Alsen, South Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alsen
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 Alsen
Location in South Dakota
Alsen
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Union |
| Elevation | 1,339 ft (408 m) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| GNIS feature ID | 1260973 |
Alsen is a small unincorporated community in Union County, South Dakota, United States. This means it's a place where people live, but it doesn't have its own local government like a city or town. You can find Alsen about nine miles southwest of Beresford. It sits right on the border between Clay County and Union County.
Contents
The Story of Alsen
Alsen got its name from a man named Olof Erickson. He named it after his hometown, Alsen Parish, in Jamtland District, Sweden.
Early Days and First Businesses
Olof Erickson was an early homesteader in the area. A homesteader was someone who settled on land given by the government to farm and build a home. Olof was also the first blacksmith in Alsen. A blacksmith makes and repairs things out of metal.
Alsen began in 1871 when Olof Erickson opened his blacksmith shop. A few years later, in 1874, Erickson started the Alsen post office. He was also the first postmaster, which means he was in charge of the mail. The post office stayed open until 1900.
Growing Up in Alsen
In its early years, Alsen was a busy little community. It had several important businesses:
- A creamery, where milk was processed into butter and cheese.
- A general store, which sold all sorts of everyday items.
- A telephone exchange, connecting people's phone calls.
- A harness shop, making and repairing harnesses for horses.
- The blacksmith shop, run by Olof Erickson.
- A garage for Model T cars.
Some of these businesses closed over time. The creamery closed in 1933. The Model T garage was sold in 1938. In 1948, part of the general store was changed into a place for people to live.
Alsen's Telephone History
The telephone exchange in Alsen was called the Alsen Community Telephone Company. It was a cooperative, meaning it was owned and run by its customers. This company provided phone service to people in the countryside of Clay and Union Counties.
Alsen was quite modern for its time!
- In 1952, it was one of the first places to switch from using operators to dial telephones. This meant people could dial numbers themselves instead of asking an operator to connect them.
- Then, in 1965, it was again one of the first to switch to push-button calling.
In 1970, the company was sold to Dakota Cooperative Telephone Company, Inc. However, the telephone exchange still works today. It uses a 253 phone number prefix and still has its equipment in Alsen.
