Pierre, << peer >> (pop. 14,091), is the capital of South Dakota. It also serves as the center for a large trade area. Pierre lies on the east bank of the Missouri River in central South Dakota.
The State Capitol, completed in 1910, has a central rotunda, flanked by legislative wings. Many of Pierre’s residents work in the city’s county, state, and federal government offices, and for statewide associations. Agriculture also plays an important role in Pierre’s economy.
Founded in 1878, Pierre was named for Fort Pierre, across the Missouri River, which took its name from Pierre Chouteau, Jr., an early fur trader. The Chicago and NorthWestern Railway reached the town in 1880. The town prospered as the railroad terminus. This portion of the Chicago and NorthWestern later became the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad and is now the Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad. Pierre became the state capital in 1889, when South Dakota was made a state. Pierre won statewide elections in 1889, 1890, and 1904 to retain the state capital.
Pierre is the seat of Hughes County. The city has a mayor-commission form of government.
