Zell, South Dakota facts for kids

Zell is a small place in Faulk County, South Dakota, in the United States. It's not a big city but a community located right along U.S. Route 212. Long ago, Zell was an important stop for trains on the old Chicago and North Western Railway line.

The Story of Zell: How It Began

Zell got its first post office way back in 1885. The town itself was officially planned out in 1886. People have different ideas about where the name "Zell" came from. Some think it was named after the Zell family, who were early settlers in the area. Others believe it was named after towns called Zell in countries like Germany, Austria, or Switzerland.

St. Mary's: A Historic Landmark

A very important place in Zell is St. Mary's Church, School and Convent. This church, school, and convent complex was started in Zell in 1883. The Catholic school here taught children from the community for many years, until 1963. Because of its history, the entire complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. This means it's a special place worth protecting.

The Railway Comes to Zell

The Chicago & North Western Railway built a train line through this area in 1886. This line connected the towns of Redfield and Faulkton. At first, the railway planned to put its train station about two miles east of where Zell is now.

However, the people of St. Mary's Church helped out. They gave money to buy land and convinced the railway company to build the station closer to them. So, the train station was built north of St. Mary's Church, right where Zell is today.

First Train Arrives in Zell

The very first train, a locomotive with a work crew, arrived in Zell on September 17, 1886. The bells at St. Mary's Church rang to welcome it! Soon after, in October 1886, the new train station in Zell was finished.

Regular train service then began. These trains carried both passengers and goods. They would leave Faulkton in the morning for Redfield and return from Redfield to Faulkton in the evening.

End of Train Service

Train service was a big part of life in Zell for many years. But in 1970, the Chicago & North Western Railway stopped using its rail line from Redfield to Gettysburg. This meant that Zell no longer had train service.

Zell in Literature

Zell is even mentioned in a book! It appears in an unfinished novel called Yonnondio by the author Tillie Olsen. In the story, a family called the Holbrooks moves to Zell. They become tenant farmers there after leaving their coal mining community in Wyoming.