Historical Markers
Silhouette photo of man carrying candle lantern with lighted candle - underground railroad sites

Self-guided · County in South Dakota

Underground Railroad Sites in Union County, SD

Homes, meetinghouses and crossings tied to the Underground Railroad and the people who helped freedom seekers move north.

Open the South Dakota map · All states

Photo: Julia Florczak on Unsplash

Every region holds some piece of the country's story. Union County is one of 66 counties in South Dakota. The markers and register listings are where those pieces are written down, and the closest ones to Union County, SD are listed below.

A person holding a lit lantern in the dark - underground railroad sites
Photo: Subhro Vision on Unsplash
Portrait of Harriet Tubman - underground railroad sites
Photo: Library of Congress on Unsplash
Four brown wooden benches inside house - underground railroad sites
Photo: Tracy Jentzsch on Unsplash

On the record near Union County, SD

The 12 nearest

There are no underground railroad sites on the record within 300 miles of Union County, SD. These are the 12 listed historic sites of any kind closest to it, out of 102 within 30 miles. 14 listed sites carry Union County as their county.

  1. Murtha, Charles, House and Brick Yard4.8 miles from the center of Union County · Building · Elk Point · listed 1982National Register of Historic Places
  2. St. Peter's Catholic Church7.1 miles from the center of Union County · District · Jerrerson · listed 1989National Register of Historic Places
  3. South Dakota Dept. of Transportation Bridge No. 64-061-1997.7 miles from the center of Union County · Structure · Elk Point · listed 1993National Register of Historic Places
  4. Akron Opera House9.1 miles from the center of Union County · Building · Akron · listed 2012National Register of Historic Places
  5. Junction City Rest Stop Tipi9.5 miles from the center of Union County · Object · Junction City · listed 2015National Register of Historic Places
  6. Baker House9.8 miles from the center of Union County · Building · Alcester · listed 1979National Register of Historic Places
  7. Cook Blacksmith Shop11 miles from the center of Union County · Building · Ponca · listed 1974National Register of Historic Places
  8. Dixon County Courthouse11 miles from the center of Union County · Building · Ponca · listed 1990National Register of Historic Places
  9. Burbank School No. 1012 miles from the center of Union County · Building · Burbank · listed 1996National Register of Historic Places
  10. United Brethren Church13 miles from the center of Union County · Building · West Akron · listed 2001National Register of Historic Places
  11. Great Northern Railway Steam Locomotive No. 1355 and Tender 145114 miles from the center of Union County · Structure · Sioux City · listed 2004National Register of Historic Places
  12. SERGEANT FLOYD15 miles from the center of Union County · Structure · Sioux City · listed 1989National Register of Historic Places

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

Underground Railroad in Union 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 Union County, SD ask first

How much does it cost to visit these sites in Union 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 Union 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 Union County

  1. Step 1

    Find the place

    Every stop starts as a pin with real coordinates. In Union 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 Union 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 Union County, SD

People using rifles near trees - civil war sitesCivil War SitesA group of men dressed in period costumes - revolutionary war sitesRevolutionary War SitesA woman dressed in period clothing holding a wooden pole - colonial history sitesColonial HistoryDemonstrators walk along a street holding signs demanding the right to vote and equal civil rights at the March on Washington - civil rights history sitesCivil Rights HistoryA girl with a t - shirt that says i am black history - black history sitesBlack History SitesA traveler enjoying a moment at a historic cliff dwelling in Colorado - native american historic sitesNative American Sites14-yr. old striker, Fola La Follette, and Rose Livingston - women's history sitesWomen's History SitesBoy looks inside the barrel of an old cannon - military history sitesMilitary History

Underground Railroad near Union County

Underground Railroad everywhere in the US · Every way in