History of Nisland

While Orman Dam was constructed twelve miles northeast of Belle Fourche, a railroad was built down the valley to deliver materials to the labor camps. Siding One later became Fruitdale Station on the Belle Fourche Valley Railroad. Ten miles east of Siding One was Siding Two.

Nis Sorensen sold his land in 1908 for the townsite. In 1909 with two businesses already established at Siding Two. A community meeting was held to decide what to call their town. Mrs. Hans Sorensen, the only lady present suggested “Lucerine.” The group adopted the name and asked Washington.

Lucerine News was a column on activities at Siding Two in the weekly Belle Fourche Bee. Dances were popular at Lucerine and people from Vale, Belle Fourche, the farms, and labor camps on the Orman Project flocked to the new town. Nisland’s newspaper was first the Butte County News and later in 1915, the Butte County Press

On December 23, 1909, Representative E. Marting of South Dakota wired that the Post Office Department had rejected the name, Lucerine, in favor of a more appropriate name, Nisland. Credit for the new name went to Mrs. Joseph Duer. The name was approved and Jim E. Stewart was named postmaster in Nisland. The mail came via Belle Fourche and Orman Camp. After Stewart’s death the post office was moved to the Rossmall building. The structure was dismantled again in 1939 and moved to Newell, where Hafner Wool Company used it.

In January 1910, two banks started to build on offsetting corner: The Farmers State Bank and the Irrigators State Bank.

By spring there was much community development. The depot was under construction. James E. Lonnegan started a hardware store; Nis Soresen, a hotel, and J.D. Brickle, a drug store. The two banks were open. The Montgomery Lumber Company and the Peter Minter Lumber Company were each establishing a building material yard. George Early erected an elevator as a first step to a mill. A footbridge was constructed across the Belle Fourche River for customers to use when it was too deep to ford with horses and wagon.

In April 1910, Nisland streets were platted and named. The lot sale took place on May 18, 1910. People came from all directions. The Orman Stage from Belle Fourche was crowded each trip. The four downtown corner lots sold for $1000 each. Inside lots averaged $300 each. George Ross and Charles S. Small paid $1750 for a corner and three inside lots on which they planned to establish their big ROSSMALL STORE. Pomeroy and Glassie planned a grocery; Jack Burns of Belle Fourche and H.L. Shevling of Vale each planned a livery barn business; and a meat market was under construction. Mrs. Shevling ran the Nisland Hotel.. John Hirning, the Farmers State Bank’s cashier moved his family to the new town. Nis Sorensen was president of the Farmers State Bank; James E. Lonnegan, vice president; Burt Rogers and Olaf Seim of Deadwood, AH. Maxwell of Belle Fourche, Jake Snyder and Nis Sorensen of Nisland were directors.

On June 16, 1910, the first train was run from Belle Fourche over the Valley Railroad to Nisland and back. Its two coaches were crowded with people who wanted to make the historical trip. October 29, 1910, the citizens voted to incorporate their town. The vote was thirty-seven for incorporation with no votes against it. Nisland blossomed into a busy community. Nisland was the hub of the only irrigated county in SD.

A fire in January 1929 destroyed a meat market, Beehive Dry Goods and warehouse. On December 6, 1929 fire destroyed the Wadsworth building, McRann Filling Station and Garage and the L.L. Vandawarka residence. In later years a church and school were built. Nisland became the home of the Butte County Fair. For a time Nisland was a commercial pickle salting station. Nisland was a stock shipping point and a major beet dump for the sugar industry.

In 1985, Nisland celebrated its 75th anniversary 2000 people attended the event. The parade composed of 70 entries.