Huron, South Dakota 57350 - U.S. Post Offices on Waymarking.com

Huron is a city in Beadle County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 11,893 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Beadle County. Huron was the home of now-defunct Huron University since 1897. Huron is also the home of the South Dakota State Fair.
The Huron Plainsman, also referred to as the Plainsman, is the newspaper.

The City of Huron's type of government is Commissioner Form. Under the Commissioner Form of government the board of commissioners consists of a mayor and four commissioners, who are all elected at large for a three-year term. The commission has control over all departments of the city and can make and enforce rules and regulations which it may see fit for the organization, management, and operation of the departments of the city. Responsibilities are divided into the following areas: Public Safety Commissioner, Public Works Commissioner, Utilities Commissioner, and Finance Commissioner with each commissioner having oversight in each respective area.
Huron, located in east central South Dakota, is a result of railroad and land booms in the 1880’s.

The early history of the town is closely linked with the Chicago and Northwestern Railway. At the direction of Marvin Hughitt, General Manager of the Railroad, the west bank of the James River was selected as the division headquarters of the railroad. The company gained title to 880 acres of land at that location.

Huron was named for the Huron Indians. Exactly who gave it the name was never established, apparently either Marvin Hughitt or someone in the Chicago office of the C&NW railroad company.

The original plat covered 11 blocks from 1st Street to 3rd Street and from Iowa Avenue SE to Ohio Avenue SW. Huron’s first settler was John Cain, a practical printer from Troy, New York. He learned in Chicago, from the railroad people, that they would have their chief town and
operating headquarters at their James River crossing.

From 1880 until the capital was permanently located at Pierre in 1904, Huron was in the thick of the fight for the honor of being the capital city.

Campbell and Winter Parks are the only remaining properties that were once designated capital grounds. Located between the two parks, Victorian houses originally built around 1906 occupy the city block on the land originally slated for the capitol building.

The site of the South Dakota State Fair is in Huron. Huron is the home to a handful of celebrities. Cheryl Ladd is one of the original "Charlie's Angels". Gladys Pyle was the first female member of the House of Representatives and the first Republican woman in the US Senate. Hubert H. Humphrey was the Democratic nominee for President in 1968 and served as Vice President under Lyndon B. Johnson.

Using city buildings as its canvas, the community of Huron tells its story through colorful murals. Outdoor murals grace the sides of downtown buildings and depict unique aspects of Huron's history. New murals are added to the collection annually.

The mural project is a spectacular outdoor arts project of large murals on walls easily visible to pedestrians and the passing traffic. The project was designed to improve the streetscape and to highlight the unique features of the City for public enjoyment. Revitalization, beautification and civic pride are all direct results of the mural project. Several murals present a visual history of landmarks and events in Huron's past with new murals added each year. Take a walk along the streets of Huron and see the city's past come to life. Perhaps you'll see some 'murals in the making'.

The World's Largest Pheasant is located on Highway 14 in Huron! Laugh if you must, we don't care! This 28 foot, 22 ton pheasant made of fiberglass and steel has affirmed Huron as a premier pheasant hunting location since 1959. From its beak to the tip of its feathered tail, this giant bird spans over 40 feet! Make sure you get a chance to take your picture with the World's Largest Pheasant while in Huron!

The Tale of the Largest Pheasant

The tale of the World's Largest Pheasant goes back to the days when the first settlers came to the Dakota Territory in the early 1880's. Stories of a giant pheasant spread throughout the land. Legend has it, his footprints in the spring would form creeks and river valleys in the soft wet ground.

In flight his feathers were so intense that some would mistake it for a rainbow, as it crossed the prairie sky. But most impressive was the bird's incredible speed both on the ground and in the air.

Some settlers swore the volatile winds of the Dakota Prairie were caused by the "World's Largest Pheasant" running across the grassland. As the numbers of stories increased, so did the number of hunters sworn to harvest the great bird or at least catch a glimpse of him. Large hunting parties were formed to stake claim to this elusive bird, but none succeeded.

While no true accounts of any sightings were ever recorded, many people laid claim to the fact that they came face-to-face with the majestic bird. And so the story goes. One day a small boy from Huron was out hunting with his father to find food for their family. The boy wandered up the riverbank to the top of the hill where the giant rooster was feeding. He could not believe that he was looking upon the legendary ringneck. The boy slowly walked up behind the rooster and raised his gun. Before he could pull the trigger, the magnificent bird's beauty over-whelmed him. Feeling the boy's presence, the giant ringneck whirled around with his huge wingspan and startled the boy. "Why did you not kill me little man?" "I spared your life because I think you are a magnificent bird and your beauty should be shared with everyone. The pheasant thought for a moment and looked at the boy with a smile and said, "Little man, I have lived a long life here on these prairie grasslands, and I guess now is the time to rest and stop running from all of you. If you spare my life I will not move from this perch until every person in the world has seen my family of pheasants and me. And to honor me and my family, I ask that you give me your solemn word that you will only hunt rooster pheasants and not hens and only during the fall harvest and winter months. So the boy agreed to the deal because he felt that the huge pheasant and his family deserved the recognition to commemorate safe and successful hunting seasons to come. The majestic bird thanked the boy for sparing his life and said, "As a final reward, I will grant you and Huron the ability to forecast the success of the upcoming hunting seasons. Prior to each hunting season, you must release a single ringneck rooster. If he flies towards the James River, it will be a bountiful early season; if he flies away from the river, the late season will be most plentiful." And so, each year prior to the pheasant opener, the people of Huron and the surrounding countryside gather to release a descendant of the mighty bird, under the perch he's held all of these years, just as he promised.

Courtesy of Huron Convention and Visitors Bureau

Type of structure:: Stand Alone re-enter Zip Code here:: 57350 Current Status:: Still in Use

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Date Logged Log User Rating   02/19/2011 dbrockhouse visited it