South Dakota County Resources
This entry was originally written by Laura Hall Heuermann and Marsha Hoffman Rising, CG, FUGA, FASG for Red Book: American State, County, and Town Sources.
The South Dakota State Historical Society began a project in 1990 to survey the existing records at the county level. In the future, this information will be available at a central location. At present, there are some county records housed at the state archives, but many remain at the local level.
Inventories of county archives were made by the WPA, but were only published for the counties of Bennett, Buffalo, Clark, Faulk, Haakon, Jackson, Mellette, Miner, and Washabaugh. Unpublished materials were deposited at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion.
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. Dates with (?) have not been verified by the state, but are assumed based on the best information presently available. Dates without questions are verified by publications or the county staff.
For some counties on the chart, there are two years listed for 'Date Formed.' The first is the year the county was created; the second is the year it was fully organized if it differs from the creation year. Under the heading 'Parent County/ies,' the term 'unorganized' means that it was formed from non-county lands, and counties listed with an asterisk (*) are those to which the county was at one time 'attached' before it was fully organized.
There were other name changes in counties whose existence was of short duration. For clarification, see Long, Historical Atlas (see page 18).
| Map | County | County Address | Date Formed | Parent County(ies) | Birth | Marriage | Death | Land | Probate | Court |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Armstrong (old) | 1873 (abolished, 1879; became part of Hutchinson) | Charles Mix/Hutchinson | ||||||||
| Armstrong (present) | 1883 | (as Pyatt; renamed, 1895) Cheyenne/Rusk/Stanley *Lawrence | ||||||||
| In 1952 Armstrong was abolished and became part of Dewey. | ||||||||||
| Ashmore | 1873 (abolished 1875) | |||||||||
| H5 | Aurora | P.O. Box 366, Plankinton 57368 | 1879 | Brule | ? | 1882 | 1882 | 1882 | ||
| Beadle (old) | 1873 | (abolished, 1879; became part of Brown) | ||||||||
| H4 | Beadle (present) | P.O. Box 1358, Huron 57350 | 1873 (organized 1879) Clark/Spink | Brule | ? | 1879? | 1882 | 1882 | ||
| The state archives holds probate records, including inventories, appraisements, and wills (1882'1934); and justices' court records (1882'1998). | ||||||||||
| D6 | Bennett | P.O. Box 281, Martin 57551 | 1909 (1912) | Pine Ridge Indian Reservation *Fall River | 1912 | 1907 | 1912 | 1912 | ||
| J7 | Bon Homme | P.O. Box 6, Tyndall 57066 | 1862 | unorganized | 1874 | 1865 | 1877 | 1871 | ||
| The state archives holds records (1871'1942). | ||||||||||
| Boreman | 1873 (abolished, 1909; became part of Corson) | unorganized *Campbell | ||||||||
| Bramble | 1873 (abolished, 1879; became part of Miner) | Hanson | ||||||||
| K4 | Brookings | 314 Sixth Ave., Brookings 57006 | 1862 (1871) | unorganized | 1871 | 1871 | ||||
| The state archives holds records (1872'1955). | ||||||||||
| H2 | Brown | P.O. Box 1087, Aberdeen 57401 | 1879 (1880) | Beadle (old)/Mills/Stone | ? | 1879? | 1879? | 1879? | ||
| The state archives holds records (1870'1950). | ||||||||||
| Bruguier | 1862 (abolished, 1864; became part of Buffalo and Charles Mix) | unorganized | ||||||||
| G5 | Brule | 300 S. Courtland, Chamberlain 57325 | 1875 | Old Buffalo | ? | 1875? | 1875? | 1875? | ||
| G5 | Buffalo | P.O. Box 148, Gann Valley 57341 | 1864 (1871) | Bruguier/Charles Mix/unorganized *Bon Homme | 1887 | 1885 | 1884 | 1890 | ||
| Parts of the original Buffalo County became counties in North Dakota. | ||||||||||
| Burchard | 1873 (abolished, 1879; became part of Beadle and Hand) | Hanson | ||||||||
| A3 | Butte | P.O. Box 237, Belle Fourche 57717 | 1883 | Lawrence/Mandan Harding | ? | 1883? | 1883? | 1883? | ||
| F1 | Campbell | P.O. Box 146, Mound City 57646 | 1873 (1884) | Buffalo | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| H6 | Charles Mix | P.O. Box 602, Lake Andes 57356 | 1862 (1879) | original | ? | 1875? | 1875? | 1875? | ||
| Charles Mix was fully organized in 1862, but was dissolved in 1864 and attached to Bon Homme. It was fully reorganized in 1879. | ||||||||||
| Cheyenne | 1875 (abolished, 1883; became part of Jackson, Nowlin, Pyatt, and Sterling) | Pratt/Rusk/Stanley/unorganized | ||||||||
| Choteau | 1883 (abolished, 1898; became part of Butte and Meade) | Martin *Lawrence | ||||||||
| J3 | Clark | P.O. Box 275, Clark 57225 | 1873 (1881) | Hanson | 1883 | 1881 | 1882 | 1885 | ||
| K7 | Clay | P.O. Box 377, Vermillion 57069 | 1862 | unorganized | ? | 1862? | 1862? | 1862? | ||
| J3 | Codington | P.O. Box 1054, Watertown 57201 | 1877 (1878) | Clark/Grant/Gamlin/unorganized | 1883 | 1877? | 1877? | 1877? | ||
| Cole | 1862 (named changed to Union) | |||||||||
| D2 | Corson | P.O. Box 175, McIntosh 57641 | 1909 | Boreman/Dewey/Schnasse unorganized | ? | 1909? | 1909? | 1909? | ||
| Cragin | 1873 (abolished, 1879; became part of Aurora) | Hanson | ||||||||
| A5 | Custer | 420 Mt. Rushmore Road, Custer 57730 | 1875 (1877) | unorganized | 1891 | 1875? | 1875? | 1875? | ||
| H5 | Davison | P.O. Box 927, Mitchell 57301 | 1873 (1874) | Hanson | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| The state archives holds inventory and appraisement books (1915'45); and circuit court journals (1882'1930). | ||||||||||
| J2 | Day | 710 W. First St., Webster 57274 | 1879 (1882) | Greeley/Stone | ? | 1879? | 1879? | 1879? | ||
| Delano | 1875 (abolished, 1898; became part of Meade) | unorganized *Lawrence | ||||||||
| K3 | Deuel | P.O. Box 125, Clear Lake 57226 | 1862 (1878) | unorganized | ? | 1862? | 1862? | 1862? | ||
| The state archives holds circuit court judgment dockets (1879'1931). | ||||||||||
| E3 | Dewey | P.O. Box 96, Timber Lake 57656 | 1873 | (as Rusk; renamed, 1883) (1910) unorganized | ? | 1883? | 1883? | 1883? | ||
| H6 | Douglas | P.O. Box 36, Armour 57313 | 1873 (1882) | Charles Mix | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| G2 | Edmunds | P.O. Box 384, Ipswich 57451 | 1873 (1883) | Buffalo | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| The state archives has marriage records (1884'1917); miscellaneous probate records (1893'1958); wills (1884'1919); and circuit court records (1890'1902). | ||||||||||
| Ewing | 1883 (abolished 1890) | |||||||||
| A6 | Fall River | 906 N. River, Hot Springs 57747 | 1883 | Custer | ? | 1883? | 1883? | 1883? | ||
| The state archives has records (1891'1915). | ||||||||||
| G3 | Faulk | P.O. Box 357, Faulkton 57438 | 1873 (1883) | Buffalo | 1885 | 1883 | 1884 | 1883 | ||
| The state archives has records of the clerk of the circuit court (1883'1958). | ||||||||||
| Forsythe | 1875 (abolished, 1881; became part of Custer) | unorganized | ||||||||
| K2 | Grant | P.O. Box 509, Milbank 57252 | 1873 (1878) | Deuel/Hanson | ||||||
| Courthouse fire destroyed deed books 17-18 and mortgage books 10a, 18, 26, 28, and 29. | ||||||||||
| Greeley | 1873 (abolished, 1879; became part of Day) | Hanson | ||||||||
| G6 | Gregory | P.O. Box 430, Burke 57523 | 1862 (1898) | unorganized 'Todd'/Charles Mix | ? | 1862 | 1862 | 1862 | ||
| The state archives holds records (1899'1965). | ||||||||||
| D4 | Haakon | P.O. Box 70, Philip 57567 | 1914 (1915) | Stanley | 1915 | 1893 | 1915 | 1915 | ||
| J3 | Hamlin | P.O. Box 256, Hayti 57241 | 1873 (1878) | Deuel/Hanson | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| The state archives holds marriage licenses (1881'1969). | ||||||||||
| G4 | Hand | P.O. Box 122, Miller 57362 | 1873 (1882) | Buffalo | ? | 1873 | 1873 | 1873 | ||
| The state archives holds will records (1891'1974). | ||||||||||
| J5 | Hanson | P.O. Box 127, Alexandria 57311 | 1871 (1873) | Brookings/Buffalo/Charles Mix/Deuel/Hutchinson/Jayne/Minnehaha/unorganized Buffalo | ? | 1871? | 1871? | 1871? | ||
| A2 | Harding | P.O. Box 534, Buffalo 57720 | 1881 (1911) | unorganized | ? | 1881? | 1881? | 1881? | ||
| The state archives has Territorial Registers of Action (1881'90); probate and circuit court records (1881'1957). | ||||||||||
| F4 | Hughes | P.O. Box 1112, Pierre 57501 | 1873 (1880) | Buffalo | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| The state archives has divorce records (1905'34); probate records (1881'1948);district court records (1882'1928); and circuit court records (1881'1957). | ||||||||||
| J6 | Hutchinson | P.O. Box 7, Olivet 57052 | 1862 (1871) | unorganized | ? | 1862? | 1862? | 1862? | ||
| G4 | Hyde | P.O. Box 306, Highmore 57345 | 1873 (1883) | Buffalo | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| D5 | Jackson | P.O. Box 128, Kadoka 57543 | 1883 (1915) | Cheyenne/Lugenbell/White River *Pennington | 1915 | 1901 | 1915 | 1915 | ||
| The state archives holds records (1918'1981).In 1909 Jackson was abolished and became part of Mellette and Washabaugh. Jackson was re-created from Stanley in 1914, becoming fully organized in 1915. | ||||||||||
| Jayne | 1862 (abolished, 1871; became part of Hanson, Hutchinson, and Turner) | Unorganized *Yankton | ||||||||
| H5 | Jerauld | P.O. Box 435, Wessington Springs 57382 | 1883 | Aurora/Buffalo | ? | 1883? | 1883? | 1883? | ||
| E5 | Jones | 310 S. Main, Murdo 57559 | 1916 (1917) | Lyman | ? | 1917? | 1917? | 1917? | ||
| The state archives has probate records and circuit court judgments (1917'78). | ||||||||||
| J4 | Kingsbury | P.O. Box 176, De Smet 57231 | 1873 (1880) | Hanson | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| The state archives has probate bonds (1882'1964); probate records (1885'1942); and wills (1911'69). | ||||||||||
| K5 | Lake | P.O. Box 447, Madison 57042 | 1873 | Brookings/Hanson/Minnehaha | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| A4 | Lawrence | P.O. Box 626, Deadwood 57732 | 1875 (1877) | unorganized | ? | 1875? | 1875? | 1875? | ||
| The state archives has probate records and wills (1877'1935); guardianship and adoption records (1910'58); marriage records (1879'1956); and circuit court journals (1891'1930). | ||||||||||
| K6 | Lincoln | 100 E. Fifth St., Canton 57013 | 1862 (1867) | Minnehaha | ? | 1862? | 1862? | 1862? | ||
| The state archives holds probate records (1883'1914). | ||||||||||
| Lugenbeel | 1875 (abolished, 1909; became part of Bennett and Todd) | Meyer/Pratt/unorganized | ||||||||
| F5 | Lyman | P.O. Box 235, Kennebec 57544 | 1873 (1893) | Gregory/unorganized | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| The state archives holds records (1904'1968). | ||||||||||
| Mandan | 1875 (abolished, 1887; became part of Lawrence) | unorganized | ||||||||
| J1 | Marshall | P.O. Box 130, Britton 57430 | 1885 | Day | ? | 1885? | 1885? | 1885? | ||
| Martin | 1881 (abolished, 1898; became part of Butte) | unorganized *Lawrence | ||||||||
| J5 | McCook | P.O. Box 504, Salem 57058 | 1873 (1878) | Hanson | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| The state archives holds records (1881'1934). | ||||||||||
| G1 | McPherson | P.O. Box 248, Leola 57456 | 1873 (1884) | Buffalo | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| B4 | Meade | P.O. Box 939, Sturgis 57785 | 1889 | Lawrence | ? | 1889? | 1889? | 1889? | ||
| The state archives holds records (1889'1956). | ||||||||||
| E6 | Mellette | P.O. Box 257, White River 57579 | 1909 (1911) | Jackson/Meyer/Washabaugh unorganized | 1911 | 1907 | 1912 | 1912 | ||
| The state archives holds probate cases (1907'1947). | ||||||||||
| Meyer | 1873 (abolished, 1909; became part of Mellette and Todd) | unorganized | ||||||||
| J5 | Miner | P.O. Box 265, Howard 57349 | 1873 (1880) | Hanson | 1882 | 1881 | 1883 | 1881 | ||
| K5 | Minnehaha | 415 N. Dakota Ave., Sioux Falls 57102 | 1862 (1868) | unorganized *Union | ? | 1862? | 1862? | 1862? | ||
| The state archives holds probate records (1873'1907) and wills (1961'1974). | ||||||||||
| K5 | Moody | P.O. Box 226, Flandreau 57028 | 1873 | Brookings/Minnehaha | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| A5 | Pennington | P.O. Box 230, Rapid City 57709 | 1875 (1877) | unorganized | 1887 | 1875? | 1875? | 1875? | ||
| C2 | Perkins | P.O. Box 27, Bison 57620 | 1908 (1909) | Butte | ? | 1909? | 1909? | 1909? | ||
| F3 | Potter | 201 S. Exene, Gettysburg 57442 | 1873 | (as Ashmore; renamed, 1875) (1883)Buffalo | ? | 1875? | 1875? | 1875? | ||
| Pyatt | 1883 (renamed Armstrong, 1895) | Cheyenne/Rusk/Stanley*Lawrence | ||||||||
| K1 | Roberts | 411 Second Ave. East, Sisseton 57262 | 1883 | Grant/Siseton-Wahpeteon Indian Reserve | ? | 1883? | 1883? | 1883? | ||
| The state archives holds records (1908'1981). | ||||||||||
| Rusk | 1873 (renamed Dewey, 1883) | unorganized | ||||||||
| H5 | Sanborn | P.O. Box 56, Woonsocket 57385 | 1883 | Miner | ? | 1883? | 1883? | 1883? | ||
| Schnasse | 1883 (abolished, 1911; became part of Ziebach) | Boreman/unorganized | ||||||||
| B6 | Shannon | 906 N. River St., Hot Springs 57747 | 1875 | unorganized *Fall River | ? | 1883? | 1883? | 1883? | ||
| Shannon is still attached to Fall River. | ||||||||||
| H3 | Spink | 210 E. Seventh Ave., Redfield 57469 | 1873 (1879) | Hanson | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| E4 | Stanley | P.O. Box 97, Ft. Pierre 57532 | 1873 (1890) | unorganized | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| Sterling | 1883 (abolished, 1911; became part of Ziebach) | Cheyenne *Lawrence | ||||||||
| Stone | 1873 (abolished, 1879; became part of Brown and Day) | Hanson | ||||||||
| F3 | Sully | P.O. Box 188, Onida 57564 | 1873 (1883) | Buffalo | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| Todd (old) | 1862 (abolished, 1897; became part of Gregory) | unorganized | ||||||||
| In 1890 Todd disestablished and attached to Charles Mix. | ||||||||||
| E6 | Todd (present) | Mission 57555 | 1909 | Meyer/Lugenbeel/Washabaugh | 1909? | 1909? | 1909? | |||
| The state archives has birth register. Todd is still attached to Tripp; see Tripp County for records. | ||||||||||
| F6 | Tripp | 200 Third St., Winner 57580 | 1873 (1909) | unorganized/Gregory/Todd (old) | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| K6 | Turner | P.O. Box 446, Parker 57053 | 1871 | Lincoln/Jayne | ? | 1871? | 1871? | 1871? | ||
| K7 | Union | P.O. Box 757, Elk Point 57025 | 1862 | (as Cole; renamed, 1864) unorganized | ? | 1862? | 1862? | 1862? | ||
| The state archives has court records including land transactions (1860'1929); marriages (1919'23); wills (1870'1910); probate records (1869'1962); justice dockets (1868'1903); and bonds and court judgment books (1876'1948). | ||||||||||
| F2 | Walworth | P.O. Box 328, Selby 57472 | 1873 (1883) | Buffalo | ? | 1873? | 1873? | 1873? | ||
| The state archives holds circuit court judgment records (1884'1932) and school records(1918'1958). | ||||||||||
| Washabaugh | Kadoka 57543 | 1883 | Lugenbeel *Custer/*Jackson | ? | 1883? | 1883? | 1883? | |||
| Washington | 1883 (abolished, 1943; became part of Shannon) | Lugenbeel/Shannon *Custer | ||||||||
| Included land now in Meyer and Pratt. | ||||||||||
| Wetmore | 1873 (abolished, 1879; became part of Aurora and Miner) | Hanson | ||||||||
| White River | 1875 (abolished, 1898; became part of Jackson) | Pratt/unorganized | ||||||||
| J7 | Yankton | P.O. Box 155, Yankton 57078 | 1862 | unorganized | ? | 1862? | 1862? | 1862? | ||
| The state archives has probate records (1877'1909); wills (1870'1909); notary records (1877'1909); and judgment books (1898'1907). | ||||||||||
| Ziebach (old) | 1877 (abolished, 1898; became part of Pennington) | Pennington | ||||||||
| D3 | Ziebach | P.O. Box 306, Dupree 57623 | 1911 | Schnasse/Sterling/Armstrong (Cheyenne River Reservation) | ? | 1911? | 1911? | 1911 | ||
