Lemmon, South Dakota facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lemmon, South Dakota
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A monument of Ed Lemmon resides in Boss Cowman Square.
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Location in Perkins County and the state of South Dakota
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| Country | United States |
| State | South Dakota |
| County | Perkins |
| Incorporated | 1908 |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.10 sq mi (2.84 km2) |
| • Land | 1.10 sq mi (2.84 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 2,566 ft (782 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 1,160 |
| • Density | 1,056.47/sq mi (408.08/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain (MST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| ZIP code |
57638
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| Area code(s) | 605 |
| FIPS code | 46-36340 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1267457 |
| Website | lemmonsd.com |
Lemmon is a town in Perkins County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,160 at the 2020 census.
Lemmon is named after George Ed Lemmon, a cattleman, who founded the town in 1906.
The City of Lemmon received the South Dakota Community of the Year Award in 2012.
Contents
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.04 square miles (2.69 km2), all land.
Lemmon's north border is the Adams County, North Dakota, boundary. To the east of Lemmon is Corson County and Standing Rock Indian Reservation.
History
Lemmon's history as a town started in 1902 with the U.S. government's forced leasing of about 800,000 acres of Standing Rock Indian Reservation lands to cattle rancher George Ed Lemmon.
In 1919, Lemmon became a sundown town, prohibiting African Americans from living there.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1910 | 1,255 | — | |
| 1920 | 1,126 | −10.3% | |
| 1930 | 1,508 | 33.9% | |
| 1940 | 1,781 | 18.1% | |
| 1950 | 2,760 | 55.0% | |
| 1960 | 2,412 | −12.6% | |
| 1970 | 1,997 | −17.2% | |
| 1980 | 1,871 | −6.3% | |
| 1990 | 1,614 | −13.7% | |
| 2000 | 1,398 | −13.4% | |
| 2010 | 1,227 | −12.2% | |
| 2020 | 1,160 | −5.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2019 Estimate |
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2010 census
As of the census of 2010, 1,227 people, 567 households, and 319 families resided in the city. The population density was 1,179.8 inhabitants per square mile (455.5/km2). The 732 housing units averaged 703.8 per square mile (271.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 96.3% White, 0.1% African American, 1.9% Native American, 0.2% Asian, 0.1% from other races, and 1.5% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.7% of the population.
Of the 567 households, 20.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.7% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.7% were not families. About 39.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.73.
The median age in the city was 50.8 years; 17.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.4% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 18.3% were from 25 to 44; 31.2% were from 45 to 64; and 27.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 47.6% male and 52.4% female.
Climate
Lemmon has a relatively dry humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa/Dwb) characterized by very warm to hot summers with cool mornings, and freezing, dry, although extremely variable winters.
| Climate data for Lemmon, South Dakota (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1909–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 69 (21) |
70 (21) |
85 (29) |
93 (34) |
103 (39) |
109 (43) |
115 (46) |
107 (42) |
105 (41) |
95 (35) |
82 (28) |
70 (21) |
115 (46) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 51.2 (10.7) |
53.8 (12.1) |
68.0 (20.0) |
78.6 (25.9) |
85.1 (29.5) |
92.0 (33.3) |
98.0 (36.7) |
97.7 (36.5) |
93.3 (34.1) |
82.2 (27.9) |
66.2 (19.0) |
53.0 (11.7) |
100.1 (37.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 28.8 (−1.8) |
32.6 (0.3) |
45.0 (7.2) |
57.7 (14.3) |
69.1 (20.6) |
78.7 (25.9) |
86.7 (30.4) |
86.0 (30.0) |
76.8 (24.9) |
59.8 (15.4) |
43.5 (6.4) |
31.9 (−0.1) |
58.0 (14.4) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 18.9 (−7.3) |
22.3 (−5.4) |
33.1 (0.6) |
44.7 (7.1) |
56.0 (13.3) |
65.7 (18.7) |
72.6 (22.6) |
71.3 (21.8) |
62.0 (16.7) |
47.2 (8.4) |
32.7 (0.4) |
22.1 (−5.5) |
45.7 (7.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 8.9 (−12.8) |
12.0 (−11.1) |
21.2 (−6.0) |
31.7 (−0.2) |
42.9 (6.1) |
52.8 (11.6) |
58.6 (14.8) |
56.6 (13.7) |
47.3 (8.5) |
34.6 (1.4) |
21.9 (−5.6) |
12.3 (−10.9) |
33.4 (0.8) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | −16.0 (−26.7) |
−10.6 (−23.7) |
−1.1 (−18.4) |
14.3 (−9.8) |
28.1 (−2.2) |
40.8 (4.9) |
48.7 (9.3) |
45.0 (7.2) |
32.0 (0.0) |
16.2 (−8.8) |
2.9 (−16.2) |
−10.9 (−23.8) |
−20.5 (−29.2) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −42 (−41) |
−45 (−43) |
−27 (−33) |
−6 (−21) |
10 (−12) |
29 (−2) |
37 (3) |
31 (−1) |
14 (−10) |
−10 (−23) |
−24 (−31) |
−33 (−36) |
−45 (−43) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 0.26 (6.6) |
0.48 (12) |
0.79 (20) |
1.71 (43) |
2.84 (72) |
3.03 (77) |
2.75 (70) |
2.11 (54) |
1.48 (38) |
1.54 (39) |
0.60 (15) |
0.41 (10) |
18.00 (457) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 4.5 (11) |
7.6 (19) |
7.5 (19) |
4.8 (12) |
0.7 (1.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
3.1 (7.9) |
5.2 (13) |
8.9 (23) |
42.3 (107) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 3.6 | 3.9 | 4.6 | 6.9 | 9.3 | 10.2 | 8.6 | 6.5 | 5.6 | 5.9 | 3.7 | 3.7 | 72.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 3.6 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 3.5 | 19.7 |
| Source: NOAA | |||||||||||||
Arts and culture
The city contains the Lemmon Petrified Park, the home of the world's largest petrified-wood park. This tourist attraction fills an entire block of the downtown area and is built entirely of petrified wood, fossils, and stone. Construction began in 1930 and continued until 1932 under the supervision of Ole S. Quammen. It was in private ownership until 1954, when it was donated to the city by Quammen's heirs. The park features a wishing well, a waterfall, and a castle. The castle weighs 300 tons and boasts towering spires and turrets. Also in the park are two separate museums, both built entirely of petrified wood. The larger of the two is circular has a petrified grass floor along with petrified logs. Dinosaur claws, bird tracks, and fossilized snakes can be seen in the petrified wood. Also in the museum are antiques and artifacts from the Lemmon area. The formations in the park number over 100 and are up to 20 ft tall.
The Boss Cowman Rodeo and Celebration is the second weekend in July, and is one of the largest rodeos in the state.
The Grand River Museum is located on Highway 12. The museum features exhibits on creation science, fossils, Native Americans, cowboys and ranch life, a full-scale tipi, and a model of the Ark. Admission is free.
The Kokomo, located on Main Street, is the home of sculptor John Lopez's art gallery.
Lemmon has a 9-hole golf course, an airport, two convenience stores, a hardware store, a grocery store, an American Legion, and many other businesses. Lemmon also has seven churches, three financial institutions, a library, a movie theater, a clinic, and nursing home. Three motels are in town. The Lemmon Livestock Sale Barn is just to the west of town, with sales every Wednesday.
Many citizens are employed at Wheeler Manufacturing, which produces jewelry products. Gregorian, Inc. and Dakota Woodcrafts also employ manufacturing workers. Other major employers are the school system and farm/ranches.
Education
Lemmon's school district includes a high school and an elementary school. The Progress country school operated in Meadow until the summer of 2010, when it was destroyed by a tornado. The small rural school district was then consolidated into the Lemmon, Bison, and Faith districts.
Local media
AM radio
| AM radio stations | |||||
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| Frequency | Call sign | Name | Format | Owner | City |
| 1400 AM | KBJM | Country/Classic Hits | Media Associates | Lemmon | |
Notable people
- Kathleen Norris, poet
- Gale Cleven, WWII pilot
- John Lopez, Sculptor
See also
In Spanish: Lemmon (Dakota del Sur) para niños
