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History · Faulkton

Faulkton’s post office opened in 1882, and 24% of its homes were built before 1940

6 places in town are on the National Register.

1882first post office
6on the National Register
24%homes built before 1940
2famous people
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Quick answers

How Faulkton began, and where its name came from

When was Faulkton founded?

1882

The Faulkton post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name.

2020 census: 826144 years

How did Faulkton get its name?

Faulkton was named for Andrew Jackson Faulk, the third Governor of Dakota Territory.

Founding year: the first Faulkton post office (Blevins & Helbock, CC0). Name: Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.The full story ↓

What stands out about Faulkton’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 Faulkton are in the public archives yet. The rest are in attics and albums.Landmarks on the Register6 places on the National Register.
★ What stands out · Help out

Start Faulkton’s collection

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

Decades since 1900 with photos
00s10s20s30s40s50s60s70s80s90s
0 of 10 decades. The empty ones are waiting for someone’s album.
Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
On the National Register

6 historic places in Faulkton

The country’s official list of buildings and places worth saving.

places listed
6
National Historic Landmarks
0
none yet
historic buildings protected
7
each building in a district counts
first listed
1986
Frank and Clara Turner House
Frank and Clara Turner House, built 1888Gov. Frank M. Byrne House, built 1898Faulk County Courthouse, built 1905Faulkton American Legion HallDr. William Edgerton House, built 1905Parker, C.W., Carousel No. 825, built 1950
BuildingsStructures

Architectural styles listings

Vernacular Queen Anne1
Stick Style1
Bungalow/Craftsman1
Classical Revival1
Art Deco1
Commercial Style1
Frank and Clara Turner HouseVernacular Queen Anne · Built 1888
Gov. Frank M. Byrne HouseStick Style · Built 1898
Faulk County CourthouseClassical Revival · Built 1905
Faulkton American Legion HallCommercial Style
All 6 listings
Dr. William Edgerton HouseBuilding · listed 2010Parker, C.W., Carousel No. 825Structure · listed 2017

National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. Photos from Wikimedia Commons, credited on each place’s page.

The story

How Faulkton came to be

From Wikipedia’s history of Faulkton.

Read it all →

Faulkton was platted and incorporated in 1886. It was named for Andrew Jackson Faulk, the third Governor of Dakota Territory.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Timeline

Faulkton, 1882 to 1916

Woven from the archive, old maps, post office records, the National Register and the people born here.

  1. 19th century
  2. 1882Post officeThe Faulkton post office opens
  3. 1888BuiltFrank and Clara Turner House is built
  4. 1898BuiltGov. Frank M. Byrne House is built
  5. 20th century
  6. 1903Born hereJoe Bottum is born here
  7. 1905BuiltFaulk County Courthouse is built
  8. 1905BuiltDr. William Edgerton House is built
  9. 1916Born hereCecil E. Harris is born here
By decade

Faulkton, decade by decade

Today1 recent
SDMap-doton-Faulkton2004SDMap-doton-Faulkton
Famous people

2 famous people were born in Faulkton

Writers, athletes, leaders and more, ranked by how widely they’re known.

See all →
Joe BottumAmerican politician · b. 1903
C
Cecil E. HarrisAmerican naval aviator · b. 1916

Questions about Faulkton’s history

What year was Faulkton founded?

The Faulkton post office opened in 1882, the earliest record of the town by name (U.S. post office records).

What is on the National Register in Faulkton?

6 listings: 5 buildings, among them the Frank and Clara Turner House (listed 1986, the first), and 1 structure. 7 historic buildings in all.

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 (1), Wikidata (3), the National Register of Historic Places (6), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) 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.