McPherson County is a
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 2,411.
Its
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
is
Leola.
History
The county was created in 1873 and organized in 1884. It is named for
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
General
A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of highest military ranks, high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air forces, space forces, and marines or naval infantry.
In some usages the term "general officer" refers t ...
James B. McPherson
James Birdseye McPherson (November 14, 1828 – July 22, 1864) was a career United States Army officer who served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. McPherson was on the General's staff of Henry Halleck and late ...
.
Geography
McPherson County lies on the north line of South Dakota. The north boundary line of McPherson County abuts the south boundary line of the state of
North Dakota
North Dakota () is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the Native Americans in the United States, indigenous Dakota people, Dakota Sioux. North Dakota is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north a ...
. Its terrain consists of rolling hills, largely devoted to agriculture, and dotted with small lakes and ponds.
[''McPherson County SD'' Google Maps (accessed 6 February 2019)]
/ref> The terrain generally slopes to the south and east. The county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.3%) is water.
The Samuel H. Ordway Jr., Memorial Prairie, a grassland owned by The Nature Conservancy
The Nature Conservancy (TNC) is a global environmental organization headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. it works via affiliates or branches in 79 countries and territories, as well as across every state in the US.
Founded in 1951, The Natu ...
on the south side of South Dakota Highway 10 about 10 miles (16 km) west of Leola, is home to a bison
Bison are large bovines in the genus ''Bison'' (Greek: "wild ox" (bison)) within the tribe Bovini. Two extant and numerous extinct species are recognised.
Of the two surviving species, the American bison, ''B. bison'', found only in North Ame ...
herd.
Major highways
* South Dakota Highway 10
* South Dakota Highway 45
South Dakota Highway 45 is a state highway that runs north to south across much of central South Dakota, United States. The northern terminus is at the North Dakota border as a continuation of North Dakota Highway 3, and runs south to South D ...
* South Dakota Highway 47
South Dakota Highway 47 (SD 47) is a state route that runs north to south across the central portion of South Dakota. It begins at an unnumbered highway at the North Dakota border north of Eureka, and ends at the Nebraska border, where it becomes ...
* South Dakota Highway 247
* South Dakota Highway 239
South Dakota Highway 239 (SD 239) is a State highway (US), state highway located entirely within McPherson County, South Dakota. Its southern terminus is at an Intersection (road), intersection with South Dakota Highway 10, SD 10/ ...
Adjacent counties
* McIntosh County, North Dakota
McIntosh County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,530. Its county seat is Ashley. The county is notable for being the county with the highest percentage of German-Americans in the United ...
- north
* Dickey County, North Dakota
Dickey County is a county in the U.S. state of North Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 4,999. Its county seat is Ellendale.
History
The Dakota Territory legislature created Dickey County on March 5, 1881, with territories ann ...
- northeast
* Brown County - east
* Edmunds County - south
* Walworth County - southwest
* Campbell County - west
Protected areas
* Elm Lake State Game Production Area
* Moscow State Game Production Area
* Morlock State Game Production Area
* North Jackson State Game Production Area
* Odessa State Game Production Area
* Pfeiffle-Neuharth State Game Production Area
* Rath State Game Production Area
* Rosenthal State Game Production Area
* Schock State Game Production Area
* Schumacher State Game Production Area
* Simpson State Game Production Area
* School State Game Production Area
* South Jackson State Game Production Area
* Stout State Game Production Area
* Wageman State Game Production Area
* Wolff State Game Production Area
Lakes
* Crompton Lake
* Elm Lake (partial)
* Eureka Lake
* Feinstein Lake
* Hausauer Lake
* Heufel Lake
* Klooz Lake
* Long Lake
Demographics
2000 census
As of the 2000 United States Census
The United States census of 2000, conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2 percent over the 248,709,873 people enumerated during the 1990 ce ...
, there were 2,904 people, 1,227 households, and 822 families in the county. The population density
Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...
was 3 people per square mile (1/km2). There were 1,465 housing units at an average density of 1.3 per square mile (0.5/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 99.35% White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...
, 0.28% Native American, 0.14% Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.03% from other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.21% from two or more races. 0.21% of the population were Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...
or Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 1,227 households, out of which 23.60% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.10% were married couples
Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together, 2.70% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.00% were non-families. 31.10% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.20% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31 and the average family size was 2.91.
The county population contained 22.20% under the age of 18, 4.50% from 18 to 24, 20.10% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 29.60% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48 years. For every 100 females there were 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.40 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $22,380, and the median income for a family was $29,811. Males had a median income of $23,705 versus $17,850 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population.
Per capita i ...
for the county was $12,748. About 17.00% of families and 22.60% of the population were below the poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 25.80% of those under age 18 and 22.20% of those age 65 or over.
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, there were 2,459 people, 1,025 households, and 632 families in the county. The population density was . There were 1,418 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 98.2% white, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.2% from other races, and 1.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 1.0% of the population.[ In terms of ancestry, 74.5% were ]German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
, 17.7% were Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
, 7.3% were Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
* Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
* Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including ...
, 6.7% were English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, and 2.5% were American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
.
Of the 1,025 households, 19.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.1% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 38.3% were non-families, and 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.66. The median age was 50.8 years.[
The median income for a household in the county was $31,923 and the median income for a family was $47,500. Males had a median income of $31,953 versus $27,941 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,255. About 12.5% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the ]poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...
, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 27.1% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
* Eureka
Eureka (often abbreviated as E!, or Σ!) is an intergovernmental organisation for research and development funding and coordination. Eureka is an open platform for international cooperation in innovation. Organisations and companies applying th ...
* Leola (county seat)
Towns
* Hillsview
* Long Lake
* Wetonka
Census-designated places
* Grassland Colony
* Long Lake Colony
* Spring Creek Colony
Unincorporated communities
* Greenway
* Long Lake Colony
* Madra (partial)
Townships
* Carl Carl may refer to:
*Carl, Georgia, city in USA
*Carl, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
* Carl (name), includes info about the name, variations of the name, and a list of people with the name
*Carl², a TV series
* "Carl", an episode of te ...
* Hoffman
Hoffman is a surname of German and Jewish origin. The original meaning in medieval times was "steward", i.e. one who manages the property of another. In English and other European languages, including Yiddish and Dutch, the name can also be spelle ...
* Wachter
* Wacker
* Weber
Politics
Except during the 1924, 1928 and 1932 elections when anti-Prohibition sentiment by the county's German Lutheran populace turned the county against Calvin Coolidge
Calvin Coolidge (born John Calvin Coolidge Jr.; ; July 4, 1872January 5, 1933) was the 30th president of the United States from 1923 to 1929. Born in Vermont, Coolidge was a History of the Republican Party (United States), Republican lawyer ...
and Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was an American politician who served as the 31st president of the United States from 1929 to 1933 and a member of the Republican Party, holding office during the onset of the Gr ...
, McPherson County has been among the most overwhelmingly Republican in the country. Apart from these anomalous elections, the free silver
Free silver was a major economic policy issue in the United States in the late 19th-century. Its advocates were in favor of an expansionary monetary policy featuring the unlimited coinage of silver into money on-demand, as opposed to strict adhe ...
-influenced 1896 election, and the 1936 Democratic landslide in the aftermath of Prohibition, the best performance by any Democrat has been Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
’s 32 percent in 2008. In 1968 and 1980 McPherson was among the five most Republican counties in the country, and in 1964 it was rivalled only by neighbouring Campbell County and the famous Republican bastions of Hooker County, Nebraska
Hooker County is a county in the U.S. state of Nebraska. As of the 2010 United States Census, the population was 736. Its county seat is Mullen, which (as of 2019) is the county's only community of substantial size.
In the Nebraska license pla ...
and Jackson County, Kentucky
Jackson County is located in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. As of the 2021 census estimation, the population was 12,984. Its county seat is McKee. The county was formed in 1858 from land given by Madison, Estill, Owsley, Clay, Laurel, and Rockc ...
as Barry Goldwater
Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and United States Air Force officer who was a five-term U.S. Senator from Arizona (1953–1965, 1969–1987) and the Republican Party nominee for presiden ...
’s best county outside the former Confederacy.
See also
* National Register of Historic Places listings in McPherson County, South Dakota
References
{{Coord, 45.77, -99.22, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-SD_source:UScensus1990
1884 establishments in Dakota Territory
Populated places established in 1884