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Three
flags have flown over the site of Isabel.
Fur traders, buffalo hunters, Indian tribes, soldiers, and cattlemen
have
wandered across the face of the land, seeking riches or solitude,
escaping
from the past or looking for a future. The traces of their lives
and dreams, their visions of empire, remain with us still, for the
history
of a town is older than the first homesteader's sod shanty or the first
store front put up on the main street. ~ Mrs.
Oliver (Verla J.) Jewett, Editor of Isabel
Territory
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| Isabel is located in the northwestern part of Dewey County, three miles from Ziebach county and five miles from Corson county. This location helped to make Isabel a center for trade in the Tri-County area. The town with an elevation of 2402 feet sits on a high divide with rolling hills sloping towards the Grand River in the north and the Moreau River to the south. |
| The story of Isabel began with the early homesteading years of 1910-1911. At this time, many settlers were brave pioneers who came with the sole purpose of making a home and developmenting a untamed country. To many the ownership of 160 acres of land which could be acquired by remaining only fourteen months, seemed like the answer to their prayers. Whether the homesteaders remained in the area or moved on, they claim that their happiest days were spent in the town of Isabel. Families rode horseback or walked for miles to come to a dance or social. They would spent the night listening to a fiddle, accordion, or just enjoying the company of friends and family. |
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The
coming of the homesteaders
and the growth of the Milwaukee Railroad in 1910 led to the founding of
the town of Isabel. The president of the railroad named the town
for one of his two daughters.
The railroad continued
to
run to Isabel until the 1979.
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| The town is located on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation and has a very rich Native American history. |