Beadle County, South Dakota

Beadle County History, Geography, Demographics, Cities and Towns, and Education

Etymology - Origin of County Name

Beadle is named to honor Brig. General William Henry Harrison Beadle, pioneer, scholar, educator, lawyer, legislator and soldier.

Demographics:

County QuickFacts: Census Bureau Quick Facts

County History

Beadle County was created in 1879 from Buchard, Clark, Kingsbury, and Spink counties and organized in 1880. It was named to honor Brig. General William Henry Harrison Beadle, pioneer scholar, educator, lawyer, legislator and soldier. It is said that Charles Miner was the first permanent settler in the county. He located near the mouth of Pearl Creek in April, 1879, made some improvements for the winter, but settled on his claim in the spring of 1880.

In June and July of 1879, soon after Miner had settled on his claim, several other selected and filed claims in the same neighborhood along the James River. Early in the spring of 1880 settlement began to become general and continuous. During that spring and summer railroad construction was going on and brought a considerable number of people into the county, many of whom took claims and remained. The land along the James River was generally the first to be taken, the settlements extending back gradually over the prairies. During the next two or three years the greater part of the desirable lands in the county had been filed on.

The town of Cavour, the first in the county, was laid out in August, 1879, but the first building, a hotel owned by D.A. Hart, was not erected until the following May.

The original town of Huron was platted May 10,1880, several additions being platted soon after. The first building in the town was one 12 x 16 feet moved from near the James River by W.B. Ingersoll and John Cain, and used as an office for the Beadle County Settler, a paper published by John Cain. Other buildings were soon after moved or built, and the town grew rapidly as soon as lots were placed on sale.

On July 4, 1880, Governor Ordway appointed Eli C. Walton, Charles Miner, and S.S. Neilson as commissioners to organize the county.

This board met at the Riverside Hotel at Huron on July 26, 1880, and proceeded to organize the county by appointment of officers. The first officers were: John H. Alexander, Register of Deeds; James E. Bishop, Superintendent of Schools; A.M. Farrington, Coroner; W.B. Ingersoll, Judge of Probate; Watson Weed, Assessor; W.B. Joy, Surveyor; A.J. Wells, A.H. Aisdon, Dennis H. Flynn, E.J. Lymand , Justices; William Mixter, W.J. Easton, M. Baum, M.A. Falls, Constables; and E.G. Wheeler, Tresurer. The county seat was located at Huron July 28, 1880, by the County Commissioners, and their choice was later ratified by a vote of the electors.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,265 square miles (3,276 km²), of which, 1,259 square miles (3,260 km²) of it is land and 6 square miles (16 km²) of it (0.48%) is water.

Neighboring Counties:

• Spink County, South Dakota - north
• Clark County, South Dakota - northeast
• Kingsbury County, South Dakota - east
• Sanborn County, South Dakota - southeast
• Jerauld County, South Dakota - southwest
• Hand County, South Dakota - west

Cities and Towns:

County Resources:

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