Senator Tim Johnson | Working for South Dakota

Hutchinson County South Dakota

County Name: Hutchinson County

Largest City: Freeman

County Seat: Olivet

Population: 7,250

Organized: 1871

Size: 972 square miles

Located east of the Missouri River, Hutchinson County is home to Freeman, Olivet, Parkston, Menno, Tripp and many other communities. Roughly 7,250 South Dakotans live within Hutchinson County, which was created in 1862 as part of the Dakota Territory and organized in 1871. The county is comprised of more than 20 different communities offering a wide array of historical and cultural experiences. Through annual festivals and museums, the area offers many activities for residents and tourists alike. The county, named after John S. Hutchinson, also provides many opportunities for outdoor recreation through fishing, hunting and camping.

John S. Hutchinson was the first Secretary of Dakota, and served as Acting Governor of Dakota for a period of time during its territorial period when Abraham Lincoln was President.

The county's largest town, Freeman, has a population of about 1,300, including a large Germans-from-Russia Mennonite community. Freeman has celebrated Schmeckfest every spring since 1959 to commemorate the ethnic foods, crafts and traditions of this vibrant group. Adding to the cultural richness of Freeman, the Heritage Hall Museum Complex showcases artifacts from the Native Americans of the Plains, which further offers insight into South Dakota's history and origins. The museum holds more than 450 Native American artifacts including tools, children's toys, clothing and beadwork.

Today, a popular attraction in Parkston is the Klauss-James Archive and Art Museum, which honors Parkston native Kenneth Karl Klauss. A musician, Klauss was born in Parkston in 1923. The main floor is committed to the conservation of the Klauss Archive of musical manuscripts, classical CDs, and historical books, while the upper floor consists of paintings and drawings by artist Bernard Albert James whose work is enjoyed by many in the area.

Tim's Accomplishments in Hutchinson County
Continuing Funding for Dakota Tallgrass Prairie Project Conservation Easements
Tim announced that he secured an additional $1 million in funding to protect native prairie land in eastern South Dakota as part of the 2010 Interior Appropriations bill. Conversion of prairie land to cropland threatens to eliminate tallgrass prairie lands from the landscape of the Dakotas. This funding will reduce the current backlog of willing sellers who wish to enroll their lands in conservation easements offered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. To date, the Dakota Tallgrass Prairie Project has successfully completed 175 contracts for prairie habitat in Eastern South Dakota, involving more than 56,000 acres.

Flood Prevention
For Fiscal Year 2010, Tim secured $150,000 for flood prevention. Funding will be used to evaluate solutions to correcting flood conditions in the James River Basin, such as those that occurred during the spring 2009 flood.

Tim Supports Local Airport
In May 2009, Tim announced that Parkston Municipal Airport would receive a $411,347 grant from the FAA's Airport Improvement Program. The funding was used to construct a taxiway and expand the apron.

New Library and Community Center
Tim announced that for Fiscal Year 2003, Freeman received $135,000 to construct a new facility to house both the Freeman Public Library and a community center.

Volunteer Fire Department
In August 2003, Tim announced that Freeman Volunteer Fire Department would receive a $27,518 Assistance to Firefighters Grant from FEMA. Part of the funding was used to replace coats firefighters use on the job, some of which were more than 20 years old. The rest of the funding was used to upgrade firefighters' abilities to communicate with one another when wearing their breathing apparatus'.