Facts About South Dakota

Facts About South Dakota
  1. South Dakota was the 40th state to become part of the USA.
  2. It became a state on November 2nd of 1889, the same day that North Dakota became a state.
  3. The state capital of South Dakota is Pierre.
  4. Mt. Rushmore was called Mountain of Rock before the faces of our presidents were carved into the side of it.
  5. Hunters cannot use spotlights, except to hunt raccoons.
  6. Custer State Park in East Custer is home to a herd of 1,500 free-roaming bison.
  7. 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.
  8. The Anne Hathaway Cottage at Wessington Springs is the only structure in the Midwest U.S. that still features a thatched roof.
  9. One of the largest and most complete skeletons of a Tyrannosaurus Rex on Earth was excavated near Faith, SD.
  10. The land that is now South Dakota was part of the land purchased by Thomas Jefferson as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.
  11. 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.
  12. 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).
  13. The largest two-year private college in the United States is Ricks College located in Rexburg, South Dakota.
  14. Clark, South Dakota is considered to be the “Potato Capital” of the state and also hosts a famous “Mashed Potato Wrestling” competition every year.
  15. The first newspaper published in the state was the “Yankton Daily Press” originally published in 1861.
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