History of Salem, SD

1880-2010As studied by

McCook Central 3rd Grade Students

Introduction• Salem was named by Oliver S .Pender the first storekeeper and

postmaster of Salem, Massachusetts. For a while Salem was called Melas (Salem spelled backward). The mail was getting mixed up because there was a town named Salena and it sounded the same. When Salena died Salem got back it’s name. Salem is a Hebrew word meaning peace.

• We have decided to put the olden days buildings and then the buildings we have now so we can see how they have changed.

• We studied and made graphs of the population, the farmers, and the public school enrollment.

McCook County CourthouseBuilt in 1893. The first school was the ground floor of the building.

Now Salem's courthouse in 2010

The Old Salem Bank

The old Salem bank was built in 1889. This was the first brick building. It’s on Main Street.

Here is the old Salem Bank. It is now the Mountain Plains Research building. And if you look on the top it will say 1889. That's when it was built and it is still standing . This is today in 2010.

East Side Of Main Street

1907 2010

This is Salem’s east side of main St. This what it looks like in 2010. Some of the buildings are Zapp Hardware, Shear Design, Salem Drug Store, Uniquely You.

Commercial State Bank This Commercial State Bank

was built in 1881.It was moved in 1901. 2010. This is an abandoned store.

Commerical State BankBuilt in 1902. It has housed through the years a bank, several clothing stores, shoe makers, doctors , dentists, lawyers, barbers, the REA , and the liquor store.

This is how the building looks in 2010. We think it is empty now.

West side of Main ST.Stores on the west side of Main street. The west side of main street in 2010

Old Grade SchoolThis is the old Salem Grade School. The first Grade School in Salem was built in 1881 by J. E. Miller. The school opened in January, 1882. The old Salem grade school building built in 1899 and torn down in 1969.

This is what the school looks like now in 2010.

Salem Flour Mill

• Was built in 1890• People did not buy flour at

the grocery store. They came here with their wheat and got flour from the wheat.

• The mill isn’t here anymore.

Hardware Store in SalemTyler and Brother Hardware

1882Zapp Hardware now in 2010

First National Bank/Pete’s OasisHotel /Pete’s Oasis

After 1945, Bob Capon and Marvin VanEmmerik used it for a furniture store in the front and a produce store in the middle.

First National Bank 2010 The First Dakota National Bank is

now in the place where Pete’s Oasis was.

Farm Predictions

Farms will decrease because:• Other people will buy the

farmer’s land.• Salem city will get bigger so there

will be less land to farm.• Might have to sell the farm

because they didn’t get enough money from the crops.

• Farmers will get older and older and will sell their land to other farmers.

• People will sell land to other farmers who already have land.

Farms will increase because:• People might want to come back to

the farm because they’ll earn money from crops and there’s more technology.

• People will sell land to new farmers. People will tear down old houses in town and then a new farmer might buy that land.

• They will advertise. Crops may also grow good so people will want to farm and they’ll get a lot of money.

• It’s peaceful on a farm.• There’s more wild game.

School EnrollmentSalem Public (includes country schools)

School Enrollment PredictionsEnrollment will increase because:• More people will move here and

then more kids will be born.• Kids will get good grades and

scores. The 3rd grade kids get such good grades.

• City will get bigger and the kids will have to go to school.

• More babies are born than people dying.

• Parents think the children are getting a good education and so they want to stay here.

Enrollment will decrease because:• People might move to get a

better job or mom and dad have to drive so far to their job.

• Families are smaller and don’t have as many babies.

• Students graduate and less Kindergarten kids come.

• Maybe some parents want to Home School.

• There could be a big fire and people would want to move.

Population PredictionReasons for moving to Salem• Babies grow up, have more babies,

and they stay in Salem and grow up.

• People move here from Sioux Falls because it’s not as crowded here.

• More people will build houses here because we are in the middle between Sioux Falls and Mitchell.

• It is safer here than Sioux Falls and Mitchell.

• Hwy 81 and I-90 cross near Salem.• It’s not so far to drive to get to

school.

Reasons to move from Salem

• People have jobs in Sioux Falls or Mitchell and will use too much gas for driving.

• Some people would like to live in a big town to shop and have a lot of neighbors.

• Maybe Salem will be crowded and will move to a home in the country by Sioux Falls or Mitchell.

Recommendations(to get people to move here)

• Advertise that “Salem is a peaceful, nice, and safe town”. Salem’s name means “peace”.

• More restaurants and buildings.• Make a domed sport building.• Build a zoo and an aquarium.• Build a movie theater and a drive

in movie theater. • Create a lake.• Make another swimming pool

and a hotel with a pool.

• Get a Chucky Cheese.• Get a City Library.• Get more stores.

21st Century Teaching

21st Century Themes• Civic Literacy• Global Awareness

Life and Career Skills• Leadership• Responsibility• Initiative and Self-Direction

21st Century Skills• Creativity & Innovation• Critical Thinking• Problem Solving• Communication• Collaboration

Resources the Students Used• nass.usda.gov• Standard Atlas of McCook Co. SD, Geo. A. Ogle

& Co. , Chicago 1911• Ag Statistic Service, Sioux Falls, SD

1-605-323-6500• Court House-Record of School Fund

Apportionment 1902-1963• Within These Borders…, McCook County, SD,

1976