Author Cataloged South Dakota Landscape Changes
A new book documents local historical geography by recreating photographs taken over a century ago.
Updated on Sept. 23, 2026 in Geography
Live Poll
Do you believe local history projects add value to your community?
Author Paul Horsted published South Dakota Yesterday and Today, a 400-page collection documenting over 100 cities and landmarks across the state. The project compares contemporary views with historical imagery sourced from the Journey Museum and private archives.
Why it matters
This compilation offers a record of physical and cultural evolution in the region, illustrating how early planning decisions shaped current infrastructure. It provides a visual timeline of how sites have been transformed or preserved over the last century.
The study spans over 100 cities and landmarks documented across 400 pages of comparative imagery. Each entry matches modern scenes to original photography captured more than a century ago.
The players
Paul Horsted
An author who focuses on archival geography and landscape photography to document regional changes.
Journey Museum
A Rapid City institution that preserves historical artifacts and photographic archives relevant to the region.
The details
Paul Horsted identifies historical sites from archival records and travels to each location to replicate the original framing. He aligns his camera to match the precise coordinates of the historic photographers, revealing structural changes like the stone gate in Custer State Park. The research also highlights town planning origins, such as the wide main streets in Custer originally designed to accommodate teams of oxen pulling wagon trains.
Timeline
Over 100 years ago: The original photographs were taken.
1930s to 1960s: The Custer State Park stone gate served as a primary highway entrance.
The Tech Race
This project aligns with the Rephotography movement in academic geography by using archival images as a controlled baseline to measure physical changes. It serves as a visual database that tracks the structural evolution of local infrastructure against the benchmark of century-old records.
Residents can use the book to identify the historical roots of local landmarks and infrastructure in towns like Custer and Spearfish. Copies and location details are available through regional retail outlets and the author's official platform.
The takeaway
The project reveals how historic transit needs, such as the requirements for oxen-pulled wagons, continue to dictate the layout of modern South Dakota streets. Readers can use the publication to identify local landmarks and cross-reference their development against original archival imagery.
Further reading
Explore more visual history and landscape studies in Geography.
More information
Access the complete book ordering and location list for details on site documentation.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KNBN NewsCenter1.
Live Poll
Do you believe local history projects add value to your community?
