| 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, McCook, McPherson, Marshall, Meade, Mellette, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Potter, Pennington, Roberts, Sanborn, Shannon, Spink, Stanley, Sully, Todd, Tripp, Turner, Union, Walworth, Yankton, Ziebach |
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The earliest known inhabitants of the South Dakota area were the Aricara Indians, whose history is known to antedate 1500. Archeological evidence from mound and village sites shows that people had lived in the area prior to that time.
The first Europeans known to have visited the region of South Dakota were the Verendrye brothers. On March 30, 1743, they left a leaden plate at the location of Fort Pierre after giving up their search for the western sea. The plate wasn't discovered until February 16, 1913.
France was the first nation to claim the South Dakota area. The region was once a part of the large French province of Louisiana. In 1762, France was driven out of America; and, the land was handed over to Spain. During the Spanish occupation, both sides of the lower Mississippi river were settled many Americans, who sent goods down the river. As freedom of navigating the Mississippi grew in importance, Spain recognized this by signing a treaty with the United States in 1794. The treaty guaranteed freedom of navigation as well as the right to deposit goods in New Orleans.
By a secret treaty in 1800, Spain handed the province of Louisiana back to France. When this treaty became known in 1802, the Spanish Intendant withdrew the right to deposit goods in New Orleans; and, the settlers demanded that New Orleans be seized by American troops. American ministers, Robert E. Livingston and James Monroe, were sent to France to negotiate for the purchase of land. Napoleon was persuaded that he could not hold Louisiana against Great Britian; and, he needed the money. So, he agreed to sell the entire province of Louisiana to the United States for fifteen million dollars. Three conventions were signed on April 30, 1803; and, France handed the territory to the United States in December of that same year.
During the years which followed, Lousiana Territory was divided into states and smaller territories. Two of these were Nebraska and Minnesota Territories, which contained parts of what later became South Dakota.
From the 1740's to the 1850's, the only development in the South Dakota region was by fur traders. One of the earliest European settlers in the region was Pierre Dorian, who settled near Yankton in about 1780. During the next two decades, many traders arrived, including Jacques d'Eglise. In 1794, a building was constructed by Jean Baptiste Truteau on the river ten miles south of Lake Ande; and, this was the first structure to be built in the area by a person of European descent. A trader named Joseph La Frombois was credited with making the first permanent settlement at Fort Pierre in 1817.
Dakota Territory was organized on March 2, 1861. The first capitol of Dakota Territory was Yankton. On Nov 2, 1889, President Benjamin Harrison signed and published the proclamations of statehood for both North and South Dakota, making them the only twin states to be admitted to the union.