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Butte County, South Dakota

Coordinates: 44°55′N 103°29′W / 44.91°N 103.49°W / 44.91; -103.49
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Butte County
County
Butte County Courthouse
Butte County Courthouse
Map of South Dakota highlighting Butte 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°55′N 103°29′W / 44.91°N 103.49°W / 44.91; -103.49
Country United States
State South Dakota
FoundedMarch 2, 1883
May 6, 1883
Named forHills in the county
SeatBelle Fourche
Largest cityBelle Fourche
Area
 • Total
2,266 sq mi (5,870 km2)
 • Land2,250 sq mi (5,800 km2)
 • Water16 sq mi (40 km2)  0.7%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
10,243
 • Estimate 
(2023)
10,863 Increase
 • Density4.5/sq mi (1.7/km2)
Time zoneUTC−7 (Mountain)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Congressional districtAt-large
Websitebutte.sdcounties.org

Butte County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 10,243.[1] Its county seat is Belle Fourche.[2] The county was established in the Dakota Territory on March 2, 1883, and given the descriptive name based on the French word for a hill.[3]

History

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Prehistory

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In 1975, plesiosaur fossils dating to the Cretaceous Period (ca. 110 million years ago) were discovered in Butte County. In the 1980s, a 90-million-year-old fossil of a clawless lobster was discovered. A Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton was found in 1981.

The early human history of the Belle Fourche River Valley has been traced to about 3000 BC. The first people of the area were Native Americans who resided on the northwestern plains of North America. The earliest known evidence of human activity in the area dates to the Middle Plains Archaic Period of the Plains Indians (ca. 3000–1500 BC). Traces of tipi rings dating from this period have been found. In 1979 and 1980, archeologists excavated a fortified and previously inhabited site west of Belle Fourche that dated to AD 1000. This site was called the Smiley-Evans Site and had been recorded in 1959. Until 1984, only 47 archaeological sites had been recorded, but after the excavation of the Smiley-Evans Site, several investigations were undertaken. As of 1989, 199 archaeological sites had been discovered in the county.[4]

Geography

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Butte County lies on the west edge of South Dakota. Its northwestern boundary line abuts the eastern boundary line of the state of Montana, and its southwestern boundary line abuts the eastern boundary line of the state of Wyoming. The Butte County terrain consists of semi-arid rolling hills cut by drainages oriented NW-SE. A relatively small portion of the area is dedicated to agriculture, including the employment of center pivot irrigation.[5] The terrain slopes to the southeast, and its highest point is on the western boundary line near the SW corner: 3,865 ft (1,178 m) ASL.[6]

The county has a total area of 2,266 square miles (5,870 km2), of which 2,250 square miles (5,800 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (0.7%) is water.[7]

Major highways

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Adjacent counties

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Protected areas

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  • Belle Fourche Dam State Game Production Area
  • Belle Fourche National Wildlife Refuge [8]
  • Newell Lake State Game Production Area
  • Newell Lake State Lakeside Use Area
  • Rocky Point State Recreation Area

Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18901,037—
19002,907180.3%
19104,99371.8%
19206,81936.6%
19308,58926.0%
19408,004−6.8%
19508,1612.0%
19608,5925.3%
19707,825−8.9%
19808,3727.0%
19907,914−5.5%
20009,09414.9%
201010,11011.2%
202010,2431.3%
2023 (est.)10,863[9]6.1%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
1790-1960[11] 1900-1990[12]
1990-2000[13] 2010-2020[1]

2020 census

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As of the 2020 census, there were 10,243 people, 4,196 households, and 2,760 families residing in the county.[14] The population density was 4.6 inhabitants per square mile (1.8/km2). There were 4,673 housing units.

2010 census

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As of the 2010 census, there were 10,110 people, 4,160 households, and 2,786 families in the county. The population density was 4.5 inhabitants per square mile (1.7/km2). There were 4,621 housing units at an average density of 2.1 units per square mile (0.81 units/km2). The racial makeup of the county was 94.2% white, 1.9% American Indian, 0.2% black or African American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 0.8% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.0% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 40.9% were German, 16.6% were Irish, 15.7% were Norwegian, 10.4% were English, and 5.2% were American.

Of the 4,160 households, 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 33.0% were non-families, and 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.92. The median age was 41.1 years.

The median income for a household in the county was $39,041 and the median income for a family was $52,829. Males had a median income of $37,429 versus $25,273 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,418. About 11.5% of families and 15.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 25.0% of those under age 18 and 8.9% of those age 65 or over.

Communities

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Cities

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Towns

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Census-designated place

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Unincorporated communities

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Townships

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Politics

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Like most of South Dakota, Butte County is a Republican stronghold. No Democratic presidential candidate has carried Butte County since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1932. Although Roosevelt in the following election and Lyndon Johnson in 1964, respectively, came within six and fourteen votes of claiming the county during landslide Democratic victories, apart from these instances, no Democratic presidential candidate since 1920 has reached forty percent of the county's vote.

United States presidential election results for Butte County, South Dakota[20]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 4,024 79.18% 942 18.54% 116 2.28%
2020 3,731 77.70% 939 19.55% 132 2.75%
2016 3,357 77.15% 696 16.00% 298 6.85%
2012 3,073 73.03% 1,002 23.81% 133 3.16%
2008 2,821 66.28% 1,306 30.69% 129 3.03%
2004 3,166 74.13% 1,009 23.62% 96 2.25%
2000 2,760 74.82% 840 22.77% 89 2.41%
1996 1,947 53.24% 1,132 30.95% 578 15.81%
1992 1,674 45.24% 973 26.30% 1,053 28.46%
1988 2,291 63.96% 1,256 35.06% 35 0.98%
1984 2,865 78.13% 784 21.38% 18 0.49%
1980 2,850 73.11% 843 21.63% 205 5.26%
1976 2,055 59.19% 1,366 39.34% 51 1.47%
1972 2,452 68.82% 1,085 30.45% 26 0.73%
1968 2,090 63.28% 1,017 30.79% 196 5.93%
1964 1,877 50.19% 1,863 49.81% 0 0.00%
1960 2,496 65.44% 1,318 34.56% 0 0.00%
1956 2,231 68.46% 1,028 31.54% 0 0.00%
1952 2,689 76.26% 837 23.74% 0 0.00%
1948 1,726 60.73% 1,065 37.47% 51 1.79%
1944 1,824 66.28% 928 33.72% 0 0.00%
1940 2,164 60.99% 1,384 39.01% 0 0.00%
1936 1,525 48.49% 1,519 48.30% 101 3.21%
1932 1,594 47.77% 1,684 50.46% 59 1.77%
1928 1,988 69.36% 840 29.31% 38 1.33%
1924 1,199 55.59% 277 12.84% 681 31.57%
1920 1,722 54.51% 672 21.27% 765 24.22%
1916 537 33.31% 930 57.69% 145 9.00%
1912 0 0.00% 601 41.08% 862 58.92%
1908 1,636 60.21% 915 33.68% 166 6.11%
1904 793 67.32% 330 28.01% 55 4.67%
1900 492 53.19% 420 45.41% 13 1.41%
1896 222 43.53% 286 56.08% 2 0.39%
1892 154 40.10% 28 7.29% 202 52.60%

See also

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Butte County, South Dakota.

References

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  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  2. ^ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Joseph Nathan Kane, The American Counties (4th Ed.), (The Scarecrow Press, 1983), pp. 68, 479
  4. ^ Engebretson, Pat; Heck, Kay; Herrett, Helen (1989). A History of Butte County, South Dakota. Dallas TX: Curtis Media. ISBN 0-88107-139-0.
  5. ^ Butte County SD Google Maps (accessed January 31, 2019)
  6. ^ ""Find an Altitude" Google Maps (accessed January 31, 2019)". Archived from the original on May 21, 2019. Retrieved January 31, 2019.
  7. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". US Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  8. ^ Belle Fourche National Wildlife Refuge, Belle Fourche SD Google Maps (accessed January 31, 2019)
  9. ^ "County Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2023". Retrieved March 17, 2024.
  10. ^ "US Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  11. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  12. ^ Forstall, Richard L., ed. (March 27, 1995). "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2015.
  13. ^ "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 22, 2015.
  14. ^ "US Census Bureau, Table P16: Household Type". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 21, 2024.
  15. ^ Arpan SD Google Maps (accessed January 31, 2019)
  16. ^ Castle Rock SD Google Maps (accessed January 31, 2019)
  17. ^ East Butte SD Google Maps (accessed January 31, 2019)
  18. ^ Hoover SD Google Maps (accessed January 31, 2019)
  19. ^ West Butte Unorganized Territory SD Google Maps (accessed January 31, 2019)
  20. ^ Leip, David. "Atlas of US Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved April 13, 2018.

44°55′N 103°29′W / 44.91°N 103.49°W / 44.91; -103.49

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