South Dakota Research Guide Digital Download

Trace your South Dakota ancestors with the advice and resources in our State Research Guide! This four-page download includes:

• a how-to article detailing South Dakota’s history and records, with helpful advice on tracking your family there
• the best websites, books and other resources for South Dakota research, handpicked by our editors and experts
• listings of key libraries, archives and organizations that hold the records you need
• descriptions of the top historic sites for learning about your ancestors' lives and times, including visitor information
• timeline of key events in the state's history
• full-color map to put your research in geographical context

Here's a sampling of the helpful tips you'll get in the South Dakota guide:

• A succession of Indian tribes has occupied South Dakota for at least 1,500 years, with the Sioux becoming dominant after 1750. If you descend from any of the tribes that were eventually resettled on eight South Dakota reservations, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) records can help you trace your ancestry.
• Your ancestor might have obtained a delayed birth registration, however, in order to get a Social Security card or work in the WWII war effort. Search more than 228,000 records of South Dakota births from more than 100 years ago at apps.sd.gov/applications/PH14Over100BirthRec.
• Newspapers can be another source of vital statistics. Try the state archives’ Newspaper Surname Search Form history.sd.gov/forms/surname/SurnameArchive.aspx, and use the newspaper database history.sd.gov/forms/ NewspaperArchive.aspx to see which publications are available on microfilm.

Plus, each guide contains active web links for one-click access to every recommended online resource. You can view this PDF on your computer and print pages for reference.