South Dakota Turns 131 Years Old Today

South Dakota, you look great for your age! The Mount Rushmore state became a state on this day in 1889. In fact, Mount Rushmore didn't even exist back when South Dakota first achieved statehood.

Not only was South Dakota admitted to the union on this date but so was its northern neighbor, North Dakota. But which state came first? Well, it seems our nation's 23rd president, Benjamin Harrison deliberately wanted to keep that fact a secret. After signing both states into the union, Harrison intentionally shuffled the pages so no one would ever know which state he signed into statehood first. However, North Dakota is generally listed as the 39th state and South Dakota the 40th, due to the letter N coming before the letter S in the alphabet.

In the past 131 years, South Dakota has seen an enormous amount of historical events inside its boundaries. Even before it became a state, South Dakota made its mark in history. Lewis and Clark roamed large sections of the area in the early 1800s as part of the expedition they made on behalf of President Thomas Jefferson. Custer struck gold in the Black Hills in 1874, leading to the South Dakota gold rush.

Of course, the most famous moment in South Dakota's history came in 1941 when Mount Rushmore was completed. It's strange to think of a time when Mount Rushmore wasn't around. It's affected our state's history in a very positive way for the past 80 plus years.

Show some South Dakota businesses some love today and celebrate all things, Dakota, on the 131st birthday of the Mount Rushmore state.