Athol, South Dakota

Athol is an unincorporated community in Spink County, South Dakota, United States.^[1] It is part of Athol Township.

Athol
Unincorporated community
Athol Athol
Coordinates: 45°00′32″N 98°35′47″W
Country	United States
State	South Dakota
County	Spink
Elevation [1]	1,296 ft (395 m)
GNIS feature ID	1265610[1]

History

Athol was originally named Myrtle City for Myrtle Taylor, the child of a first settler.^[2] The community was renamed in 1881 when the Chicago and North Western Railroad came through the area. The town was named for Athol, Massachusetts, which was named for James Murray, second Duke of Atholl, Scotland.^[1][3] Athol received a US Post Office on September 28, 1881.^[4] R. G. Bestor published the Athol Star newspaper for a time beginning in the 1880s.^[5]

On February 23, 1903, one man was killed and thirteen people injured in a Chicago and North Western Railroad accident near town.^[6]

Geography

Athol lies near the south fork of Snake Creek.^[7]

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Athol, South Dakota
2. Federal Writers' Project (1940). South Dakota place-names, v.1-3. University of South Dakota. p. 25.
3. Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 39.
4. "SD Towns" (PDF). South Dakota State Historical Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 10, 2010. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
5. "Athol Star". Library of Congress. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
6. "Banker Loses His Life in South Dakota Train Wreck". San Francisco Call. Vol. 93, no. 86. February 24, 1903. Retrieved January 12, 2015.
7. "National Water Information System: USGS 06473500 SOUTH FORK SNAKE CR NEAR ATHOL SD". USGS. Retrieved January 12, 2015.