Emmet, South Dakota
Encyclopedia
Emmet is a ghost town
in Emmet Township
, Union County, South Dakota
, South Dakota
, United States
.
Emmet has been assigned the ZIP code
57004, and the FIPS place code 19510.
. The community once had a general store, Emmet Hall, and St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
Eventually, the railroads passed through larger towns, causing populations and businesses in smaller communities such as Emmet to move away. Today, the only physical remnant of the Emmet community is the parsonage and the St. Joseph Cemetery, which surrounds the site where the old Catholic church once stood. This cemetery is still commonly known as the Emmet Cemetery.
The old Emmet Hall building (also known as Forrester's Hall) still stands. It is located approximately half a mile north and two miles west of the St. Joseph Cemetery. The multisided building is best known as the place where Lawrence Welk
and his band once performed. After the 1950s, the building was no longer used as a dance hall and was converted for farm use. Two large sliding doors were added to the building's west side; and, the building was reported to have been used to store grain and to house sheep.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in Emmet Township
Emmet Township, Union County, South Dakota
Emmet Township is a township in Union County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 257 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the township has a total area of 36.0 square miles , all land....
, Union County, South Dakota
Union County, South Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,584 people, 4,927 households, and 3,517 families residing in the county. The population density was 27 people per square mile . There were 5,345 housing units at an average density of 12 per square mile...
, South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Geography
Emmet is located at (42.98665, -96.7464).Emmet has been assigned the ZIP code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
57004, and the FIPS place code 19510.
History
The Emmet community started as early as 1871. The area was settled by an Irish-German colony, originating from Galena, IllinoisGalena, Illinois
Galena is the county seat of, and largest city in, Jo Daviess County, Illinois in the United States, with a population of 3,429 in 2010. The city is a popular tourist destination known for its history, historical architecture, and ski and golf resorts. Galena was the residence of Ulysses S...
. The community once had a general store, Emmet Hall, and St. Joseph's Catholic Church.
Eventually, the railroads passed through larger towns, causing populations and businesses in smaller communities such as Emmet to move away. Today, the only physical remnant of the Emmet community is the parsonage and the St. Joseph Cemetery, which surrounds the site where the old Catholic church once stood. This cemetery is still commonly known as the Emmet Cemetery.
The old Emmet Hall building (also known as Forrester's Hall) still stands. It is located approximately half a mile north and two miles west of the St. Joseph Cemetery. The multisided building is best known as the place where Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk
Lawrence Welk was an American musician, accordionist, bandleader, and television impresario, who hosted The Lawrence Welk Show from 1955 to 1982...
and his band once performed. After the 1950s, the building was no longer used as a dance hall and was converted for farm use. Two large sliding doors were added to the building's west side; and, the building was reported to have been used to store grain and to house sheep.