You may find information about your ancestors and other relatives in this new online database. If not, you certainly can learn more about the times in which they lived. All 41 volumes of the South Dakota Historical Collections have been digitized by the S.D. State Library.
From 1902 to 1982, the Historical Collection series was published biennially by the Department of History — now the S.D. State Historical Society — as part of its mission to collect, preserve, and make accessible the history of the state. All 41 volumes are now available in the Featured Collections section of the S.D. State Library’s Digital Collections.
“These volumes cover a wide array of topics and are a valuable resource for students, teachers, and scholarly researchers,” Mary Stadick Smith, S.D. Department of Education, said. “Six editors presided over the S.D. Historical Collections during its run, including Doane Robinson, Will G. Robinson, and Dayton Canaday. Their different editing styles and interests are evident throughout the volumes. Taken as a whole, the series represents an evolution in perspectives on the state’s history, heritage, and culture. In 1989 an index to the collection was compiled and published to aid researchers.”
You can learn more in an article by Del Bartels in the (South Dakota) Capital Journal at: https://bit.ly/3hj3Fbv.