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North and South Dakota were one territory until 1889. Dakota was named for the Dakota, Sioux tribe which lived in the region. Dakota is the Sioux word for "friends" or "allies." South Dakota is famous for the scenic wonders of the Badlands, the Black Hills, and, of course, Mt. Rushmore. Prairie, grassland, and farmland cover 90% of the state, where buffalo once ranged in herds of thousands.
Dynamic historical figures like Lewis and Clark, Wild Bill Hickok, Calamity Jane, Sitting Bull, and General George Custer have all added to the colorful past of South Dakota. When Custer's military band found gold in the Black Hills in 1874, word of the discovery reached back east to Chicago, and the Gold Rush followed. By 1876, prospecting towns like Dead Tree Gulch exploded with fortune seekers lured by the glitter of gold. Today, gold continues to be mined in the state, and South Dakota's Homestake Mine remains one of the largest gold producers in the U.S. |
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