Hand County is named for George G Hand, who served as secretary of the Dakota Territory from 1874 to 1883.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Faulk County
E – Spink County and Beadle County
S – Jerauld County and Buffalo County
W – Hyde County
Created: January 8, 1873
County Seat:
Miller 1882
County Courthouse – Miller
Location: 315 West 1st Avenue / West 4th Street
Built: 1925 – 1926
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: John G Ralston of Waterloo, Iowa
Contractor: Currie Construction Company of Waterloo, Iowa
Description: The building faces east and is a stately three story gray colored stone and concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Miller. The entrance on the east side has a column on each side and a wide header above with a clock at the top section. The north and south ends project slightly. The roof line of the building is a slightly darker color and the roof line is flat. In the interior, there is a wide staircase ascending to the third story with stained glass windows and a central rotunda with skylight. The main feature of the third floor is the County Circuit Court courtroom located at the northwest side, with a seating capacity of 200 people. The courtroom has lovely stain glass panels in the ceiling. The oak woodwork is abundant and over the main doors into the courtroom is an art glass transom with the word “Courtroom”. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 3rd Judicial Circuit and the County Magistrate Court.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Hand County Courthouse
See: The 3rd Judicial Circuit includes Beadle County, Brookings County, Clark County, Codington County, Deuel County, Grant County, Hamlin County, Jerauld County, Kingsbury County, Lake County, Miner County, Moody County and Sanborn County.
History: The county was created in 1873 and Miller was selected as the county seat in 1882 when the county was organized. The county occupied rental premises. The first courthouse was a two story frame structure designed by T D Allen and built by J C Yester and A D Hall at Broadway and First Street in 1890. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1925 to 1926.
County Courthouse – Miller
County Circuit Court courtroom
Photos taken 2007, 2016 and 2024
Images 25*