Medary, South Dakota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Medary, South Dakota
unincorporated community
Medary, South Dakota Location in South Dakota
Country	United States
State	South Dakota
County	Brookings
Township	Medary
Founded	1857
Founded by	Dakota Land Company
Named for	Samuel Medary
Elevation	1,575 ft (480 m)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central Time Zone (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	57006
Area code	605
GNIS feature ID	1261042

Medary is a small, unincorporated community in Brookings County, South Dakota. It was founded in 1857 by the Dakota Land Company. This made Medary one of the very first towns in South Dakota. Today, it is not officially counted by the U.S. Census Bureau.

History of Medary

Early Days and Native American Life

The Medary area has a long history. People lived here as far back as 1500 B.C. We know this from ancient stone tools and burial mounds found in the area. Many different Native American groups lived here. They often settled near the county's many lakes, like Oakwood Lakes and Lake Campbell, and along the Big Sioux River. Later, Sioux Indian tribes made this area their home.

Animals like buffalo, elk, and deer were very important. They provided food and resources for both Native Americans and early pioneers. Explorers, missionaries, and trappers visited the area as early as 1750. The first recorded white person to visit what is now Brookings County was Joseph LaFramboise. He was a fur-trader who ran a trading post near Flandreau from 1822 to 1827.

How Medary Was Founded

Medary was the first official town in Brookings County. It was also one of the first three settlements in South Dakota. The other two were Flandreau and Sioux Falls. Medary got its name from Samuel Medary, who was the Governor of Minnesota Territory.

The town was founded in May 1857 by the Dakota Land Company. This company was based in St. Paul, Minnesota. Major Franklin J. DeWitt and Alpheus G. Fuller led the company. Samuel A. Medary, Jr., an engineer, joined them on their trip to find the town site. They became the first people to live in Medary, staying there through the winter.

Challenges and New Beginnings

In early 1858, more settlers started to move to Medary. However, in June 1858, Yankton and Yanktonnia Indians drove the settlers away. Medary was then empty until 1869. That year, ten Norwegian settlers arrived from the east. They resettled Medary in a new spot, just north of the old town.

On July 3, 1871, Brookings County was officially organized. This important meeting happened in Martin Trygstad's cabin in Medary. Medary was also home to the first post office in Brookings County, set up in 1871 with Trygstad as postmaster. The first school classes in Brookings County were held in volunteers' homes in Medary. Medary served as the first county seat of Brookings County for eight years, from 1871 to 1879.

Medary Today

Medary, along with nearby towns like Oakwood and Fountain, hoped the new railroad would pass through them. But the railroad bypassed all three towns. Instead, business owners from Medary and Fountain worked together. They decided to build a new town right along the planned railroad tracks. This new town became Brookings in October 1879. Other towns like Aurora and Volga also grew up along the railroad. Many businesses moved from Medary and Fountain to Brookings. Over time, the town of Medary became largely abandoned.

Today, a monument stands at the old site of Medary. It helps remember the town's history. You can find it where 471st Avenue (Brookings County Road 77) and 219th Street (Brookings County Road 22) meet.

Geography and Location

Medary is located in Brookings County, South Dakota. It is about 4.5 miles south of the city of Brookings. The Big Sioux River flows nearby.

Climate in Medary