Brookings, South Dakota

Brookings is a city in Brookings County, South Dakota, United States. Brookings is the fourth largest city in South Dakota, with a population of 22,056 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Brookings County,[6] and home to South Dakota State University, the largest institution of higher education in the state.[7] Also found in Brookings are the South Dakota Art Museum, the Children's Museum of South Dakota, the annual Brookings Summer Arts Festival, and the headquarters of a number of manufacturing companies and agricultural operations.[8]

Brookings, South Dakota
City
Main Avenue in downtown Brookings
Nickname(s): 
Scoreboard Town
Location in Brookings County and the state of South Dakota
Brookings, South Dakota
Location in the United States
Coordinates: 44°18′23″N 96°47′17″W
CountryUnited States
StateSouth Dakota
CountyBrookings
Incorporated1883[1]
Government
 • MayorKeith Corbett
 • City ManagerPaul Briseno
Area
 • Total13.54 sq mi (35.07 km2)
 • Land13.46 sq mi (34.86 km2)
 • Water0.08 sq mi (0.20 km2)
Elevation
1,621 ft (494 m)
Population
 • Total22,056
 • Estimate 
(2019)[4]
24,415
 • Density1,813.76/sq mi (700.29/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central (CST))
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
57006-57007
Area code(s)605 Exchanges: 688,692,697
FIPS code46-07580
GNIS feature ID1254074[5]
Websitewww.cityofbrookings.org

History

Pioneer

The county and city were both named after one of South Dakota's pioneer promoters, Wilmot Brookings (1830 - 1905).[9] Brookings set out for the Dakota Territory in June 1857. He arrived at Sioux Falls on August 27, 1857, and became one of the first settlers there. He and his group represented the Western Town Company. After a time in Sioux Falls, Brookings and a companion set out for the Yankton area to locate a town in an area that was soon to be ceded by the Native Americans. This trip was begun in January 1858, and the two soon encountered a blizzard that froze Brookings' feet which both had to be amputated.

Brookings County Courthouse

He rose to a high position in the Territory, once being a member of the Squatter Territorial Legislature and later being elected Squatter Governor. Brookings then became appointed superintendent of a road that was to be built from the Minnesota state line west to the Missouri River about 30 miles north of Ft. Pierre. It was during the construction of this road that Brookings came into contact with land that was part of this county at the time. Because of his drive to settle the Dakota Territory, Brookings County and city were named for a spirited pioneer promoter. Wilmot W. Brookings made settlement of this area a real possibility for many people.

Medary

The first real town that was organized in Brookings County was Medary in 1857. Up to this point, the area had been traveled and utilized by only Native Americans, with a few indistinct traces left showing the penetration of the area by explorers, missionaries, trappers, and traders. Along with Sioux Falls and Flandreau, Medary was one of the first three European settlements to be established in South Dakota.

The first actual site of Medary was located by the Dakota Land Company out of Minnesota which was led by Alpheus G. Fuller and Major Franklin J. DeWitt and accompanied by engineer Samuel A. Medary, Jr. In 1857, the men put up quarters in preparation to live out the winter in Medary. Many other settlers moved into the area in 1858. But in the spring of that year, a large group of Yankton and Yanktonnia Indians drove the settlers from the area, and Medary remained nearly abandoned for the next 11 years.

In 1869, a group of 10 Norwegian pioneers moved west into the Dakota Territory and resettled the area of Medary, which was located about four and one half miles south of present-day Brookings. The county of Brookings was formally organized in Medary in the cabin of Martin Trygstad on July 3, 1871.[10] The original boundaries of the county extended to two miles south of Flandreau, until the territorial legislature relocated the boundaries of the county to the current location on January 8, 1873. Two other small settlements, Oakwood and Fountain, appeared in the Brookings County area around this time. All three settlements hoped that they would be the lucky town by which the railroad would decide to lay tracks through as it moved westward but it didn't go through Medary so it became a ghost town.

Railroad

As it turned out, none of the three towns were chosen to be passed through by the railroad. When the businessmen of Medary and Fountain found out that the railroad had no plans of laying tracks through the two towns, they began a push to find a central location. In a sense, their attitude was 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!' Many private meetings and much effort on the part of the men of Medary and Fountain led to the railroad deciding to lay its tracks through what would become the city of Brookings.

In a letter sent to Chicago on September 30, 1879, Land Commissioner Charles E. Simmons communicated the layout of the series of towns in Brookings County to be passed through by the railroad. These towns were to be Aurora, Brookings, and Volga. Many merchants of Medary and Fountain packed up their businesses and belongings and moved to Brookings, which was surveyed and platted on October 3 and 4, 1879. Fountain ceased to exist after this turn of events, while Medary and Oakwood continued to exist for a while but eventually faded away. A monument still stands at the site of the old Medary as a reminder of the people who once lived there.

The railroad crossed the Minnesota state line and into Brookings County on October 2, 1879. With tracks being built at about one mile per day, the track and first train reached Brookings' Main Street on October 18, 1879. The railroad station was opened a month later.

Brookings was laid out in 1880.[11]

Employment

According to the City's 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[12] the largest employers in the city are:

# Employer # of Employees
1 South Dakota State University 4,463
2 Daktronics 1,600
3 3M 1,008
4 Hy-Vee Food Store 690
5 Larson Manufacturing 516
6 Brookings Health System 502
7 Walmart 425
8 Aramark 405
9 Brookings School District 400
10 Twin City Fan 299

The unemployment rate in Brookings is 2.7 percent, well below the national average of 4.7 percent.

Bel Brands USA, Inc., a subsidiary of Paris-based multinational Fromageries BEL or Bel Group, began commercial construction of a 170,000-square-foot Babybel cheese production plant in July 2014 in the city's Foster Addition north of the Swiftel Center. The project added 250 new jobs in Brookings by the end of 2014.[13]

Geography

Brookings is located at 44°18′23″N 96°47′17″W (44.306253, −96.788105).[14]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 13.04 square miles (33.77 km2), of which 12.94 square miles (33.51 km2) is land and 0.10 square miles (0.26 km2) is water.[15]

Brookings has been assigned ZIP codes 57006 and 57007 as well as the FIPS place code 07580.

Climate

Brookings experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), which is characterized by warm, relatively humid summers and cold, dry winters, and is located in USDA Hardiness Zones 4.[16] The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 12.9 °F (−10.6 °C) in January to 70.3 °F (21.3 °C) in July, while there are nine days of 90 °F (32 °C)+ highs and 36 days with sub-0 °F (−18 °C) lows annually. Snowfall occurs mostly in light to moderate amounts during the winter, totaling 36 inches (91 cm). Precipitation, at 24.3 inches (617 mm) annually, is concentrated in the warmer months. Extremes range from −41 °F (−41 °C) as recently as January 12, 1912 to 109 °F (43 °C) on July 24, 1940.

Climate data for Brookings, South Dakota (1981−2010 normals)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 65
(18)		 69
(21)		 85
(29)		 93
(34)		 106
(41)		 105
(41)		 109
(43)		 106
(41)		 102
(39)		 93
(34)		 77
(25)		 68
(20)		 109
(43)
Average high °F (°C) 22.9
(−5.1)		 27.8
(−2.3)		 39.4
(4.1)		 55.4
(13.0)		 67.5
(19.7)		 76.6
(24.8)		 81.6
(27.6)		 79.7
(26.5)		 71.1
(21.7)		 57.7
(14.3)		 40.2
(4.6)		 26.0
(−3.3)		 53.8
(12.1)
Average low °F (°C) 2.9
(−16.2)		 8.1
(−13.3)		 20.6
(−6.3)		 32.7
(0.4)		 44.6
(7.0)		 54.8
(12.7)		 59.1
(15.1)		 56.8
(13.8)		 47.0
(8.3)		 33.8
(1.0)		 21.1
(−6.1)		 7.4
(−13.7)		 32.4
(0.2)
Record low °F (°C) −41
(−41)		 −41
(−41)		 −23
(−31)		 −2
(−19)		 7
(−14)		 28
(−2)		 37
(3)		 28
(−2)		 12
(−11)		 −9
(−23)		 −22
(−30)		 −36
(−38)		 −41
(−41)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 0.35
(8.9)		 0.40
(10)		 1.23
(31)		 2.18
(55)		 2.97
(75)		 4.30
(109)		 3.24
(82)		 3.06
(78)		 3.19
(81)		 2.05
(52)		 0.91
(23)		 0.41
(10)		 24.29
(614.9)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 5.8
(15)		 6.1
(15)		 7.6
(19)		 3.3
(8.4)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.7
(1.8)		 5.4
(14)		 7.0
(18)		 36.0
(91)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 4.8 4.6 6.5 9.0 10.6 11.7 9.9 8.7 8.8 7.0 4.9 4.9 91.3
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 5.3 4.3 4.0 1.5 0 0 0 0 0.1 0.5 2.8 4.9 23.4
Source: NOAA (extremes 1893−present)[17][18]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
18901,518—
19002,84687.5%
19102,9714.4%
19203,92132.0%
19304,37611.6%
19405,34622.2%
19507,76445.2%
196010,55836.0%
197013,71729.9%
198014,9519.0%
199016,2708.8%
200018,50413.7%
201022,05619.2%
2019 (est.)24,415[4]10.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[19]

2010 census

As of the census[3] of 2010, there were 22,056 people, 8,159 households, and 3,836 families living in the city. The population density was 1,704.5 inhabitants per square mile (658.1/km2). There were 8,715 housing units at an average density of 673.5 per square mile (260.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 92.1% White, 1.1% African American, 1.0% Native American, 3.7% Asian, 0.5% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population.

There were 8,159 households, of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 53.0% were non-families. 32.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.93.

The median age in the city was 23.5 years. 16.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 38% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 22.3% were from 25 to 44; 15.2% were from 45 to 64; and 8.4% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 51.1% male and 48.9% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, there were 18,504 people, 6,971 households, and 3,422 families living in the city. The population density was 1,549.7 people per square mile (598.4/km2). There were 7,359 housing units at an average density of 616.3 per square mile (238.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 95.49% White, 0.44% African American, 0.99% Native American, 1.88% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.75% of the population.

There were 6,971 households, out of which 24.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.5% were married couples living together, 7.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.9% were non-families. 34.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 17.4% under the age of 18, 36.6% from 18 to 24, 22.0% from 25 to 44, 14.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 24 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.6 males.

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $31,266, and the median income for a family was $49,246. Males had a median income of $31,276 versus $22,763 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,028. About 7.3% of families and 18.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.7% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.

Ancestry

The two largest ancestries in the city are:[20]

Religion

As of 2010, 60.7% of the Brookings population claim an affiliation with a religious congregation. The largest such groups were:[21]

Brookings is also home to the Institute of Lutheran Theology, a pan-denominational Lutheran seminary. Students come from across the Lutheran spectrum, although the majority are affiliated with one of three denominations; the North American Lutheran Church, Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ and the Canadian Association of Lutheran Congregations.

Education

The Brookings School District[22] serves students in pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. South Dakota State University,[23] the largest college in South Dakota,[24] is located in Brookings.

Media

Newspaper

The Brookings Register publishes daily Monday through Saturday morning with a focus on local news and sports. The paper serves all of Brookings County as well as portions of Hamlin, Deuel, Kingsbury, Lake and Moody counties in South Dakota and Lincoln County, Minnesota.

AM Radio
AM radio stations
FrequencyCall signNameFormatOwnerCity
910 AMKJJQThe Ranch AM 910Classic CountryAlpha MediaVolga/Brookings
1430 AMKBRKKBRK 1430 AMAdult standardsAlpha MediaBrookings

FM Radio
FM radio stations
FrequencyCall signNameFormatOwnerTarget city/marketCity of license
88.3 FMKESDSouth Dakota Public BroadcastingNPRSD Board of Directors for Educational TelecommunicationsBrookingsBrookings
88.7 FMK204FHWLOGChristian Contemporary
WLOG-FM translator		Edgewater Broadcasting, IncBrookingsBrookings
89.7 FMK209DXSonlife RadioChristian
WJFM-FM translator		Jimmy Swaggart MinistriesBrookingsBrookings
90.7 FMKSDJNew Rock 90.7Alternative/CollegeSouth Dakota State UniversityBrookingsBrookings
93.7 FMKBRK-FMB93.7Hot Adult ContemporaryAlpha MediaBrookingsBrookings
95.5 FMK238AXMinnesota Public RadioNPRMinnesota Public RadioBrookingsBrookings
99.7 FMKKCK99.7 KKCKTop 40 (CHR)Linder Radio GroupMarshall/BrookingsMarshall, MN
105.5 FMK288EVThe RefugeContemporary Christian
WJRF-FM translator		Refuge Media GroupBrookingsBrookings
102.3 FMKKQQK-Country 102.3CountryAlpha MediaBrookingsVolga
107.1 FMKDBX107.1 The HawkClassic RockAlpha MediaBrookingsClear Lake

Transportation

Roads
  • Interstate 29-while Exits 132 and 133 both are located within the city limits, Exit 132 is the only one signed for Brookings
  • U.S. Highway 14

Airport

Brookings Regional Airport serves the City of Brookings. A major reconstruction project of the airport took place in the summer of 2012.

Points of interest
The veterans memorial in Brookings.

Notable people

References
  1. "SD Towns" (PDF). South Dakota State Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-02-10. Retrieved 2010-02-11.
  2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 30, 2020.
  3. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2012-06-21.
  4. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  5. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
  6. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on 2011-05-31. Retrieved 2011-06-07.
  7. "Doing Business in South Dakota (Public Universities)". Governor's Office of Economic Development. Archived from the original on 2008-09-08. Retrieved 2007-11-26.
  8. "Manufacturers - Brookings Area Chamber of Commerce, SD". www.brookingschamber.org. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
  9. "Profile for Brookings, South Dakota". ePodunk. Retrieved 4 June 2014.
  10. "History of Brookings County - Brookings County, SD - Official Website". www.brookingscountysd.gov. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  11. Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 47.
  12. "City of Brookings 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report" (PDF). March 7, 2018. p. 152. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 29, 2017. Retrieved March 7, 2018.
  13. "Our Locations". Bel Brands USA. Retrieved July 17, 2016.
  14. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
  15. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2012-07-02. Retrieved 2012-06-21.
  17. "Station Name: SD BROOKINGS 2 NE". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2013-03-10.
  18. "NOWData - NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 2013-02-18.
  19. United States Census Bureau. "Census of Population and Housing". Retrieved September 23, 2013.
  20. "Races in Brookings, South Dakota (SD): White, Black, Hispanic, Asian. Ancestries, Foreign born residents, place of birth - Detailed Stats". www.city-data.com. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  21. "Brookings, South Dakota (SD 57006) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders". www.city-data.com. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  22. "Brookings School District 05-1 / Homepage". http. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  23. "South Dakota State University Homepage". South Dakota State University. Retrieved 2020-08-04.
  24. "Biggest Colleges in South Dakota". College Stats .org.
  25. American Writer, June 2017, P 22
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