Pierre, South Dakota
Pierre, South Dakota is the capital city of the U.S. state of South Dakota , a status it has held ever since that state achieved statehood in 1889. It is located on the east bank of the Missouri River just below the Oahe Dam, very close to the geometric center of the state. With a population of only 14,091 (official U.S. census figure for the year 2020) it is the second smallest state capital (next to Montpelier, Vermont) in the United States.
The site of the present city of Pierre, in the 18th century, was occupied by Arikara Indians. The city itself was founded in 1880, its site being the western terminus of the Chicago and North Western Railroad. Soon thereafter, it was named for Pierre Chouteau. an early fur trader. When South Dakota was admitted to the union in 1889, Pierre was chosen as its capital.
Economically, the city and surrounding area have been and are the site of mining, farming and cattle ranching, as well as a trade and tourism center. It is also home to the South Dakota State Historical Society and Museum.
Bibliography
- Casler, Michael M. and W. Raymond Wood (eds), Fort Tecumseh and Fort Pierre Chouteau
- Damgaard, Marshall, The South Dakota State Capital: the First Century