Pickstown, South Dakota facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pickstown, South Dakota
Town
Location in Charles Mix County and the state of South Dakota
Country	United States
State	South Dakota
County	Charles Mix
Area
• Total	0.61 sq mi (1.58 km2)
• Land	0.61 sq mi (1.58 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	1,483 ft (452 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	230
• Density	376.43/sq mi (145.23/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (Central (CST))
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	57367
Area code(s)	605
FIPS code	46-49460
GNIS feature ID	1267531

U.S. Army General Lewis A. Pick, namesake of Pickstown.

Pickstown is a town in southern Charles Mix County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 230 at the 2020 census. It was named after U.S. Army General Lewis A. Pick, former director of the Missouri River Office of the United States Army Corps of Engineers.

History

Pickstown began as a government town for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees building and then operating nearby Fort Randall Dam. United States Air Force officers and airmen arrived in the 1950s to operate a Strategic Air Command radar base built on a hill three miles east of town, locally known as "Radar Hill". Air Force personnel left in the 1970s after the base closed. Currently, the "Fort Randall Casino and Hotel" owned and operated by the Yankton Sioux Tribe is located at the abandoned radar base.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers owned Pickstown until the town incorporated in 1985.

High school

The high school athletic teams were nicknamed the Engineers. The high school closed in 1968. Students attend the Lake Andes high school.

Geography

Pickstown is located adjacent to the east side of the Fort Randall Dam on the Missouri River. The town is served by U.S. Route 18, U.S. Route 281 and South Dakota Highway 46.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.65 square miles (1.68 km²), all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 201 people, 93 households, and 62 families residing in the town. The population density was 309.2 inhabitants per square mile (119.4/km²). There were 114 housing units at an average density of 175.4 per square mile (67.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 82.6% White, 10.4% Native American, 0.5% Asian, and 6.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 93 households, of which 19.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.1% were married couples living together, 4.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.3% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.3% were non-families. 28.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16 and the average family size was 2.58.

The median age in the town was 51.2 years. 17.4% of residents were under the age of 18; 5.1% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 19% were from 25 to 44; 36.8% were from 45 to 64; and 21.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 49.8% male and 50.2% female.

Climate

This climatic region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the Köppen Climate Classification system, Pickstown has a humid continental climate, abbreviated "Dfa" on climate maps.

Fort Randall Dam: Pickstown began as a government town for U.S. Army Corps of Engineers employees building and then operating the nearby dam.

Points of interest

• Lake Francis Case
• Fort Randall Dam
• Fort Randall Military Post (1856–1892)

Notable person

• Tom Brokaw, television journalist and author

See also

In Spanish: Pickstown (Dakota del Sur) para niños