Vermillion & Clay County, South Dakota

Vermillion was a thriving and important community in the early days of Dakota Territory. The town was destroyed by a flood in 1881 and rebuilt in a new location on higher ground.

As one of the first towns in Dakota Territory, Vermillion had a prominent role in the early territorial settlement of the Missouri River basin. But it all came to an end in the Spring of 1881. On today's Images of the Past we'll have a look at how a natural disaster wiped out the town and forced residents to choose between abandoning what was left or rebuilding from scratch. Joining me now is Art Rusch, a retired judge, state senator, and author of "Vermillion Before the Flood," an article published a few years back in the South Dakota State Historical Society journal.

A log home built by a Norwegian immigrant family in 1869 is the oldest still-standing dwelling in Clay County, South Dakota.

After an Olympic alumnus from the University of South Dakota brought home the silver medal and a personal best, the USD community gave him a hero’s…

University of South Dakota alum and pole vault stand out Chris Nilsen has qualified for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The Sierra Club has standing to challenge a confined hog and cattle operation in Clay County. That's the unanimous decision of the South Dakota Supreme…

March 3, 2021 Show 1000:We check in with Vermillion Mayor Kelsey Collier-Wise. -6:43 In their Own Words brings us a proposal that would establish what is…

In The Moment … November 23, 2020 Show 947 Hour 1Over the next week, we're going to be checking in with city leaders across South Dakota to get updates on…

Sierra Club is appealing the permitting process for a confined hog and cattle operation in Clay County.A First Circuit judge found that the Club did not…

Three South Dakota Governors and two leaders in the prohibition and suffrage movements of the early 1900s called Clay County, SD home.