Washabaugh County, South Dakota
Encyclopedia
Washabaugh County is a former county in South Dakota
. The county was named after Frank Washabaugh, a prominent South Dakota politician.
from a part of Lugenbeel County, it became a county in the new state of South Dakota in 1889. Washabaugh remained an unorganized county, attached to various other counties for judicial purposes, until it merged with Jackson County
in 1983.
including the community of Wanblee
. The eastern portion of the county was within the Rosebud Indian Reservation
until 1911, when that part was annexed into the newly created Mellette County
. By 1914, Washabaugh County's boundaries were expanded to include a portion of Washington County to the west and all of Jackson County south of the White River
.
reservations, Washabaugh did not report separate population totals during the 1890
, 1900
, and 1910 censuses
. Instead, population was included in the total population counts for the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations. The county started reporting separate population counts with the 1920 Census
.
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
. The county was named after Frank Washabaugh, a prominent South Dakota politician.
History
First established in 1883 as a county in Dakota TerritoryDakota Territory
The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...
from a part of Lugenbeel County, it became a county in the new state of South Dakota in 1889. Washabaugh remained an unorganized county, attached to various other counties for judicial purposes, until it merged with Jackson County
Jackson County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,930 people, 945 households, and 675 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 1,173 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile...
in 1983.
Geography
The county encompased the northeast corner of the Pine Ridge Indian ReservationPine Ridge Indian Reservation
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation is an Oglala Sioux Native American reservation located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. Originally included within the territory of the Great Sioux Reservation, Pine Ridge was established in 1889 in the southwest corner of South Dakota on the Nebraska border...
including the community of Wanblee
Wanblee, South Dakota
Wanblee is a census-designated place on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, located in Jackson County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 725 at the 2010 census, virtually all of whom are members of the Oglala band of Lakota Sioux...
. The eastern portion of the county was within the Rosebud Indian Reservation
Rosebud Indian Reservation
The Rosebud Indian Reservation is an Indian reservation in South Dakota, United States. It is the home of the federally recognized Sicangu Oyate, also known as Sicangu Lakota, the Upper Brulé Sioux Nation, and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe , a branch of the Lakota people...
until 1911, when that part was annexed into the newly created Mellette County
Mellette County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,083 people, 694 households, and 498 families residing in the county. The population density was 2 people per square mile . There were 824 housing units at an average density of 1 per square mile...
. By 1914, Washabaugh County's boundaries were expanded to include a portion of Washington County to the west and all of Jackson County south of the White River
White River (South Dakota)
The White River is a Missouri River tributary that flows through the U.S. states of Nebraska and South Dakota. The name stems from the water's white-gray color, a function of eroded sand, clay, and volcanic ash carried by the river...
.
Demographics
As an unorganized county lying entirely within two American IndianNative Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
reservations, Washabaugh did not report separate population totals during the 1890
United States Census, 1890
The Eleventh United States Census was taken June 2, 1890. The data was tabulated by machine for the first time. The data reported that the distribution of the population had resulted in the disappearance of the American frontier...
, 1900
United States Census, 1900
The Twelfth United States Census, conducted by the Census Office on June 1, 1900, determined the resident population of the United States to be 76,212,168, an increase of 21.0 percent over the 62,979,766 persons enumerated during the 1890 Census....
, and 1910 censuses
United States Census, 1910
The Thirteenth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau on April 15, 1910, determined the resident population of the United States to be 92,228,496, an increase of 21.0 percent over the 76,212,168 persons enumerated during the 1900 Census...
. Instead, population was included in the total population counts for the Pine Ridge and Rosebud reservations. The county started reporting separate population counts with the 1920 Census
United States Census, 1920
The Fourteenth United States Census, conducted by the Census Bureau one month from January 5, 1920, determined the resident population of the United States to be 106,021,537, an increase of 15.0 percent over the 92,228,496 persons enumerated during the 1910 Census.Despite the constitutional...
.
| Washabaugh County Population by year |
||||||||
| 1890 | 1900 | 1910 | 1920 | 1930 | 1940 | 1950 | 1960 | 1970 |
| 1,166 | 2,474 | 1,980 | 1,551 | 1,042 | 1,389 |