Mellette County is named for Arthur C Mellette, who was the first Governor of South Dakota from 1889 to 1893.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Jackson County, Jones County and Lyman County
E – Tripp County
S – Todd County
W – Jackson County
Created : June 3, 1909
County Seat :
White River 1911 – present
County Courthouse – White River
Location: 321 East 4th Street / McKinley Street
Built: 1964 – 1965
Style: Modern
Architect: Flahart, Dittman & Hegel Engineers & Architects Inc. of Rapid City
Contractor: Rider Construction of Gordon, Nebraska
Description: The building faces south and is a one story reddish-orange colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of White River. The south front has a recessed entrance in the center. A wide concrete band runs below the roof line with narrow horizontal windows beneath. In the interior, the County Circuit Court courtroom is located on the ground story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 6th Judicial Circuit and the County Magistrate Court. The basement was constructed in 1975.
See: The 6th Judicial Circuit includes Bennett County, Gregory County, Haakon County, Hughes County, Hyde County, Jackson County, Jones County, Lyman County, Potter County, Stanley County, Sully County, Todd County and Tripp County.
History: The county was created in 1909 and White River was selected as the county seat in 1911 when the county was organized. The first courthouse was a one story frame structure built in 1907 by Townsend Brothers. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1964 to 1965.
County Courthouse – White River
County Circuit Court courtroom
Commissioner Minutes
Photos taken 2009 and 2010
Images 8*