Aurora County: Wetlands, Architecture, and Local History

Discover Aurora County through its varied landscapes and rich architectural and local history. Wetlands, seasonal birdwatching, and fishing opportunities sit alongside historic buildings, museums, and public open spaces in Plankinton and White Lake.

Wetlands and Birdwatching

Fish Lake is a 420-acre Game Production Area. Its lake is surrounded by smaller wetlands and grassland. The Humphrey WPA and Humphrey Slough GPA together form a 900-acre area with a lake, marsh, deciduous shelterbelts, flooded cottonwood stands, grassland, and farmland.

The 800-acre Maine WPA offers seasonal opportunities to observe shorebirds: suitable periods are April and May, as well as August and September. During migration, sandhill cranes can also be observed in fields in western Aurora County. If you plan your trip around nature viewing, you can take these periods into account.

A regional drive follows the Spring and Fall Driving Loop from Mitchell via Fish Lake GPA and White Lake to Maine WPA. The route then heads back to Mitchell or continues to Broken Arrow WPA. It connects named places and natural areas in a set sequence, providing a guide for further exploration of the region.

Architecture and Local History

The Aurora County Courthouse is a rectangular, three-story cast-in-place concrete building in the Art Deco and Art Moderne styles. The Raesly House, east of Plankinton in Aurora County, is considered an outstanding example of a Queen Anne substyle; its features include a hipped roof and lower cross-gables. Marian and Josephine Raesly built the house around 1883. The two buildings offer architecture enthusiasts different points of interest: one is a cast-in-place concrete structure, the other a house with distinctive roof forms.

The Underwood United Methodist Church also brings together architectural form and local history. It was built in 1908 and altered in 1920. The church is in Aurora County, ten miles north of White Lake. Its octagonal bell tower has eight openings in pointed Gothic arch forms. The building is also considered an outstanding example of the wooden rural churches built in rural South Dakota in the early 20th century.

Other historic landmarks include the Commercial House Hotel, one of the earliest buildings in Plankinton, and the Sweep Hotel, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Sweep-VanDyke Railroad Museum & Cultural Center is being restored under the direction of the Plankinton Preservation Society.

A historic marker commemorates Explorer II’s landing on November 11, 1935, after a record ascent to 72,395 feet. The Stratosphere Balloon Landing marker records this event in Aurora County. Another marker, Badger Clark Dakota Home, identifies the homestead in Aurora County where future Poet Laureate Badger Clark lived from the age of one year and nine months until moving to Mitchell.

Museums and Getting Around Plankinton

The Aurora County Historical Museum is located in Plankinton, one block from the Aurora County Courthouse. The ACHS museums comprise five historic buildings and a main entrance with an office. Exhibits include objects, written and oral histories, land descriptions, and a document library.

Plankinton’s parks offer various options for spending time outdoors. Pool Side Park is the site of the city’s large public swimming pool; seasonal operating hours may vary. If you plan to visit the pool, check its current hours in advance. Westside Park offers a picnic shelter, shaded areas, and playground equipment. In White Lake, City Park offers plenty of space to play.

Fishing at Various Waters

Shore fishing for northern pike and channel catfish is possible at the historic Jail Pond, also known as Kids Pond. The pond is stocked with fish and offers opportunities for family fishing. At Wilmarth Lake, shore fishing is possible for largemouth bass, sunfish, perch, walleye, and channel catfish. Crystal Lake offers shore fishing for channel catfish and perch; rainbow trout and channel catfish are the species listed at Patton Dam. These details make it easier to compare the waters based on the fish species listed for each. Since fish populations and facilities may change, check current advisories before fishing.

Discover more destinations: Plankinton, Beadle County, Brown, Spink County, Fall River County, Lawrence County, Stanley, Jerauld County.

For the overview of the wider region: South Dakota.