Hidewood Creek Rest Area

Hidewood Creek Rest Area. . , Due east of these rest areas, the valley land looks much as it did before the pioneers came to this country. This area is part of the drainage of Hidewood Creek, located one-and one-half miles south of here. Hidewood's name comes from the prairie past of this territory. Following the War of the Outbreak (also called the Great Sioux Uprising) in Minnesota in 1862, many Sioux fled into this area, where they took refuge in clumps of timber along this creek. Thus, the name Hidewood. , , This area contains many of the threads that were woven into the settlement of Dakota Territory. These rest areas are in Deuel County, which was created in 1862 by the first Territorial Legislature. In 1872 one of the first railroads penetrated into Dakota Territory at present-day Gary, 20 miles northeast of here, prior to settlement of much of this region. In pioneer days the status of a county seat was a clear distinction for a community, and many bitter wrangles preceded final selection. Clear Lake contested with Gary until 1890, when Clear Lake was finally successful in gaining the coveted status. For such winners, there were also losers; Castlewood, 12 miles west of here in Hamlin County, was the County seat from 1884 to 1914, when it lost that honor to Hayti. Religion was important to many settlers, as evidenced by the site of the Tabor Evangelical Church, about two miles northeast of here. The church was founded in 1888, and was in use until 1959. Many of the graves in the nearby cemetery are those of pioneers of this area. , There is no singular historic distinction to this particular rest area site, other than that it is a part of the stage for greater happenings, a witness to the tides of history.