Chosen because of its mostly centralized are in South Dakota. Founded in 1880 on the east bank of the Missouri River opposite Fort Pierre, Pierre has been the state capital since South Dakota gained statehood on November 2, 1889. ... Fort Pierre was named after Pierre Chouteau, Jr., a major American fur trader from St. Louis, Missouri who was of colonial French origin. It is also the second least populous state capital in the U.S.A.

finished in October 31, 1941 due to lack of funding shows George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

Ranks 16th in size out of all states with 77,123 square miles.

About 869,666 people and about 10 people per square mile

Most of the States lands were and still are covered in this ever green tree.

Sprawling prairies, fertile farmland and glacial lakes dominate the landscape in eastern South Dakota. Prairies and ranch land are common in central South Dakota. Mountains grace the western skyline, and in the southwest, striking Badlands formations rise abruptly from the surrounding prairie. The Missouri River runs through the central and southeastern part of the state. Lakes formed by retreating glaciers thousands of years ago cover the northeastern corner of South Dakota.