Hours of hunting can be spent around the countryside of Woonsocket. Enjoy pheasant, deer, coyote, duck, and goose hunting. Woonsocket is the county seat for Sanborn County and the home to the Sanborn County Courthouse. Woonsocket is located in south central South Dakota, on Highway 34 – 24 miles from Huron, 35 miles from Mitchell, 108 miles from Sioux Falls, and 20 miles from Interstate 90.
History
The superintendent of the railroad was C.H. Prior, and he named the new town Woonsocket, after his home town of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The City of Woonsocket began in 1883 at the junction of the Chicago, Milwaukee, and Saint Paul Railroads. The town of Woonsocket grew rapidly. The first day lots were offered for sale, 50 lots were sold. Woonsocket grew so fast that it was called “Boomstrucket.”?The population grew from 500 to 800 people in two months. The first business establishment to be located in Woonsocket was a saloon. Three days after the sale of the first lot, the first church services were held in a carpenter’s shed, which had recently been moved in. Since Woonsocket was in the geographical area of artesian wells, there was an ample supply of good water with advantages of the fertile land and good railroad facilities.
Recreation/Community Events
Thousands of melons are grown annually, with many stands selling their melons. Watermelon, muskmelon, squash, and pumpkin are raised in the area.
The City of Woonsocket has completed a community improvement project for the swimming area at Lake Prior. The renovations include a filtrated concrete swimming area, triple flume water slide, a kiddy slide and new playground equipment. A walkway is completed around the lake, which leads to an island that features a gazebo.
Woonsocket School is a fully accredited K-12 school district. Its graduation rate is 100% and its dropout rate is less than 1%. The City of Woonsocket and the Woonsocket School District joined forces to build a combined public and school library, and fitness center, which is connected to the Woonsocket High School and the National Guard Armory.
Contact Information
- City of Woonsocket, PO Box 456, Woonsocket SD, 57385-0456
- (605) 796-4112
- citywoonsocket@santel.net
- www.woonsocketsd.com
