Townships of Sioux Falls
There are Six Townships that have Become a Part of the City of Sioux Falls, S.D
Split Rock township, Minnehaha County, South Dakota is a census county division in South Dakota, the United States of America. The population in Split Rock township, Minnehaha County, South Dakota was 3,172 in 2023. The median age in Split Rock township, Minnehaha County, South Dakota was 50.2 in 2023. The median income in Split Rock township, Minnehaha County, South Dakota was $56,391 in 2023.
The township had originated from a group of people between 1860-1870, and was defined by its 1880s—1890s quartz mining boom and the development of East Sioux Falls. Centered around the Big Sioux River, it transformed from a homesteaded area into an industrial hub.
The Township Board is made up of the following persons: Supervisors Rich Steffen, Todd Egge, Chairman Marvin Manifold, Treasurer Kevin Callies and Clerk Pam Kolseth.
Wayne Township is a suburb of Sioux Falls with a population of 936, and living in Wayne Township offers residents a rural feel and most residents own their homes. It is located in Western Sioux Falls, west of I-29 and includes the Town of Ellis, and was organized between 1890 and 1910.
It was historically linked to early regional development, with records indicating a Wayne Township District No. 1 was organized on April 17, 1872
The Township Board is made up of the following persons: Supervisors Kieth Termeer Jim Slater, John Elsinger, Treasurer Pam Erickson, and the Clerk Dawn Elsinger.
Delapre Township, is a suburb of Sioux Falls with a population of 2,025, and resides in Lincoln County, along the southern part of Sioux Falls, and includes the Cities of Tea and Harrisburg, and gives to residents a rural feel and most residents own their homes.
Delapre was organized in 1881, when a colony of people settled in Dakota Territory, and became fully annexed into the City of Sioux Falls in 1994, and had dissolved its township board upon becoming governed under Home Rule Charter. Most of the residents reside today in large part in Sioux Falls, Tea, and Harrisburg.
Mapleton Township resides north of the City of Sioux Falls, and resides in Minnehaha County and has 2,481 residents, and offers the residents a rural feel, while most own their own homes.
In the spring of 1856, Uriah Payne became the first to settle Mapleton, which has endured many iconic periods in history. It has survived the Dakota Conflict, the Civil War and the Great Depression. Mapleton is defined by many of its illustrious clubs and organizations, such as the Maple River Burns Club.
The Township Board is governed by the Supervisors, Don Ahlschlager, Ryan Bechtold, Jerome Thuringer, and their Clerk, Janet Kauer, and the Treasurer Lori Pothast.
Springdale Township resides in southeast Sioux Falls and has a population of 1,791 and is in Lincoln County.
And while the Township does not have any cities, or towns in the township boundaries, the un-incorporated community of Shindler lies just east of Harrisburg, South Dakota.
And while it no longer has a Township Board, the Cities of Sioux Falls, Harrisburg have residents.
Benton Township, is a suburb of Sioux Falls with a population of 737 residents, while many of them own their own homes, and is known for having several bars.
The Town of Crooks resides within the township, and is known today for housing Foundation Park in northwestern Sioux Falls, which is an industrial park that has attracted Amazon, C.J Schwans, and soon to be, Smithfield Foods.
Their township board consists of their Supervisors - David Vinzant, Ryan Anderson, Jeff McAreavy, while their Clerk Jan Larson, and their Treasurer is Linda Person.
The City of Sioux Falls, and the Townships that Make up the Home Rule Community today.
Sioux Falls Township,
Sioux Falls was founded in 1856 by land speculators attracted to the Big Sioux River's power, officially incorporating it as a town in 1877 and as a city in 1884 as part of Dakota Territory.
While much of the Sioux Falls Township resides within the Great Bend of the Big Sioux River, it has since become the largest “City” in the State of South Dakota, and originally, 4 colonies of people came to the area:
- The People of the Dubuque Land Company came from Iowa to claim 160 acres creating the Village of Sioux Falls in 1857;
- The People of the Dakota Land Company out of St. Paul, MN came here to claim 160 acres, creating Sioux Falls City;
- A Colony of People, led by C.W Hubbard established East Sioux Falls as a company town, starting the quarries in Split Rock Township;
- A Colony of People led by Evan Meredith started West Sioux Falls, by selling plats of land to raise revenue to support the University of Sioux Falls;
- A Colony of People led by Richard Pettigrew, began a small bread and breakfast community, named South Sioux Falls forming an Industrial Suburb.
Today, the Township of Sioux Falls, East Sioux Falls, West Sioux Falls, South Sioux Falls, Delapre Township, Wayne Township, and parts of Mapleton, Split Rock, and Benton have formed the Home Rule Community, today known as the City of Sioux Falls, S.D.
A township in the United States is a common subdivision of a county, often acting as a unit of local government and is usually 6x6x6x6 or 36 square miles, and forms a local settlement or political subdivisions under a county.
