“Kingsbury / Lake County”

KINGSBURY COUNTY

A region of buffaloes and Indians until 1870s. Indian mounds are found at Spirit Lake. In 1838 the Nicollett-Fremont party skirted the NE corner. In 1857 Inkapaduta’s renegade Indians passed through with two white women captives, victims of the Spirit Lake massacre in Iowa. In a skirmish several of the renegades were killed by Agency Indians near Lake Thompson. In 1857 Nobles Trail was built west passing south of this lake.

The Yankton Sioux ceded the region to the government in 1859. It was part of huge Buffalo County, 1864, and of larger Hanson County in 1870. On Jan. 8, 1873 it became Kingsbury County, named for George W. Kingbury (1837-1925) of Yankton, legislator, editor and historian. Surveyed in 1873-75, general settlement began in 1878. The railroad came in 1879-80. The county was organized Feb. 18, 1880 by H.W. Palmer, H.J. Burvee, and Benjamin Loken.

De Smet, the county seat, was named for Father Peter John De Smet (1801-1873), Jesuit missionary. The county in 1880 had 1,102 people, by 1890 – 8,562. Its area is 36 by 24 miles, or 552,960 acres. Lakes include Thompson, Henry, Spirit, Preston, Whitewood, Albert and others. Excellent waterfowl and pheasant hunting, and fishing are found here. Pioneer days have been depicted by three former residents of the county in Rose Wilder Lane’s novels, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s children’s stories, and Harvey Dunn’s paintings.

LAKE COUNTY

So named because of its beautiful lakes. It had been the realm of the Dacotah (Sioux) Indians with few white intruders until ceded by the Yankton tribe in 1858. In 1857 the Nobles Trail was built across its NE corner and that year Mrs. Wm. Marble, a captive of Inkepaduta’s renegade Indian band was rescued at Lake Herman by two Christian Indians.

It was created in 1873 for parts of Brookings, Minnehaha and Hanson Counties and organized October 6th with Herman N. Luce and John T. Hare as commissioners. Settlement began in 1870 when Wm. Lee, John Walker and Herman N. Luce arrived and built the Lee log cabin, its first edifice. Shortly, Madison, named for Madison, Wis. And Herman, named for Luce grew up on the shores of Lakes Madison and Herman, respectively. By 1880 its population was 2,657 and the coming of the railroad that year shifted the county seat from ‘Old Madison’ to Madison laid out by C.B. Kennedy July 6th 1880.

The first train arrived January 12, 1881. The Swiss Colony at Badus was founded in 1878. Wentworth in 1880. Winifred 1882, Ramona 1887. Madison State Normal was established in 1881 with classes starting in 1883. Its present name, General Beadle State College, honors it’s President W.H.H. Beadle (1889-1906) who was known as the ‘Savior of School Lands.' From 1890 to 1932 Lake Madison Chautauqua brought culture and entertainment to thousands from a wide area.

Lake County, 24 miles square, rich in soil and scenery, welcomes you.

Kingsbury/Lake County, 3.5 miles west of Coleman on Highway 34 (1988)