Lake Andes is a city in, and the county seat of,

Charles Mix County, South Dakota Charles Mix County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 9,373. Its county seat is Lake Andes. The county was created in 1862 and organized in 1879. It was named for Charles Eli Mix, an off ...

, United States. The population was 710 at the 2020 census. The town took its name from Lake Andes which some say derives its name from a pioneer hunter named Handy, while others believe was named after Edward Andes, a fur company official. The town and the lake are referred to as ''Bde Ihaƞke'' in

Dakota language The Dakota language ( or ), also referred to as Dakhóta, is a Siouan language spoken by the Dakota people of the Očhéthi Šakówiŋ, commonly known in English as the Sioux. Dakota is closely related to and mutually intelligible with the Lak ...

of the native

Yankton Sioux Tribe The Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota is a federally recognized tribe of Yankton Western Dakota people, located in South Dakota. Their Dakota name is Ihaƞktoƞwaƞ Dakota Oyate, meaning "People of the End Village" which comes from the p ...

. YST Transit serves the community and connects riders to Marty, Ravinia and Wagner as well.

Geography

Lake Andes is located within the

's reservation. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the city has a total area of , of which is land and is water.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 879 people, 316 households, and 195 families residing in the city. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 361 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 40.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.1%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 52.7% Native American, 0.1% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 6.1% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.8% of the population. There were 316 households, of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.2% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 26.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 38.3% were non-families. 34.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 3.24. The median age in the city was 33.8 years. 32.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.7% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 21.6% were from 25 to 44; 19.9% were from 45 to 64; and 18.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.9% male and 52.1% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 819 people, 320 households, and 181 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 369 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 54.82%

, 0.37%

, 42.61% Native American, 0.49% from other races, and 1.71% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 2.20% of the population. There were 320 households, out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.9% were

living together, 15.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.33. In the city, the population was spread out, with 30.2% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $21,000, and the median income for a family was $28,833. Males had a median income of $21,333 versus $19,097 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the city was $10,022. About 26.3% of families and 33.2% 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 ...

, including 40.7% of those under age 18 and 28.3% of those age 65 or over.

Community events

Fish Days takes place annually the first weekend in June. The Fort Randall traditional pow wow takes place annually the first weekend in August at the pow wow grounds.

Architecture

The Charles Mix County courthouse, located in Lake Andes, is a prominent fixture in the community. Constructed in the

Prairie School Prairie School is a late 19th and early 20th-century architectural style, most common in the Midwestern United States. The style is usually marked by horizontal lines, flat or hipped roofs with broad overhanging eaves, windows grouped i ...

architectural style, it was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

in 1993 as a significant example of architecture and local government. On February 21, 2012, the 1910 Engel Hotel was listed on the NRHP. It is located at 202 Main Street and was built for the railroad industry.

Gallery

File:Charles Mix County courthouse from NW 2 long.jpg, Charles Mix County Courthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) File:Main Street, Lake Andes - NARA - 285904.jpg, Main Street in 1939 File:St. Peter's Episcopal Church (Lake Andes) from NW.jpg, St. Peter's Episcopal Church File:Lake Andes, South Dakota downtown 2.jpg, Main Street File:Lake Andes, South Dakota library from N.jpg, Lake Andes Carnegie Library, also NRHP-listed

Notable people

Faith Spotted Eagle Faith Spotted Eagle (Dakota language, Dakota: or "Standing Stone"; born 1948) is an American activist and politician. She is a citizen of the Yankton Sioux Tribe who attempted to block development of the Keystone XL pipeline and the Dakota Acc ...

, Native American activist * John C. Miller Jr., Brigadier general in the

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

and veteran of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

References

External links

Andes Central Schools

Library
{{Authority control Cities in Charles Mix County, South Dakota Cities in South Dakota County seats in South Dakota