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History · Alcester Township

Alcester Township dates to 1879, and 56% of its homes were built before 1940

Below: maps from 1897 on and the census since 1900.

1879founded
0on the National Register
56%homes built before 1940
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Quick answers

How Alcester Township began

When was Alcester Township founded?

1879

Alcester Township dates its founding to 1879 (Wikipedia’s history). The census first counted it in 1900.

First census: 381 in 19002020 census: 285147 years
Founding year: Wikipedia.The full story ↓

What stands out about Alcester Township’s past

Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.

A history waiting to be writtenNo old photos of Alcester Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.On the map since 18974 editions of the USGS map, 1897 to 1985. Watch Alcester Township change.Old housesHalf of Alcester Township’s homes were built before 1938.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Alcester Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Alcester Township’s history is told.

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
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On the map

Alcester Township on the map, 1897 to 1985

Every edition of the U.S. Geological Survey’s map of Alcester Township. Tap a year, or press play to watch the town change.

Alcester Township on the 1897 USGS mapAlcester Township on the 1900 USGS mapAlcester Township on the 1968 USGS mapAlcester Township on the 1985 USGS map1897Canton sheet · 1:125,000

U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (public domain), via Esri’s collection of the scans. The red ring marks the center of Alcester Township.

The story

How Alcester Township came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Alcester Township.

Read it all →

Alcester was platted in 1879; early variant names were Linia and Irene. The present name honors Colonel Alcester of the British army. The weekly Alcester Union newspaper began publishing in 1888.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

By decade

Alcester Township, decade by decade

Today4 recent
Hyden House (Alcester SD) from NW 12015Hyden House (Alcester SD) from NW 1Big Springs, South Dakota2012Big Springs, South DakotaBig Springs, South Dakota2012Big Springs, South DakotaSDMap-doton-Alcester2004SDMap-doton-Alcester
People over time

Alcester Township, census by census

02004006008001900192019401960198020002020Peak: 885

Between 381 and 885 people in every census since 1900.

13 censuses, 1900–2020.

U.S. Census Bureau decennial counts, from the census table on Alcester Township’s Wikipedia page.

Places that used to be

Places now gone and burying grounds

Gone or out of use
School Number 51schoolSchool Number 54school
1cemetery inside Alcester Township
Erickson

Places and cemeteries from the USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).

Stories next door

History across the town line

Each neighbor’s History grade, on the same three inputs.

Prairie TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townNorway Township3 historic placesnot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townVirginia Township1 historic placenot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its townBig Springs TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Alcester Township’s history

What year was Alcester Township founded?

In 1879, according to Wikipedia’s history of the town. the census of 1900 counted 381 people here.

Memory lane

What the archives can’t tell you, neighbors can.

Town Square →
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Sources

Where this page comes from

Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021). How TownRatings grades history →

From Wikimedia Commons (4), Wikidata (1), Wikipedia, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.