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City Of Lemmon

303 First Avenue West
605-374-5681

About Us :

Located in the heart of the Grand River and Cedar River National Grasslands, just a stone’s throw from the North Dakota border—along South Dakota’s Dream Road (US Highway12 —Yellowstone Trail) is Lemmon, South Dakota. The area is rich in the history and culture of “taming the plains.” Major routes like US 12, SD 73, I-94 and I-90 make Lemmon easily accessible. Even better, fly in to Lemmon’s municipal airport--4,500 feet paved and lighted runway.

Lemmon is centrally located for visits to both the Black Hills and Badlands of South Dakota and the Theodore Roosevelt National Park of North Dakota. So, spend a little time in Lemmon, or even better, make it your destination. Lemmon is truly an “all-season” kind of place, where there’s a never-ending variety of things to do and see.

History :

George Edward Lemmon was born at Bountiful, Utah, May 23rd 1857. He moved to Nebraska in 1866 with his parents and at the age of 13 he began the work which made up his career during a large portion of his life.

Nearly 75 years of activity on the cattle ranges of the western Great Plains from the Canadian border to Texas, the founding of this thriving city, many business enterprises and the creation and successful operation of far-flung ranch empires were crowed in to his long colorful career.

In the late 1870's he came to the Black Hills, from there going to the northwestern section of South Dakota with his cattle outfits. In the year 1902 he settled on the L-7 ranch, which was located near the present site of Lemmon. During that time land was plentiful and the L-7 leased 865,000 acres of land on the Standing Rock Reservation and enclosed it with three-wire fence, then making it the largest fenced pasture in the world.

Several years later Lemmon sold his interest in L-7, moving with the homesteaders to settle a new town after the Milwaukee Railroad had crossed the Missouri and moved westward.

On May 16, 1906 the land embraced in what is now the Original Town site of Lemmon, was scripted by Mr. Lemmon with "Santa Fe Railroad scrip" and this land was later conveyed to the Northwest Town site Co., and by them platted in September 1907, and it was during same time that "Tent Town", or the beginning of this city, sprung up. Due to the fact that Lemmon, also having in mind at the route for the Milwaukee railroad from the Missouri River to Lemmon when the company decided to build west, it was recommended by the vice president of the railroad that the proposed city be called "Lemmon".

"Dad" Lemmon was one of the few remaining Texas trail drivers who made the delivery of herds from Texas to northern maturing ranges, these herds laying the foundation of the cattle industry in western South Dakota. His range life covers experiences in Wyoming, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Montana and Texas.

In 1958, Ed Lemmon was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It honors leading figures of the early west including former President Theodore Roosevelt, Will Roger, "Buffalo Bill" Cody and other who have answered the "Last Roundup".