Hanson County-Beulah Township School-Student Scrapbook, ca. 1940s

Content Description

The collection consists of one scrapbook compiled by the country school students from the Beulah (Township) #4 School in Hanson County. Beulah Township is located south of Alexandria (S.D.), the county seat of Hanson County. The scrapbook’s main contributors, Alice and Martha Napravnik, were listed as eighth graders. The 1940 Federal Census for South Dakota lists Alice (14) and Martha (12) living with their parents Frank and Olga Napravnik in Beulah Township. The school scrapbook project includes the following dedication: “To the tourists who visit South Dakota, for their pleasure and interest, this book is dedicated by the pupils of Beulah #4 School in Hanson County, South Dakota.” The scrapbook is titled, “South Dakota: The Tourists Paradise” and includes a table of contents that lists other students who contributed to the scrapbook. Topics in the student scrapbook include a drawing of Superintendent of Public Instruction J. F. Hines, South Dakota state elected officers, state census numbers for 1935, various state quotes, an essay titled “South Dakota: The Tourist Paradise” written by Martha Napravnik, dairying and agriculture, the Black Hills and Badlands including a drawing of Gutzon Borglum, South Dakota industries focusing on sugar beet production in Belle Fourche, the state cement plant in Rapid City and Homestake Mine in Lead. The scrapbook also includes background on South Dakota cities and towns such as Pierre, Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and various other towns. Final topics include state educational institutions, lakes, wildlife and plants. Also included are color postcards of Sylvan Lake, Mount Rushmore, Needles Eye Tunnel, Pigtail Bridges and the John Morrell plant in Sioux Falls. A number of the newspaper/magazine clippings are loose within the scrapbook as the glue has come undone.

Acquisition Type

Gift

Restrictions Apply

No