Hermosa, South Dakota

Hermosa, South Dakota
Town
Former Masonic Lodge, originally the town school
Flag
Location in Custer County and the state of South Dakota
Coordinates: 43°50′23″N103°11′35″W / 43.83972°N 103.19306°W / 43.83972; -103.19306
Country	United States
State	South Dakota
County	Custer
Founded	1886 [1]
Area [2]
• Total	0.48 sq mi (1.24 km2)
• Land	0.48 sq mi (1.24 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation [3]	3,340 ft (1,020 m)
Population  (2020) [4]
• Total	382
• Density	794.18/sq mi (306.93/km2)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
Zip Code	57744
Area code	605
FIPS code	46-28300 [5]
GNIS feature ID	1267418 [3]
Website	www.hermosasd.com

Hermosa is a town near the northern edge of Custer County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 382 at the 2020 census. ^[6]

History

Hermosa was developed by the Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad, later acquired by the Chicago and North Western Railway, and was platted in 1886. ^{[7] [8]} It was given its name, the Spanish for "beautiful", for its views of the Black Hills and the grasslands; the railroad located it a mile uphill from an existing stagecoach stop. ^[8] A post office has been in operation in Hermosa since 1886. ^[9]

A Titan missile silo was located near Hermosa from the early 1960s. ^[8]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 0.48 square miles (1.24 km²), all land. ^[10]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	172		—
1900	77		−55.2%
1910	114		48.1%
1920	74		−35.1%
1930	128		73.0%
1940	121		−5.5%
1950	123		1.7%
1960	126		2.4%
1970	150		19.0%
1980	251		67.3%
1990	242		−3.6%
2000	315		30.2%
2010	398		26.3%
2020	382		−4.0%
U.S. Decennial Census [11] [4]

2010 census

As of the census ^[12] of 2010, there were 398 people, 158 households, and 110 families living in the town. The population density was 829.2 inhabitants per square mile (320.2/km²). There were 183 housing units at an average density of 381.3 per square mile (147.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 88.7% White, 3.8% Native American, 1.0% Asian, 0.3% Pacific Islander, 0.5% from other races, and 5.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.3% of the population.

There were 158 households, of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 10.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 7.0% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.4% were non-families. 20.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.3% consisted of someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.52 and the average family size was 2.93.

The median age in the town was 36.8 years. 25.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 7.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 25.3% were between 25 and 44; 29.3% were between 45 and 64; and 11.6% were 65 or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.3% male and 49.7% female.

2000 census

As of the census ^[5] of 2000, there were 315 people, 130 households, and 82 families living in the town. The population density was 809.8 inhabitants per square mile (312.7/km²). There were 139 housing units at an average density of 357.3 per square mile (138.0/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.38% White, 1.59% African American, 3.81% Native American, 0.32% from other races, and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.86% of the population.

There were 130 households, out of which 30.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.0% were married couples living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.2% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.1% consisted of someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.98.

Of the population, 26.0% were under the age of 18, 7.0% aged between 18 and 24, 27.9% between 25 and 44, 26.0% between 45 and 64, and 13.0%, 65 or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.3 males; among those 18 and over, for every 100 females there were 102.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $35,341, and the median income for a family was $37,031. Males had a median income of $29,000 versus $16,750 for females. The per capita income for the town was $13,147. About 8.0% of families and 9.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.8% of those under age 18 and 8.6% of those 65 or over.

Education

Hermosa has an elementary school serving students through 8th grade; most continue their schooling in Rapid City. The first school opened in 1886. It was replaced in 1889 by a two-story building with a bell tower, which in 1926 was condemned as structurally unsound, but was purchased, moved, and stabilized by the Freemasons, who used it as their lodge until 2000; it has since become a museum, arts venue, and community hall under the Hermosa Arts and History Association. ^[8]

Economics

Tin has been mined near Hermosa, with the ore transported via the railroad, and the town was also a railhead for cattle ranching. Since the opening of Custer State Park in 1919, Hermosa has also been a recreational gateway to the Black Hills. ^[8] The Custer County Fairground is in the town. There is a small downtown business district clustered around U.S. Route 79. Lintz Brothers pizza, originally in the Mount Rushmore Telephone Company building, and Roy's Drive-in, with two 80-foot (24 m) digital screens, attract out-of-towners as well as locals. ^[8]

Notable residents

• Gutzon Borglum, lived on a ranch in Hermosa during work on Mount Rushmore ^[8]
• Bower family, subjects of the Disney film The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band ^[8]
• Linda Hasselstrom, rancher and author ^[8]

See also

• List of towns in South Dakota

References

1. "SD Towns" (PDF). South Dakota State Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2010.
2. "ArcGIS REST Services Directory". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
3. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Hermosa, South Dakota
4. "Census Population API". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
5. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
6. "U.S. Census Bureau: Hermosa town, South Dakota". www.census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
7. Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 83.
8. Paul Higbee (2021) [January–February 2020]. "The Beauty That is Hermosa". South Dakota magazine. Retrieved April 18, 2024.
9. "Custer County". Jim Forte Postal History. Retrieved March 20, 2015.
10. "US Gazetteer files 2010". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on January 25, 2012. Retrieved June 21, 2012.
11. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
12. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved June 21, 2012.

External links

• Media related to Hermosa, South Dakota at Wikimedia Commons