“YOU ARE NOW ENTERING Brookings and Kingsbury Counties”

Home of roving Indians until 1862. The exploring party of Nicollet, scientist, and Fremont, ‘Pathfinder of the West,' visited Oakwood Lakes July 1838, leaving the first reliable record. The region East of the Big Sioux was ceded by the Santee Sioux in 1851 that to the west by the

Yankton Sioux in 1858. A breastwork was made at Oakwood Lakes in 1859 and occupied again in 1862-63. In 1857 Nobles Wagon Road was built through the county, crossing the Big Sioux over an improved ford. A settlement, Medary, existed there 1857-58 when the Sioux forced its abandonment. Permanent settlement was begun nearby in 1869 by 10 Norwegians with Medary the county seat 1871-79. Another such colony of 31 settled at Lake Hendricks in July 1873.

Population increased rapidly after 1877, numbering 4,965 in 1880, and 10,132 in 1890. Brookings County was created in 1862 and named for Wilmont W. Brookings (1830-1905), prominent pioneer judge and legislator. Until 1873 it included parts of Moody, Lake and Kingsbury Counties. It was organized on July 3rd, 1871 in Martin N. Trygstand’s cabin, 4 miles NW of Medary.

Most towns began in 1879 when the Northwestern R.R. crossed the county, and others when roads pushed North in 1884. Medary, Oakwood and Fountain became ghost towns and Brookings the county seat. In 1881 State College was established in Brookings, opening its doors in 1884.”

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.

Brookings/Kingsbury County, east end of Arlington at park on Hwy 14 (1988)