Facts About South Dakota

- South Dakota was the 40th state to become part of the USA.
- It became a state on November 2nd of 1889, the same day that North Dakota became a state.
- The state capital of South Dakota is Pierre.
- Mt. Rushmore was called Mountain of Rock before the faces of our presidents were carved into the side of it.
- Hunters cannot use spotlights, except to hunt raccoons.
- Custer State Park in East Custer is home to a herd of 1,500 free-roaming bison.
- The Flaming Fountain on South Dakota State Capitol Lake is fed by an artesian well with natural gas content so high that it causes it to glow.
- The Anne Hathaway Cottage at Wessington Springs is the only structure in the Midwest U.S. that still features a thatched roof.
- One of the largest and most complete skeletons of a Tyrannosaurus Rex on Earth was excavated near Faith, SD.
- The land that is now South Dakota was part of the land purchased by Thomas Jefferson as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
- The USS South Dakota, also known as “Battleship X” was used in every major naval battle during World War 2 from 1942 – 1945. It became one of the most decorated battleships in U.S. history.
- South Dakota is the 17th largest state in the United States in terms of total area with 77,116 square kilometers (199,729 square miles).
- The largest two-year private college in the United States is Ricks College located in Rexburg, South Dakota.
- Clark, South Dakota is considered to be the “Potato Capital” of the state and also hosts a famous “Mashed Potato Wrestling” competition every year.
- The first newspaper published in the state was the “Yankton Daily Press” originally published in 1861.
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