Madison

History

Madison's origin is defined by a unique relocation driven by the arrival of the railroad. In the early 1870s, two competing settlements existed in the area: Old Madison, established in 1873 on the south shore of Lake Madison, and Herman, located on the shores of Lake Herman. In 1880, C.B. Kennedy, a local homesteader, negotiated with the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad to survey a route through his land, which sat in the fertile valley between the two lakes. While the move faced some local resistance including a brief but bitter rivalry over the location of the county seat many buildings were physically jacked up and hauled by ox teams across the prairie to the new site. The first train arrived in January 1881, and the city was officially incorporated in 1885. Agriculture has long been a central part of Madison's economy, with farming and livestock production being key industries. The establishment of Dakota State University in 1881 contributed to the city's growth, with the university evolving from a normal school into a recognized institution in cybersecurity and technology. Additionally, Madison hosts events like the Prairie Village Steam Threshing Jamboree, an annual gathering that highlights the area’s agricultural history. On May 12, 2022, Madison was struck by a powerful derecho, a widespread and long-lived straight line windstorm. The event was preceded by an intense dust storm that carried topsoil from drought stricken areas in Nebraska, turning the sky an eerie shade of green and reducing visibility to near zero. A weather station at the Madison Municipal Airport recorded a peak wind gust of 97 mph, which remains one of the highest non tornadic wind speeds ever measured in the region. It also devastated the city's historic tree canopy, resulting…

Geography

Madison is located in the center of Lake County in southeastern South Dakota, northwest of Sioux Falls, southwest of Brookings, and east of Pierre. It is situated between Lake Herman and Lake Madison. Two small streams flow through Madison named Silver Creek and Park Creek. Although rarely, these creeks are known to flood after heavy rain events. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity