CORSON COUNTY, SD HISTORY AND LOOKUP

County History Books

*None Listed

Corson County, South Dakota: A Genealogical Overview

Located on the vast, rolling prairies of north-central South Dakota, Corson County’s geography, history, and culture are defined by one essential fact: it lies entirely within the boundaries of the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. This unique position creates a dual narrative for the county—one rooted in the ancient traditions of the Lakota people, and another beginning with the land rushes of the early 20th century that brought homesteaders from across the nation and Europe. Genealogical research in Corson County requires navigating these two distinct historical paths, utilizing both tribal and federal records for its Lakota heritage and traditional county records for its pioneer families.

I. County Formation and Evolution

Corson County was one of the last counties to be organized in South Dakota, created specifically to provide civil government for the non-tribal homesteaders who settled on newly opened reservation lands.

  • 1909: County Formed: Corson County was officially created on March 2, 1909.
  • Parent County: It was formed from the northern part of Walworth County and the formerly unorganized lands of Boreman and Schnasse counties, which existed within the Standing Rock and Cheyenne River Indian Reservations.
  • Subsequent Formations: The county’s boundaries have remained consistent since its creation.
  • Name Origin: The county was named for Dighton Corson, a Civil War veteran and a presiding judge of the South Dakota Supreme Court.
  • County Seat History: The town of McIntosh was designated as the temporary county seat upon the county’s organization in 1909. It won the permanent designation in an election and has remained the county seat ever since.

II. Settlement and Early History

  • Early Inhabitants: The land is the ancestral and present-day home of the Lakota Sioux, specifically the Hunkpapa (Sitting Bull’s band) and Sihasapa (Blackfoot Lakota) bands. The history of the county before 1909 is the history of the Lakota people and the Standing Rock Reservation.
  • The Reservation Era: The Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868 established the Great Sioux Reservation. A subsequent act in 1889 broke this vast territory into smaller reservations, including the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, which was established for the Lakota people. The tribal agency headquarters is located just across the state line in Fort Yates, North Dakota.
  • Key Historical Events:
    • Opening of “Surplus” Lands: In the early 1900s, the federal government declared portions of the Standing Rock Reservation not allotted to tribal members to be “surplus” and opened them to non-Indian settlement.
    • The Land Rush of 1908: The opening of the land prompted a classic American land rush, as thousands of prospective homesteaders arrived to claim quarter-section plots. This influx of settlers, many of whom were of German-Russian and Scandinavian descent, led directly to the county’s formal organization the following year.
    • Railroad Expansion: The Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad built a branch line through the county, establishing the towns of McIntosh and McLaughlin and providing a vital link for homesteaders to ship their agricultural products to market.

III. Genealogical Records and Resources

Crucially, genealogical research in Corson County must follow two separate paths depending on the ancestry being traced.

For Non-Native (Homesteader) Ancestry:

  • County Courthouse: The Corson County Courthouse in McIntosh, SD 57641, is the primary repository.
    • Register of Deeds: Holds land records (deeds, mortgages) from 1909, marriage records, and some school census records.
    • Clerk of Courts: Maintains court, divorce, probate, and some naturalization records.
  • Vital Records: Statewide registration for births, deaths, and marriages in South Dakota began in July 1905. Records can be obtained from the South Dakota Department of Health. The county Register of Deeds also holds local copies.
  • Federal Land Records: The initial homestead files and land patents are federal documents. They can be researched through the Bureau of Land Management’s General Land Office (GLO) Records website.

For Native American (Lakota) Ancestry:

  • County records are of minimal use for tribal research. The key records are federal and tribal.
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA): The BIA is the most critical source. The Standing Rock Agency, located in Fort Yates, North Dakota, created and maintained the historical records.
    • Key BIA Records: Indian Census Rolls (1885-1940), land allotment records, and heirship records (probates for trust land).
  • National Archives: The original, historical BIA records for the Standing Rock Agency are held at the National Archives at Kansas City. This is the primary repository for in-depth research.
  • Tribal Resources: The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, headquartered in Fort Yates, ND, maintains current tribal enrollment records and may have resources through its Tribal Historic Preservation Office.

General Resources:

  • South Dakota State Historical Society & State Archives: Located in Pierre, this is the main state-level repository for newspapers on microfilm, state census records, and other historical documents.
  • Bordering Jurisdictions:
    • Walworth County, SD (east)
    • Campbell County, SD (east)
    • Dewey County, SD (south)
    • Ziebach County, SD (south)
    • Perkins County, SD (west)
    • Sioux County, North Dakota (north)
    • Adams County, North Dakota (north)

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