LeBeau, South Dakota facts for kids

LeBeau was once a small town in Walworth County, South Dakota, United States. It was located right on the eastern side of the Missouri River, close to where a stream called Swan Creek joined the river. Today, the area where LeBeau stood is covered by the waters of Lake Oahe.

The Story of LeBeau

LeBeau became a town because of the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railway. In 1907, this railway built a new track heading west from Conde, South Dakota, and LeBeau was the end of that line.

A Busy Railroad Town

For a short time, LeBeau was a very busy place, often called a "boom town." This means it grew very quickly. It was an important spot for shipping cattle from the large ranches on the other side of the Missouri River. The railway even planned to build a bridge across the Missouri River from LeBeau and continue its tracks further west.

Why LeBeau Declined

However, these big plans for expansion never happened. Another railway company, the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad, built its own lines into the area west of the river. This meant LeBeau was no longer the only or best place to ship goods. Because of this, LeBeau quickly started to decline. The railway tracks leading to LeBeau were removed in 1924, and the town faded away.

Digging into LeBeau's Past

Even though the town disappeared, its history remained. In the summers of 1954 and 1955, a team of archaeologists from the University of South Dakota came to the area. Led by Dr. Wesley Hurt, they dug up a large ancient earth lodge complex near where LeBeau used to be.

One of the students on the dig, Tyler Bastian, spent his weekends exploring the old cellar pits of LeBeau itself. He later became a state archaeologist for Maryland. At that time, the former townsite of LeBeau was part of Dean Boehmer's ranch.

Today, the entire area where LeBeau once stood is submerged under the waters of Lake Oahe, a large reservoir created by a dam on the Missouri River.