South Dakota’s Smallest Small Town ‘White Rock’

South Dakota has its share of tiny towns. But the tiniest of the tiny go to the villages of Hillsview and White Rock. The focus of this story will be White Rock with simple criteria. #1 I've been to White Rock and even have a few photos.

A few years ago I took a trip around the inside border of the state of South Dakota. Looking back, it was one of the best weeks I had in radio. I saw some land that 'not many' South Dakotan's have seen and met some friendly people along the way.

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White Rock is in the EXTREME Northeast corner of South Dakota in Roberts County. As of the last census taken, White Rock, along The Bois de Sioux River which according to Wikipedia drains Lake Traverse, the southernmost body of water in the Hudson Bay watershed of North America. Roberts County boasted a population of 3.

White Rock wasn't always a tiny, abandoned town. Back in the day, or more specifically was established in 1884. And if you take a look at the monument below you'll get the picture that where I was standing that day, things used to be much more active and bustling!

Standing there and taking the photo that day left me with a bit of an eerie feeling. To think that 100 years ago, there was literally a bustling town that was now all but gone was crazy. 7 Grain Elevators and 600 people. As of 2010, there were 3. THREE.

I'd like to take a trip back to Roberts County and see if any of those three people are still there.

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