Statewide Affairs:

The State of South Dakota, is made up mostly of surface area of which was part of the Louisiana Purchase when the United States bought the land from France in 1803 for the amount of $15,000,000 million which was a section of land that contained 827,000 square miles.
Sparin had secretly claimed the territory from France, as part of the 1763 Treaty of Paris of which ended the Seven Years War, which was a battle between Great Britain, Spain, and France over colonial power. It was known then as La Louisiane, named after the French King Louis XIV.
Much of the Louisiana Purchase was part of the original earlier land claims first established by the Vikings, of whom came to the North American Continent long ago, between 900 and 1,000 and before the rest of the European Continent arrived, of which France had taken the land in 1682. During the latter stages of the Seven Year War (1666 to 1673), Spain was in the war to expand its territory, and had taken St. Louis, and Louisiana. The treaty became the main source of authority, of the land transfer, of which Spain now controls and claimed the area, until 1789, when France again, reclaimed the area, from Spain, and had owned it up until they had sold it to the United States in 1803 in need of money in Napoleon's quest to take control of France.

Shortly thereafter, the United States Government sent out Lewis Mayweather, and Clark Williams to explore the area, a period that took place between 1804 to 1806 with the goal to map, survey, and explore the massive surface area. Upon this Great Exploration, the Congress began studying the data, information, the map, leading to to 1841 when it adopts the Preemption Act which allowed early Americans to go out, seek land, with the intent to lay claim, settle, reside, and work the land for future development, this all leads the early history of what today, has become the State of South Dakota.
While the roots of the Town of Sioux Falls, and the State of South Dakota can trace their official roots from migration of "Pommeranian Farmers" from Europe, this colony of individuals began to populate the area which now was to be known as Dakota Territory, which later on becomes the States of South Dakota, North Dakota, Montana, and Wyoming by the end of the 1800's.
The Eastern side of South Dakota is a vast wilderness area, known as the Coteau De Prairies - the divide between the paths of two streams of glacial ice during the Wisconsinan glaciation of North America. It is 200 miles in length, and 100 miles in width, it is a flat ironed-shaped section of land that rises high above the Missouri Plateau, southwest of the State of Minnesota. On the eastern edge you have the Big Sioux River Basin, while on its western edge you have the James River Basin of which this region will play a huge role in the early development of the "State" as Americans begin to move westward. This area was once known as New France (Quebec), while Corteau was named after "The Hill".

Anyone who has ever driven across the Eastern half of South Dakota, would notice this rising section of land as they traveled northbound from Sioux Falls to Fargo, North Dakota. It simply stands out like a sore thumb as you make your way through the area. A region made up of glacier lakes, streams, and rivers.
Both the James and Big Sioux Rivers are directly linked, and form their origins in the northeastern portion of the State, and begin to make their way southward, as they pass through each side of the "The Hill" of which the begin to pass by the glacier lakes, underground springs beneath the surface, rolling down the rolling hills as they make it to the Missouri River.
Many of the Cities and early townsite claims began in this area, mostly thanks to the lush river valleys on both sides - you have Sisseton in the north, Watertown, Aberdeen, Flandreau, Huron, Brookings, Mitchell, Dell Rapids, to Sioux Falls, all the way south to Sioux City, Iowa.
As for the Western side of the "State" you have nothing but wide open spaces, barren landscape, mostly devoid of any human life. Many of the townsites are formed across a more wider land mass, mostly thanks to the topography of the land itself. As you travel the State, you notice that the land slowly rises the farther west you get, almost like rolling hills rising high above the Eastern Prairie. The Black Hills are nothing more than a series of hills that are part of the Rocky Mountain chain, of which form the continental divide that separates the "West" and the "East" parts of the North American Continent.

Mount Rushmore was placed on one of the taller peaks in the Black Hills, and has become one of the most precious National Monuments in America today. Built between 1927 and 1967, the location was chosen thanks to creator Gutzon Borglum of whom was friends with Theodore Roosevelt, and had connections to Calvin Coolidge during a period when the National Park System was first being established, while South Dakota was chosen because it was it was one of the favorite hang outs of both Roosevelt and Borglum, while it was Coolidge who visited often to the area.

With a current population of roughly 887,000 American Citizens today, South Dakota is made up of many faces, from the seven Native American Tribes, to a people of who came from all parts of Eastern Europe - Germany, Poland, Denmark, Hungary, and the Baltic States, South Dakota is most definitely known for their Great Faces, Great Places.
The major economic means of the State is Agriculture, Tourism, Finance, and Healthcare, while it is known as a major Republican Party State, from its inception, it is not as conservative as one may think, with the residents of the state being more progressive in nature, but grounded in their faith.
We, the People by means of our ancestors, worked together between 1860 and 1890 to establish a "State of People" of which All men are born equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, among which are those of enjoying and defending life and liberty, of acquiring and protecting property and the pursuit of happiness. To secure these rights governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, of whom believe the right to worship God according to the dictates of conscience shall never be infringed. No person shall be denied any civil or political right, privilege or position on account of his religious opinions; but the liberty of conscience hereby secured shall not be so construed as to excuse licentiousness, the invasion of the rights of others, or justify practices inconsistent with the peace or safety of the state, and of which no person shall be deprived of life, liberty or property without due process of law. The right of persons to work shall not be denied or abridged on account of membership or non-membership in any labor union, or labor organization - The Republic of South Dakota