Lake County, South Dakota
Historic newspapers, landmarks, and county history layers for genealogists and local historians.
At a glance
SummaryThe National Register of Historic Places includes 17 listed properties in the county, first listed in 1976. Most listings are in or near Madison, Ramona, Winfred.
Summary generated automatically from the source data on this page.
Newspapers
Library of CongressNewspaper directory data for South Dakota is not yet loaded on this site. Browse Lake titles at the Library of Congress.
National Register of Historic Places
NPS NRHP10 of 17 listings mapped; some locations are restricted by NPS to protect sensitive sites.
17 listed properties
| Property | City | Listed |
|---|---|---|
| Chapel Emmanuel Railroad Car | Madison | 1976 |
| Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul, and Pacific Railroad Depot | Madison | 1989 |
| Daly, Matthew W., House | Madison | 1988 |
| Goff, J. Whitney, Round Barn | Winfred | 2004 |
| Hegdahl, Abraham, Farm | Madison | 2004 |
| Herschell-Spillman Steam Riding Gallery | Madison | 2016 |
| Lake Badus Rural Agricultural Historic District | Nunda | 2003 |
| Lake County Courthouse | Madison | 1993 |
| Lake Madison Lutheran Church | Madison | 2000 |
| Luce, Herman, Cabin | Madison | 1978 |
| Mackay, William A., House | Madison | 1976 |
| Madison Historic District | Madison | 1976 |
| Madison Masonic Temple | Madison | 1990 |
| Smith, Laura A., House | Madison | 2026 |
| St. Ann's Catholic Church of Badus | Ramona | 1979 |
| St. Williams Catholic Church | Ramona | 1999 |
| Washington School | Madison | 2010 |
Source: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Property links open NRHP nomination files at the National Archives.
County formation
Newberry AHCBLake was formed in 1873 (1873-01-08) from Brookings, Hanson, Minnehaha.
LAKE created by Dakota Territory in present South Dakota from BROOKINGS, HANSON and MINNEHAHA.
Source: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries.
Population by decade
CensusLake County population from 1880 to 2020 (Census historical series).
| 1880 | 1900 | 1920 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1980 | 2000 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,657 | 9,137 | 12,257 | 12,412 | 11,792 | 11,764 | 10,724 | 11,276 | 11,059 |
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau historical county population (Forstall 1790–1990) and public-domain / CC0 county population series through 2020.
Cemeteries & historical places
USGS GNIS22 cemeteries and 2 historical populated places (ghost towns / former settlements) recorded in USGS GNIS for this county.
Cemeteries — 22 of 22 listed
| Name |
|---|
| Ash Grove Cemetery |
| Franklin Cemetery |
| Graceland Cemetery |
| Gracevale Colony Cemetery |
| Lake Madison Lutheran Cemetery |
| Lake Park Cemetery |
| Olson Cemetery |
| Pleasant Hill Cemetery |
| Prairie Queen Cemetery |
| Prairie Village Cemetery |
| Prospect Cemetery |
| Ramona Cemetery |
| Rose Hill Cemetery |
| Saint Ann's Cemetery |
| Saint John's Lutheran Cemetery |
| Saint Peter Lutheran Cemetery |
| Saint Thomas Cemetery |
| Saint William Church Cemetery |
| South Lake Campbell Cemetery |
| Toles Cemetery |
| West Lake Cemetery |
| Winfred Cemetery |
Historical populated places — 2 of 2
| Name |
|---|
| Orland |
| Prairie Queen |
Source: USGS Geographic Names Information System (public domain). Cemeteries from the 2021 NationalFile archive; historical places from GNIS HistoricalFeatures topical extract.
Historical markers
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Search HMdb for Lake County, South Dakota
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