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History · Elm Springs Township

The history of Elm Springs Township

Below: maps from 1954 on.

0on the National Register
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What stands out about Elm Springs 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 Elm Springs Township are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.
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Start Elm Springs Township’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Elm Springs 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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The story so far

Elm Springs Township, in brief

Wikipedia doesn’t have a history of Elm Springs Township yet. The photos, dates and memories neighbors add here are how it gets written.

Elm Springs is an unincorporated community in Meade County, South Dakota, United States. The locality was settled in 1893. Although not tracked by the Census Bureau, Elm Springs had been assigned the ZIP code of 57736. It now uses the zipcode from Wasta, which is 57791. The community took its name from a nearby spring where elm trees grew.

Between the 2010 and 2020 censuses its population fell from 27 to 23 (-15%).

Intro from Wikipedia. Population: U.S. Census Bureau.

By decade

No old photos in the archives yet

Weddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.

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On the map

Elm Springs Township on the map, 1954 to 1984

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

Elm Springs Township on the 1954 USGS mapElm Springs Township on the 1984 USGS map1954Dalzell sheet · 1:24,000

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

Places that used to be

Old corners

Old hamlets and crossroads still carry their names on the map.

Hamlets and corners on the map
Elm Springs

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.

Smithville TownshipIts storynot graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town

Questions about Elm Springs Township’s history

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 U.S. Geological Survey historical maps 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.