Pennington County, South Dakota Genealogy

Guide to Pennington County, South Dakota ancestry, genealogy and family history, birth records, marriage records, death records, census records, family history, and military records.

Description
The county was named after John L. Pennington, fifth Governor of Dakota Territory, who held office in 1875 when the county was formed. It is located in the West corner of the state.

County Courthouse
Pennington County Courthouse 315 S Joseph Street; Rapid City, SD 57709-0230 Phone: 605.394.2575 Register of Deeds has birth and death records from 1905, land records; County Treasurer has marriage records from 1887; Clerk Court has divorce and court records from 1877 and probate records from 1884

Record Loss
There is no known history of courthouse disasters in this county.

Boundary Changes

 * Parent County: Pennington County was created 11 January 1875 from unorganized territory.
 * County seat: Rapid City
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of North Dakota - shows boundary changes for South Dakota Counties
 * South Dakota Historical Boundary Changes - list of all boundary changes by county provided by Newberry Library

Populated Places
The following are locations in the county

Territory and State Census Records

 * 1836 - 1836 Wisconsin Territory Census – index only; South Dakota was included in the 1836 Wisconsin Territory Census
 * 1840 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1840 Iowa Territory Census
 * 1850 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1850 Minnesota Territory Census
 * 1860 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1860 Dakota Territory Census
 * 1870 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1870 Dakota Territory Census
 * 1880 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection; South Dakota was included in the 1880 Dakota Territory Census
 * 1885 - South Dakota, Territorial Census, 1885 at Ancestry — ($); index and images
 * 1895 - South Dakota, State Census, 1895 at Ancestry — ($); index and images
 * 1905 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1915 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1925 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1935 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1945 - at FamilySearch Historical Records — index and images - How to Use this Collection

Federal Census Records
Federal Censuses were taken for the state of South Dakota starting in 1890, although only one page survived. The 1900 Census is the next Federal Census available. For links to Federal census indexes, see South Dakota Census.

Church Records
Online Church Records Lutheran Church Presbyterian Church
 * 1875-1940 - U.S., Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county
 * 1701-1970 - U.S., Presbyterian Records, 1701-1970 at Ancestry — ($); Index and images; Dates vary for each county

Other Church Records The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Ward and Branch Records List of Churches and Church Parishes
 * Rapid City
 * FamilySearch Places

Court Records

 * 1870-1997 (*); Rapid City Society for Genealogical Research at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1870-1997 (*); Rapid City Society for Genealogical Research at FamilySearch Catalog — index and images
 * 1889–1903 (*); Rapid City Society for Genealogical Research at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1890-1952 (*); Rapid City Society for Genealogical Research at FamilySearch Catalog — images
 * 1909-1913 (*); Rapid City Society for Genealogical Research at FamilySearch Catalog — images

Land and Property Records
Online Land Records


 * Land Patent Search - index to federal patents and homesteads on the Bureau of Land Management website, some images available
 * 1796 - 1907 - U.S. General Land Office Records, 1796-1907 at Ancestry - index, info taken from Bureau of Land Management website
 * 1863 - 1908 - U.S. Homestead Records 1863-1908 at Ancestry.com - ($), index and images

Local Histories

 * Down in Bull Creek. 1975. By Frieda B. Tupper. Clark, South Dakota : F.B. Tupper..
 * Eastern Pennington County memories. 1965. By American Legion. Auxiliary of Carrol McDonald (Wall, South Dakota) . Wall, South Dakota : American Legion Auxiliary, Carrol McDonald Unit. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library;.
 * A History of Pennington County, S. D.. 1986?. By Pennington County History Book Committee. Rapid City, South Dakota : Pennington County History Book Committee. Online at: ;.
 * Homesteading in the South Dakota badlands. 1971. By Ernest G. Bormann. Stickney, South Dakota : E.G. Bormann..
 * Keystone Mine. n.d. n.p.: n.p. Online at: FamilySearch Digital Library.

Maps and Gazetteers

 * FamilySearch Places:Cities and Towns- How to Use FS Places
 * Interactive Formation Boundary Map of South Dakota - shows boundary changes for South Dakota Counties
 * Historical Maps and Atlases of South Dakota - maps and atlases of South Dakota

Online Collections
These collections are unique to South Dakota. You will find nationwide databases for military records on U.S. Military Online Genealogy Records and South Dakota Military Records. Civil War World War I World War II For further information see South Dakota Military Records.
 * 1861 - 1941 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection
 * 1940 - 1941 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1861 - 1865 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection.
 * 1885 Civil War Veteran's 1885 Census in South Dakota - Index only, Union and Confederate included
 * 1890 at FamilySearch - How to Use this Collection.
 * South Dakota WWI Honor Roll by SDGenWeb - Alphabetical index; List by County
 * WWII Army and Army Air Force Casualties for South Dakota - Index only

Naturalization and Citizenship
Online Naturalization Indexes and Records
 * 1904 - 1928 South Dakota, Federal Naturalization Records, 1904-1928 at Ancestry($) — index and images
 * 1865 - 1972 at FamilySearch — images - How to Use this Collection
 * South Dakota Naturalization Records Index:First Papers — index
 * South Dakota Naturalization Records Index:Second Papers — index
 * Name Index to Naturalization Records from Dakota Territory and South Dakota at National Archives, Kansas City — index

Newspapers
 South Dakota Newspapers Online South Dakota Newspaper Catalogs
 * GenealogyBank - ($), contains images of South Dakota newspapers
 * Newspaper Archive - ($), contains images of South Dakota newspapers
 * Chronicling America - contains images of some South Dakota newspapers; searching tips
 * Elephind - Free; search engine that retrieves newspaper images from other free newspaper websites
 * U.S. Newspaper Directory, 1690-Present on Chronicling America - contains a list of all known newspapers and the dates they cover; once you locate a newspaper name, contact the local library to see if they have copies of the newspaper.

Probate Records
Online Records
 * 1800 – 1985 North Dakota and South Dakota Wills and Probate Records 1800-1985 at Ancestry.com — index and images $
 * 1880 – 1937 at FamilySearch Historical Collections — images; suggestion — learn the case number from the Ancestry.com index above

School Records

 * 1879 - 1970 at FamilySearch — index and images - How to Use this Collection
 * 1879 - 1970 South Dakota, School Records,1879-1970 at Ancestry — images

Social Security Records

 * 1935-2014 at FamilySearch - How to use this collection; index. Also at Ancestry, findmypast, Fold3, GenealogyBank, MyHeritage, and Steve Morse. Click here for more information.
 * 1936-2007 U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007 at Ancestry ($) — index, click here for more information.

Birth

 * 1843 - 1914 at FamilySearch  — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1856 - 1950 South Dakota, Birth Index, 1856-1915 at Ancestry  — index ($)
 * Birth Record Search Site For South Dakota Birth Records With Birth Dates Over 100 Years — index

Marriage

 * 1950 - 2014  — index  — index - How to Use this Collection
 * 1905 - 2013 South Dakota, Marriages, 1905-2013 at Ancestry — index and images ($)

Death

 * 1879 - 1955 South Dakota, Death Index, 1879-1955 at Ancestry — index($)

Family History Centers

 * Rapid City South Dakota Family History Center

Societies
Rapid City Society For Genealogical Research P.O. Box 1495 Rapid City, SD 57709-1495 Email: [mailto:askus@rcgenealogy.com askus@rcgenealogy.com] Website

Websites

 * Genealogy Trails, Pennington County — volunteer transcriptions of genealogical and historical data
 * Pennington County at Cyndi's List — a comprehensive, categorized & cross-referenced list of links that point you to genealogical research sites online
 * Pennington County at South Dakota USGenWeb - free online resources for genealogical research
 * USGenWeb South Dakota Archives, Pennington County — free online data for genealogical research
 * - The FamilySearch catalog contains descriptions and access information for all genealogical materials (including books, online materials, microfilm, microfiche, and publications) in their collection. Use Historical Records to search for specific individuals in genealogical records.