s nickname is ” Mount Rushmore State “
  • South Dakota State Motto is ” Under God the people rule “.

South Dakota County Genealogy

The register of deeds holds land records, births (except for those adopted), death and marriage records; the clerk of the courts keeps probate records, divorce records, and civil and criminal court cases. Some of the records held by the state archives, such as adoption records, insanity records, and mother’s pension records have restricted access.

Select a County Below

COUNTY PAGES UNDER CONSTRUCTION

South Dakota has counties that no longer exist. They were established by the state, provincial, or territorial government. Most of these counties were created and disbanded in the 19th century; county boundaries have changed little since 1900 in the vast majority of states. These counties need to be looked at when doing genealogy research. Pay close attention where the courthouse records went to if the county was abolished or combined with another county.

  • Armstrong County, South Dakota (1873-1879): Armstrong County was first created by the Dakota Territorial Legislature in 1873 in the southeastern part of the state, taking its territory from Charles Mix County and Hutchison County. The county was short lived and never fully organized. In 1879 it was annexed into Hutchison County
  • Armstrong County, South Dakota (1883-1952): In 1883 Dakota Territory created a new county west of the Missouri River and named it Pyatt County. The county was formed from unorganized lands and parts of Cheyenne, Dewey (then named Rusk) and Stanley Counties. The county was never formally organized, and was attached to Stanley County for governmental purposes. In 1895, the county was renamed Armstrong in honor of Moses K. Armstrong, a pioneer in the territory who lobbied for territorial organization and later served in the Territorial Legislature and as a territorial delegate to the United States House of Representatives. The county originally covered much of the souther part of what is now the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. 1898 part of the county was annexed to Stanley County to the south. The western portion was lost when Ziebach County was created in 1911. In 1952, given its small population and with much of the best landed flooded by the Oahe Dam, the county was abolished and annexted into the southern part of Dewey County.
  • Boreman County (1873–1909): Created by Dakota Territory from unorganized lands in 1873. Lost territory to North Dakota when South Dakota became a state in 1889. Abolished in 1909 when it became part of Corson County.
  • Lugenbeel County (1875–1909): Created by Dakota Territory from unorganized lands and Meyer and Pratt Counties in 1875. Abolished in 1909 when it became part of Bennett and Todd Counties.
  • Nowlin County (1883–1898): Created by Dakota Territory in 1883 from Cheyenne and White River Counties. Abolished in 1898 when it became part of Lyman and Stanley Counties.
  • Pyatt County (1883–1895): Created by Dakota Territory from unorganized lands in 1883. Renamed Armstrong in 1895.
  • Schnasse County (1883–1911): Created by Dakota Territory from unorganized lands and part of Boreman County in 1883. Lost territory to North Dakota when South Dakota became a state. Abolished in 1911 when it became part of Ziebach County.
  • Sterling County (1883–1911): Created by Dakota Territory from Cheyenne County. Abolished in 1911 when it became part of Ziebach County.
  • Washabaugh County, South Dakota: (1889-1979) The eastern part of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is now under the control of Jackson County.
  • Washington County, South Dakota: (1883-1943) was merged into Jackson, Pennington and Shannon counties

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South Dakota Genealogy Links

See South Dakota County Genealogy for County Links. These genealogy links fall into 3 categories: Commercial Sites, Personal Sites or Organization Sites. Some are have free access some require a payment. This is just a list that has been collected or submitted. I do not endorse or promote one genealogy site above another. Feel free to submit your own favorite genealogy or family history related sites.

South Dakota State History

South Dakota, state in the north central United States. South Dakota is generally regarded as partly but not wholly in the Midwest. The east, with its flat or rolling lands and fertile soils, resembles portions of other states in the Midwest. However, the western section lies on the Great Plains. The state is mainly an agricultural region. Farmland covers much of the fertile areas east of the Missouri River, which divides the state, and vast stretches of rangeland extend westward from its banks. Manufacturing and commercial activities are based in large part on the output of agricultural produce.

Farming is central to South Dakota’s way of life, but in the late 1990s tourism, gambling, and other recreational services were of increasing importance to its economy; visitors are attracted by unique natural features such as the Black Hills and Badlands. Pierre is South Dakota’s capital. Sioux Falls is the largest city.

The name Dakota is derived from a Sioux term meaning friends or allies. It was first applied to a United States territory in 1861. When South Dakota entered the Union on November 2, 1889, as the 40th state, its people chose to keep the name. South Dakota is called the Mount Rushmore State, after the national memorial of that name located in its southwest corner.

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