STURGIS, S.D. – The Sturgis Community Center is set to travel back in time this June. The 10th annual Sturgis and Meade County History Day will take place on Friday, June 12 (5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.) and Saturday, June 13 (9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.).

This year’s event shines a spotlight on a foundational pillar of the local heritage with the theme: “The History of Schools in Meade County.”

A Century and a Half of Rural Education

As the largest county by land area in South Dakota, Meade County’s history is deeply intertwined with the story of its rural country schools. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as homesteaders settled across the vast prairie, one-room schoolhouses quickly became the lifelines of isolated communities.

More than just places of ABCs and arithmetic, these country schools served as voting precincts, community churches, dance halls, and local meeting places. Teachers—often young women who traveled from back East—boarded with local ranching families and braved brutal South Dakota winters to keep the wood stoves burning and the minds of pioneering children sharp.

To preserve this rich legacy, the Sturgis and Meade County Historical Society has gathered 150 years of town and country school stories, artifacts, and photographs for this year’s exhibits.

The Legacy of Erskine School: A Sturgis Landmark

While country schools anchored the prairie, the story of education within the town of Sturgis is epitomized by the historic Erskine School.

Originally, an early school built on the site in 1889 served the growing town, but a fire destroyed it in 1900. Rising from the ashes, a new school building was completed in 1901 for just over $10,000. It was later named in honor of Reverend Carroll D. Erskine, a beloved, longtime Presbyterian minister who arrived in “Scooptown” in 1906 and went on to serve as the dedicated president of the Sturgis Board of Education for many years.

The school originally served both elementary and high school students. Even after a new high school was built in 1936, Erskine remained the beating heart of elementary education for the community’s younger grades all the way until January 2009. It ranks as one of the longest continuously operating public school buildings in South Dakota’s history, boasting an impressive 108 years of uninterrupted educational service (1901–2009).

Though its days as a traditional schoolhouse have passed, the building remains a landmark. Today, it stands beautifully refurbished as the Meade County Erskine Office Building on Sherman Street, continuing to serve the public more than a century after its brick walls were first raised.

The Sturgis Community Center gymnasium will host booths filled with historical artifacts, vintage photographs, and memorabilia across both days.

Friday, June 12

• 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. – Exhibits and booths open to the public.
• 6:30 p.m. – Round Table Discussion: “Memories of Education in Meade County” in the gymnasium. Come listen to firsthand accounts and shared community history.

Saturday, June 13

• 9:00 a.m. – Exhibits open.
• 10:30 a.m. – Presentation: Country Schools Past and Present by Betsey DeLouche.
• 11:30 a.m. – Presentation: A Timeline of Sturgis Schools by Jim Holland and Mark Rambow (held in the Community Center Theater).
• Note: Boxed lunches will be available for attendees during the midday events.

Saturday Afternoon: Historic Country School Tours

Following the morning presentations, the history moves out into the field. Attendees are invited to take a special driving tour of three surviving country schoolhouses, culminating in a sweet treat.

• 1:00 p.m. – Spring Creek School (Located west of Bear Butte)
• 2:00 p.m. – Alkali School (Located at the Threshing Bee Grounds)
• 3:00 p.m. – Pleasant Valley School – A tour of this recently restored gem, followed immediately by an Ice Cream Social.

Support the Society: Membership Opportunities

To keep Meade County’s history alive, the Historical Society will have an information and membership booth available throughout the weekend.

History Day is made possible, in part, by the generous support of the City of Sturgis, HomeSlice Group, KBHB Radio, and the Meade County Commission.

For more information regarding the event or memberships, please call 605-381-5395 or email presidentsturgishistory@gmail.com.