Near Forestburg in Sanborn County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Forestburg Roadside Park

Along the Old Dacotah Trail

Photographed by Ruth VanSteenwyk, February 21, 2016

1. Forestburg Roadside Park Marker

Inscription. Long before the white man, an Indian Trail from the sanctuary at Pipestone Quarry to the "Three Rivers of the Sioux" near Ft. Thompson passed closely by. The whiteman's first road in Dakota, the Ft. Ridgely & South Pass Wagon Road, forded the James 7 miles north in 1857. The rock ford and a monument mark the site. December 1862 the "March to Moscow" relief expedition from Minnesota to Ft Thompson passed by "Mazeppa Hill" 2 ½ miles NE, now called Big Mound. In 1865 the "Big Cheyenne Wagon Road," Minnesota to Montana crossed the James at Big Mound. In 1873, first settlers George Walker, W.M. Tait, G.W. Hunter filed a few miles downstream and in 1874 W.G. Santee, Cyrus Ingram, and W.R. Belcher arrived; with Ingram and Belcher families staging 4th of July celebration to delight of Indians, on Big Mound. Santee became postmaster at Forestburg 5 November 1875, the "furtherest North" in James Valley for 4 years. This area, first in a gigantic Buffalo County in 1864, was in a larger Hanson in 1870; then in a long narrow Bramble in 1873 and a Big Miner in 1879. Forestburg was county seat December 2, 1880 until after the election

Paid Advertisement

Click or scan to see
this page online

of 1882 when Howard won and stole the records from a reluctant Forestburg. In 1883 a bill creating Brisbine was introduced but wind of possible gubernatorial displeasure caused a change to Sanborn, a railway official and it was so enacted and there were two sets of County Commissioners, at Forrestburg and at Letcher, until in the 1884 election Woonsocket won and settled the dispute. First train reached Forestburg on November 12, 1883 but the railroad had pushed north to Letcher in fall of 1882.

Erected 1958 by Tom M. Brisbine, Woonsocket and State Highway Commission. (Marker Number 136.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the South Dakota State Historical Society Markers series list. A significant historical date for this entry is November 5, 1875.

Location. 44° 1.653′ N, 98° 7.286′ W. Marker is near Forestburg, South Dakota, in Sanborn County. It is on State Highway 34 0.7 miles west of 405th Ave., on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Artesian SD 57314, United

Photographed by Ruth VanSteenwyk, February 21, 2016

2. Forestburg Roadside Park Marker

States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in East River

and specifically in the James River Valley.

It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor,

on the prairies,

and on the Northern Plains.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land

and also the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers. At least 4 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Ruskin Park (approx. 1.8 miles away); Col. W. H. Nobles (approx. 7.2 miles away); Sanborn County Veterans Memorial (approx. 8 miles away); In Memorium (approx. 10 miles away).

Credits. This page was last revised on July 17, 2021. It was originally submitted on February 23, 2016, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 1,058 times since then and 40 times this year. Last updated on July 17, 2021. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 23, 2016, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.