SDGenWeb is created by a group of volunteers as part of the USGenWeb Project working together to provide free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county in South Dakota. This Project is non-commercial and fully committed to free genealogy access for everyone.
A Comprehensive History of Minnehaha County, South Dakota: Its Background, Her Pioneers, Their Record of Achievement and Development” by Charles A. Smith is an extensive and detailed chronicle of the county’s past, encapsulating its evolution from its earliest days. This work, published in 1958, spans 504 pages, elaborately documenting the county’s journey through various phases of development. Particularly noteworthy are the chapters on the City of Sioux Falls, which provide a comprehensive overview of its growth, municipal enterprises, public buildings, and transportation systems. As well, for genealogists, the few biographies in chapter 13 of part 1.
This History of Union County, South Dakota was authored by Donald Dean Parker and published in 1959 by South Dakota State College, and it stands as a comprehensive chronicle of the region’s development from its earliest settlements to its role in the broader tapestry of state and national history. This work delves into the intricate narrative of Union County, capturing its transformation from a sparsely populated territory to a flourishing agricultural hub, enriched by a vibrant community and diverse cultural heritage.
This history of Jefferson South Dakota provides a glimpse into the establishment, growth, and evolution of Jefferson, South Dakota, from its early days in 1859 up to the mid-20th century. Jefferson, strategically nestled between the Big Sioux River and the Missouri River, and bordered by the hills of Iowa and Nebraska, became a beacon for early settlers drawn by its promising land. The narrative begins with the arrival of the first white settlers among indigenous populations, highlighting the foundational role of families like Michael Ryan Sr., A. Christie, and Mr. Matthews.
“Pioneer Church: The History of the South Dakota District, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1860-1960” is a meticulously crafted chronicle that delves deep into the roots of Lutheran Christianity across South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming. Spanning a century, this volume unfolds the vibrant narrative of faith, community, and relentless dedication to the service of God and humanity in a region marked by its pioneering history. Free to read or download.
In celebration of the Dakota Territory Centennial, the 186-page book “Lawrence County for the Dakota Territory Centennial, 1861-1961” serves as a comprehensive guide and a treasure trove of information for genealogists and historians alike, offering a detailed exploration of Lawrence County’s rich history, culture, and development over a century. Compiled with meticulous care by editor Mildred Fielder and published by Seaton Publishing Company in 1960, this book is free to read and download.
This page provides links to all available South Dakota historical newspaper images and transcriptions found online by AccessGenealogy. Organized alphabetically by town or city.
This article helps you access the Revolutionary War Pension and Bounty Land Warrants for free. Following two simple steps, one to search, and the other to browse the actual microfilms, you can quickly find your ancestors Revolutionary War pension record, or Bounty-Land record and download the images. During 1800-1900 the United States issued more than 80,000 pensions and bounty-land-warrants to soldiers of the Revolutionary War, their spouse, or their children. Was your ancestor one of them?
This book, “The Descendants of Franklin Mary Noyes Rowe of Humboldt County, Iowa, with Some Notes on Their Ancestors,” authored by Velma Rowe Coffin in Storm Lake, Iowa, in 1955, is a meticulously researched genealogical record spanning 87 pages. It traces the lineage of Franklin Rowe, born December 30, 1836, in Onondaga County, New York, and provides insights into his ancestry and descendants. Free to read or download.
3,907 land management tract books containing official records of the land status and transactions involving surveyed public lands arranged by state and then by township and range. These books indicate who obtained the land, and include a physical description of the tract and where the land is located. The type of transaction is also recorded such as cash entry, credit entry, homesteads, patents (deeds) granted by the Federal Government, and other conveyances of title such as Indian allotments, internal improvement grants (to states), military bounty land warrants, private land claims, railroad grants, school grants, and swamp grants. Additional items of information included in the tract books are as follows: number of acres, date of sale, purchase price, land office, entry number, final Certificate of Purchase number, and notes on relinquishments and conversions.
Chronicling America is a Website providing access to information about historic newspapers and select digitized newspaper pages, and is produced by the National Digital Newspaper Program (NDNP). NDNP, a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the Library of Congress (LC), is a long-term effort to develop an Internet-based, searchable database of U.S. newspapers with descriptive information and select digitization of historic pages. Supported by NEH, this rich digital resource will be developed and permanently maintained at the Library of Congress. An NEH award program will fund the contribution of content from, eventually, all U.S. states and territories.
Small Town Papers gives you free access to the people, places and events recorded in real time over the decades or even centuries! Browse and search the scanned newspaper archive from 1846 up to the current edition! Their archives contain millions of names of ancestors not found anywhere else. Enhance your Ancestry research with their high resolution scanned newspaper archive. Find distant relatives and discover your ethnic heritage by reading the articles about family and friends written back in the day.
These treaties were instrumental in establishing and defining the relationship between the United States and the Arapaho and Cheyenne Confederation. They also impacted the history of the tribe after it signed the initial treaty of 1825. Each succeeding treaty will show the historian a shrinking land mass controlled by the Arapaho and Cheyenne. Includes land cession maps detailing the land ceded by the Arapaho and Cheyenne.
An extraction of the 1930 Indian Census for the Ponca tribe of the Ponca Reservation in South Dakota. In 1930 there were 398 members that fell under the jurisdiction of the Yankton Agency. Most of them still resided within the Ponca Reservation, but some had moved elsewhere and are so indicated within the actual census images. This extraction provides their given names, surnames, sometimes the maiden name, age, and sex of each tribal member.
J.P. Dunn wrote Massacres of the Mountains in an attempt to separate historical fact from sensational fiction and to verify the problems that plagued the Indian tribes in this country of years. He doesn’t assign blame, but lets it fall where it belongs by meticulous research and the accurate, unbiased depiction of the true causes and subsequent results of some of the most famous Indian conflicts.
Ancestry is the largest provider of genealogy data online. The billions of records they provide have advanced genealogy online beyond imagination just a decade ago. The following is but a small sample of what they provide for South Dakota genealogy at Ancestry. While some of these databases are free, many require a subscription. You can try a 14 day free trial and see if you can find any of your South Dakota genealogy at Ancestry! South Dakota Genealogy Databases – Subscription May be Required Ancestry Free Trial Statewide Genealogy A brief history of South Dakota Doane Robinson’s encyclopedia of South Dakota History … Read more
The following Indians Wounded in Action, are listed by Name, Tribe and Location of death. The name under the photograph is the person shown. No additional information was provided in the book. Oregon John Sampson, Cayuse-Umatilla, France Edson Chiloquin, Klamath-Modoc Roland Jackson, Klamath-Paiute LeRoy A. Moore, Klamath-Madoc Marvin J. Walker, Klamath John Jackson, Jr., Klamath South Dakota Theodore Taylor, Sioux (Flandreau), New Guinea Ralph Gullickson, Sioux (Flandreau) Aochen Warren Gullickson, Sioux (Flandreau), Leyte Woodrow Keeble, Sioux (Sisseton), North Africa Francis Adams, Sioux (Sisseton), Italy Joseph Gray, Sioux (Sisseton), Germany Leroy Heminger, Sioux (Sisseton), France Nathan Wilson, Sioux (Sisseton), Germany Floyd … Read more
The following Honored War Dead, are listed by Name, Tribe and Location of death. The name under the photograph is the person shown. No additional information was provided in the book. Guy L. Archambeau, Sioux (Yankton, USA Daniel L. Quickbear, Sioux (Rosebud), Africa Joseph Running Horse, Sioux (Rosebud), Peleliu Raymond Lodge Skin, Sioux (Rosebud), Germany Warren C. Bonnin, Sioux (Yankton), Guam Floyd Bear Saves Life, Sioux (Pine Ridge), France Philip G. Atkinson, Sioux (Rosebud), France Ruben E. Redfeather, Sioux (Rosebud), France Stanley C. Rogers, Sioux (Rosebud), Luzon Ole J. Johnson, Sioux (Sisseton), Germany James L. Janis, Sioux (Pine Ridge), Luxembourg … Read more
Funeral services for Joseph Earl Cahill, who died early Saturday morning at his home in Sturgis, will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the F. O. Jolley Funeral Home with Rev. Clayton Berry officiating. Burial will be in the Bear Butte Cemetery under the direction of the F. O. Jolley Funeral Home. Cahill was born on October 2, 1897, at Chicago, Ill., to Simon and Ida Cahill. At the age of 17 he came to a ranch on Flint Rock Creek north of Red Elm. On Oct. 30, 1926 he married Alice V. Boers at Dupree, and in 1943 … Read more