Meade Papers (Homesteading)


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Frank and Jim Ryan in Meade County, South Dakota.  Circa 1912 or 1913.

Other web pages of interest:

Dakota Land Grants

Easter Courtship Letter

Typical land quality in Meade County, S Dak

View looking east into Meade County from Black Hills

Meade County General Store, Early homestead days

 
 

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 Meade County is located in Western South Dakota, the heart of ranching country. In size, it is the largest county in the state and has a land mass of over two million acres, with a population of 24,253 (2000).  Sturgis is the county seat and the largest city in the county. It is often referred to as the "Key City" of the famous Black Hills, as the extreme southwestern part of the county reaches into the Black Hills.  The second largest city in Meade County is Faith. Dozens of inland stores and post offices are scattered throughout the county. Each of these is the center of community life and most of them are held over from the early homestead days. Agriculture is the basic industry of the county with livestock production as the principle enterprise. Crop production plays an important role with much of the irrigated acres falling under the Belle Fourche Irrigation District

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