1880 Town at Midland, South Dakota
The historic 1880 Town is located along Interstate 90 at the town of Midland, South Dakota. It offers a charming step back in time with more than 30 original buildings and thousands of unique relics.
1880 Town
Scene from the Old West
Dakota Hotel
Culpepper Saloon
The original name of the town was Two Strike after the historical Lakota leader. His name Two Strike was earned when, during battle, he knocked two members of the Ute tribe off their horses with a single blow of his war club.
The original 1880 Town got its start in 1972 through the work of Clarence Hullinger (1915-2012) and his son Richard Hullinger. A movie production company had come to the region to make an 1880s western film and created an Old West main street through a fictional western town. The site chosen for the town was on Hullinger’s land. The movie project was abandoned before filming began and the movie company gave Clarence Hullinger the buildings, which were then moved to the current site of the 1880 Town.
Most of the buildings are from the 1880 to 1920 era and have been transported from communities around South Dakota to 1880 Town in order to provide a close-to-realistic western experience. Buildings include the Culpepper Saloon, the Wells Fargo & Co. Express Office, the Potter County Jail (1896), the Everett Zaugg Blacksmith shop, Gregory National Bank, the Chicago & North Western Depot (1886), the Longhorn Saloon, the Big Foot Pass Presbyterian Church, the St. Stephen’s Church (1915), among many others. The Dakota Hotel, built in 1910, was moved from Draper, South Dakota to 1880 Town. A quarter-mile from the town is a homestead site which includes a small home, barn, corrals and a windmill.
Everett Zaugg Blacksmith
Emporium
Homestead Barn
Grazing
The Vanishing Prairie Museum includes a tribute to Casey Tibbs (1929-1990), a 9-time World Champion Rodeo Cowboy, including All-Around Champion Cowboy titles in 1951 and 1955. Tibbs is considered by many to be the greatest bronc rider of all time. He was inducted into Professional Rodeo Hall of Fame in 1979. The tribute contains a variety of memorabilia from his career including saddles, belt buckles, jackets and hats as well as photographs, sculptures and event advertisements.
The 1880 Town is located on Interstate 90, 22 miles west of Murdo, South Dakota and about 60 miles east of Wall, South Dakota. Visit the 1880 Town website at www.1880town.com for more information.
