| Sorted by South Dakota census & voter lists | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| South Dakota, U.S., State Census, 1925 | 705,319 |
| South Dakota, U.S., State Census, 1935 | 673,322 |
| South Dakota, U.S., State Census, 1915 | 613,769 |
| South Dakota, U.S., State Census, 1945 | 570,085 |
| South Dakota, U.S., State Census, 1905 | 472,575 |
| View all South Dakota census & voter lists (8) |
| Sorted by South Dakota birth, marriage & death | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Presbyterian Church Records, 1701-1970 | 4,566,787 |
| U.S., Dutch Reformed Church Records in Selected States, 1639-1989 | 1,868,002 |
| South Dakota, U.S., Marriages, 1905-2018 | 1,426,672 |
| South Dakota, U.S., Birth Index, 1856-1918 | 982,416 |
| U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995 | 465,389 |
| View all South Dakota birth, marriage & death (10) |
| Sorted by South Dakota military | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942 | 14,501,913 |
| U.S., Union Soldiers Compiled Service Records, 1861-1865 | 837,569 |
| A famous battery and its campaigns, 1861-'64 | 249 |
| View other military collections related to South Dakota (191) |
| Sorted by South Dakota immigration & emigration | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| South Dakota, U.S., Federal Naturalization Records, 1904-1928 | 4,122 |
| Sioux Falls, South Dakota, U.S., Departing Passenger Lists of Airplanes, 1958-1961 | 149 |
| View other immigration & emigration collections related to South Dakota (35) |
| Sorted by South Dakota newspapers & periodicals | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| South Dakota, U.S., Newspapers.com™ Stories and Events Index, 1800's-current | 108,081,201 |
| View other newspapers & periodicals collections related to South Dakota (26) |
| Sorted by South Dakota pictures | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| There are no pictures collections unique to South Dakota | |
| View other pictures collections related to South Dakota (15) |
| Sorted by South Dakota directories & member lists | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| U.S., Chicago and North Western Railroad Employment Records, 1935-1970Free | 1,095,637 |
| U.S., Selected States Dutch Reformed Church Membership Records, 1701-1995 | 465,389 |
| U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Membership Records, 1856-1970 | 210,143 |
| South Dakota, U.S., School Records, 1879-1970 | 200,731 |
| U.S., Dutch Christian Reformed Church Vital Records, 1856-1970 | 52,945 |
| View all South Dakota directories & member lists (6) |
| Sorted by South Dakota court, land, wills & financial | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| North Dakota and South Dakota, U.S., Wills and Probate Records, 1878-1928 | 10,082 |
| View other court, land, wills & financial collections related to South Dakota (67) |
| Sorted by South Dakota dictionaries, encyclopedias & reference | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| Doane Robinson's encyclopedia of South Dakota | 1,003 |
| View other dictionaries, encyclopedias & reference collections related to South Dakota (85) |
| Sorted by South Dakota maps, atlases & gazetteers | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| There are no maps, atlases & gazetteers collections unique to South Dakota | |
| View other maps, atlases & gazetteers collections related to South Dakota (7) |
| Sorted by South Dakota stories, memories & histories | Sort by Count |
|---|---|
| History of Dakota Territory | 5,248 |
| History of the Minnesota Valley, including the Explorers and pioneers of Minnesota | 1,021 |
| Doane Robinson's encyclopedia of South Dakota | 1,003 |
| History of the great Northwest and its men of progress | 592 |
| Northwest History and Men of Progress | 592 |
| View all South Dakota stories, memories & histories (20) |
A genealogical history
Statehood: 02 November 1889
Capital: Pierre
Largest City: Sioux Falls
Counties: 66
State motto: Under God, The People Rule
State nickname: Mount Rushmore State
Neighboring states: North Dakota, Nebraska
Oglala Sioux mother and child at the Pine Ridge Agency, South Dakota, c. 1910
Interesting facts
- In the 1850s settlements were established in Medary near Brookings, present-day Sioux Falls, and in southeastern areas of what is now South Dakota. Dakota Territory was established in March of 1861.
- The expansion of railroads into Dakota Territory and the Homestead Act of 1862 brought waves of settlers into the area and in 1874 gold was discovered in the Black Hills, fueling the influx of immigrants further.
- Dakota Territory had a relatively short residency requirement and were more liberal in grounds for divorce which made cities like Sioux Falls and Fargo attractive to Easterners looking for a way out of their marriage.
Featured South Dakota collections
Famous people
Help and advice
Resources
South Dakota Census Research
Federal censuses for South Dakota begin in 1860. Although the Dakotas fell under Minnesota Territory in 1850, the only whites enumerated in the 1850 federal census actually lived in that Minnesota Territory’s Pembina County which is today located in North Dakota.
Many early censuses of the state's Indian Reservations have been microfilmed and are available at the FHL and the South Dakota Historical Society, where they are available on interlibrary loan.
Numerous state-generated censuses for the Dakota Territory and the state of South Dakota were compiled and are available for research at the South Dakota Historical Society. The Dakota Territorial census of 1885 census and the 1895 state censuses are available on Ancestry. See the “About” section of the collection pages for a list of counties included in each census.
State censuses taken in 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935, and 1945 are located at the South Dakota Historical Society and State Archives, but are not available on microfilm. Card file indexes exist for the 1905–45 censuses. The 1905 is an especially valuable census for the genealogist as a land description is given, as well as the length of time the individual was in South Dakota.
South Dakota Vital records
- South Dakota Department of Health – Vital Records: Holds records of births, marriages, divorces, and deaths since July 1905. A searchable birth record index for records older than 100 years is available on the website. See the Genealogy Resources page for useful ordering information.
South Dakota Research Resources
The organizations listed below provide information about South Dakota history and genealogy. In addition to these state-level resources, many counties and towns maintain important genealogical collections in local libraries, genealogical societies, or historical societies, so check for a local resource when researching.
Statewide Research Resources
- South Dakota Historical Society and State Archives: See the Archives’ Genealogy page for links to searchable indexes, including naturalizations, cemetery records, biographical files, Native American research resources, and an 1885 Civil War Veteran’s census.
- South Dakota Genealogical Society
- South Dakota GenWeb
- South Dakota State Library
- Digital Library of South Dakota
- The National Archives at Denver: This facility maintains records from Federal agencies and courts in North Dakota, including census, military, court, naturalization, and immigration records.
- Bureau of Land Management (BLM) General Land Office Records: The BLM administers Federal Land for public land states including South Dakota, and maintains records of land patents which granted land from the Federal Government to individuals. Use the Land Patent Search to locate land grants by name. Many record images are available on the web site. See the FAQ for more information on how to locate and use land patents.