Turner

Formed January 1, 1871 (14^th county)

Turner County (8,662), Parker (1,196)

The Neo-Classical courthouse was built in 1902.  It is located on Main Street at Sanborn Street.  South Dakota State Highway 44 passes five blocks north of the site.  W. R. Parsons and Son provided the designs for this tan brick courthouse.  The structure features a domed tower.  Veterans’ memorials are across the street.  Turner County was established on January 1, 1871 as the 14^th county.  Swan Lake City was the first county seat until 1885 when Parker took the role.  The county is named for John W. Turner, territorial legislator.  The county seat is named for the maiden name of the wife of a railroad official. 

Turner County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Commissioners.  Six Circuit Court Judges and One Magistrate Court Judge serve Turner, Aurora, Bon Homme, Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Clay, Davison, Douglas, Hanson, Hutchinson, McCook, Union and Yankton counties.  The county is in the southeast part of South Dakota.  Sioux Falls, South Dakota is directly northeast and Pierre, South Dakota is northwest of the county.  The county center is 6.3 miles Southwest of Parker.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Minnehaha, Lincoln, Clay, Yankton, Hutchinson, and McCook counties. 

The area of the county is 617 square miles.  It is 50 out of 66 in the state.  It ranks 21 out of 66 in population in the state.  It has a density of 14.0 persons per square mile making it 15 out of 66 in the state.  Turner County has 56.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 18 enters the county from the east, Lincoln County, and exits to the west, Hutchinson County.  United States Highway 81 comes from McCook County, north, and goes to Yankton County, south.  Turner County looks like a fat number 9.  Parker is located in the northern quarter of the county.  Parker is the county seat and the largest city.  It is 13.8% of the county population.  This county is in the Sioux Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Irene