Historical Markers
People climbing wooden stairs on a steep hillside toward a wooden observation tower - new deal and depression-era sites

Self-guided · County in South Dakota

New Deal and Depression-Era Sites in Day County, SD

Lodges, lookouts, bathhouses and public buildings put up by the WPA and the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression.

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Photo: Jeffrey Eisen on Unsplash

Day County is one of 66 counties in South Dakota. The record for this chapter of history is uneven, and some of it is hard to read. That is a reason to go and see it, not a reason to skip it.

Men gathered around a campfire in a forest - new deal and depression-era sites
Photo: The Oregon State University Collections and Archives on Unsplash
Group of loggers with a two-man saw in a forest - new deal and depression-era sites
Photo: The Oregon State University Collections and Archives on Unsplash
Man and woman sitting on black wooden rocking chairs - new deal and depression-era sites
Photo: Aaron Thomas on Unsplash

On the record near Day County, SD

The 11 nearest

11 listed sites on the record match new deal and depression-era sites within 200 miles of Day County, SD, out of 21 listed sites of every kind within 25 miles. 10 listed sites carry Day County as their county.

  1. Lac qui Parle State Park WPA/Rustic Style Historic District83 miles from the center of Day County · District · Montevideo · listed 1991National Register of Historic Places
  2. Alpena Bathhouse and Swimming Pool92 miles from the center of Day County · Building · Alpena · listed 2000National Register of Historic Places
  3. Amphitheater and Fieldstone WPA Features at Valley City Pioneer Park110 miles from the center of Day County · Object · Valley City · listed 2011National Register of Historic Places
  4. Lake Carlos State Park WPA/Rustic Style Group Camp113 miles from the center of Day County · Building · Carlos · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
  5. Campbell, Gina Smith, Bathhouse114 miles from the center of Day County · Building · Dell Rapids · listed 1986National Register of Historic Places
  6. Lake Shetak State Park WPA/Rustic Style Group Camp125 miles from the center of Day County · Building · Currie · listed 1992National Register of Historic Places
  7. Lindbergh, Charles A., State Park WPA/Rustic Style Historic Resources157 miles from the center of Day County · District · Little Falls · listed 1989National Register of Historic Places
  8. Trappers Bay State Park Picnic Shelter170 miles from the center of Day County · Building · Lake Park · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places
  9. Pequot Fire Lookout Tower177 miles from the center of Day County · Structure · Pequot Lakes · listed 2017National Register of Historic Places
  10. Pikes Point State Park Shelter and Steps178 miles from the center of Day County · District · Spirit Lake · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places
  11. Lake Bemidji State Park CCC/NYA/Rustic Style Historic Resources197 miles from the center of Day County · District · Bemidji · listed 1989National Register of Historic Places

Distances are straight-line from the center of Day County, SD. Many sites are private property or working buildings - view them from the public way. See them on the map.

New Deal Sites in Day County, step by step

  1. 1

    Read the short history of the period for this area

  2. 2

    Open the map filtered to the sites from that chapter

  3. 3

    Visit the nearest site and read its full record

  4. 4

    Ask what the marker leaves out and look for the rest

  5. 5

    Add the site to a route that follows the period in order

What people in Day County, SD ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Day County, SD?

Most listed sites can be seen from a public road or sidewalk at no cost, and the app is free to use. Some sites are private homes, working churches or museums with their own hours and fees. The record for each one says what it is, so you know before you go.

Where does the information on these sites come from?

From published records: the National Register of Historic Places, the Recorded Texas Historic Landmark program, and the Georgia Historical Society and Georgia Department of Natural Resources marker program. Every site on the page names its source.

Are the hard parts of this history included?

Yes. The record is shown as published, and the stories behind the markers include what happened, who it happened to, and how it was remembered. Leaving the hard parts out would make the stop less worth the trip.

Why are there so many of these sites near Day County, SD?

Most areas have more than people expect, because the registers list every surviving building and site tied to a period, not just the famous ones. The list on this page shows exactly what is on the record nearby.

How a visit works in Day County

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Day County, SD the map shows what is listed around you and how far each one is, so the first decision is where to go, and it takes a few seconds.

  2. Step 2

    Read the story

    The record behind each marker is kept whole: what happened there, when, who was involved, and why it was worth a sign. You read it standing where it happened, which is the part a textbook cannot give you.

  3. Step 3

    Get there under your own power

    Walk it, run it, hike it, ride it or drive it. Stops in Day County, SD are chained into routes that fit the way you move, so a lunch break, a long run or a Saturday drive can all pass through history.

  4. Step 4

    Collect it and come back

    Each stop you reach counts toward a badge, and a photo or a correction you send makes the record better for the next person. The map remembers where you have been, so the next trip starts where the last one ended.

The rules that make it work

The record comes first

Every site on these pages comes from a published register or marker program, with its source named. Nothing is listed that is not on the record.

Read the whole story

A marker is a few lines on a post. The story behind it is longer, and it includes the hard parts. Both are worth the stop.

Movement makes it stick

People remember the places they walked to. A route through five markers teaches more than fifty marker pages read on a couch.

Local beats famous

The marker two streets over usually has a better story than the one in the guidebook, and nobody else is standing in front of it.

Respect the ground

Many sites are private homes, working churches or cemeteries. View from the public way, follow posted hours, and leave it as you found it.

Every visitor can improve it

Markers go missing, get moved, or carry mistakes. A photo or a location fix from the person standing there is how the record stays right.

More ways in around Day County, SD

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New Deal Sites near Day County

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