Yankton, South Dakota

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Yankton, South Dakota
| nickname           = "Mother City of the Dakotas"
| settlement_type    = [[City]]
| motto              = <!-- Images --------------->
| image_skyline      = Yankton and the Meridian Bridge.JPG
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Yankton (right) along the [[Missouri River]] with the [[Meridian Highway Bridge|Meridian Bridge]] connecting [[Nebraska]], looking west
| image_flag         = 
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| blank_emblem_size  = <!-- Maps ----------------->
| image_map          = Yankton_County_South_Dakota_Incorporated_and_Unincorporated_areas_Yankton_Highlighted.svg
| mapsize            = 250px
| map_caption        = Location in [[Yankton County, South Dakota|Yankton County]] and the state of [[South Dakota]]
| image_map1         = 
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = <!-- Location ------------->
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = United States
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[South Dakota]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in South Dakota|County]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Yankton County, South Dakota|Yankton]]
<!-- Government ----------->| government_footnotes = 
| government_type    = [[Council–manager government|Council-Manager]]
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Nathan Johnson<ref>{{cite web|title=Boards and Committees|url=http://www.cityofyankton.org/departments-services/city-commission/boards-and-committees|publisher=City of Yankton|access-date=December 25, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171224034501/http://www.cityofyankton.org/departments-services/city-commission/boards-and-committees|archive-date=December 24, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
| leader_title1      = [[City Manager]]
| leader_name1       = Amy Leon<ref name="City Manager">{{cite web|title=City Manager|url=http://www.cityofyankton.org/administration/citymanager/index.php|access-date=March 12, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100213170209/http://cityofyankton.org/administration/citymanager/index.php|archive-date=February 13, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| leader_title2      = 
| leader_name2       = 
| established_title  = <!-- Settled -->
| established_date   = 1858
| established_title1 = Incorporated
| established_date1  = 1869<ref>{{cite web|title=SD Towns|publisher=[[South Dakota State Historical Society]]|access-date=February 17, 2010|url=http://history.sd.gov/Archives/forms/exhibits/SD%20Towns.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100210030454/http://history.sd.gov/Archives/forms/exhibits/SD%20Towns.pdf|archive-date=February 10, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>
<!-- Area ----------------->| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="TigerWebMapServer">{{cite web|title=ArcGIS REST Services Directory|url=https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/5/query?where=STATE='46'&outFields=NAME,STATE,PLACE,AREALAND,AREAWATER,LSADC,CENTLAT,CENTLON&orderByFields=PLACE&returnGeometry=false&returnTrueCurves=false&f=json|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=October 15, 2022}}</ref>
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_total_km2     = 23.08
| area_land_km2      = 22.45
| area_water_km2     = 0.62
| area_total_sq_mi   = 8.91
| area_land_sq_mi    = 8.67
| area_water_sq_mi   = 0.24
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| area_metro_sq_mi   = 
| area_blank1_title  = 
| area_blank1_km2    = 
| area_blank1_sq_mi  = <!-- Population ----------->
| population_as_of   = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_est     = 
| pop_est_as_of      = 
| pop_est_footnotes  = 
| population_footnotes = <ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly"/>
| population_total   = 15411
| population_density_km2 = 686.31
| population_density_sq_mi = 1777.51
| population_metro   = 23297 (US: [[Micropolitan statistical area|485th]])
<!-- General information -->| timezone           = [[Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset         = −6
| timezone_DST       = CDT
| utc_offset_DST     = −5
| coordinates        = {{coord|42|53|02|N|97|21|54|W|region:US-SD_type:city|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name=gnis/>
| elevation_ft       = 1243
| postal_code_type   = [[ZIP code]]s
| postal_code        = 57078-57079
| area_code          = [[Area code 605|605]]
| blank_name         = [[Federal Information Processing Standard|FIPS code]]
| blank_info         = 46-73060<ref name="GR2">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=U.S. Census website}}</ref>
| blank1_name        = [[Geographic Names Information System|GNIS]] feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1267665<ref name=gnis>{{GNIS|1267665}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|https://www.cityofyankton.org/|cityofyankton.org}}
}}

'''Yankton''' is a city in and the [[county seat]] of [[Yankton County, South Dakota|Yankton County]], [[South Dakota]], [[United States]].

The population was 15,411 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], making it the [[List of cities in South Dakota|7th most populous city in South Dakota]],<ref name="2020 Census (City)">{{cite web|title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US4673060 |work=Explore Census Data |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=July 21, 2022}}</ref> and it is the principal city of the [[Micropolitan statistical area|Yankton Micropolitan Statistical Area]], which includes the entirety of Yankton County and which had an estimated population of 23,297 as of July 1, 2021. As the first capital of [[Dakota Territory]], it was named after the Yankton tribe of Western [[Dakota people]]; Yankton is derived from the [[Dakota language|Dakota]] word ''I-hank-ton-wan'' ("the end village").<ref>Riggs, S.R., The Reverend (1852) – ''Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge: Grammar and Dictionary of the Dakota Language''. Smithsonian Institution/G.P. Putnam, New York, N.Y. pp. 297, 336.</ref>

Yankton is located on the [[Missouri River]] just downstream of the [[Gavins Point Dam]] and [[Lewis and Clark Lake]], and just upstream of the confluence with the [[James River (Dakotas)|James River]]. The United States [[National Park Service]]'s headquarters for the [[Missouri National Recreational River]] are located in the city. The [[Human Services Center]] was established as a [[psychiatric hospital]] in 1882 and is on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

Yankton is commonly referred to as the "River City",<ref>{{cite news|title=City of Yankton, South Dakota|url=http://www.cityofyankton.org/yankton/history/|work=South Dakota Magazine|access-date=April 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140722224436/http://www.cityofyankton.org/yankton/history/|archive-date=July 22, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> due to its proximity to the Missouri River and the importance the river played in the city's settlement and development.  Yankton has also earned the nickname "Mother City of the Dakotas", due to the early important role it played in the creation and development of the Dakota Territory, which later became the 39th and 40th U.S. states of North and South Dakota.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2011/Bills/SC18P.htm|title=SC 18 Honoring the city of Yankton on the one hundred fiftieth anniver...|website=sd.us|access-date=February 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110307173302/http://legis.state.sd.us/sessions/2011/Bills/SC18P.htm|archive-date=March 7, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Owing to the early exploitation of [[Fort Hays Limestone Member|Fort Hays Limestone]] for [[Cement|cement manufacture]], including shipment of cement to the construction of the [[Panama Canal]],<ref>{{cite book |author1=Kathy K. Grow |author2=Lois H. Varvel |title=Yankton, South Dakota in Vintage Postcards |year=2004 |page=24 |isbn=9780738532332 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_kWFsKNS1mgC&pg=PA24 |access-date=August 3, 2018}}</ref> Yankton once also had the nickname "Cement City".<ref name="nrhpdoc">{{cite web|url={{NRHP url|id=79002410}}|title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory/Nomination: Gurney, Charles, Hotel |publisher=[[National Park Service]]|author=Paula Kapitan |date=January 26, 1979 |access-date=August 5, 2019}} With {{NRHP url |id=79002410 |photos=y |title=accompanying pictures |page=3}}</ref>

==Geography==
[[File:Yankton View.jpg|left|thumb|Yankton, as viewed from the [[Meridian Highway Bridge|Meridian Bridge]] of the [[Discovery Bridge (Yankton)|Discovery Bridge]] crossing the [[Missouri River]] and the steeple of the Bishop Martin Marty Chapel in the background]]

Yankton is located in southern South Dakota on the state's border with [[Nebraska]]. The city is located on one of the last free-flowing, natural stretches of the [[Missouri River]]; this segment of the river, between [[Gavins Point Dam]] four miles west of Yankton, and Ponca State Park in Nebraska, has been designated by the U.S. [[National Park Service]] as the [[Missouri National Recreational River]].

The city is located approximately six miles west of the point where the [[James River (Dakotas)|James River]] flows into the Missouri.

The central business district of the city is located on a natural landing along the Missouri River, and city rises in the west to "Mount Marty" (actually a high bluff along the river).  The city is also intersected by the Marne Creek, which also flows into the Missouri River. [[Lewis and Clark Lake]] is located four miles west of the city.

According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of {{convert|8.45|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|8.21|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is land and {{convert|0.24|sqmi|sqkm|2}} is water.<ref name="Gazetteer files">{{cite web|title=US Gazetteer files 2010|url=https://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|access-date=June 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220065340/http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/files/Gaz_places_national.txt|archive-date=February 20, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Climate==
Yankton has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), with cold winters and hot summers.
{{Weather box 
|location = Yankton 2 E, South Dakota (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1932−present)
|single line = Y
|Jan record high F = 74
|Feb record high F = 78
|Mar record high F = 93
|Apr record high F = 95
|May record high F = 107
|Jun record high F = 110
|Jul record high F = 116
|Aug record high F = 112
|Sep record high F = 105
|Oct record high F = 96
|Nov record high F = 83
|Dec record high F = 70
|year record high F = 116

|Jan avg record high F = 54.2
|Feb avg record high F = 59.6
|Mar avg record high F = 74.1
|Apr avg record high F = 84.8
|May avg record high F = 90.9
|Jun avg record high F = 96.8
|Jul avg record high F = 98.0
|Aug avg record high F = 96.6
|Sep avg record high F = 92.8
|Oct avg record high F = 85.8
|Nov avg record high F = 71.6
|Dec avg record high F = 55.4
|year avg record high F = 100.1

|Jan high F = 30.0
|Feb high F = 34.9
|Mar high F = 47.1
|Apr high F = 60.0
|May high F = 71.9
|Jun high F = 82.4
|Jul high F = 87.1
|Aug high F = 84.8
|Sep high F = 77.5
|Oct high F = 63.3
|Nov high F = 47.2
|Dec high F = 34.0
|year high F = 60.0
|Jan mean F = 20.2
|Feb mean F = 24.6
|Mar mean F = 35.9
|Apr mean F = 47.7
|May mean F = 59.8
|Jun mean F = 70.7
|Jul mean F = 75.4
|Aug mean F = 73.1
|Sep mean F = 64.8
|Oct mean F = 50.9
|Nov mean F = 36.2
|Dec mean F = 24.5
|year mean F = 48.7
|Jan low F = 10.4
|Feb low F = 14.2
|Mar low F = 24.6
|Apr low F = 35.4
|May low F = 47.7
|Jun low F = 58.9
|Jul low F = 63.8
|Aug low F = 61.5
|Sep low F = 52.1
|Oct low F = 38.5
|Nov low F = 25.3
|Dec low F = 14.9
|year low F = 37.3

|Jan avg record low F = -12.7
|Feb avg record low F = -7.1
|Mar avg record low F = 2.8
|Apr avg record low F = 20.5
|May avg record low F = 33.7
|Jun avg record low F = 47.1
|Jul avg record low F = 51.8
|Aug avg record low F = 50.0
|Sep avg record low F = 35.7
|Oct avg record low F = 21.7
|Nov avg record low F = 6.7
|Dec avg record low F = -6.9
|year avg record low F = -16.7

|Jan record low F = −29
|Feb record low F = −28
|Mar record low F = −25
|Apr record low F = 2
|May record low F = 24
|Jun record low F = 33
|Jul record low F = 41
|Aug record low F = 35
|Sep record low F = 23
|Oct record low F = 12
|Nov record low F = −15
|Dec record low F = −31
|year record low F = -31
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 0.65
|Feb precipitation inch = 0.91
|Mar precipitation inch = 1.60
|Apr precipitation inch = 3.36
|May precipitation inch = 3.68
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.03
|Jul precipitation inch = 3.46
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.26
|Sep precipitation inch = 2.85
|Oct precipitation inch = 2.56
|Nov precipitation inch = 1.27
|Dec precipitation inch = 1.03
|year precipitation inch = 28.66
|Jan snow inch = 6.7
|Feb snow inch = 8.5
|Mar snow inch = 4.7
|Apr snow inch = 3.7
|May snow inch = 0.2
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.8
|Nov snow inch = 5.9
|Dec snow inch = 7.6
|year snow inch = 38.1
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 4.8
|Feb precipitation days = 5.3
|Mar precipitation days = 6.3
|Apr precipitation days = 8.8
|May precipitation days = 11.6
|Jun precipitation days = 10.6
|Jul precipitation days = 8.0
|Aug precipitation days = 8.5
|Sep precipitation days = 7.3
|Oct precipitation days = 6.9
|Nov precipitation days = 4.8
|Dec precipitation days = 5.2
|year precipitation days = 88.1
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 3.3
|Feb snow days = 3.6
|Mar snow days = 2.4
|Apr snow days = 1.2
|May snow days = 0.1
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.5
|Nov snow days = 1.6
|Dec snow days = 3.8
|year snow days = 16.5
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name= NOAA>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.weather.gov/wrh/Climate?wfo=fsd
| title = NowData − NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = October 18, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USW00094911&format=pdf
| title = Station: Yankton 2 E, SD
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991−2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = October 18, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1880= 3431
|1890= 3670
|1900= 4125
|1910= 3787
|1920= 5024
|1930= 6072
|1940= 6798
|1950= 7709
|1960= 9279
|1970= 11919
|1980= 12011
|1990= 12703
|2000= 13528
|2010= 14454
|2020= 15411
|estyear=2021
|estimate=15483
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-total-cities-and-towns.html|date=September 20, 2022|title=City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2021|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=September 20, 2022}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|author=United States Census Bureau|author-link=United States Census Bureau|access-date=September 23, 2013}}</ref><br>2020 Census<ref name="2020 Census (City)"/><ref name="USCensusDecennial2020CenPopScriptOnly">{{cite web|url=https://api.census.gov/data/2020/dec/pl?get=P1_001N,NAME&for=place:*&in=state:46&key=5ccd0821c15d9f4520e2dcc0f8d92b2ec9336108|title=Census Population API|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=Oct 15, 2022}}</ref>
}}

===2010 census===
As of the [[census]] of 2010, there were 14,454 people, 5,909 households, and 3,348 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1760.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|1}}. There were 6,365 housing units at an average density of {{convert|775.3|/sqmi|/km2|1}}. The racial makeup of the city was 92.1% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 2.1% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 2.3% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.7% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 1.3% from [[Race (U.S. Census)|other races]], and 1.6% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 3.4% of the population.

There were 5,909 households, of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.1% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 3.5% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.3% were non-families. 37.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.87.

The median age in the city was 40.4 years. 20.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26% were from 25 to 44; 26.1% were from 45 to 64; and 17.9% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 50.5% male and 49.5% female.

===2000 census===
As of the [[census]] of 2000, there were 13,528 people, 5,369 households, and 3,232 families residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|1,743.2|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 5,735 housing units at an average density of {{convert|739.0|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the city was 94.35% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.64% [[African American (U.S. Census)|African American]], 1.58% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 0.50% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.03% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 0.90% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 0.99% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 2.46% of the population.

There were 5,369 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.5% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.27 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.4% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 28.2% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.0 males.

As of 2000 the median income for a household in the city was $31,843, and the median income for a family was $44,009. Men had a median income of $29,012 versus $20,577 for women. The per capita income for the city was $17,954. About 6.2% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 9.1% of those age 65 or over.

According to the 2003 Coldwell Banker Housing Price Comparison Index (HPCI), Yankton was found to have the lowest housing costs of any municipal entity in the entire United States.  This is no longer the case as of the 2005 HPCI.

==History==

===Native inhabitants===
[[File:DakotaTerritory.png|thumb|upright=1.15|The [[Dakota Territory]] in 1861.]]
The site of Yankton was occupied by the Yankton Sioux (Dakota) prior to the arrival of European settlers.  As part of the vast [[Louisiana Purchase]], the site of Yankton was visited by [[Lewis and Clark]] in 1804. In the journals of the expedition, the explorers write of a meeting on August 30, 1804, with members of the [[Yankton Sioux Tribe]] on a Missouri River bluff presently known as [[Calumet Bluff]]. As recently as 1857, the present day site of Yankton was occupied by a village of Yankton Sioux led by Chief ''Pa-le-ne-a-pa-pe'' ("Struck by the Ree").<ref>{{cite book |last=Kingsbury |first=George W. |year=1915 |title=History of Dakota Territory |publisher=S.J. Clarke Publishing Company |place=Chicago, IL |page=115}}</ref> Two years later, with the signing of the [[Yankton Treaty|Yankton Treaty of 1858]], the land was opened for settlement.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Yankton, South Dakota |website=Yankton, South Dakota |url=http://www.yanktonsd.com/subcategory.cfm?cat_id=4&subcat_id=6 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080214105405/http://www.yanktonsd.com/subcategory.cfm?cat_id=4&subcat_id=6 |archive-date=February 14, 2008}}</ref> The city was founded where the small Rhine Creek (renamed Marne Creek in [[World War I]]) flowed into the Missouri River.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.yankton.net/history/ |title=History of Yankton |access-date=February 3, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080302035616/http://www.yankton.net/history/|archive-date=March 2, 2008|url-status=dead |website=Press & Dakotan}}</ref> The city grew as a stop for steamboats to take on fresh water and supplies, especially after steamboat traffic boomed when gold was discovered in the [[Black Hills]].

===Dakota territorial capital===
[[File:Dakota Territory Capitol Replica Yankton.JPG|thumb|A modern replica of the Dakota Territorial Capitol building stands in Yankton's Riverside Park.]]
With two days left in his term, President [[James Buchanan]] signed a law on March 2, 1861, creating the [[Dakota Territory]]. Yankton was designated as the territorial capital, and newly inaugurated President [[Abraham Lincoln]] appointed his personal physician, [[William Jayne|William A. Jayne]] of Springfield, Illinois, as the first territorial governor.<ref>Milton, John R. (1988) – South Dakota: A History – W.W. Norton and Company, New York, N.Y. – pp. 71</ref>  The territorial capitol building, a plain, two-story wooden structure, was located at the intersection of Fourth and Capitol Streets;<ref>{{cite book |last=Karolevitz |first=Robert F. |year=1972 |title=Yankton: A Pioneer Past |publisher=North Plains Press |place=Aberdeen, SD |pages=40–41}}. U.S. Library of Congress Number 72-88949</ref> the original structure has been demolished, but a replica of the building has been constructed in Yankton's Riverside Park. Yankton served as the territorial capital until 1883 when the capital was moved to [[Bismarck, North Dakota|Bismarck]] (now the capital of North Dakota).<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://time.com/4377423/dakota-north-south-history-two/|title=Now You Know: Why Are There Two Dakotas?|last=Fabry|first=Merrill|date=July 14, 2016|magazine=Time|access-date=February 5, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190124062549/http://time.com/4377423/dakota-north-south-history-two/|archive-date=January 24, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Yankton Stockade===
In response to the [[Dakota War of 1862]] in western Minnesota, Governor Jayne issued a proclamation on August 30, 1862, requiring every male between the ages of 18 and 50 in every settlement in eastern Dakota, be formed into militias to protect against expected attacks from the Native Americans.{{sfnp|Kingsbury|1915|pp=235–244}} In response, the Yankton militia built a stockade at the corner of Third Street and Broadway Avenue of approximately 200,000 square feet.  Settlers from the surrounding area, and as far away as Sioux Falls and Bon Homme County, fled to Yankton to seek shelter in the structure.

Although roving bands of Native Americans did approach Yankton over the course of several weeks, no attack ensued, and the stockade was eventually abandoned and torn down. There is a historical marker at the site of the former stockade.<ref>{{Cite web |title=West Wall / Yankton Stockade Historical Marker |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=177907 |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=www.hmdb.org |language=en}}</ref>

Among the most notable events that occurred in Yankton while capital, [[Jack McCall]], murderer of [[Wild Bill Hickok]] in [[Deadwood, South Dakota|Deadwood]] on August 2, 1876, was tried in Yankton for Hickok's murder, found guilty, and was hanged on March 1, 1877, at the age of 24. His body is buried in a Yankton cemetery.{{sfnp|Karolevitz|1972|p=85}}

===Yankton College===
[[File:Yankton College Conservatory.jpg|right|thumb|The conservatory building on the former [[Yankton College]] campus – now a part of the [[Federal Prison Camp, Yankton|Yankton Federal Prison Camp]].]]
Due to the urging of the Reverend [[Joseph Ward]] of Yankton, the General Association of Congregational Churches in Dakota Territory voted in May 1881 to establish "Pilgrim College" in Yankton, which was to be the first private institution of higher learning in Dakota.{{sfnp|Karolevitz|1972|pp=99–100}} When the college was incorporated in August 1881, the name had been changed to "Yankton College".  Classes commenced in October 1882, and [[Yankton College]] played a prominent role in the city for over 100 years.

Then, in 1983, the small liberal arts college was forced to close due to financial insolvency.  After remaining vacant for several years, the historic campus, which is listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]], was purchased by the United States [[Federal Bureau of Prisons]] for use as a minimum security prison. The [[Federal Prison Camp, Yankton|Federal Prison Camp – Yankton]] houses approx 850 male inmates.<ref>{{cite web |title=fpc yankton |url=https://federalcriminaldefenseattorney.com/federal-bureau-prisons/fpc-yankton-camp/ |website=federal criminal defense attorney}}</ref>

===River Port and the Flood of 1881===
[[File:Blasting ice with dynamite from in front of steamer on the ways, by Stanley J. Morrow.png|right|thumb|upright=1.15|A view of Yankton's riverfront after the flood of March 1881.]]
Since its founding, Yankton enjoyed a natural advantage as a steamboat landing along the [[Missouri River]] due to the fact that its landing stretched along the entire length of the town's riverfront.{{sfnp|Kingsbury|1915|p=567}} The first steamboat to reach Yankton from St.  Louis arrived in 1859, providing goods and supplies to settlers and fur-traders in upper and central Dakota.{{sfnp|Kingsbury|1915|p=568}} Since then, the city continued to grow and quickly became the second largest city in South Dakota.  The railroad reached Yankton in 1872. In 1874, gold was discovered in the Black Hills and prospectors rushed into Dakota Territory.{{sfnp|Kingsbury|1915|pp=891–896}} By 1880, Yankton had become an established riverboat port on the Missouri River. It retained its position as the second largest city in South Dakota until the beginning of the 20th century.<ref>{{cite report |title=Contents – South Dakota |work=Fourteenth Census |year=1920 |url=https://www2.census.gov/prod2/decennial/documents/06229686v38-43ch3.pdf |page=8}}</ref>

The city's status as an important port was literally crushed on March 27, 1881, when an ice dam on the Missouri River burst, sending flood waters and giant blocks of ice flowing towards the town.{{sfnp|Karolevitz|1972|pp=92–95}}

The resulting flood waters continued to accumulate behind the debris, and by March 29, the town's riverfront and downtown were covered in water, ice and rock, destroying or stranding several riverboats that were moored there. As a result of this flood, and the expansion of railroads as a preferred method of shipping goods, Yankton's river boat traffic was reduced, and the city's role as a prominent stopping point on the way west dwindled over the next several years.{{sfnp|Karolevitz|1972|p=95}}

Francis Marion Ziebach established the second newspaper in the area that became South Dakota, the ''Weekly Dakotan'', in Yankton on June 6, 1861, bringing his outfit from [[Sioux Falls]] by team and wagon.<ref>Lee, James Melvin (1917). – ''History of American Journalism''. – Houghton Mifflin Company. –  pp.246–247.<br>— Coursey, Oscar William (1917). – ''Who's Who in South Dakota''. – Educator Supply Company.<br>— NOTE: According to these sources, the first newspaper in what is now South Dakota was the ''Dakota Democrat'' published in Sioux Falls for about four years starting in 1858, and the ''Weekly Dakotan'' was the second newspaper in what is now South Dakota, starting on June 4, 1861.</ref> A second newspaper, started by Francis Marion Ziebach, is still published today as the Yankton ''Press and Dakotan''.<ref>A South Dakota Guide. – Federal Writer’s Project. – 1938. – p.35.</ref>

In 1882, the [[Human Services Center]] was established as a psychiatric hospital. On June 2, 1883, Dakota Territory Governor [[Nehemiah G. Ordway]] moved the territorial capital from Yankton to [[Bismarck, North Dakota|Bismarck]], present-day [[North Dakota]].

===National Register of Historic Places===
{{multiple image
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 | caption1 = Gov. Pennington House

 | image2   = Ohlman-Shannon_House_from_NE_1.JPG
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 | caption2 = Ohlman-Shannon House

 | image3   = Charles_Gurney_Hotel_from_SE_1.JPG
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 | caption3 = [[Charles Gurney Hotel]]

 | image4   = Bruce-Donaldson_House_from_SE.JPG
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 | alt4     =
 | caption4 = Bruce-Donaldson House

 | image5   = Bishop Marty Rectory from SE.JPG
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 | caption5 = Bishop Marty House

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As evidence of its rich historical past, Yankton has 26 individual properties and 6 historic districts within the city listed on the [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Yankton County, South Dakota|National Register of Historic Places]], maintained by the [[U.S. National Park Service]].{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}}  Each individual district contains several structures, and include:
* the Yankton (residential) Historic District,
* the [[Yankton College]] Historic District,
* the Yankton High School Historic District,
* the Yankton Historic Commercial District
* the [[Charles Gurney Hotel|House of Gurney]] Historic District, and
* the South Dakota Human Services Center campus.

==Government==
Yankton is governed by the City Commission, under a [[Council–manager government|Council-Manager]] form of Local Government. The City Commission is responsible for [[Legislature|legislative functions]] such as establishing policy, passing [[local ordinance]]s, and voting [[Appropriation (law)|appropriations]]. The City Commission appoints the City Manager to oversee the administrative operations, implement its policies, and advise the commission. The manager position is similar to that of corporate chief executive officer (CEO), providing professional management to the board of directors.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofyankton.org/departments-services/city-commission-52|title=City Commission – City of Yankton, SD|website=www.cityofyankton.org|access-date=December 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224074040/http://www.cityofyankton.org/departments-services/city-commission-52|archive-date=December 24, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> There are nine Commissioners that are elected by the citizens, and the Mayor is elected by the commission. As of 2018 the current Mayor is Nathan Johnson.

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The [[Yankton Police Department]] provides [[law enforcement]] for the city's residents.<ref name=pd >{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofyankton.org/departments-services/police-department|title=Police Department – City of Yankton, SD|website=www.cityofyankton.org|access-date=December 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181210003106/http://www.cityofyankton.org/departments-services/police-department|archive-date=December 10, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2006 it employed 29 sworn personnel.<ref>{{cite web|title=Yankton Police Department |url=http://www.cityofyankton.org/police/policeindex.htm |access-date=October 2, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061006040311/http://www.cityofyankton.org/police/policeindex.htm |archive-date=October 6, 2006}}</ref>

==Education==
Yankton is served by the Yankton Public School District (K-12), Sacred Heart Catholic School (pK-8), and [[Mount Marty College]].

Yankton was once home to [[Yankton College]]; founded in 1881, it was the first [[liberal arts]] college in the [[Dakota Territory]]. The college closed in 1984.  The campus was acquired by the [[Federal Bureau of Prisons]] in 1988 for use as the Federal Prison Camp – Yankton.

The Yankton School District has a variety of [[extracurricular]] activities including athletics and non-athletics. The athletic teams are universal on all levels of education including the Yankton Middle School and the [[Yankton High School]]. The boys' athletic teams are known as the Yankton Bucks and the girls' teams are known as the Yankton Gazelles. Yankton's debate team is the host of the annual [[Lewis and Clark]] Debate Tournament, held on the last weekend of the month of January.

Yankton is home to [[Mount Marty University]], a private [[Benedictines|Benedictine]] Catholic institution of higher learning.<ref name="mountmarty.edu">{{Cite web |title=History {{!}} Mount Marty University |url=https://www.mountmarty.edu/about-us/the-mount-marty-difference/history/ |access-date=June 1, 2022 |website=www.mountmarty.edu}}</ref>  Mounty Marty College Academy was founded in 1922 and subsequently changed their name to Mount Marty College in 1951 when they became a four-year, baccalaureate degree granting institution.  The most recent change was the addition of doctoral programs and a transition to Mount Marty University in 2020.<ref name="mountmarty.edu"/>  Mount Marty University athletes are known as the Lancers<ref>{{Cite web |title=Mount Marty University Athletics |url=https://www.mountmartyathletics.com/ |access-date=June 1, 2022 |website=Mount Marty University Athletics |language=en}}</ref> and compete in the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=NAIA |url=https://www.naia.org/schools/files/2021-22_NAIA_Institutions.pdf |access-date=June 1, 2022 |website=NAIA |language=en}}</ref>

==Recreation==
[[File:Gavins Point Dam.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Gavins Point Dam]], constructed from 1952 to 1957 (foreground) with [[Lewis and Clark Lake]] in the background, just west of Yankton.]]
The City of Yankton maintains fourteen municipal parks, including Fantle Memorial Park, which is the location of an outdoor public swimming pool, and Riverside Park, which is home to the city's Riverside Baseball Field. There are two golf courses in the city:  the Fox Run municipal golf course, and the private golf course located at Hillcrest Golf and Country Club.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofyankton.org/recreation/parks/index.php |title=City of Yankton, Department of Parks and Recreation |access-date=July 19, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120805175603/http://www.cityofyankton.org/recreation/parks/index.php|archive-date=August 5, 2012}}</ref> The City of Yankton and the Yankton School District jointly maintain and operate the Yankton High School and Summit Activities Center; this facility offers an indoor swimming pool, several gymnasiums, and a public weight lifting room.<ref>{{cite web |title=City of Yankton, Summit Activities Center |url=http://www.cityofyankton.org/recreation/sac/index.php |access-date=July 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130918151134/http://www.cityofyankton.org/recreation/sac/index.php|archive-date=September 18, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

The double-decker Meridian Bridge over the [[Missouri River]] was decommissioned for traffic in October 2008 after the new Discovery Highway Bridge was opened.  This old bridge was converted to a pedestrian bridge (photo), and is part of the city's extensive pedestrian and bicycle path system.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofyankton.org/recreation/trails/trails-map.php |title=City of Yankton, Trails System.|access-date=July 19, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140722131211/http://www.cityofyankton.org/recreation/trails/trails-map.php|archive-date=July 22, 2014}}</ref> The Brokaw-Auld Trail is a linear park and recreational path along Marne Creek, and the State of South Dakota has developed trails and paths to and throughout the Lewis and Clark Recreation Area.

Four miles west of Yankton, [[Lewis and Clark Lake]] attracts over 1.5 million visitors per year. The Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area, extending approximately two miles along the north shore of Lewis and Clark Lake, offering camping, swimming, hiking/biking trails, and boating facilities. The Lewis and Clark Resort and Marina is located within the park and offers cabin rentals, marina slips, convenience store, and a waterfront restaurant. The [[U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]] also maintains public recreation areas along the Missouri River just downstream of [[Gavins Point Dam]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gfp.sd.gov/state-parks/directory/lewis-and-clark/|title=SD GFP – State Parks – Directory – Lewis and Clark|work=Lewis & Clark Recreation Area |access-date=February 3, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160202150532/https://gfp.sd.gov/state-parks/directory/lewis-and-clark/|archive-date=February 2, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Dam-and-Lake-Projects/Missouri-River-Dams/Gavins-Point/ |title=Omaha District > Missions > Dam and Lake Projects > Missouri River Dams > Gavins Point |access-date=April 14, 2018 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 22, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180422142314/http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Dam-and-Lake-Projects/Missouri-River-Dams/Gavins-Point/}}</ref>

==Transportation==
[[File:DiscoveryBridgeYanktonNight.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|The [[Discovery Bridge (Yankton)|Discovery Bridge]] at night.]]

Air transportation is provided by the [[Chan Gurney Municipal Airport]], owned by the City of Yankton; however, the nearest airports with commercial flights are [[Sioux Falls Regional Airport]] in [[Sioux Falls, South Dakota|Sioux Falls]] and [[Sioux Gateway Airport]] in [[Sioux City, Iowa]].<ref>{{cite web|title=City of Yankton Airport |website=City of Yankton |url=http://www.cityofyankton.org/departments-services/airport|access-date=May 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180508121640/http://www.cityofyankton.org/departments-services/airport|archive-date=May 8, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[U.S. Route 81 in South Dakota|U.S. Route 81]] serves the city as a north–south highway that connects the city with [[Nebraska]] across the [[Missouri River]] to the south via the [[Discovery Bridge (Yankton)|Discovery Bridge]], which replaced the Historic [[Meridian Highway Bridge]] in 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=Meridian Bridge – City of Yankton, SD |url=http://www.cityofyankton.org/departments-services/meridian-bridge |website=www.cityofyankton.org |access-date=May 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180428022514/http://www.cityofyankton.org/departments-services/meridian-bridge|archive-date=April 28, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Interstate 90 in South Dakota|Interstate 90]] is approximately 65 miles north of the city, and [[Interstate 80 in Nebraska|Interstate 80]] is about 160 miles south of the city, via U.S. Route 81. U.S. Route 81 is also signed as Broadway Avenue within city limits.

[[South Dakota Highway 50]] serves the city as an east–west highway and includes a four-lane divided highway that connects the city to [[Interstate 29 in South Dakota|Interstate 29]], approximately 33 miles to the east.

[[South Dakota Highway 52]] connects the city to the [[Lewis and Clark Lake]] area, about four miles to the west.

==Media==
Broadcasting in Yankton began in 1922 when [[WNAX (AM)|WNAX]] radio went on the air.  Today, two AM radio stations and two commercial FM stations are licensed to Yankton:<ref>{{cite web | title = Radio Stations in Yankton, South Dakota | work = Radio-Locator | publisher = Theodric Technologies LLC | url = http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/locate?select=city&city=Yankton%2C+SD&x=0&y=0&sid= | access-date = May 6, 2010}}</ref>

===Radio===

====AM radio====
{| class="wikitable"
!align="center" colspan="6"|'''[[AM radio]] stations'''
|-
!Frequency!!Call sign!!Name!!Format!!Owner!!City
|-
|570 AM||[[WNAX (AM)|WNAX]]||WNAX Radio 570||[[News/Talk]]||Saga Communications||Yankton
|-
|1450 AM||[[KYNT]]||Yankton's Home Team||[[Soft Adult Contemporary]]||Riverfront Broadcasting LLC||Yankton
|-
|1570 AM||[[KVTK (AM)|KVTK]]||1570 "The Ticket||[[Sports talk]]||Culhane Communications, Inc.||Vermillion
|}

====FM radio====
{|class="wikitable"
!align="center" colspan="7"|'''[[FM radio]] stations'''
|-
!Frequency!!Call sign!!Name!!Format!!Owner!!Target city/[[media market|market]]!![[City of license]]
|-
|-
|89.7 FM||[[KUSD (FM)|KUSD]]||South Dakota Public Broadcasting||NPR||SD board of directors for Educational Telecommunications||Yankton/Vermillion||Vermillion
|-
|93.1 FM||[[KKYA]]||Hot Country 93.1||[[Country music]]||Riverfront Broadcasting LLC||Yankton/Vermillion||Yankton
|-
|94.3 FM||[[KDAM]]||The Current||[[Hot AC]]||Riverfront Broadcasting LLC||Yankton/Vermillion||Hartington
|-
|104.1 FM||[[WNAX-FM]]||The Wolf 104.1||[[Country music]]||Saga Communications||Yankton/Vermillion||Yankton
|-
|106.3 FM||[[KVHT]]||Classic Hits 106.3||[[Classic Hits]]||Cullhane Communications, Inc.||Yankton/Vermillion||Vermillion
|-
|}

Several low-power non-commercial FM stations are licensed to Yankton.{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}}

There are no commercial television stations based in Yankton.  Stations from [[Sioux Falls, South Dakota|Sioux Falls]] and [[Sioux City, Iowa|Sioux City]] serve Yankton.<ref>{{cite web |title=TV Signal Analysis Results |work=TVFool |url=http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id%3dcd727a5da8c08f |access-date=May 6, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717115534/http://www.tvfool.com/?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=29&q=id=cd727a5da8c08f |archive-date=July 17, 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref> One Sioux Falls station, [[KTTW]] (digital channel 7), is rebroadcast on analog channel 21 in Yankton.<ref>{{cite web |title=South Dakota TV Stations |work=NorthPine.com |url=http://www.northpine.com/broadcast/sd/tv.html |access-date=May 6, 2010 |archive-date=May 14, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090514070510/http://www.northpine.com/broadcast/sd/tv.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[KUSD-TV]], the flagship station of South Dakota Public Broadcasting, is based in nearby Vermillion.{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}}

Yankton is also home to ''South Dakota Magazine'', a statewide bi-monthly publication that explores the history, culture, arts, travel and outdoors of the state. It is published in a historic building constructed in 1875 by Territorial Governor John Pennington.{{Citation needed|date=January 2018}}

==Culture==
[[File:Yankton Human Services Center 1.JPG|thumb|upright=1.2|The abandoned Mead Building on the South Dakota [[Human Services Center]] campus in Yankton has been identified as the future site of the [[Dakota Territorial Museum]].]]
[[Mount Marty University]] offers several cultural assets and venues in Yankton, including the Bede Art Gallery, which showcases artwork from regional and Native American artists, as well as Marian Auditorium, which hosts performing and fine art events.  The college is also home to Great Plains Writers' Tour, which brings award-winning professional writers to campus for readings and class workshops.  Previous authors include former United States poet laureate [[Ted Kooser]], American Book Award winner [[Maria Mazziotti Gillan]], [[Elizabeth Cook-Lynn]], [[David Lee (poet)|David Lee]], and [[William Kloefkorn]], among others.<ref>{{cite web |title=Great Plains Writers' Tour |website=mtmc.edu |publisher=[[Mount Marty College]] |url=http://www.mtmc.edu/arts/gpwt.aspx |access-date=October 22, 2014 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150127190605/http://www.mtmc.edu/arts/gpwt.aspx |archive-date=January 27, 2015}}</ref>

Yankton is also home to the [[Dakota Territorial Museum]], which is housed in the newly restored Mead Cultural Education Building on the campus of the Human Services Center in north Yankton.  The collection contains information and artifacts about the heritage and development of the City of Yankton and the surrounding area.  The museum's collection includes artifacts of Dakota Territory, Native American inhabitants, and early pioneers. The museum complex also contains several outbuildings, such as a restored rural school house and the Great Northern Railway Depot which will be moved to the new location at 82 Mickelson Drive in the latter part of 2019.  The museum also displays a retired Burlington Northern Railway caboose.<ref>[[Dakota Territorial Museum]] website</ref>

Yankton's Riverboat Days is an annual celebration held in the third full weekend in August. The primarily free event attracts 135,000 people and hosts over 150 artists and over 50 food vendors at Riverside Park. Other activities include a rodeo, parade, golf tournament, and snowmobile grass drag race.<ref>{{Cite web|title=About South Dakota Magazine |website=South Dakota Magazine |url=https://www.southdakotamagazine.com/about |access-date=July 19, 2019 |url-status=live|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190502010609/https://www.southdakotamagazine.com/about|archive-date=May 2, 2019}}</ref>

==Sports==
The [[National Field Archery Association]], NFAA, moved its headquarters from Redland, California to Yankton, South Dakota.<ref>{{cite web|title=Archery HQ Gets a Huge Boost|url=http://www.yanktonarcherycomplex.org/news/archery-hq-gets-a-huge-boost|access-date=June 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617192744/http://www.yanktonarcherycomplex.org/news/archery-hq-gets-a-huge-boost|archive-date=June 17, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Special sporting events===
The [[National Field Archery Association]]'s Easton Yankton Archery Complex hosted nearly 600 archers from 51 countries for the 2015 World Archery Youth Championships.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kdlt.com/news/local-news/World-Tourney-Boosts-Future-Of-Yankton-Archery-Complex/33627676|website=Keloland.com|access-date=June 17, 2015|title=World Tourney Boosts Future Of Yankton Archery Complex|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150617194541/http://www.kdlt.com/news/local-news/World-Tourney-Boosts-Future-Of-Yankton-Archery-Complex/33627676|archive-date=June 17, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref>

==Contemporary culture==
{{Unreferenced section|date=January 2018}}

===Games===
*Yankton is a Native American settlement featured in the video game ''[[Empire: Total War]].''
*One of the fictional U.S. states featured in the 2013 [[Rockstar Games]] title ''[[Grand Theft Auto V]]'' is called North Yankton, named after both the city and county. However, the real U.S. state it's based on is [[North Dakota]], as opposed to Yankton's actual home of South Dakota.

===Television===
*Yankton is mentioned numerous times as the territorial capital in the western TV series [[Deadwood (TV series)|''Deadwood'']].
*Yankton is mentioned in ''[[The Middle (TV series)|The Middle]]'' episode, "Hecks on a Train" (2015).

==Notable people==
[[File:Capt. Grant Marsh Statue, Riverside Park, Douglas Ave. & Levee St.,Yankton, South Dakota.jpg|thumb|Statue of steamboat captain [[Grant Marsh]] in Riverside Park, Yankton, South Dakota.]]
[[File:Capt. Grant Marsh home, 513 Douglas St. (near 6th St.), Yankton, South Dakota.jpg|thumb|Home and barn of [[Grant Marsh]], 513 Douglas St., Yankton, South Dakota.  Marsh was the most famous steamboat captain on the Missouri River.]]
* [[Lyle Alzado]], [[NFL]] player, played college football at Yankton College
* General [[William H. H. Beadle]], born in [[Parke County, Indiana]], Surveyor General of Dakota Territory and educator; his statue is in Statuary Hall in the U.S. Capitol.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/national-statuary-hall-collection/william-henry-harrison-beadle|title=William Henry Harrison Beadle|work=Architect of the Capitol – United States Capitol|access-date=February 3, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128093210/http://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/national-statuary-hall-collection/william-henry-harrison-beadle|archive-date=January 28, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Tom Brokaw]], former [[NBC]] anchorman and native of [[Pickstown, South Dakota]], graduated from Yankton High School
* [[Abner S. Flagg]], Wisconsin State Assemblyman<ref>'Wisconsin Blue Book 1897,' Biographical Sketch of Abner S. Flagg, pg. 693–694</ref>
* [[Ralph A. Gamble]], former US Congressman
* [[John Chandler "Chan" Gurney]], served as United States Senator from South Dakota 1939 - 1951
* [[Colton Iverson]], basketball player, [[Colorado State University]], NBA [[Boston Celtics]]
* [[William Jayne|William A. Jayne]], born in [[Springfield, Illinois]], first governor of Dakota Territory, 1861–1863; territorial delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives, 1863–1864.
* [[Dave Koehler]], Illinois State Senator
* [[Grant Marsh]], record-setting steamboat captain.  His statue is in Riverside Park in Yankton.
* [[Maury Nipp]], NFL player
* [[Layne Somsen]], baseball pitcher, [[South Dakota State University]], MLB [[Cincinnati Reds]] 
* [[Wynn Speece]], WNAX radio personality (Neighbor Lady)
* [[Adam Vinatieri]], [[NFL]] placekicker and free agent, was born in Yankton
* [[Joseph Ward (1838–1889)|Joseph Ward]], born in [[Perry Center, New York]], educator and founder of Yankton College
* [[Robert H. Warren]], fourth superintendent of the [[United States Air Force Academy]]
* [[Lawrence Welk]], bandleader and native of [[Strasburg, North Dakota]], resided in Yankton while he served as the WNAX AM radio bandleader
* [[Stephanie Winslow]], singer
* Chief ''Pa-le-ne-a-pa-pe ''("[[Struck by the Ree]]" or "Strikes the Ree"), Yankton Sioux (Western Dakota) Tribe, signatory of [[Yankton Treaty]] of 1858 opening up eastern South Dakota for U.S. expansion{{sfnp|Karolevitz|1972|pp=2–4}}

==See also==
* [[Federal Prison Camp, Yankton]]
* [[Gavins Point Dam]]
* [[Human Services Center]]
* [[Lewis and Clark Lake]]
* [[Missouri National Recreational River]]
* [[Mount Marty College]]
* [[National Register of Historic Places listings in Yankton County, South Dakota]]
* [[Yankton College]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
{{wikivoyage|Yankton}}
* [http://www.cityofyankton.org/ City of Yankton – Official City Government Website]
* [http://www.visityanktonsd.com Visit Yankton, South Dakota – Yankton Convention and Visitors Bureau]
* [https://yanktonsd.com/ Yankton Area Chamber of Commerce] 
* {{Cite EB1911 |wstitle= Yankton |volume = 28 |pages= |short=1}}
* [http://www.riverboatdays.com/ Riverboat Days and Summer Arts Festival], annual festival every 3rd weekend in August.
* [http://www.nps.gov/mnrr/  Missouri National Recreational River – U.S. National Park Service]
* [http://www.yankton.net/ Yankton Press & Dakotan – local newspaper]
* [http://www.southdakotamagazine.com/ South Dakota Magazine – state magazine]
* [http://wnax.com/ WNAX AM radio]
* [http://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/Dam-and-Lake-Projects/Missouri-River-Dams/Gavins-Point/ Gavins Point Dam / Lewis and Clark Lake – U.S. Army Corps of Engineers]
* [https://gfp.sd.gov/parks/detail/lewis-and-clark-recreation-area/ Lewis and Clark Recreation Area – South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks]

{{Yankton County, South Dakota}}
{{South Dakota}}
{{South Dakota county seats}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Yankton, South Dakota| ]]
[[Category:Cities in South Dakota]]
[[Category:Former colonial and territorial capitals in the United States]]
[[Category:Cities in Yankton County, South Dakota]]
[[Category:County seats in South Dakota]]
[[Category:Micropolitan areas of South Dakota]]
[[Category:South Dakota populated places on the Missouri River]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1869]]
[[Category:1869 establishments in Dakota Territory]]
[[Category:Forts along the Missouri River]]