Hutchinson

Formed May 1, 1862 (10^th county)

Hutchinson County (7,423), Olivet (65), Parkston (1,563)

The tan brick Prairie style courthouse was built in 1881 and remodeled in 1931.  The structure was enlarged in 1888, 1934, 1967, and 1975.  Ferdinand Cash provided the designs.  The facility is located on Euclid Street between 3^rd and 4^th avenues.  United States Highway 18 is Euclid Street.  A new courthouse is planned for 2019.  Hutchinson County was organized on May 1, 1862 as the 10^th county.  Maxwell City was the first county seat until 1883 when Olivet assumed the role.  The county is named for settler, John Hutchinson.  The county seat is named for Olivet, Michigan. 

Hutchinson County government consists of a sheriff and 5 Commissioners.  Six Circuit Court Judges and One Magistrate Court Judge serve Hutchinson, Aurora, Bon Homme, Brule, Buffalo, Charles Mix, Clay, Davison, Douglas, Hanson, McCook, Turner, Union and Yankton counties.  The county is in the southeast part of South Dakota.  Sioux Falls, South Dakota is northeast and Pierre, South Dakota is northwest of the county.  The county center is 5.3 miles North-Northwest of Olivet.  The county is surrounded clockwise by Hanson, McCook, Turner, Yankton, Bon Homme, Charles Mix, Douglas, and Davison counties. 

The area of the county is 813 square miles.  It is 39 out of 66 in the state.  It ranks 24 out of 66 in population in the state.  It has a density of 9.1 persons per square mile making it 22 out of 66 in the state.  Hutchinson County has 57.8% of its population in its incorporated areas.  United States Highway 18 travels east to west through the county from Turner County to Douglas County.  United States Highway 81 follows the eastern border with Turner County from north to south from McCook County to Yankton County.  The county is a rectangle.  Olivet is located near the southern border of the county.  Parkston is in the northwest quarter of the county.  Olivet is the county seat and Parkston is the largest city.  Olivet is 0.9% of the county population while Parkston is 20.5% of the county population.  The county seat is pronounced OL-I-VET.