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Sully County, South Dakota

Coordinates: 44°43′N 100°08′W / 44.71°N 100.13°W / 44.71; -100.13
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Sully County
County
Sully Courthouse (2013)
Sully Courthouse (2013)
Map of South Dakota highlighting Sully County
Location within the U.S. state of South Dakota
Map of the United States highlighting South Dakota
South Dakota's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 44°43′N 100°08′W / 44.71°N 100.13°W / 44.71; -100.13
Country United States
State South Dakota
Founded1873 (created)
1883 (organized)
Named forAlfred Sully
SeatOnida
Largest cityOnida
Area
 • Total
1,070 sq mi (2,800 km2)
 • Land1,007 sq mi (2,610 km2)
 • Water63 sq mi (160 km2)  5.9%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
1,446
 • Estimate 
(2023)
1,494 Increase
 • Density1.4/sq mi (0.52/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional districtAt-large
Websitewww.sullycounty.net

Sully County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,446,[1] making it the fifth-least populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Onida.[2] The county was created in 1873 and organized in 1883.[3] It is named after General Alfred Sully, who built Fort Sully.[4]

Sully County is included in the Micropolitan Statistical Area of Pierre.

Sully County was the location of the largest African American homesteader settlement in the state, the Blair Colony. An Illinois man named Norvel Blair arrived in Fairbank Township in 1884, after sending his sons Benjamin and Patrick to investigate the area for settlement.[5] Blair's financial success, achieved through farming and breeding racehorses, attracted roughly 200 other Black families to the colony. Blair became the first Black South Dakotan to serve on a school board.

The decline of South Dakota agriculture during the Great Depression led most Blair Colony residents to seek work in larger cities like Minneapolis and Chicago.[6] A historical marker in the county seat of Onida remembers the colony.[7]

Geography

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The west boundary line of Sully County is defined by the meanderings of the Missouri River, which flows southward along its edge. The county's terrain is composed of semi-arid rolling hills, partially devoted to agriculture.[8] The terrain slopes to the south and east, but the west portion of the county slopes westward into the river valley. The county's highest point is along the midpoint of its north boundary line, at 1,949 ft (594 m) ASL.[9] The county has a total area of 1,070 square miles (2,800 km2), of which 1,007 square miles (2,610 km2) is land and 63 square miles (160 km2) (5.9%) is water.[10]

The eastern portion of South Dakota's counties (48 of 66) observe Central Time; the western counties (18 of 66) observe Mountain Time. Sully County is at the western edge of those counties that observe Central Time.[11]

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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Protected areas[8]

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  • Bush's Landing State Lakeside Use Area
  • Cottonwood Lake State Game Production Area
  • Cow Creek State Game Production Area
  • Cow Creek State Recreation Area
  • Elk State Game Production Area
  • Fort Sully State Game Production Area
  • Hofer State Game Production Area
  • Koenig State Game Production Area Area
  • Lambrecht State Game Production Area
  • Lake State Game Production Area
  • Little Bend State Game Production Area
  • Little Bend State Lakeside Use Area Area
  • Mail Shack State Game Production Area
  • Medicine Knoll Creek State Game Production Area
  • Okobojo Creek State Game Production Area
  • Okobojo Point State Recreation Area
  • Onida State Game Production Area
  • Pleasant State Game Production Area
  • Spring Creek Recreation Area
  • Stone Lake State Game Production Area
  • Sutton Bay State Game Production Area
  • Sutton Bay State Lakeside Use Area

Lakes[8]

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  • Cottonwood Lake
  • Mundt Lake
  • Fuller Lake
  • Lake Oahe (part)
  • Lake Okobojo
  • Stone Lake
  • Sully Lake
  • Walker Lake
  • Warnes Slough

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1880296—
18902,412714.9%
19001,715−28.9%
19102,46243.6%
19202,83115.0%
19303,85236.1%
19402,668−30.7%
19502,7131.7%
19602,607−3.9%
19702,362−9.4%
19801,990−15.7%
19901,589−20.2%
20001,556−2.1%
20101,373−11.8%
20201,4465.3%
2023 (est.)1,494[12]3.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[13]
1790–1960[14] 1900–1990[15]
1990–2000[16] 2010–2020[1]

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, there were 1,446 people, 635 households, and 428 families residing in the county.[17] The population density was 1.4 inhabitants per square mile (0.54/km2). There were 892 housing units.

2010 census

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As of the 2010 census, there were 1,373 people, 610 households, and 397 families in the county. The population density was 1.4 inhabitants per square mile (0.54/km2). There were 845 housing units at an average density of 0.84 units per square mile (0.32 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 96.6% white, 1.2% American Indian, 0.1% black or African American, 0.0% from other races, and 2.2% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 0.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry,

Of the 610 households, 27.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.5% were married couples living together, 4.6% had a female householder with no husband present, 34.9% were non-families, and 31.6% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.82. The median age was 46.6 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $48,958 and the median income for a family was $58,875. Males had a median income of $34,375 versus $29,087 for females. The per capita income for the county was $26,596. About 4.4% of families and 8.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.8% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

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City

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Town

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Census-designated place

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Unorganized territories

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The county organization does not include division into townships. Its area is divided into two areas of unorganized territory: West Sully and East Sully.

Politics

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Throughout its history, Sully County has been powerfully Republican. The solitary Democrat to carry Sully County at a Presidential level has been Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932 during an election heavily influenced by the "Dust Bowl" and Great Depression. Nonetheless, in the following 1936 election, Alf Landon won the county by over twenty percent. Since that time, the Democratic Party has bettered FDR's 1936 effort five times, but only Lyndon Johnson in 1964 has held the GOP to a single-digit margin. In modern times, like almost all of rural America, Sully County has become more and more Republican. The last Democrat to carry one-third of the county's vote was Michael Dukakis in 1988 during an election severely affected by a major drought.

United States presidential election results for Sully County, South Dakota[18]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 716 79.47% 168 18.65% 17 1.89%
2020 726 78.06% 185 19.89% 19 2.04%
2016 679 78.86% 137 15.91% 45 5.23%
2012 613 74.94% 186 22.74% 19 2.32%
2008 581 69.75% 233 27.97% 19 2.28%
2004 702 76.55% 201 21.92% 14 1.53%
2000 633 72.68% 209 24.00% 29 3.33%
1996 592 57.76% 321 31.32% 112 10.93%
1992 565 55.94% 273 27.03% 172 17.03%
1988 571 56.76% 393 39.07% 42 4.17%
1984 836 75.52% 266 24.03% 5 0.45%
1980 852 74.15% 220 19.15% 77 6.70%
1976 630 55.31% 505 44.34% 4 0.35%
1972 773 64.90% 414 34.76% 4 0.34%
1968 676 60.09% 356 31.64% 93 8.27%
1964 667 52.81% 596 47.19% 0 0.00%
1960 864 64.14% 483 35.86% 0 0.00%
1956 726 59.51% 494 40.49% 0 0.00%
1952 860 70.96% 352 29.04% 0 0.00%
1948 579 58.37% 405 40.83% 8 0.81%
1944 612 67.11% 300 32.89% 0 0.00%
1940 840 64.71% 458 35.29% 0 0.00%
1936 667 58.61% 437 38.40% 34 2.99%
1932 559 35.63% 961 61.25% 49 3.12%
1928 999 70.50% 415 29.29% 3 0.21%
1924 555 59.04% 138 14.68% 247 26.28%
1920 542 62.95% 147 17.07% 172 19.98%
1916 281 50.45% 268 48.11% 8 1.44%
1912 0 0.00% 242 42.31% 330 57.69%
1908 368 68.27% 154 28.57% 17 3.15%
1904 364 82.92% 50 11.39% 25 5.69%
1900 294 64.76% 152 33.48% 8 1.76%
1896 262 56.34% 198 42.58% 5 1.08%
1892 278 57.44% 39 8.06% 167 34.50%

Notable person

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ "Dakota Territory, South Dakota, and North Dakota: Individual County Chronologies". Dakota Territory Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. The Newberry Library. 2006. Archived from the original on April 2, 2018. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  4. ^ Legislative Manual, South Dakota, 2005, p. 597.
  5. ^ "Norvel Blair (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  6. ^ "Sully County Black Homesteader Community (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved December 30, 2024.
  7. ^ Heemstra, Jody (October 7, 2020). "McGruder, Blair families recognized with historic marker at Sully County Courthouse". DRG News. Retrieved July 28, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c "Sully County · South Dakota". Google Maps. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  9. ^ ""Find an Altitude" Google Maps (accessed February 8, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved February 9, 2019.
  10. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  11. ^ Map of Time Zone Line through South Dakota (accessed January 30, 2019)
  12. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2023". Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  13. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  14. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  15. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  16. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. April 2, 2001. Archived (PDF) from the original on October 9, 2022. Retrieved March 28, 2015.
  17. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2024.
  18. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
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