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Chronicling America
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Newspaper Süd Dakota Nachrichten (Mitchell, Süd=dakota) 1890-1899

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About Süd Dakota Nachrichten (Mitchell, Süd=dakota) 1890-1899

The Süd Dakota Nachrichten (South Dakota News) was published in the city of Mitchell by Hermann Butikofer, herausgeber (editor). Butikofer had emigrated from Bern, Switzerland in 1882, arriving first in Redfield, Dakota Territory, where he broke ground on a 25-acre plot of land. In 1890, he moved to Mitchell and set up a newspaper printing office. Beginning in 1891, the Nachrichten was printed in Fraktur font each Donnerstag (Thursday), consisting of six columns and eight pages. The annual subscription rate was $1.50, or $.75 for six months. The paper could also be shipped to Europe (nach Europa versandt) for an advance subscription payment of $2.00 per year.

The city of Mitchell, Davison County, Dakota Territory was founded in the 1870s as a trading post named Firesteel, in an area that began attracting German and German-Russian immigrants around 1873. In May 1879, the Chicago, Milwaukee, and Saint Paul Railroad sent notice of a proposed Dakota Rail system running east and west across the southern section of Dakota Territory; however, when the time came to bridge the James River, the railroad selected a site several miles farther west than Firesteel’s location. This new site became known as Mitchell, after the railroad’s president, Alexander Mitchell. To be near the established railway system, inhabitants of Firesteel physically moved their homes and businesses to the new Mitchell location.

The Süd Dakota Nachrichten offered the influx of German-speaking settlers news from the surrounding counties of Davison, Sanborn, McCook, Hanson, Jerauld, Aurora, Coddington, Spink, Lyman, Beadle, and Douglas. Its columns furnished details of personal visits, travel notes, births, deaths, and even small want ads. Some towns also highlighted their local news, in such columns as “Potpourri von Parkston” (Odds and Ends from Parkston). Plus, there was always the next excerpt from a serialized novel, such as Muth zur Wehrheit (Courage to Fight).

Much of the front-page news was national in nature, along with nearby state updates. The Nachrichten included market reports from Chicago, Minneapolis and St. Paul, South Omaha, Sioux City, and Kansas City. Kabelberichte von Europa (cable reports from Europe) brought news from Paris, Belgrade, Zurich, and other foreign locations. In addition, lokales (local columns) featured news notes from many surrounding South Dakota settlements, including Starr and Platte.

The Süd Dakota Nachrichten continued publication in Mitchell until May 1896, when Hermann Butikofer suspended the printing operation and moved it to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Butikofer then sold the newspaper to Hans Demuth in 1900; moved to Washington State, near Seattle; and continued in the printing business. Demuth continued printing the German-language newspaper under the name of the Süd Dakota Nachrichten und Herold (South Dakota News and Herald). This newspaper went through several more title changes and editors before ceasing publication in 1918.

Provided By: South Dakota State Historical Society – State Archives

About this Newspaper

Title

  • Süd Dakota Nachrichten (Mitchell, Süd=dakota) 1890-1899

Dates of Publication

  • 1890-1899

Created / Published

  • Mitchell, Süd=Dakota : Hermann Butikofer

Headings

  • -  Germans--United States--Newspapers
  • -  German Americans--South Dakota--Sioux Falls--Newspapers
  • -  Mitchell (S.D.)--Newspapers
  • -  Sioux Falls (S.D.)--Newspapers
  • -  Davison County (S.D.)--Newspapers
  • -  Minnehaha County (S.D.)--Newspapers
  • -  German Americans
  • -  Germans
  • -  South Dakota--Davison County
  • -  South Dakota--Minnehaha County
  • -  South Dakota--Mitchell
  • -  South Dakota--Sioux Falls
  • -  United States
  • -  United States--South Dakota--Davison--Mitchell
  • -  United States--South Dakota--Minnehaha--Sioux Falls

Genre

  • Newspapers

Notes

  • -  Weekly
  • -  Began in 1890; ceased in 1899.
  • -  Published in: Mitchell, S.D. <1890-1896>; and in: Sioux Falls, S.D. <1896-1899>.
  • -  Available on microfilm from: State Archives, South Dakota State Historical Society.
  • -  Archived issues are available in digital format from the Library of Congress Chronicling America online collection.
  • -  In German.
  • -  Description based on: 2. Jahrg., Nr. 1 (30 Juli 1891).

Medium

  • v.

Call Number/Physical Location

  • Newspaper

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • sn98069094

OCLC Number

  • 39735754

ISSN Number

  • 2770-2944

Additional Metadata Formats

Availability

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress believes that the newspapers in Chronicling America are in the public domain or have no known copyright restrictions. Newspapers published in the United States more than 95 years ago are in the public domain in their entirety. Any newspapers in Chronicling America that were published less than 95 years ago are also believed to be in the public domain, but may contain some copyrighted third party materials. Researchers using newspapers published less than 95 years ago should be alert for modern content (for example, registered and renewed for copyright and published with notice) that may be copyrighted. Responsibility for making an independent legal assessment of an item and securing any necessary permissions ultimately rests with persons desiring to use the item.

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Süd Dakota Nachrichten Mitchell, Süd=dakota -1899. (Mitchell, SD), Jan. 1 1890. https://www.loc.gov/item/sn98069094/.

APA citation style:

(1890, January 1) Süd Dakota Nachrichten Mitchell, Süd=dakota -1899. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/sn98069094/.

MLA citation style:

Süd Dakota Nachrichten Mitchell, Süd=dakota -1899. (Mitchell, SD) 1 Jan. 1890. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, www.loc.gov/item/sn98069094/.