HURON, a rapidly growing city of eastern South Dakota, U.S.A., on the James river, at an altitude of 1,31 of t. ; the county seat of Beadle county. It is on Federal highway 14; is served by the Chicago and North Western and the Great Northern railways, and has connection with the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific at Wolsey, 15m. W., through regular motor-bus and freight truck service. There is a municipal airport, one mile north of the heart of the city. The population in 1925 (State census) was 10,204 (about 90% native white) and was 10,946 in 193o by the Federal census. Huron is the shipping point and supply centre for a large territory raising corn, alfalfa, cattle, sheep, hogs and potatoes. It is a division headquarters of the Chicago and North Western railway, which has shops, freight-yards, a roundhouse and offices here. Its packing plants and produce houses use over $23,000,000 worth of live stock, poultry, eggs and cream in a year. Annual shipments include 4,000 carloads of meat products and 1,000 of dairy and poultry produce. The assessed valuation of property in 1927 was $12,328,810. The State fair, held at Huron since 1905, draws an attendance of 135,000. Huron col lege, a Presbyterian institution opened at Pierre (as Pierre university) in 1883, was moved here in 1898.
The city was founded in 1880 and incorporated in 1883.