South Dakota, Statistics and Reflections This file was extracted from "The Province and the States", edited by Weston Arthur Goodspeed, LL. B., Editor-in-Chief, Vol. VI (1904), pages 359-365. This file may be freely copied for private, non-profit purposes. All other rights reserved. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's authors. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm CHAPTER II Statistics and Reflections SOUTH DAKOTA, with an area of 77,650 square miles, is bounded on the north by North Dakota, along the line of the seventh standard parallel, on the east by Minnesota and Iowa, the south by Nebraska and on the west by Montana and Wyoming. Altogether ninety-one counties have been created in the state since the first settlements were made in the southeastern part, less than half a century since. In 1900, fifty-four of these counties were regularly organized. By the provisions of the constitution, all state officers, except jud~es, for whose election the legislature may provide a different time, are elected in November of the even numbered years for terms of two years. From the beginning of the state government in 1889, the following is a list of all the state officers, and the years which they were elected: Governors: A. C. Mellette, 1889; Charles H. Sheldon, 1892; Andrew E. Lee, 1896; Charles N. Herreid, 1900. Lieutenant Governor: James H. Fletcher, 1889; George H. Hoffman, 1890; Charles N. Herreid, 1892; D. F. Hindman, i896; John T. Kean, 1898; George W. Snow, 1900. Secretaries of State: A. O. Ringsrud, 1889; Thomas Thorson, 1892; W. H. Roddle, i896; O. C. Berg, 1900. Auditors: Louis C. Taylor, 1889; J. E. Hipple, 1892; H. E. Mayhew, 1896; James D. Reeves, 1898; John F. Holliday, 1902. Treasurers: Wilbur F. Smith, 1889; W. W. Taylor, 1890; Kirk G. Phillips, 1894; John Schamber, 1898; Charles B. Collins, 1902. Attorneys General: Robert Dollard, 1889; Coe I. Crawford, 1892; S. V. Jones, 1896; John L. Pyle, 1898 (Died February 2, 1902, before the close of his second term); A. W. Burtt, 1900. Superintendents of Public Instruction: Gilbert L. Pinkham, i889; Cortez Salmon, 1890; Frank Crane, 1894; E. E. Collins, 1898; George W. Nash, 1902. Land Commissioners: O. H. Parker, 1889; Thomas H. Ruth, 1890; J. L. Lockhart, 1894; David Eastman, 1898; Christ J. Bach, 1902. Commissioner of Labor and Statistics: R. A. Smith, 1890; Walter McKay, 1892; S. A. Wheeler, 1894. Railroad commissioners (none elected prior to 1894, and after 1896 only one elected every two years): G. A. Johnston, E. F. Conklin, J. R. Brennan, 1894; W. F. LaFollette, Alexander Kirkpatrick, William H. Tompkins, 1896; William G. Smith, 1898; Frank LeCocq, Jr., 1900; D. H. Smith, 1902. United States Senators, and date of expiration of their terms: R. F. Pettigrew, first term, 1895, second term, 1901; Gideon C. Moody, 1891; J. H. Kyle, first term, 1897, died before the expiration of his second term, and Alfred B. Kittridge appointed till 1903. Robert J. Gamble, 1907. Representatives in Congress: Oscar S. Gifford, 1889 to 1890; John A. Pickler, 1889 to 1896; John R. Gamble, 1890 to 1892; W. V. Lucas, 1892 to 1894; Robert J. Gamble, 1894 to 1896 and 1898 to 1900; John E. Kelley, 1896 to 1898; Freeman Knowles, 1896 to 1898; Charles H. Burke, 1898 to _______; E. W. Martin, 1900 to __________. Judges of the Supreme Court: Dighton Corson, A. G. Kellam, John E. Bennett, 1889, re-elected 1893; Dighton Corson, Howard G. Fuller, and Dick Haney, 1899. United States District Judges: Alonzo J. Edgerton, 1889, till his death August 9, 1896; John E. Carland since. (U. S. district court, at Sioux Falls.) Numerous changes in the boundary lines have occurred during each of the census periods, so that the increase or decrease in the population of many of the counties is influenced by such changes; some showing large increase because of annexation, and others showing a corresponding decrease, caused by part of their territory being taken for the formation of new counties. The most important of these changes taking place since 1880 are here noted as follows: Pyatt county, formed from unorganized territory in 1883, was changed to Armstrong county in 1896. Jerauld county was created in 1883 from part of Aurora county. The population of Boreman county, which was 534 in 1880, is included in the Standing Rock Indian reservation in 1900. Butte county, originally formed from unorganized territory, and part of Harding county, was increased in 1899 by the annexation of Rinehart, Martin, Choteau, Ewing, Harding and Wagner counties. Between 1880 and 1890 the Sisseton and Wahpeton Indian reservation was divided, and added to Day, Codington, Grant, Roberts and Marshall counties. Marshall county was formed in 1885 from the Indian reservation above mentioned and part of Day county. Part of Grant county was taken to form Roberts county in 1883. Fall River county was organized from part of Custer in 1883. Scobey county was formed from part of Delano in 1883, and both Delano and Scobey were attached to Meade in 1899. Meade county was formed in i889 from part of Lawrence county. The name of Rusk county was changed to Dewey in 1883, and the population in 1900 is included the Cheyenne River and Standing Rock Indian reservations. Todd county was annexed to Gregory in 1899. The same year Jackson, Nowlin and Sterling counties, all formed from unorganized territory in 1883, were annexed to Stanley. Pratt and Presho were annexed to Lyman county in 1899. Sanborn was organized from part of Miner county in 1883. Ziebach was annexed to Pennington in 1899. Schuasse county was formed in 1883 from unorganized territory; the population was included in Cheyenne River and Standing Rock Indian reservations. Part of Shannon county was taken in 1883 to form Washington county, which is within the limits of Pine Ridge Indian reservation. Tripp county is within the Rosebud reservation. Washabaugh was organized from part of Lugenbeel and Indian reservation. Both Washaugh and Lugenbeel are in the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations. Washington was organized from part of Shannon in 1883, and the greater part of it lies in the Pine Ridge Indian reservation. The Cheyenne River Indian reservation includes the counties of Armstrong, Dewey, Schuasse and Stanley. The Rosebud reservation consists of the counties of Gregory, Lugenbeel, Lyman, Meyer, Stanley, Tripp and Washabaugh counties. Pine Ridge reservation lies in Lugenbeel, Shannon, Stanley, Washabaugh and Washington counties. TABLE SHOWING THE ORGANIZED COUNTIES OF SOUTH DAKOTA IN 1900, WITH DATES OF CREATION AND ORGANIZATION, AND PRESENT COUNTY SEAT. Counties. When created. When organized. County seat. Aurora Feb. 22, 1879 Aug. 8, 1881 White Lake. Beadle Jan. 8, 1873 July 9, l880 Huron. Bon Homme Apr. 5, 1862 1862 Tyndall. Brookings Apr. 5, 1862 Jan. 21, 1871 Brooklngs. Brown Feb. 22, 1879 July 20, 1880 Aberdeen. Brule Jan. 14, 1875 Jan. 14, 1875 Chamberlain. Buffalo Jan. 6, 1864 Jan. 13, 1871 Gann Valley. Butte Mar. 5, 1881 July 11, 1883 Minnesela. Campbell Jan. 8, 1873 Nov. 6, 1883 Mount City. Charles Mix May 6, 1862 Sept. 1, 1879 Wheeler. Clark Jan. 8, 1873 Dec. 21, 1880 Clark. Clay Apr. 10, 1862 1862 Vermillion. Codington Feb. 15, 1877 July 19, 1878 Watertown. Custer Jan. 11, 1875 Apr. 3, 1877 Custer. Davison Jan. 8, 1873 1873 Mitchell. Day Feb. 22, 1879 Dec. 5, 1881 Webster. Deuel Apr. 15, 1862 Apr. 26, 1878 Gary. Douglas Jan. 10, 1873 July 10, 1882 Grand View. Edmunds Jan. 8, 1873 July 14, 1883 Epswich. Fall River Mar. 6, 1883 Hot Springs. Faulk Jan. 8, 1873 Oct. 25, 1883 Faulkton. Grant Jan. 8, 1873 June 5, 1878 Millbank. Gregory May 8, 1862 Fort Randall. Hamlin Jan. 8, 1873 Aug. 12, 1878 Castlewood. Hand Jan. 8, 1873 July 10, 1862 Miller. Hanson Jan. 13, 1871 Jan. 13, 1871 Alexandria. Hughes Jan. 8, 1873 Nov. 20, 1880 Pierre. Hutchinson May 8, 1862 Jan. 13, 1871 Olivet. Hyde Jan. 8, 1873 Apr. 13, 1884 Highmore. Jerauld Mar. 9, 1883 Oct. 1, 1883 Wessington Springs Kingsbury Jan. 8, 1873 Dec. 13, 1879 DeSmet. Lake Jan. 8, 1873 Sept. 1, 1873 Madison. Lawrence Jan. 11, 1875 Mar. 5, 1877 Deadwood. Lincoln Apr. 15, 1862 Dec. 30, 1867 Canton. Lyman Jan. 8, 1883 Marshall Mar. 10, 1885 July 20, 1885 Britton. McCook Jan. 8, 1873 May 16, 1878 Salem. McPherson Jan. 8, 1873 Nov. 3, 1883 Leola. Meade 1880 Miner Jan. 8, 1873 Nov. 8, 1880 Howard. Minnehaha Apr. 15, 1862 Jan. 4, 1868 Sioux Falls. Moody Jan. 8, 1873 Aug. 11, 1873 Flandreau. Pennington Jan. 4, 1875 Mar. 5, 1877 Rapid City. Potter 1873 Nov. 6, 1883 Gettysburgh. Presho Jan. 8, 1873 Roberts Mar. 8, 1883 Aug. 1, 1883 Wilmot. Sanborn Mar. 9, 1883 June 23, 1883 Woonsocket. Spink Jan. 8, 1873 July 22, 1879 Redfield. Stanley Jan. 8, 1873 Sully Jan. 8, 1873 Apr. 4, 1883 Onida. Turner Jan. 13, 1871 Jan. 13,1871 Parker. Union 1862 1862 Elk Point. Walworth Jan. 8, 1873 May 5, 1883 Bangor. Yankton Apr. 10, 1862 1862 Yankton. TABLE SHOWING THE POPULATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA BY COUNTIES. AT EACH UNITED STATES CENSUS SINCE 1870. (There were no organized counties in the territory in 1860 and only fourteen in 1870, one of which, Pembina, is in North Dakota). Counties 1870 1880 1890 1900 Armstrong 34 Aurora 69 5,045 4,011 Beadle 1,290 9,586 8,081 Bon Homme 608 5,478 9,057 10,379 Boreman* 534 Brookings 163 4,965 10,132 12,561 Brown 353 16,855 15,286 Brule 238 6,737 5,401 Buffalo 246 63 993 1,790 Butte 83 1,037 2,907 Campbell 50 3,510 4,527 Charles Mix 152 407 4,178 8,498 Choteau 8 Clark 114 6,728 6,942 Clay 2,621 5,001 7,509 9,316 Codington 2,156 7,037 8,770 Custer 995 4,891 2,728 Davison 1,256 5,449 7,483 Day 97 9,168 12,254 Delano 40 Deuel 37 2,302 4,574 6,656 Dewey Douglas 6 4,600 5,012 Edmunds 4,399 4,916 Ewing 16 Fall River 4,478 3,541 Faulk 4 4,062 3,547 Grant 3,010 6,814 9,103 Gregory 295 2,211 Hamlin 693 4,625 5,945 Hand 153 6,546 4,525 Hanson 1301 4,267 4,947 Harding 167 Hughes 268 5,014 3,684 Hutchinson 37 5,573 10,465 11,897 Hyde 1,860 1,492 Jackson 30 Jerauld 3,605 2,798 Kingsbury 1,102 8,562 9,866 Lake 2,657 7,508 9,137 Lawrence 13,248 11,673 17,897 Lincoln 712 5,896 9,143 12,161 Lugenbeel Lyman 124 233 2,632 McCook 1,283 6,448 8,689 McPherson 5,490 6,327 Marshall 4,544 5,942 Martin 7 Meade 4,640 4,907 Meyer 115 Miner 363 5,165 5,864 Minnehaha 355 8,251 21,879 23,926 Moody 3,915 5,941 8,326 Nowlin 149 149 Pennington 2,244 6,540 5,610 Potter 2,910 2,988 Pratt 23 Presho 181 Pyatt 34 Rinehart Roberts 1,997 12,216 Rusk 46 Sanborn 4,610 4,464 Schasse 32 Scobey Shannon 113 Spink 441 10,581 9,487 Stanley 793 1,028 1,341 Sterling 96 Sully 296 2,412 1,715 Todd 357 203 188 Tripp Turner 5,320 10,256 13,175 Union 3,507 6,813 9,130 11,153 Wagner Walworth 46 2,153 3,839 Washington 40 Washabaugh Yankton 2,097 8,390 10,444 12,649 Siebach 510 Cheyenne Ind. Res. 2,357 Pine Ridge Ind. Res. 6,827 Rosebud Ind. Res. 5,201 Standing Rock Res. 1,658 Unorganized Tar 2,091 Total 12,968 98,268 328,808 401,570 (Boreman county partly In North Dakota.) While South Dakota was still a territory, Bishop Hare, in speaking of its wonderful progress, said: "You may stand ankle-deep in the short-burned grass of an uninhabited wilderness. Next month a railroad train glides over the waste. I have ridden into Dakota valley and pitched my tent. Lolling on my buffalo robe, I looked around and saw nothing but a wolf. When I visited the valley next year, lo! a train of Pullman palace cars. I camped on the flat bottom of land near the Missouri river that same trip. There was only a log hut with a mud roof. No other sign of civilization. Within a year I revisited the spot, and lo! there was a town of two thousand." This is a good word picture of the growth and development of the state. From the early settlements in Clay, Union and Yankton counties the population rapidly spread toward the north and west, carrying the arts and customs of civilization into a land hitherto peopled only by savages. The native looked with wondering eyes at the encroachments upon his hunting grounds, and, unable to withstand the current of advancing civilization, wrapped his blanket about him and turned his face toward the setting sun. The Indian tepee has given way to the school house, and the printing press has supplanted the pow wow of the medicine man. Undismayed by floods, droughts or the devastations of grasshoppers, these pioneers have gone steadily forward, transforming a desert waste into a country of homes. Cities, such as Watertown and Sioux Falls in the east; Yankton, Chamberlain and Pierre on the Missouri river; Deadwood and Rapid City in the Black Hills country, rival in modern conveniences many of the older cities of the country. By wise provision in the organic law, a permanent fund has been established for the maintenance of public school system. This fund has increased, keeping pace with a growing population, thus insuring adequate means of education for all time to come. Factories have come along with the general development, until almost everything necessary for man's use and comfort, is manufactured within the borders of the state. From the rich veins of the precious metal in the Black Hills, millions of dollars have been taken, and the vast treasures there have as yet scarcely been touched. Fine public buildings, constructed of the famous Sioux Falls granite, adorn, not only the cities of South Dakota, but of other states. Lines of railroad span the state in all directions, and miles of navigable rivers flow through fertile valleys, affording transportation facilities to a rapidly growing commerce. Scattered through these valleys are hundreds of farms, whose crops and herds bear witness to the industry and prosperity of the inhabitants. Children born in Dakota, while it was a territory, have not yet reached maturity, yet in these few years the population has increased to half a million, and the wealth of the state to five hundred million dollars. Such, briefly told, has been the progress of South Dakota, and the promises for the future are as bright as the achievements of the past.