Monday, October 24, 2016

6 Facts Nobody Else Will Tell You about South Dakota

Welcome sign at the South Dakota, Nebraska border
1. The state is in both the Central and Mountain Time Zones.

2. The North America pole of inaccessibility is between two small towns in southwestern South Dakota (Kyle and Allen). This spot is 1,024 miles from the nearest coastline.

3. Close to 10% of the state's population is Native American; west of the Missouri River, that increases to approximately 20% (mostly Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota Sioux).

Preacher Smith's grave in Deadwood, South Dakota
4. The town of Deadwood was rather indifferent when Wild Bill Hickok was killed while playing cards. When a recent arrival, "Preacher" Henry Weston Smith, was killed almost three weeks later, the community was incensed. (He was a Methodist, but the Episcopal service was read over his grave by Seth Bullock.)

Deer in Custer State Park, South Dakota
5. South Dakota is divided by the Missouri River, which is also an economic line of demarcation. East of the river, agriculture is the primary source of income. It's also where most of the population lives. West of the Missouri, tourism, defense spending, and ranching are the primary sources of income.

6. The state's center of population falls in Buffalo County's seat, Gann Valley -- the least populous county seat in the U.S., with 14 residents in 2010.

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