Posted in South Dakota Attractions July 03, 2022 by

Most People Don’t Know The Meaning Behind These 13 South Dakota Towns

There are plenty of towns out there with names that will make you scratch your head in wonder. Such is the case with the following 13 weird town names in South Dakota. The towns’ names are nothing short of unusual, but many of them do have an origin. By looking into the history of the towns, you can learn why they have the name they do and where it came from. So, to find out about each of these towns, let’s take a look at the information below.

1. Peever
Peever, SD 57257, USA
Google maps
This little town in the very top right corner of South Dakota was founded in 1898. The name, though unusual, did not come from an unusual way. Like many early settlements, it was named after one of its earliest residents - F. H. Peever.
2. Box Elder
Box Elder, SD, USA
mr_t_77/Flickr
The obvious origin of Box Elder would be that it was named after box elder trees, but it's actually named after the nearby creek, Boxelder Creek. Boxelder Creek was named after box elder trees. Luckily, neither are related to the similarly named boxelder bugs.
3. Waubay
Waubay, SD 57273, USA
flickr/USFWS Mountain-Prairie
This town name is a fun one to say out loud, but that's beside the point. The name Waubay comes from the Lakota Sioux language. It means "a place where numbers of birds make their nest." It's very true to its name. A national wildlife refuge is located here that's home to more than 100 species of birds, mostly waterfowl.
4. Blunt
Blunt, SD 57522, USA
Jerry Huddleston/Flickr
Let me be blunt with you here, I'm awful at puns. And Blunt is, too. It was named after the railroad official John E. Blunt, which was very common during the settling of the Dakota Territory back in the late 1800s. Many towns were only created as the railroad went through and were named after members of the railroad as a result.
5. Highmore
Highmore, SD 57345, USA
Jimmy Emerson/Flickr
To follow up Blunt, Highmore was named simply for its high elevation of 1,886 feet. Its town motto is "A Great Place To Live, Work, And Play."
6. Kadoka
Kadoka, SD 57543, USA
Jimmy Emerson/Flickr
As the sign states, Kadoka is the gateway to the badlands. The origin of the name would say slightly different, as Kadoka means "hole in the wall" in Lakota.
7. Hooker
Hooker, SD 57070, USA
Google maps
Hooker is almost a ghost town in Turner County. The post office closed in 1954, and now the town is nearly empty. The name came from a settler, John Hooker, and nothing else.
8. Bonesteel
Bonesteel, SD 57317, USA
Jimmy Emerson/Flickr
Though Bonesteel sounds like a pretty tough name at first, the town is actually very pleasant. The name didn't come from any sort of scary legend or person. It simply came from the name of a man who worked as a freight forwarder in that county.
9. Pukwana
Pukwana, SD 57370, USA
Google maps
Pukwana is home to 285 residents and the "Puk U" bar. It was actually originally named Carlton. The name Pukwana can mean the smoke of a peace-pipe, or a signal or beacon.
10. Volin
Volin, SD 57072, USA
Google maps
Volin, South Dakota was not named after any sort of instrument, and if it was, whoever named it would have made a serious typo. The town was named after Henry P. Volin, a man who owned land in the area, in 1887.
11. Athol
Athol, SD 57424, USA
Google maps
The name of this town has quite the history, actually. Athol wasn't Athol at all at first. It was Myrtle City, named after the first settler child born there, but when the railroad came through, it was changed to what it is today. It was based off of a city in Massachusetts named Athol.
12. Johnson Siding
Johnson Siding, Mount Rushmore UT, SD 57702, USA
Google maps
This town is more of a roadside stop and a popular resting spot for bikers during the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. While it sounds like the name of some house siding company (I'm pretty sure I've heard a radio jingle at some time in my life for some sort of Johnson Siding), it's actually named after a siding along a railroad track near Rapid Creek.
13. Akaska
Akaska, SD 57472, USA
Google maps
While this looks like a typo of Alaska (which would be very easy to make considering the keyboard layout), the true meaning is "uncertain" in the Sioux language. Only 42 people live here and the railway service stopped going to Akaska in 1940.

Did you already know about the origins of any of these 13 town names? If so, please let us know in the comments below. Some of these 13 towns are very remote and not many people even know they exist, much like these rural South Dakota towns.

Address: Box Elder, SD, USA
Address: Highmore, SD 57345, USA
Address: Bonesteel, SD 57317, USA
Address: Kadoka, SD 57543, USA
Address: Blunt, SD 57522, USA
Address: Peever, SD 57257, USA
Address: Athol, SD 57424, USA
Address: Pukwana, SD 57370, USA
Address: Volin, SD 57072, USA
Address: Hooker, SD 57070, USA
Address: Johnson Siding, Mount Rushmore UT, SD 57702, USA
Address: Akaska, SD 57472, USA
Address: Waubay, SD 57273, USA
The OIYS Visitor Center

weird town names in south dakota

July 08, 2022
Jennifer Young

What are two funny town names in South Dakota and the meaning behind them?

While traveling through South Dakota, you can’t help but notice the funny welcome signs prior to entering some of the towns. A few of the signs are so funny that you’ll probably wonder how the towns even got their name. Listed below are two funny town names in South Dakota and why they have the name they do. Were you already familiar with these towns and their funny names?

1. Mud Butte

We can’t help but laugh whenever we hear “Mud Butte.” Mud Butte is an unincorporated community in Meade County, South Dakota. It was named after a nearby barren butte, which is an isolated hill that has steep sides and a flat top. One of the reasons why this town is extra special, other than its name of course, is that the sixth Tyrannosaurus Rex skeleton that was ever discovered took place here in 1981.

2. Hooker

A town name like “Hooker” will certainly get anyone’s attention. Hooker, South Dakota is an unincorporated community in Turner County. Despite its funny name, Hooker was actually named after its founder, John Hooker.

Many towns are actually named after certain people. What are three of these South Dakota town names?

1. Humboldt

In 1891, three German settlers named the town of Humboldt after Alexander Van Humboldt. Mr. Humboldt was a German (Prussian) geographer, explorer, naturalist, and very wise philosopher. With a population of less than 600, Humboldt is one of South Dakota’s smallest towns.

2. Brookings

The town of Brookings, which was founded in 1883, was named after Wilmot Brookings. Wilmot Brookings was one of South Dakota’s early promoters, in addition to being a judge, a businessman, and a politician. Interestingly, Mr. Brookings was also the first provisional governor of the Dakota Territory.

3. Beresford

Beresford is located in Union County, South Dakota and was named after Lord Charles Beresford of England. Lord Charles Beresford was an important member of Parliament and the Royal Navy. Prior to Beresford’s incorporation in 1884, the town was known as Paris.

Address: Box Elder, SD, USA
Address: Highmore, SD 57345, USA
Address: Bonesteel, SD 57317, USA
Address: Kadoka, SD 57543, USA
Address: Blunt, SD 57522, USA
Address: Peever, SD 57257, USA
Address: Athol, SD 57424, USA
Address: Pukwana, SD 57370, USA
Address: Volin, SD 57072, USA
Address: Hooker, SD 57070, USA
Address: Johnson Siding, Mount Rushmore UT, SD 57702, USA
Address: Akaska, SD 57472, USA
Address: Waubay, SD 57273, USA