Harrisburg

History

Before the railroad was built through Lincoln County, a stagecoach brought mail to the Johnson Harris Homestead located on Nine Mile Creek in Dayton Township. Johnson Harris named the post office Harrisburg in honor of himself. The history of Harrisburg started August 1, 1879, when the first train came rolling through the territory. The train went from Sioux City, Iowa, to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The post office was moved to the Emory J. Darling Homestead, 1 mile south of what is now Harrisburg. The post office was called Salina in honor of Mrs. Jim Stillwell, an early settler and a highly respected teacher. Finally in 1890, the depot was moved to its present site. The post office took back its original name and the town of Harrisburg was born. One of the many early businesses in Harrisburg was the State Bank, circa 1901–1945. The bank's building is still located in its original spot at 101 Railroad Ave. Much mystery surrounds the old bank building, including whether or not the infamous bandit John Dillinger stopped to rob it. According to popular legend, after Dillinger robbed the bank, he fired a round into the teller counter as a reminder not to follow him out. That bullet hole remains there today.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Largest nearby schools

• Harrisburg High School - 01
  High · Harrisburg · 1,613 students · 14.9:1 ratio
• Harrisburg North Middle School - 08
  Middle · Sioux Falls · 747 students · 12.7:1 ratio
• Harrisburg South Middle School - 03
  Middle · Harrisburg · 667 students · 12.1:1 ratio
• Tea Area High School - 03
  High · Tea · 610 students · 17.9:1 ratio
• Liberty Elementary - 02
  Elementary · Harrisburg · 565 students · 14.5:1 ratio
• Tea Area Middle School - 02
  Middle · Tea · 563 students · 18.2:1 ratio
• Tea Area Legacy Elementary - 01
  Elementary · Tea · 491 students · 16.4:1 ratio
• Adventure Elementary - 10
  Elementary · Sioux Falls · 414 students · 17.3:1 ratio