by Colleen Zweig Poindexter (Author)

Located on the Coteau des Prairies, the community initially named Medary began drawing settlers in the 1850s. Driven away in 1858 by an American Indian uprising, settlers began returning in 1869, and by 1879 Brookings had become a permanent settlement. This was followed two years later with the establishment of a land-grant institution, then called South Dakota State Agricultural College and now South Dakota State University (SDSU). Over 130 years after their founding, the city of Brookings and SDSU, now a Division I university, continue to attract people from around the world and reaffirm their places as prominent South Dakota landmarks. Explore Brookings through a rich variety of images, many of which are being published here for the first time. These photographs trace the growth of both Brookings and SDSU and highlight the crucial relationship that they share.