A Walk Through Salem, South Dakota: Courthouse and Culture
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September 29, 2025
In 2014, I traveled through eastern South Dakota to visit the county courthouses in the area. The weather in late September was perfect for exploring. I discovered many charming towns, including Canistota (known for its Ortman Chiropractic Clinic) and Salem, which is the seat of McCook County.
Salem has a small population, with only 1,300 residents. I easily found the McCook County Courthouse along U.S. Highway 81, which runs north and south through town; Main Street runs parallel to it, also heading north and south.
The courthouse was built in 1934 during the Great Depression, likely as part of a Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) project. During that period, the federal agency funded numerous new courthouses in an effort to provide employment opportunities for unemployed workers.
The design of the courthouse is primarily Art Deco, a characteristic style of the 1930s. The county courthouse features distinctive lettering and metallic work on the window frames at the front and sides. As is typical for such buildings, metal was used extensively throughout the structure. It is either aluminum or stainless steel, molded and shaped to be aesthetically pleasing and stylish, yet economical in times of hardship. The photos below include one that highlights the exceptional metallic work above the heating grates in the stairwells.
In American civics, we frequently discuss the separation of church and state. Here in Salem, the courthouse represents the “state,” while the town’s Catholic Church is the “church.” St. Mary Catholic Church, located on the other side of Highway 81, was built in 1885 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This beautiful red stone building features a high steeple adorned with crosses.
I walked inside and found that no one else was there about an hour after the morning Mass had ended. I was captivated by the statues, the Stations of the Cross, and the stained-glass windows. The crucifix at the front was elevated ten feet above the altar and lit by a spotlight, creating a display of glory in the dimly lit church, symbolizing God’s presence in a darkened world. This church was built by new settlers, basically farmers who prioritized their faith while building homes in a new country.
I walked into the center of town after leaving the church and came across an impressive mural near Main Street. Salem was settled in the late 1800s, and the mural features various nostalgic figures, including a Conestoga wagon, along with the phrase “Dakotah or bust.” In the mural, a little girl asks, “Grand-pa, tell me ’bout the old days…”
Down the street from the mural, you can find some old buildings that date back to a bygone era. Salem was settled in 1879. St. Mary’s Church was built in 1885, and the elegant bank buildings on Main Street were constructed in 1889. These two buildings (among those shown below) are some of the town’s few remaining structures from the old “Dakotah” period.
The sign below was found on a house near Main Street: ‘Welcome Fall.’ Indeed.
Click here for a list of all TimManBlog American County Seats Series posts.
The photos in this post were taken on September 16, 2014, and are copyrighted by Tim Seibel.
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