Geddes Historic DIstrict

Geddes City, Charles Mix County, SD

The name of Geddes S.D. is attributed to the name to D. C. Geddes, a Milwaukee Railroad official.

The Geddes Historic District [†] represents a physical embodiment of a late American frontier town at the turn of the 20th century. The town's development was catalyzed by the opening of the Yankton Reservation and the arrival of the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad.

The town's subsequent stagnation—resulting from railroad decline, post-WWI agricultural depression, loss of county seat status, and the Pick-Sloan Missouri River Projec inadvertently preserved it as a "living museum" of the 1900-1920 period.

The district's architecture ranges from simple utilitarian wood-frame structures (such as the relocated blacksmith shop and cafe) to elaborate Victorian designs (including the substantial residences and Padley Hotel). This development is intrinsically tied to the "railroad town" era, with buildings like the Padley Hotel (named for the railroad's land agent) dating to 1901.

Dual Historical Significance:

The district uniquely preserves two distinct eras of commercial speculation and frontier development:

1. Early Frontier Settlement: The Papineau Trading Post (1857) represents one of the earliest commercial ventures and settlement landmarks on the American frontier.
2. Railroad Era Development: The town of Geddes itself exemplifies the final phase of frontier settlement during the railroad expansion period.

† Adapted from: Michael Peterson, Research Historian, South Dakota Historic Preservation. Gesses Historic District, nomination document, 1973, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C.

Street Names
Route 50