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Wandermore in South Dakota, Wall, SD (2026)

09/12/2026

Town Spotlight: Leola, South Dakota
Population: 434
County: McPherson (County Seat)
Town 229/310
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Leola was founded in 1885 and named for Leola Haynes, the daughter of one of the town's founders, Captain E. D. Haynes. Haynes was one of several men, the others being Tarquin Franklyn, H. A. and Louis Moulton, John Ho**er, John Murrie, S. P. Hardenbrook, Andrew Williams, and Walter Cavanaugh, who met in Ordway to head north in search of homesteads for their families. They settled on this parcel of land in what is now McPherson County. On July 2, 1883, they opened the first crucial piece of infrastructure: a post office. Next came a saloon, a livery stable, A. J. Clayton's blacksmith shop, the Boucher Brothers Abstract Company, and the Leola Blade newspaper: entrepreneurs and their businesses piled in by the dozens. Leola was on the rise until an April 2, 1889 fire, spread by burning buffalo chips and high winds, destroyed over eighty buildings. Despite their losses, Leola forged onward, and the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad arrived in 1906. Leola became the McPherson County seat, and by 1911, it had added several hotels, elevators, and stores selling furniture, jewelry, implements, and more. Other significant additions to the cityscape included a bandstand, a Presbyterian church, a Congregational church, a Lutheran church, a German Lutheran church and school, a public school, and the McPherson County Courthouse. After Leola was declared the McPherson County seat in 1885, citizens immediately began constructing a two-story wood-frame structure to house the county government and essential documents. As the town outgrew the small building, citizens decided circa 1927 to erect a new building in the Classical Revival style to serve the community. Architects from St. Paul, Minnesota, Buechner & Orth, drew the blueprints, while the Majerus Company built the stately three-story structure brick by brick. Leola was officially incorporated on May 1, 1919.
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These photos of Leola were primarily taken on June 30, 2022. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in South Dakota covers all 310 incorporated communities:

09/11/2026

Town Spotlight: Hillsview, South Dakota
Population: 2
County: McPherson
Town 234/310
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Hillsview was the smallest incorporated community in South Dakota as of the 2020 Census, with a population of just two individuals. Founded in 1887, the town was named because of its lofty elevation atop a hill. The townsite, laid out by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, was predated only by a post office that entered service on March 10, 1886. In its heyday, Hillsview had a population of a couple hundred residents. As of 1911, it had two elevators, a general store, a church, and a public and parochial school. A butcher shop and a bank came later, and in the 1940s, the Census reported its highest "official" population as 160 people. In 2023, the final residents moved away, leaving it unincorporated without a mayor or council. James Imberi became mayor of Hillsview in the 1990s, when the population was four, and after his death on November 6, 2016, his wife Helen took over.
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These photos of Hillsview were primarily taken on June 30, 2022. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in South Dakota covers all 310 incorporated communities:

09/10/2026

Town Spotlight: Eureka, South Dakota
Population: 814
County: McPherson
Town 235/310
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Formerly called St. Petersburg by its early Russo-German homesteaders, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad changed the town's name to "Eureka" on October 3, 1887, at the suggestion of Charles Pfeffer. Eureka is a Greek word meaning "I have found it!" Although the railroad was a branch line of the James River Division, Eureka experienced incredible prosperity as it was designated as the terminus. Its position at the end of the railroad offered ample growth opportunities, and early immigrants knew their businesses would surely prosper in a town of such stature. The first trains arrived on July 27; the townsite was surveyed on October 3, and the post office was established on November 22. Between 1887 and 1902, Eureka became the primary "Wheat Capital of the World," with thousands of freight carloads shipped yearly. At one point, it had 42 grain elevators that could handle 4 million bushels annually. The railroad later expanded northward, stripping the town of its designation as the number one wheat market in the United States, but its growth continued. Circa 1911, Eureka boasted a population of about one thousand residents, who enjoyed the goods and services of the following businesses: three liveries, two creameries, two implement stores, a newspaper, a harness shop, an insurance firm, two restaurants, a blacksmith shop a furniture store, two saloons, a bank, a bazaar, a hotel, a jewelry store, a photographer two stores, a lumber yard, a German bank, a drug store, a meat market, a mill, stockyard, at least eight other shops and stores, professional offices, several of the elevators as mentioned earlier, and others not listed in the business directory. The town also had an opera house, a social hall, a public school, a Lutheran College, and church buildings for Catholics, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Baptists, Congregationalists, and Evangelicals. The college was known as "Eureka Lutheran College". The ELCA Iowa Synod founded it in 1910 as an academy and proseminary. Financial woes forced it to become a junior college in 1917. By 1933, it merged with St. Paul Luther College in St. Paul, Minnesota. The little metropolis kept adding businesses and people until the 1950s. By then, it had reached its peak of 1,576 citizens. In 2000, Eureka made headlines when it lobbied to make Kuchen, a German cake-like dessert, South Dakota's official state dessert. The Eureka Pioneer Museum features the city's local history. Numerous famous individuals hail from or have connections to Eureka, including the co-founders of the LPGA, Alice Bauer and Marlene Bauer Hagge; Al Neuharth, the founder of USA Today; Olympic wrestlers Bill and Jim Scherr; author and public speaker V. J. Smith; Kitty O'Neil, "the fastest woman in the world" who held the absolute land speed record until 2019 (at 621 miles per hour); and Charles N. Herreid, the fourth Governor of South Dakota.
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These photos of Eureka were primarily taken on June 30, 2022. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in South Dakota covers all 310 incorporated communities:

09/09/2026

Hoodies, crewnecks, t-shirts, and long sleeves, oh my! 👕

For the first time in THREE YEARS, we’ve decided to bring back Wandermore apparel!! https://wandermorepublishing.com/shop/southdakota

This has been a looong time coming. Those of you who followed us through Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota, and Kansas may remember our “Home” shirts from 2020–2023. But if you joined the Wandermore Project during North Dakota, Minnesota, or Colorado, you’ve never had the chance to check them out!

We designed the new apparel with comfort in mind. I’m a blankey boy, and Eliese will be the first one to confirm that, lol. The t-shirts and long sleeves are made with ultra-soft material, the crewnecks are warm and cozy, and we intentionally went with a premium hoodie that should be perfect for cooler fall weather.

Between all seven states, each product comes in a bunch of different colors, with many options available from Small through 5XL.

Whether you’re exploring the Black Hills, road-tripping through the Badlands, spending a chilly evening in your hometown, or just trying to stay warm when fall settles over the prairie, these were made to be a comfortable way to represent the place you call home.

And to celebrate the return of Wandermore apparel, everything is 10% OFF for the next week! Just use code HOME3 at checkout! 🎉

Introductory pricing runs through Wednesday, September 16, and everything returns to full price on Thursday, September 17.

So if you’ve been wanting some Wandermore gear—or you’re already thinking about Christmas gifts—now’s a pretty good time to grab one! These were a HIT with families during our first few state projects, and we’re so excited to finally bring them back.

If you have any questions about sizing, colors, or anything else, give us a shout in the comments! We’d be happy to help. There are also a few additional color options for each state and item, so if you don’t see exactly what you’re looking for, let us know and we’ll see what we can do.

Have a great rest of your week, y’all! Now it’s back to work on the Colorado book for us. 😂

- Seth & Eliese

09/08/2026

Town Spotlight: Spencer, South Dakota
Population: 136
County: McCook
Town 29/310
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Spencer made national headlines on May 30, 1998, when the most destructive tornado in South Dakota history (an F-4) leveled the community's post office, fire station, library, bank, and several of its churches. The tornado claimed the lives of six residents and reported winds as high as 264 miles per hour. Following the devastation, Spencer's population was halved from 317 residents in 1990 to just 157 in 2000. Its beginnings can be traced back to 1887 when it was laid out on Wolf Creek by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad. Named for Hugh Spencer, a railroad official, it welcomed its post office on June 8, 1887. It was incorporated as a municipality about thirty years later, on June 6, 1917. The first depot was opened and operated by E. L. Hunskaar, and numerous other firms conducted business during its most prosperous decade, between 1910 and 1920. Amongst the most notable firms of 1911 Spencer were its five elevators, two lumber yards, liveries, hotels (namely the Merz House and the Spencer House), banks, hardware and implement stores, general merchandise stores, a creamery, a drug store, a pool hall, a jeweler, a furniture store, a garage, a newspaper, and other shops. An opera house, hospital, public school, Christian church, St. Matthew's Catholic Church, Baptist church, and a Lutheran church headlined the early accomplishments of the townspeople. As many as 637 people called Spencer their home at any given time, according to the 1920 Census.

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These photos of Spencer were primarily taken on March 14, 2022. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in South Dakota covers all 310 incorporated communities:

09/08/2026

Town Spotlight: Salem, South Dakota
Population: 1,325
County: McCook (County Seat)
Town 30/310
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Now serving as the county seat of McCook County, Salem was founded in 1880 and named in honor of early settler Oliver S. Pendar's hometown of Salem, Massachusetts. Its name was Melas (Salem spelled backward) for a short while so the railroad and post office would not confuse it with the now-defunct town of Salena. Platted in July 1880 on Snake Creek, this stream was once prominent throughout the townsite. Several small bridges were constructed to aid pedestrians, horses, and buggies in crossing it at various points throughout the townsite, but they were destroyed in a 1907 flood. The Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway was the first railroad to arrive at the settlement, and only a few years later, the Dakota Central division of the Chicago & Northwestern was completed here. Salem was catapulted into prosperity as a junction point for two of eastern South Dakota's major railroads. The first general store was owned by O. S. Pender and John Tabor, who moved their firm here from Cameron. Other businesses included Martin Glaser's Salem House hotel, J. F. Norton's real estate office, J. H. Brown's Salem Bank, and Ruttan & White's Pioneer Register newspaper. As more settlers flooded into Salem to take advantage of the opportunities provided by the presence of two railroads, a roller mill, a meat market, five implement stores, four elevators, two banks, a second newspaper, and countless hardware, general, and drug stores, among a couple dozen others, were conducting business within the next decade or so. At one point, it even had five hotels: the Lewis House, the Irish House of Parliament, the Depot Hotel, the Lucerne Hotel, and the Commercial Hotel. Salem was incorporated in 1885, shortly after it had secured the county seat, with W. D. Roberts serving as its first mayor. A grand courthouse was erected, and churches were raised for the Catholics, Lutherans, Baptists, Presbyterians, and Methodists. J. E. Miller built the first school, a two-story wood-frame building, in 1881. Its second floor briefly served as a public hall, a courthouse, and a church. Town historians often remember two early stories, the first being the "railroad gang fight of 1883." Some of the railroad workers of the Chicago & North Western, working their way from Huron, South Dakota, to Hawarden, Iowa, claimed that they were above the law in Salem and that they would soon run the town. The men of Salem, not accepting any lawlessness, took enforcement into their own hands and chased the gang out of town with cues from the pool hall. The worst fire in Salem's history occurred on July 1, 1910, causing nearly $40,000 in damage and claiming several buildings on east Main Street.
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These photos of Salem were primarily taken on March 14, 2022. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in South Dakota covers all 310 incorporated communities:

09/06/2026

As of this past week, Eliese and I have now been to every incorporated community in Colorado!! 🎉 The Wandermore in Colorado book will be out in mid-October 🤩 wandermorepublishing.com/colorado 📚

Thanks to everybody who followed along with us this year! ❤️

09/06/2026

Town Spotlight: Montrose, South Dakota
Population: 468
County: McCook
Town 32/310
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Strategically laid out on the banks of the East Vermillion River in June 1880 by Drake & Wilder, the name "Montrose" is an amalgamation of "mountain" and "roses," a couple of Mother Nature's features found near the original town site. It was suggested by the town's first postmaster, W. M. Brown. The first to enter the business scene were Walker & Smith and their dry goods store, followed by W. J. Clark and Fuller & Butterfield. Within a few years, those lines had expanded to include five general stores, two hardware stores, two livery stables, two land offices, three grain warehouses, and a harness shop, meat market, lumber yard, hotel, drug store, millinery, and the Herald newspaper office. In 1882, a schoolhouse was built for $2,500, and at that time, Catholic and Baptist churches were also built. Five elevators were built on the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railroad to export local farmers' yields, and a mill, banks, an opera house, a Methodist Episcopal church, and a new Catholic church building were in place by 1911. A popular attraction outside of town is the Porter Sculpture Park, a collection of over 50 sculptures made of scrap metal, railroad tie plates, and other metal objects.
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These photos of Montrose were primarily taken on March 14, 2022. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in South Dakota covers all 310 incorporated communities:

09/05/2026

Town Spotlight: Canistota, South Dakota
Population: 631
County: McCook
Town 31/310
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A Chicago & Northwestern Railroad official, Major Free, opted to name this town for his hometown of Canastota, New York. A transcription error while applying for a post office caused the spelling to be changed to Canistota. The railroad used the intended spelling until June 28, 1919, when it aligned with the post office's spelling. The town was formally established on October 22, 1883, by the Western Town Lot Company and incorporated in 1900. Originally made up of twenty-two blocks, the "Home of the Hawks" has grown in both population and size. However, its population from 1920 to 2020 fluctuated only between a low of 590 in 1930 and a high of 700 in 2000, according to the 2000 Census. In addition to its banks, elevators, and businesses, some of the earliest accomplishments of Canistota's townspeople were its Opera House, a German Lutheran church, a Presbyterian church, and a Methodist Episcopal church. The Ortman Hotel was later renovated into the Ortman Clinic, a longstanding institution that served the surrounding Amish population for decades. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on February 21, 1997, but was torn down in late 2023. Tourists can enjoy recreational activities at Lake Vermillion Recreation Area. Matthew Mayer, a number-one Billboard Charting New Age pianist, grew up here.
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These photos of Canistota were primarily taken on March 14, 2022. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in South Dakota covers all 310 incorporated communities:

09/02/2026

Town Spotlight: Bridgewater, South Dakota
Population: 511
County: McCook
Town 24/310
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Once named "Nation" by the original townsite owners J. B. and Robert Nation, this town's name was changed in 1880 by railroad workers who had to carry water to the townsite across a bridge. Orlan K. Bullard took over as postmaster on January 5, 1880, when the office was still known as Nation, and he continued serving after the change. Bridgewater was platted in March 1881, and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad entered the townsite, providing the trade route and materials it needed to become a substantial settlement. A county-wide election brought the judicial seat to Bridgewater from Cameron by a vote of 119 to 109. Much to the dismay of 79 other voters, their choice of county seat in Montrose was considered invalid since it did "not yet exist." Tabor & Berry moved their store from Cameron to Bridgewater, and after a blizzardy winter, the Bullard Brothers put up a store in April 1881. J. P. McKee and W. J. Bollinger followed with their general and hardware stores, respectively. Almost as soon as it had garnered the county seat title, Bridgewater lost a follow-up election to Salem in 1882. Despite this loss, Catholic, Methodist & Presbyterian church buildings and a large public school went up. Other firms in the early 1880s included J. B. Nation's McCook County Bank, R. Nation's "Nation House" hotel, the D. R. Putnam elevator, the Bassett, Hunting & Company elevator, and the newspapers The Times and The Journal. Bridgewater grew to a population of 976 in 1920, at which point it also had a Catholic school, an additional bank, a German Baptist church, and a slew of other enterprises. Baseball Hall of Famer and three-time World Series champion (in 1975, 1976, and 1984) and manager Sparky Anderson lived his earliest days roaming the streets of Bridgewater. Donald M. Anderson, a noted calligrapher and graphic designer known for his art and design textbooks, also hails from here.
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These photos of Bridgewater were primarily taken on March 14, 2022. Communities are always changing, so some businesses, buildings, signs, and other features may look different today. Our town spotlights are not intended to be comprehensive directories of every business, attraction, landmark, or point of interest. We’re often first-time visitors, so we simply photograph and share a selection of what we encounter along the way. Some local favorites will inevitably be missed! We voluntarily research, photograph, and share these spotlights here on Facebook free of charge, and we always welcome locals to add their own photos, memories, recommendations, and stories in the comments. We hope you enjoyed our spotlight on town! ❤️ Want to see more? Our Wandermore books include additional history, travel information, and photos—including images that couldn’t fit within Facebook’s 100-photo limit. Wandermore in South Dakota covers all 310 incorporated communities:

Wandermore in South Dakota

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