Brule County, SD

Brule County was established by the territorial legislature in 1875. The county was organized immediately with the county seat at Brule City, but it did not grow in population due to President Grant's actions in withdrawing the area from settlement until 1879. At that time the county was reorganized, and following an election in November of 1881, the county seat was moved to Chamberlain, which had become the major city in the county due to the railroad. In April of 1885, all of the county offices were moved into the Hendershot building in Chamberlain. In 1894, a block of land was obtained for construction of a courthouse, but a bond issues to construct a courthouse was voted down in 1901. In 1902 a courthouse was constructed at a cost of $7,800. That building served as the courthouse until the construction of the present building in 1958.