Civil Bend Township near Jefferson in Union County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Texas City, Dakota Territory

September 26, 2026

1. Texas City, Dakota Territory Marker, Side One

Inscription. In 1872, Elmwood Cemetery, formerly known as "Isaac Quick's Burying Ground," was established about half a mile north of the town of Texas City. Texas City had been established in 1870 by Solomon B. Stough and William Dunmere Long, residents of Ponca, Nebraska, who were the town's promoters and first merchants. The community was a lumbermen's paradise, supplying wood for steamboats, barrels, and lumber. It included a post office, hotel, mercantile, saloon, sawmill, and several homes. A ferry across the Missouri River connected this community to Ponca Landing well into the 20th century.

Texas City did not survive, due in part to the decline of the steamboat trade after the advance of railroads, the loss of its post office in 1875, an economic depression, grasshopper swarms that ate crops, the 1881 Missouri River flood, and a smallpox epidemic, all of which negatively impacted the town. Today, the cemetery is all that remains of the frontier community. The name Elmwood was derived from "Little Elm Grove," a grove of hardwood trees that was adjacent to the cemetery.

Erected 2026 by Elmwood Cemetery Inc. (Marker Number

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745.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the South Dakota State Historical Society Markers series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1870.

Location. 42° 36.222′ N, 96° 41.297′ W. Marker is near Jefferson, South Dakota, in Union County. It is in Civil Bend Township. It is on 476th Avenue 0.1 miles south of 330th Street (County Highway 6), on the right when traveling south. Located at Elmwood Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Elk Point SD 57025, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in East River.

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 are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies:

Texas City, Dakota Territory Marker, Side Two image. Click for full size.

September 26, 2026

2. Texas City, Dakota Territory Marker, Side Two

The Great Missouri River (approx. 1.2 miles away in Nebraska); Up the Missouri (approx. 1.2 miles away in Nebraska); Gass's Election (approx. 1.2 miles away in Nebraska); A Touch of the East (approx. 1.2 miles away in Nebraska); The Lewis & Clark Expedition (approx. 1.2 miles away in Nebraska); Ponca State Park (approx. 1.2 miles away in Nebraska); The Ponca Villages (approx. 1½ miles away in Nebraska); Ponca (approx. 3 miles away in Nebraska).

Also see . . . SDPB Documentaries | Vanished South Dakota: Towns of Yesterday | SDPB. 2019 South Dakota Public Broadcasting documentary about ghost towns across the state. The Texas City (or Texas Town) segment is about a minute long and starts at 4:38 into the video.

Excerpt: "The origin of its name may come from the former African American slaves who made their way up the Missouri River during and after the Civil War. Steamboats docked at Texas Town, tying up to big cottonwoods on the riverbank. The town sawmill furnished lumber for buildings in Elk Point some six miles away, but the introduction of the railroad in Elk Point in 1873 led to the demise of Texas Town. All that remains
September 26, 2026

3. Texas City, Dakota Territory Marker & Elmwood Cemetery
today is the town cemetery. Many of the graves have no markings, and the number of folks laid to rest there is uncertain."

(Submitted on November 2, 2026.)

Texas City, Dakota Territory Marker, from the north image. Click for full size.

September 26, 2026

4. Texas City, Dakota Territory Marker, from the north

Credits. This page was last revised on November 3, 2026. It was originally submitted on November 2, 2026. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on November 2, 2026.