“YOU ARE ENTERING Roberts and Grant 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.”

Grant County

“Named for U.S. Grant, was part of Deuel from 1862 until created in 1873, then extending North to Sisseton Reservation line near Brown’s Valley and down that line to intersect its south boundary extended near Lake Kampeska. It lost its SW corner to Codington in 1879 and its northern part to Roberts in 1883. The first settlers were Moses Mireau and Solomon Robar, near present Big Stone. In 1865 they were joined by Louis Shoreau and Oliver Martell in 1871 and in 1874 Levi Card at Yellowbank and John Blake & Ludwig Reischka settled in Whetstone Valley and James G. Lamoreau near present Marvin in 1877. In 1873, Mireau, Shoreau & Martell were appointed commissioners but failed to act and Feb. 8, 1878 Judge Shannon made William R. Movious, who had been postmaster at Inkpa City, (Big Stone) since June 17, 1878. In elections in 1881, Milbank was only 13 votes shy of two-thirds but soon got part of records by force and failed to get balance by stealth and it was Feb. 21, 1883 before the Court made Milbank county seat. Granville, Geo. W. Bartlett, Postmaster, December 4, 1879, became Milbank, August 19, 1880, when railroad reached there. Other towns are Twin Brooks 1879, Troy 1880, Marvin, Revillo, Stockholm, 1884: Strandburg 1888, Albee 1889, LaBolit 1899. Some splendid vistas are to be seen from high western Coteaus.

Roberts and Grant Counties