“YOU ARE ENTERING Roberts and Day Counties”

You Are Entering ROBERTS COUNTY SOUTH DAKOTA

Long the home of Sisseton, Wahpeton & Cuthead Yanktonaise Sioux, it became part of Deuel & Cheyenne Counties in 1862; Deuel extending N to 46th parallel (4 miles N) in 1872. The Reservation extending S to Lake Kampeska in a giant flatiron was established in 1867. Grant County included the part SE of the Reservation from 1873 to 1883, when Roberts County, named for S.G. Roberts, Territorial Councilman of Fargo, was created. Org. Aug. 6, 1883 by Frederick Dittes, Charles Crissey, Indian Agent and Reuben R. Hall, at Dittes’ Residence, Travare 2 miles SW of Browns Valley was named county seat. In 1884 Wilmot won the election but, losing two court actions, stole the records and it was named by 1885 legislature as county seat. It in turn lost an election in 1898 to Sisseton who, fearing court action, in turn stole the records again to win approval in the 1900 election. White settlement on the Reservation came in 1892 and the railroad to Sisseton in 1893. Post offices were: Sisseton Agency, 1872; Wilmot, 1881; White Rock, 1885; Corona, 1886; Summit, Sisseton and Effington in 1892. Rosholt, Victor, Hammer, Claire City, 1914, when the Soo Line entered the county. With great historical background (see giant map of Sisseton) many lakes, wonderful vistas from its high coteau, a picturesque and fruitful countryside, Roberts County welcomes you.”

You Are Entering Day County

Created west of the Sisseton Reservation Line, surveyed in 1869; from Greeley (South) and Stone (North) so named in 1873; by the Legislature of 1879; it was named for Merritt H. Day of Turner County, a member. Before that, its area had been in a Gigantic Hanson County (1870). Its first white resident was Francis Rondelle, a trader, in the area as early as 1868 and who was located by Horace J. Austin, surveyor, living 2 miles west of present Waubay in October, 1877. Earl P. Owen settled near Minnewaste Lake in April 1877 and was Postmaster at Waubay, at the east end of Waubay Lake on November 3rd, 1879.

In 1880, the Milwaukee, pushing in from the east, had its first train into Webster City, on J.P. Webster’s homestead, on October 27th. The Reporter & Farmer started in September, 1881 and

on January 2nd, 1882, Charles Warner, Lansing Sykes and George Bryant, as County Commissioners, organized by Day County and named Webster county seat.

The present area of the Reservation Line was added in 1883 and its southern tier of townships taken from Clark and became part of Day in 1885.

Located in the main, on the High Coteau, its Lakes Pickerel, long and deep, Enemy Swim, Blue Dog, Waubay, and 13 lesser but sizeable lakes abound in fish and waterfowl; and its richly grassed uplands supply cover for other game birds, make the county a Sportsman’s paradise.”

Roberts and Day County, on Hwy 12 at county borders