The South Dakota State Historical Society, after an initial meeting in April, was founded on May 7, 1862 as the Old Settlers Association of Dakota Territory.[2] It was renamed the Historical Society of Dakota in 1863 and the South Dakota Historical Society in 1890, months after the state was admitted to the union. In 1901, the South Dakota Legislature took the Society into state government when it established the organization as an official arm of state government, the State Historical Society of South Dakota. About 1925, the name was changed to its present name, South Dakota State Historical Society. With each change of name, the property of the old Society was formally transferred to its successor.
Over the years the Society was quartered in various places from the territorial post office in Yankton, the old territorial capitol, Pierre University, the temporary state capitol, and the current State Capitol. In 1932, the Society opened the new Soldier's and Sailor's Memorial Building. In 1989, the Culture Heritage Center was opened as a home for all archives, a museum, and their administrative offices.[1]
The initial directors were termed 'Secretary.' When the Society was reorganized in 1901, the directors were called 'Superintendent.' Since Dayton Canaday, the chief executive has been termed 'Director.' Directors were all volunteers until the third year of Doane Robinson. The title of 'State Historian' is independent of being Director. Recently many Directors have also been State Historian.
In the spring of 1863, the Society accepted its first library collection items. Around the turn of the 20th century, the state workers managed the Society's library and the State Library collections together. In 1975, the State Archives were incorporated into the Society, which continues to operate them and also functions as a public research (non-lending) library. The Society had employed a librarian and manuscripts curator who were then included in the State Archives.
The first documented item came to the Society in 1882. Collections have been formally cataloged since 1904. American Indian, Military, and political ephemera characterize the collection. The Society began a formal museum to exhibit these artifacts in 1902 and has award-winning exhibits ever since.
In 1946, the Society began an archaeology program under Edythe L. George in response to the Flood Control Act of 1944. Sites along the river due to be flooded were surveyed. State Archaeology professionalized and created a State Board for Archaeology, a forerunner of the modern Archaeological Research Center of the South Dakota State Historical Society. ARC is quartered in Rapid City.
As a result of the 1972 state government reorganization, the South Dakota State Historic Preservation Office entered the Society. The National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 established offices in each state. Initially quartered in Vermillion, the office moved to Pierre in 1998.
In 1997, the Society organized the South Dakota Historical Society Press as a collaboration of its Publications and Research Department and the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation. Members of the Society had first published beginning in 1870. The Society published member serials in 1936-1938 and 1947-1970, The modern South Dakota History journal began in December of 1970.
In 2014, the South Dakota State Historical Society published an annotated version of Wilder's autobiography, titled Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Pamela Smith Hill (Editor).[3][4]
In 2023, the Society broke ground on the renovation of its headquarters, the Cultural Heritage Center.
Programs
Archaeological Resource Center
Museum of the South Dakota State Historical Society
