Fall River County lies in the southern foothills of the Black Hills, and follows the course of Fall River and the Cheyenne River onto the plains of southwestern South Dakota. The region was used extensively by native people for centuries before it was first explored by Americans in the early 1880s. After the discovery of warm mineral springs in the region, Congress authorized the construction of the Battle Mountain Sanitorium, which opened in 1907 as a short-term rehabilitation center for union veterans of the Civil War. Because of its beautiful environment and relatively mild temperatures, the city of Hot Springs grew up around the Sanitorium and became the center of the region’s economy. A large percentage of veterans continue to live in Fall River County—fully one in four residents.

In recent years, Fall River County has attempted to reinvent itself around tourism. The historic downtown of Hot Springs includes 35 red sandstone buildings along Fall River, which runs through the heart of the city.

The entrance to Wind Cave National Park is only eleven miles north of Hot Springs. Even though the park lies in Custer County, it has a major impact on the tourism ecnomy of Fall River County. The park drew 577,000 visitors in 2010 to experience one of the most complex and extensive cave systems in the world.

Wind Cave is central to the origin stories of the Lakota tribe. It was established as a national park by Congress in 1903, and in 1912 the American Bison Society established a “national game preserve” in the park. Fourteen bison from the New York Zoological Society, 21 elk, and 13 pronghorn antelope were introduced in 1913. The park is now home to one of the most authentic and complex plains ecosystems in the nation.

Farming in Fall River County was hit hard during the Great Depression, and fragile soils eroded quickly during frequent dust storms. In an effort to reverse the damage, the federal Bureau of Reclamation built Angostura Reservoir and a complex of canals along the Cheyenne River in the 1940s to stimulate irrigation-based farming. Rehabilitated land was divided into parcels and distributed to returning World War Two veterans. In recent decades, irrigated acreage has declined, but Angostura Reservoir is now a major recreation site which features the best walleye, bass, and pike fishing in the Black Hills region.

In 1974, a road construction crew discovered one of the most pristine fossil sites in the country, when it unearthed wooly mammoth fossils that had died in an Ice Age pond 26,000 years ago. The Mammoth Site is now an active research center and local tourism site.

Petroglyphs in Fall River County, estimated to be 3,000-5,000 years old, provide evidence of the plains people who lived in the area in prehistoric times. Many generations later, the region was part of the territory of the Cheyenne and Sioux.

Euro-Americans first settled in the region at the time of the Black Hills gold rush in the 1870s. Local residents organized a county government in November 1883 as part of the Dakota Territory. At the time, it was called Forsythe County, just as Hot Springs, the county seat, was originally called Minnekahta.

By the time South Dakota joined the union in 1889, the shaping forces of the area were apparent. Ranchers were attracted by the land, merchants by the needs of ranching families, and entrepreneurs by the unique characteristics of the area, specifically warm mineral springs in Hot Springs and the quarry near Edgemont.

The railroad brought visitors to Hot Springs after entrepreneur Fred Evans built a bath house over some of the mineral springs and persuaded other businessmen to develop the area as a health spa. The baths attracted individuals seeking relief from ailments as well as patients from the nearby Battle Mountain Sanitarium, a treatment center for veterans of the Civil War and later wars. 

Edgemont was created by the railroad when a depot and railroad yards were built in 1890. The community has gone through several boom and bust periods, beginning with the first rapid growth seen within ten years after it was established. When the dam on the Cheyenne River washed out and much of the business district was wiped out by a fire around the same time as a typhoid and small pox outbreak, the town saw its first bust. Currently, Edgemont is primarily a ranching town.

Arts & Culture

Hot Springs, like other Black Hills communities, has among its residents a number of artists and writers. Writers are supported by the Wild Burro Bookstore where a writers group meets regularly and other events, such as poetry readings and book signings, are held. The Wild Burro has also co-sponsored several writers conferences. The owner, Laural Bidwell, is herself a published writer, as is another community member, Mary Ellen Goulet.

Galleries include the Shaman Gallery, which is scheduled to reopen in 2012, and Works in Clay Gallery, which features pottery by owner Tom Eastburn. Other visual artists in the community include Lorri Phillips and Darlene Lines, both of whom have participated in the Custer Stampede Buffalo Art Auction.

Both local and professional musicians enrich the community throughout the year. The Hot Springs Concert Association offers five concerts annually, bringing in classical musicians from around the world. The Red River Resort holds open mike nights, which allow local musicians to showcase their talent. Among the popular musicians in the area the Ramblin’ Rangers perform cowboy and country music.

The events calendar on the Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce website shows a community that offers a variety of cultural activities throughout the year, including the Spring Fling Home and Garden Show in April, the Miss South Dakota Pageant held concurrently with the Main Street Arts and Crafts Festival in June, concerts throughout July and August, the Lean Horse Ultra-Marathon in August, the Badger Clark Cowboy Music and Poetry Gathering in September, a concert series which begins in October, a hometown shopping extravaganza in November, and a variety of holiday activities in December.

The Edgemont Chamber of Commerce lists an events calendar that also provides individuals and families with a variety of cultural opportunities, many of which reflect the Western heritage of the area. These include the Buena Vista Wagon Trail Ride in May, the Cheyenne River Roundup Working Ranch Rodeo in June, the Edgemont Theater melodramas in June and July, the Fall River County Fair and Little Britches Rodeo in August, and the Mickelson Trail Trek in September.

However, the great outdoors is also part of the culture of the region.  Visitors to the area as well as area residents can enjoy water sport and summer activities, such as camping, at the Angostura Recreation Area. The Angostura Reservoir is also a strong fishery known for its walleye, smallmouth bass and crappies. Another glimpse into the Western culture of the region can be seen at the Black Hills Wild Horse Sanctuary, where unadoptable wild horses run free.

Historical Photos & Documents Online

The Library of Congress has over 100 digital images of the Hot Springs area including architectural plans and photographs of some of the unique bridges in the area and photographs and documents from the Battle Mountain Sanitarium and Monument.

The digital collection at the Denver Public Library has over 100 images of early Hot Springs including images of local landscape and businesses like Evans Hotel (now known as Evans Plunge)

Museums, Libraries & Archives

The Hot Springs Public Library, located at 2005 Library Drive, is a modern facility that opened in 2007. The library offers a variety of resources such as newspapers, magazines, DVDs and audio books in addition to books. Wireless internet is available as well as public access to computers and a variety of programs, including Friday movies with popcorn, preschool story time and book discussions. With a meeting room and patio, the library also functions as a community center.

The Edgemont Public Library is located at 412 Second Ave. Open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., the library’s mission is to instill and nurture a love of reading. To augment a book collection which provides reading material for children, teens and adults, it offers movies and an program of activities throughout the summer months. In addition, audio books and eBooks are available to library patrons through the state library’s South Dakota Titles to Go program.

The Mammoth Site of Hot Springs, located on the U.S.  Highway 18 bypass, is an active paleontological dig site as well as the world’s largest mammoth research facility. Mammoth bones were first unearthed in 1974 during excavation for a housing development. Since then, a climate controlled building with walkways has been constructed to allow visitors to view the fossils. The site offers educational programs in addition to conducting research. The museum has a gift shop and offers tours year round.

Trails, Trains and Pioneer Museum is located on Main Street in Edgemont at Mile 0 of the Mickelson Trail. Operated by the Edgemont Area Historical Society, the museum’s mission is to keep voices of the past alive for present and future generations. Exhibits include fossils and artifacts and items that reflect the community's boom and bust years, as well as memorabilia from Teddy Roosevelt’s visit. The museum is open regular hours and by appointment. Admission is free.

The Pioneer Museum in Hot Springs is housed in a Romanesque-style sandstone building constructed in 1893 and used as an elementary school through 1961. Open Monday through Saturday from May to October, the museum includes 25 displays showcasing original art, historical photographs, quilts and tapestries, as well as handcrafted tools and other implements used in the daily lives of pioneer farmers and ranchers. It is operated by the Fall River County Historical Society and hosts an annual Pioneer Day in September.

Religion

The Association of Religion Data Archives provides county-by-county statistics on membership in churches, synagogues and other religious organizations across the country. For a graph showing religious affiliation in Fall River County in 2000, click here.

Fall River County is the least-populated county in the region with only 6,981 residents as of July 1, 2011, according to estimates by the U.S. Census. This total represented a 1.9 percent decrease over the prior year. Fall River County is the only county in the seven-county Black Hills region that lost residents between 2000 and 2010, shrinking by 4.8 percent in the first ten years of the 21st century. According to the U.S. Census, Hot Springs, the county seat, is home to well over half the county population, but the city's population declined by 10 percent from 4,129 in 2000 to 3,711.

Age

Fall River has the oldest population in the state with a median age of 50.5 years. One in four residents of Fall River County are over the age of 65, which is double the national average, and only 19.9 percent are below the age of 18, which is 10 percent below the national average.

Race

Fall River County is ethnically diverse compared to its neighbors. It has a white population of 88.6 percent, but the county's proximity to the Pine Ridge Reservation contributes to a significant (7.1 percent) American Indian population as well. Hispanics account for 2.2 percent of the community.

Poverty

The per capita income of Fall River residents is $21,810, $1,500 below the state average, and the median household income is $34,464, $10,000 below the state average. According to the Census, 18.6 percent of the population lived below the poverty line in 2010. According to the South Dakota Kids Count project, the estimated percentage of children under the age of 18 in poverty in Fall River County rose from 23 percent to 28 percent between 2005 and 2009.

The median value of owner-occupied homes in Fall River County is  $97,000, lower than all its neighboring counties except for the adjacent Shannon County. Fall River County also has the lowest people-per-household rate in the region, with an average of 1.96 people in every household.

Edgemont School District

Students in the Edgemont School District take the annual Dakota STEP test to ensure that the district is making adequate yearly progress (AYP) in reading and math. According the State of South Dakota's report card, Edgemont students achieved AYP in all categories in all grades tested in elementary, middle and high schools in the spring of 2011. Edgemont's high school graduation rate was 84.6 percent in 2011, higher than the 78.5 percent rate posted in 2010 and higher than the statewide average of 83.3 percent.

During the 2010-2011 academic year, the Edgemont School District's fall enrollment was 153 in grades K-12. With a 0.0 percent dropout rate, the district graduated 11 students. Five students took the ACT exam. To view a statistical profile of funding, student and staff data, see the South Dakota Department of Education's 2010-2011 Profile of Edgemont School District.

Oelrichs School District

Students in the Oelrichs School District take the annual Dakota STEP test to ensure that the district is making adequate yearly progress (AYP) in reading and math. According the State of South Dakota's report card, in spring 2011 testing, elementary school students did not make AYP in reading or math. High school students did not make AYP in math but did make AYP in reading. Oelrichs middle schoolers achieved AYP in both math and reading. Oelrich's high school graduation rate was 80 percent in 2011, down from the 83 percent rate posted in 2010. The statewide graduation rate in 2011 was 83 percent.

During the 2010-2011 academic year, the Oelrichs School District's fall enrollment was 123 in grades K-12. With a 4.0 percent dropout rate, the district graduated 12 students. Eight students took the ACT exam, but there scores were not reported by the South Dakota Department of Education. To view a statistical profile of funding, student and staff data, see the South Dakota Department of Education's 2010-2011 Profile of Oelrichs School District.

Fall River County is governed by five commissioners who meet, on average, twice each month. Occasionally, special meetings are held. Minutes and agendas of these meetings are posted on the county’s website and articles reporting county business are published in the Hot Springs Star.    

The Fall River County Commission adopted a budget for the fiscal year 2012 in the amount of slightly more than $5.6 million on Sept. 22, 2011. Of  this, general fund expenditures were $3,646,591. Line item details can be found in commission minutes for Sept. 22, 2011. A public meeting was held on Sept. 6, 2011, to allow members of the public to discuss with commissioners the provisional budget published in the Hot Springs Star in August.

Fall River County ranked 49th among 59 South Dakota counties scored on the basis of health outcomes in 2012. Residents reported higher rates of poor physical and mental health days than the state and national average. Residents were less likely to engage in excessive drinking. Rates of adult obesity and smoking equaled the statewide average. The teen birth rate of 48 per 1,000 females ages 15-19 was above the statewide rate of 39. County residents were only slightly more likely to have health insurance compared to state averages. To compare Fall River County data to other counties, visit the site created by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin.

County-level health statistics are also available from the U.S. Deparment of Health & Human Services. Compare Fall River County to similar counties in the United States and to the national median.

Fall River County has struggled economically in recent years. Median incomes have risen from $29,631 in 2000 to $34,464 in 2009, but this rate of increase has not matched most other counties in the Black Hills. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the county's total labor force in October, 2011 was 3,779, with 178 people or 4.7 percent listed as unemployed. Nearly 44 percent of the county's workers are employed by various federal, state or local government agencies, including over 400 who work for the Veterans Administration in Hot Springs and another 100 at Wind Cave National Park. For an in-depth economic profile of Fall River County, visit the South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development.