Buffalo Gap (

Lakota Lakota may refer to: *Lakota people, a confederation of seven related Native American tribes *Lakota language Lakota ( ), also referred to as Lakhota, Teton or Teton Sioux, is a Siouan languages, Siouan language spoken by the Lakota people of ...

: ''pté tȟathíyopa otȟúŋwahe''; "buffalo gap village") is a town in Custer County,

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...

, United States. The population was 131 at the 2020 census.

History

A very old western South Dakota town, Buffalo Gap was founded in 1877. By 1885, it was a railroad spur for the

Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad The Fremont, Elkhorn and Missouri Valley Railroad (FE&MV), sometimes called "the Elkhorn," was a railroad established in 1869 in the state of Nebraska in the Midwestern United States. About The company constructed several lines in Nebraska, incl ...

line, with more than 1,200 residents. Today, the town has about 180 residents. In its early years it was one of the largest towns in South Dakota, but it received the same fate as many other towns of that era. A resident's cow kicked over a lantern and it burned the town to the ground, as happened with the

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago, Illinois during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left mor ...

and many others. The town never fully recovered and was never rebuilt to its former grandeur. The name comes from a gap to the west of town that sheltered buffalo herds in earlier times. Although Buffalo Gap burned down several times, there are a number of historic buildings still standing. Located on State Hwy 79 between Hermosa and Hot Springs, Buffalo Gap intersects with County Road 656, an “off the beaten path” that travelers can take into the Buffalo Gap National Grasslands,

Badlands National Park Badlands National Park () is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States in southwestern South Dakota. The park protects of sharply Erosion, eroded buttes and Pinnacle (geology), pinnacles, along with the l ...

and the

Pine Ridge Indian Reservation The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation (), also called Pine Ridge Agency, is an Oglala Lakota Indian reservation located in the U.S. state of South Dakota, with a small portion extending into Nebraska. Originally included within the territory of the ...

Part of the action of the French book '' La Brèche aux buffles'' takes place in Buffalo Gap.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , all land.

Demographics

2010 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2010, there were 126 people, 66 households, and 32 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

was . There were 85 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 91.3%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 7.1%

Native American Native Americans or Native American usually refers to Native Americans in the United States. Related terms and peoples include: Ethnic groups * Indigenous peoples of the Americas, the pre-Columbian peoples of North, South, and Central America ...

, 0.8% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), ...

, and 0.8% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population. There were 66 households, of which 16.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.4% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 3.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 51.5% were non-families. 43.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 19.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 1.91 and the average family size was 2.63. The median age in the town was 53 years. 16.7% of residents were under the age of 18; 2.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 15.2% were from 25 to 44; 41.2% were from 45 to 64; and 24.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 57.1% male and 42.9% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 164 people, 75 households, and 44 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 88 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 90.85%

, 6.71%

, and 2.44% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 4.88% of the population. There were 75 households, out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were

living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.3% were non-families. 40.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.19 and the average family size was 2.91. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.0% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 18.3% from 25 to 44, 35.4% from 45 to 64, and 16.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $25,000, and the median income for a family was $28,750. Males had a median income of $21,250 versus $16,250 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $14,680. About 18.0% of families and 18.7% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 29.6% of those under the age of eighteen and 12.5% of those 65 or over.

Notable person

Rex Putnam Rex Putnam (June 7, 1890 – May 17, 1967) was an American educator from the U.S. state, state of Oregon. A former classroom teacher and district superintendent, Putnam served as Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction for nearly 25 years, th ...

Oregon Superintendent of Public Instruction The Superintendent of Public Instruction, sometimes referred to as the State Superintendent of Schools, was a constitutional officeOR Const. art. VIII. within the executive branch of the Government of Oregon, Oregon state government from 1872 to 2 ...

References

External links

{{authority control Towns in Custer County, South Dakota Towns in South Dakota