“You Are Now Entering South Dakota”
(Note: any text in italics has been taken from the official SDSHS records.)
Marker Text
created with its twin north dakota, 2 november 1889. its 77,047 square miles ranks 15th in size. those square miles include: exceptional corn land in the SE, grass land in the W, wheat land in the N and PRODUCTIVE land all over. Its lowest point, BIG STONE, is 979 feet above sea level; its highest, HARNEY PEAK, at 7,247 feet is the highest point in the U.S.A. east of the Rockies. The BLACK HILLS ‘THE AMERICAN ALPS’ are scenically unsurpassed and are the richest ‘100 SQUARE MILES’ minerally in the world. MT. RUSHMORE, ‘THE SHRINE OF DEMOCRACY’ is visited by hundreds of thousands annually. Its BADLANDS are weirdly beautiful and undeniable bad.
ANNUALLY it ranks in the first ten states in the production of wheat, corn, oats, barley, rye, grass, and cattle. Its HOMESTAKE MINE is the greatest gold producer in the western hemisphere.
SOUTH DAKOTA is ‘ECONOMICALLY, PHYSICALLY, RECREATIONALLY’ a State of
‘INFINITE VARIETY.' Its economy is well balanced.
FIRST visited by white men, VERENDRYE, in 1743, for a century it was a fur traders paradise with a most romantic history.
ITS highways are well marked: roadside PARKS frequent, historic markers, such as this, are to be found therein and adjacent to historic sites.
Our MOTTO ‘UNDER GOD THE PEOPLE RULE’ is symbolic of life in South Dakota. Welcome to our State.
Location
Brookings County, US 14 Minnesota and South Dakota State Line #2 US 12 at state line