Fall River County, South Dakota Genealogy Records

Selected record inventories for Fall River County, their listed years, and where to ask for access.

Selected inventory review: 2026-11-02. Selected newspaper catalog metadata checked for state and county attribution. Publication dates do not establish complete issue holdings or online access. Library of Congress newspaper directory

Formed
1883
County seat
Hot Springs
Bennett CountyHaakon CountyJackson CountyLawrence CountyMeade CountyOglala Lakota CountyPennington CountyCuster CountyFall River CountyOglala LakotaPenningtonCusterFall River
Fall River CountyParent county (search here for earlier records)Today's boundaries ยท U.S. Census Bureau

Listed record inventories

Selected holdings and indexes for Fall River County, checked against the repository descriptions linked below. Date spans may contain gaps; an index is not a complete set of original records.

See the repository's descriptions and search options

Repository access note: Selected newspaper titles cataloged by the Library of Congress with explicit county geography. Priority is given to titles beginning by 1950; up to five later titles are included where no earlier dated title is listed for that county. Dates describe publication history, not the issues available at a library. Multiple format records with the same title, place and dates are grouped. The catalog may describe paper, microfilm or online resources. Open ends and the word Current reflect the catalog description; confirm present availability and exact holdings with the libraries listed on the linked record.

Sources: the catalogs and repository descriptions linked on the entries above. Selected inventories do not establish complete coverage of every record type or online access to original documents. Read the repository access note for source dates and limitations.

Where to find the records

Offices change their hours and access rules; call before you visit.

Boundaries and parent counties

Formed from: Custer County

Check the parent county for earlier records: Custer County

Ziebach (original, extinct)Washington (extinct)ShannonPenningtonFall RiverFall RiverWashington (extinct)Shannon
Fall River as created in 1883Today's boundaryBoundaries: Newberry Library, Atlas of Historical County Boundaries

Records stay with the county that created them. If your ancestor lived here before 1883, search the parent county. The Atlas of Historical County Boundaries shows each boundary change.

Research tip

Until 1889 North and South Dakota were one territory, so early records may be filed under Dakota Territory. South Dakota took state censuses in 1895 (some counties survive), 1905, 1915, 1925, 1935 and 1945.