BERESFORD HISTORY
The railroad was a determining factor of when and where a town would be located. According to history, villages sprung up as it was rumored that rails were heading in a certain direction. Towns vanished if the railroad chose another route.

The Western Town Lot Company, a real estate development company owned by the railroad, selected the "Beresford" site in 1883 and built a depot. After the depot, construction of town buildings began.

Beresford was named after Irishman Lord Charles Beresford, who became a prosperous admiral in the British Navy and who was a railroad investor. The city of Beresford was incorporated as a town on July 12th, 1884.

Beresford's history can be seen throughout the city. One of the historical places that can still be seen is the Beresford depot, which was built in 1924 by the Chicago Northwestern Railway Company. Located at the east end of Main Street in Beresford, the people of Beresford formed The Community Depot, Inc. to preserve the building. Recently the depot was sold to a private party and will soon be opened as a new Beresford business.

The post office, which is located on Main Street, is listed as a historic building due to the mural painted by D. McCosh in 1940. The mural was a project by the Civilian Conservation Corps. McCosh's painting celebrates Beresford's agricultural history by showcasing farmers working and typical farm animals.

The first record of the city of Beresford making a Park Committee appointment was in 1912 when John Ridge and Peter Wheelock were paid to work in the park. The park, which is located at the west end of Oak St., was dedicated as Bulow Park in 1959 in honor of Governor William J. Bulow.

Another important historical site in Beresford is the Bulow House located at 207 W. Hemlock St. The private residence was once the home of William J. Bulow. Bulow was the Governor of South Dakota from 1927-1931 and was a United Satates Senator from 1931-1943.

BERESFORD TODAY
Beresford is a community of 2,100 residents located 25 minutes south of Sioux Falls at the crossroad of Interstate 29 and Highway 46. This crossroad sees thousands of people per day either headed to Sioux Falls, headed to Sioux City, going east into Iowa, or going west to the Missouri River's recreational attractions.

Beresford's location has attracted many people to our city. We are a family-friendly community that is less hectic than the larger communities that surround Beresford.

Beresford prides itself in being a progressive community that is poised for growth. The city has put the pieces in place to continue growth and we welcome new families and businesses into our community. To start naming just a few of the larger businesses in our community would not be fair to all, so I encourage you to come and see for yourself the many, many quality businesses that Beresford has to offer.

Beresford is unique in the fact that its utilities are city owned and operated. City-owned utilities bring in added revenue, which makes it possible to keep making improvements to its infrastructure and to keep adding "quality of life" offerings to our residents.

The past few years have brought many changes to our community. Beresford has built a new 2.5 million dollar electrical substation and transmission line to prepare for future industrial and residential growth. The electrical substation and transmission line also provide a more reliable source of power to the community.

The Beresford Economic Development Corporation (BEDCO) purchased 115 acres of land just north of Highway 46, adjacent to the interstate for prospective industrial and commercial businesses. The city invested $850,000 to upgrade all of our telephone and cable TV lines to prepare for new growth in the community, as well as built a new community safety center to house all the fire trucks and ambulances. The community safety center also provides a training facility for the fire and ambulance personnel that volunteer their time.

In 2006, the city opened its new championship nine-hole golf course spread over 127 acres of land called "The Bridges of Beresford." The course placed six old country bridges from South Dakota and Minnesota throughout the course and plans to add more in the future. BEDCO also purchased land adjacent to our new golf course for houses, twin homes, and condos. These lots surround and go through the new courses. In 2007, the city opened up a new community center and golf course clubhouse to serve the community and outside groups. The center can seat up to 375 people in a comfortable and classy atmosphere. This facility serves weddings, business meetings, community events, etc.

Learn more about Beresford at www.beresfordsd.com