Formed May 27, 1909 (63rd county)
Bennett County (3,378), Martin (937)
The Modern 1968 red brick courthouse replaced a 1918 wooden courthouse. It is at the intersection of Main Street and 2nd Avenue. United States Highway 18 passes five blocks south of the location. The courthouse was designed by Dana Larson Roubal and Associates. The county was created from Fall River County on May 27, 1909 as the 63rd county. Martin has always been the county seat. The county is named for Congressman Granville Bennett. Martin was named for Congressman Eben Martin.
Bennett County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Commissioners. Three Circuit Court Judges and One Magistrate Court Judge serve Bennett, Gregory, Haakon, Hughes, Hyde, Jackson, Jones, Lyman, Mellette, Potter, Stanley, Sully, Todd, and Tripp counties. The county is on the southern border with Nebraska. Rapid City, South Dakota is northwest and Pierre, South Dakota is northeast of the county. The county center is 5.9 miles Northeast of Martin. The county is surrounded clockwise by Jackson, Mellette, and Todd counties and Nebraska and Oglala Lakota County.
The area of the county is 1185 square miles. It is 23 out of 66 in the state. It ranks 45 out of 66 in population in the state. It has a density of 2.9 persons per square mile making it 49 out of 66 in the state. Bennett County has 27.7% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 18 passes east to west through the county from Todd County to Oglala Lakota County. Bennett County is a rectangle. Martin is west of center in the county. Martin is the county seat and, as the only incorporated city, it is the largest city. It is 27.7% of the county population.
Martin
