Huron in Beadle County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

"The Heart of Pheasant Territory"

September 5, 2025

1. "The Heart of Pheasant Territory" Marker

Inscription. In the late 1800's, South Dakotans took a fancy to the exotic Ringneck Pheasant and began efforts to introduce the game bird into the state. After several attempts failed to naturalize the birds, A.E. Cooper and E.L. Ebbert released a few dozen birds onto their adjoining farms North of Huron in 1909. The combined acreage provided enough cover, water and food for the pheasants to thrive. By 1919, the James River Valley area boasted a population large enough to allow for the first open pheasant hunting season. Thanks to those early efforts, residents and visitors alike enjoy some of the world's finest pheasant hunting.

Artist: Robin Wollman

Sponsors: Carr Farms, Pheasant Country Ltd., Olsen Implement and James River Equipment.

September 2002

Erected 2002.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Animals • Arts, Letters, Music • Sports. A significant historical year for this entry is 1909.

Location. 44° 22.2′ N, 98° 12.005′ W. Marker is in Huron, South Dakota, in Beadle County. It is on 4th Street Northeast (U.S. 14) west of Jersey Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Located on the wall beneath the World's Largest Pheasant. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Huron SD 57350, United 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 Midwest,

in the Lewis & Clark Corridor,

in the Corn Belt,

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 8 other markers

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are within walking distance of this marker: W. Glenn Sloan (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The Pyle Home (approx. 0.7 miles away); Votes for Women (approx. 0.7 miles away); "The Evolution of Medicine" (approx. 0.8 miles away); Downtown Saturday Night (approx. 0.8 miles away); Grace Episcopal Church aka "The Centennial Center" (approx. 0.8 miles away); Dr. Karl J. Blessinger (approx. 0.9 miles away); Dr. Jeffrey S. Wheeler (approx. 0.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Huron.

Another marker is no longer nearby. History of the World's Largest Pheasant (was a few steps from this marker but has been permanently removed).

Also see . . .
1. The Culture of Pheasant Hunting in South Dakota | SDPB. "We Always Looked Forward to the Hunters Coming": The Culture of Pheasant Hunting in South Dakota by James Marten, from South Dakota History, volume 29 number 2 (1999).

Excerpt: "Pheasants have lived in the state that made them its official bird almost since the beginning of statehood. Borrowing a scheme that George Washington purportedly pursued over a hundred years earlier and Owen N. Denny, former United States consul general at Shanghai, China, instigated in 1880, individual South Dakotans began importing Chinese ring-necked pheasants in the early 1890s. The small-scale stocking efforts of hunters, farmers, and the Redfield Chamber of Commerce were replaced by an initiative of the State Game Department, which released
September 5, 2025

2. "The Heart of Pheasant Territory" Mural & Marker
seven thousand birds between 1914 and 1918."

(Submitted on September 7, 2025.)

2. October 2013 - History of Pheasants in South Dakota | South Dakota Historical Society Foundation.

Excerpt: "A. E. Cooper and E. L. Ebbert bought several pairs of pheasants from a Pennsylvania game farm in 1908 and introduced them in wooded sections of their farms south of Doland. Those pheasants fell victim to heavy snow that winter. Cooper and Ebbert’s efforts to release pheasants the next year met with success."

(Submitted on September 7, 2025.)

"The Heart of Pheasant Territory" Mural image. Click for full size.

September 5, 2025

3. "The Heart of Pheasant Territory" Mural

"The Heart of Pheasant Territory" Mural & Marker image. Click for full size.

September 5, 2025

4. "The Heart of Pheasant Territory" Mural & Marker

September 5, 2025

5. "The Heart of Pheasant Territory" Mural

Credits. This page was last revised on September 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on September 7, 2025. This page has been viewed 89 times since then and 21 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on September 7, 2025.