This South Dakota state page of our website provides direct links to major databases and historical titles found on South Dakota genealogy and history, whether they exist on our site, or across the web.
South Dakota Cemeteries
South Dakota Census Records
- South Dakota Census Records
- South Dakota 1910 Census Map
- South Dakota, State Census, 1905
Individual census cards arranged in alphabetical order. - South Dakota, State Census, 1915
Name index and images of census cards from the 1915 South Dakota State Census acquired from the South Dakota State Historical Society. - South Dakota, State Census, 1925
Name index and images of census cards from the 1925 South Dakota State Census acquired from the South Dakota State Historical Society. - South Dakota, State Census, 1935
Name index and images of census cards from the 1935 South Dakota State Census acquired from the South Dakota State Historical Society. - South Dakota, State Census, 1945
Name index and images of census cards from the 1945 South Dakota State Census acquired from the South Dakota State Historical Society.
South Dakota Court Records
- South Dakota, County Naturalization Records, 1865-1972
County Circuit and District court naturalization records from county courthouses in South Dakota. Coverage dates vary by county. The records were acquired from the South Dakota State Historical Society. - South Dakota, Minnehaha County, Probate Case Records, 1873-1935
Probate case records located at the South Dakota State Historical Society in Pierre. The files are arranged by box, folder and file numbers. - South Dakota, Pennington County Probate Case Files, 1880-1937
Images of probate case files from the South Dakota State Historical Society in Pierre. The collection is arranged by case number.
South Dakota Genealogy Websites
United States Genealogy
- South Dakota Genealogy
- Marshall County, South Dakota History and Genealogy
Website providing information and genealogical records for researchers of Mitchell County, South Dakota.
- Marshall County, South Dakota History and Genealogy
United States GenWeb Project
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, Marshall, McCook, McPherson, Meade, Mellette, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Pennington, Perkins, Potter, Roberts, Sanborn , Shannon, Spink, Stanley, Sully, Todd, Tripp, Turner, Union, Walworth, Yankton, Ziebach
American History and Genealogy Project
- SDGenWeb
Clark, Dewey, Kingsbury, Lake, Miner, Minnehaha, Pennington
South Dakota History
- Marshall County, North Dakota History
About the middle of the seventeenth century French explorers passed through what is now Dakota, and again in the beginning of the present century Lewis and Clark explored this region. In 1809 one of the Astor’s parties, conducted by Mr. Hunt on their way across the continent to the mouth of the Columbia River, ascended the Missouri River to the 46 degree parallel, where they procured horses from the Indians and traveled overland. - Life and Adventures of Calamity Jane (Martha Jane Cannary)
My maiden name was Marthy Cannary. I was born in Princeton, Missouri, May 1st, 1852. Father and mother were natives of Ohio. I had two brothers and three sisters, I being the oldest of the children. As a child I always had a fondness for adventure and out-door exercise and especial fondness for horses which I began to ride at an early age and continued to do so until I became an expert rider being able to ride the most vicious and stubborn of horses, in fact the greater portion of my life in early times was spent in this manner. - South Dakota, Grand Army of the Republic Membership Records, 1861-1941
Images of G.A.R post records from the Dakota and South Dakota Departments. The collection includes membership rosters, attendance registration books of various encampments (some include Women’s Relief Corps.), post descriptive books, member deaths, adjutant reports, muster rolls, lists of officers, applications to form a post, reunion rosters, etc. The descriptive books are arranged by post name and number. Most records include item number, name, post name and number. The descriptive books may list name, age, state of birth, residence in South Dakota, occupation, date-rank-company-regiment of service and final discharge, cause of discharge, when mustered into G.A.R., status, and date of death. The collection was acquired from the South Dakota State Historical Society in Pierre. - South Dakota, School Records, 1879-1970
School records, including teacher’s term reports, school census and attendance records located at the South Dakota State Historical Society in Pierre. Records are generally arranged by county, year and school district number. This collection is being published as images become available.
South Dakota Land Records
- U.S., Bureau of Land Management Tract Books, 1820-1908
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.
South Dakota Military Records
- Military Records
- Dakota Territory Forts
List of colonial forts, trading posts, named camps, redoubts, reservations, general hospitals, national cemeteries, etc., established or erected in the United States from its earliest settlement to 1902. - South Dakota Forts
List of colonial forts, trading posts, named camps, redoubts, reservations, general hospitals, national cemeteries, etc., established or erected in the United States from its earliest settlement to 1902.
- Revolutionary War
- 1840 Pensioners Census
The information contained in this 1840 Pensioners Census database is a compilation of the data on the Revolutionary War pensioners gathered from the 1840 census returns. The information is organized by place – state, county, then township. It also lists the name and age of the veteran, and the name of the head of household with whom the pensioner resided on the census date. - Revolutionary War Pension Records
- 1840 Pensioners Census
- Civil War Records
- Civil War Pensions Index Cards
Each card gives the soldier’s name, unit, the application number, the certificate number and the state from which the soldier served. In some cases, the soldier’s rank, terms of service, date of death and place of death are given. The index cards refer to pension applications of veterans who served in the U.S. Army between 1861 and 1917. The majority of the records pertain to Civil War veterans, but they also include veterans of the Spanish-American War, the Philippine Insurrection, Indian wars, and World War I.
- Civil War Pensions Index Cards
- World War I Records
- World War II Records
- Korean War Casualty List
- Vietnam War Casualty List
South Dakota Native American Tribes
- South Dakota Indian Tribes
- South Dakota Indian Reservations
- Blackfoot Indians and their Stories
- Marshall County, South Dakota Indian Reservations
- South Dakota Indian Honored War Dead
- Oregon and South Dakota Indians Wounded in Action
- Current Federally Recognized Indian Tribes by State
- List of Federally Non-Recognized Tribes
- State Recognized Tribes
South Dakotas Vital Records
- South Dakota Vital Records
- South Dakota Courthouse Addresses
- South Dakota Birth Records Database
This database contains information from birth records with birth dates of over 100 years of age as required by South Dakota Codified Law 34-25-8. At this time this database contains 244,652 records.- South Dakota, Department of Health, Birth and Marriage Indexes, 1843-2014
Index of birth and marriage indexes from 1843 to 2014 provided by the South Dakota Department of Health.
- South Dakota, Department of Health, Birth and Marriage Indexes, 1843-2014
What’s New in South Dakota Genealogy?
Treaty of March 8, 1865
Articles of treaty made and concluded at Washington, D. C., between the United States of America, by their commissioners, Wm. P. Dole, C. W. Thompson, and St. A. D. Balcombe, and the Winnebago tribe of Indians, by their chiefs, Little Hill, Little Decoria, Whirling Thunder, Young Prophet, Good Thunder, and White Breast, on the 8th day of March, 1865. Article I.The Winnebago tribe of Indians hereby cede, sell, and convey to the United States all their right, title, and interest in and to their present reservation in the Territory of Dakota, at Usher’s Landing, on the Missouri River, the metes…
Treaty of March 10, 1865
Supplementary treaty between the United States of America and the Ponca tribe of Indians, made at the city of Washington on the tenth day of March, A. D. 1865, between William P. Dole, commissioner on the part of the United States, and Wah-gah-sap-pi, or Iron Whip; Gist-tah-wah-gu, or Strong Walker; Wash-com-mo-ni, or Mitchell P. Cerre; Ash-nan-e-kah-gah-he, or Lone Chief; Tah-ton-ga-nuz-zhe, or Standing Buffalo; on the part of the Ponca tribe of Indians, they being duly authorized and empowered by the said tribe, as follows, viz: Article 1.The Ponca tribe of Indians hereby cede and relinquish to the United States all…
Treaty of April 29, 1868
Treaty of June 19, 1858 – Mdwekakanton
Articles of agreement and convention made and concluded at the city of Washington, on the nineteenth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, by Charles E. Mix, commissioner on the part of the United States, and the following-named chiefs and headmen of the Mendawakanton and Wahpakoota bands of the Dakota or Sioux tribe of Indians, viz, Wabashaw, Chetanakooamonee, Washuhiyahidan, Shakopee, Wamindeetonkee, Muzzaojanjan, and Makawto, chiefs, and Hinhanduta, Ha-raka-Muzza, Wakanojanjan, Tachunr-pee-muz-za, Wakinyantowa, Chunrpiyuha, Onkeeterhidan, and Wamouisa, braves, on the part of the Mendawakantons, and Hushawshaw, chief, and Pa-Pa and Tataebomdu, braves, on the part of the Wahpakootas, they being…
Treaty of June 19, 1858 – Sisseton
Articles of agreement and convention made and concluded at the city of Washington on the nineteenth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, by Charles E. Mix, commissioner on the part of the United States, and the following-named chiefs and head-men of the Sisseeton and Wahpaton bands of the Dakota or Sioux tribe of Indians, viz: Maz-zah-shaw, Wamdupidutah, Ojupi, and Hahutanai, on the part of the Sisseetons, and Maz-zomanee, Muz-zakoote-manee, Upiyahideyaw, Umpedutokechaw, and Tachandupahotanka, on the part of the Wahpatons, they being duly authorized and empowered to act for said bands. Article 1. It is hereby agreed and…
Treaty of April 19, 1858
Articles of agreement and convention made and concluded at the city of Washington, this nineteenth day of April, A. D. one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, by Charles E. Mix, commissioner on the part of the United States, and the following-named chiefs and delegates of the Yancton tribe of Sioux or Dacotah Indians, viz: Pa-la-ne-a-pa-pe, the man that was struck by the Ree. Ma-to-sa-be-che-a, the smutty bear. Charles F. Picotte, Eta-ke-cha. Ta-ton-ka-wete-co, the crazy bull. Pse-cha-wa-kea, the jumping thunder. Ma-ra-ha-ton, the iron horn. Mombe-kah-pah, one that knocks down two. Ta-ton-ka-e-yah-ka, the fast bull. A-ha-ka-ma-ne, the walking elk. A-ha-ka-na-zhe, the standing…
Treaty of July 23, 1851
Articles of a treaty made and concluded at Traverse des Sioux, upon the Minnesota River, in the Territory of Minnesota, on the twenty-third day of July, eighteen hundred and fifty-one, between the United States of America, by Luke Lea, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and Alexander Ramsey, governor and ex-officio superintendent of Indian affairs in said Territory, commissioners duly appointed for that purpose, and See-see-toan and Wah-pay-toan bands of Dakota or Sioux Indians. Article 1. It is stipulated and solemnly agreed that the peace and friendship now so happily existing between the United States and the aforesaid bands of Indians, shall…
Treaty of March 12, 1858
Articles of agreement and convention made and concluded at the city of Washington, on the twelfth day of March, one thousand eight hundred and fifty-eight, by Charles E. Mix, commissioner on the part of the United States, and Wa-gah-sah-pi, or Whip; Gish-tah-wah-gu, or Strong Walker; Mitchell P. Cera, or Wash-kom-moni; A-shno-ni-kah-gah-hi, or Lone Chief; Shu-kah-bi, or Heavy Clouds; Tah-tungah-nushi, or Standing Buffalo, on the part of the Ponca tribe of Indians; they being thereto duly authorized and empowered by said tribe. Article 1. The Ponca tribe of Indians hereby cede and relinquish to the United States all the lands now…
Treaty of September 24, 1857
Articles of agreement and convention made this twenty-fourth day of September, A. D. 1857, at Table Creek, Nebraska Territory, between James W. Denver, commissioner on behalf of the United States, and the chiefs and head-men of the four confederate bands of Pawnee Indians, viz: Grand Pawnees, Pawnee Loups, Pawnee Republicans, and Pawnee Tappahs, and generally known as the Pawnee tribe. Article 1. The confederate bands of the Pawnees aforesaid, hereby cede and relinquish to the United States all their right, title, and interest in and to all the lands now owned or claimed by them, except as hereinafter reserved, and…
Treaty of August 5, 1851
Articles of a treaty made and concluded at Mendota, in the Territory of Minnesota, on the fifth day of August, eighteen hundred and fifty-one, between the United States of America, by Luke Lea, Commissioner of Indian Affairs, and Alexander Ramsey, governor and ex-officio superintendent of Indian affairs in said Territory, commissioners duly appointed for that purpose, and the Med-ay-wa-kan-toan and Wah-pay-koo-tay bands of Dakota and Sioux Indians. Article 1. The peace and friendship existing between the United States and the Med-ay-wa-kan-toan and Wah-pay-koo-tay bands of Dakota or Sioux Indians shall be perpetual. Article 2. The said Med-ay-wa-kan-toan and Wah-pay-koo-tay bands…
