South Dakota History Conference set for May 7-9 in Deadwood

The South Dakota Historical Society Foundation will host the 2025 Annual History Conference & Governor’s Awards for History May 7-9 in Deadwood.

The theme of this year’s conference is Historical Mysteries: In Search of the Buried Past. Conference attendees will dive into the history of South Dakota; there will be a tour of Mount Moriah Cemetery, the Days of ’76 Museum, and the City of Deadwood Archives. The conference will also include 10 sessions dedicated to the history of South Dakota:
    • South Dakota’s ”Grand Old Man”: The Secret Life and Adventures of Abolitionist and Suffragist General Beadle;
    • Remembering the Children: Rapid City Indian Boarding School Documentary and Discussion Panel;
    • Mammoths in the Bog – Bone Flakes Abound: A 13,000-Year-Old Mystery; and
    • A Gathering of the Rich and Shameless: The Strange Death of Agnes Polreis and the Sensational South Dakota Murder Trials of Emma Kaufmann.

A full list of the sessions can be found on the conference schedule.

Registration includes access to presentations, Thursday lunch and evening social, Friday Awards Luncheon, a Days of ’76 Museum admission, and tours based on availability. South Dakota teachers are eligible to register at a reduced rate for the conference. Those who register before April 7 will receive an early bird rate.

Teachers who attend the conference may be eligible for continuing education contact hours. For more information, and to register, visit the South Dakota Historical Society Foundation’s event webpage.