THE LYMAN COUNTY COURTHOUSE
Kennebec, SD, USA

The Lyman County Courthouse was originally built in Oacoma. The original Courthouse burned to the ground in 1894 while Oacoma was still the county seat.

The right to move the seat to Kennebec was official in 1922. Kennebec won the election by eleven votes.

The original structure of the Courthouse was similar to what it looks like now. The windows were remodeled in 1985. The entryway was redone in 1993, which is mostly glass as you can see in the photo. The Courthouse was finally made handicap accessible in 1993 with the addition of an elevator. 

There are nine offices in the Courthouse in Lyman County.

            The Auditor's Office acts as bookkeeper for the county business and as clerk to the County commissioners. Businesses apply here for beer and liquor licenses. This office schedules appointments for Commission meetings, figures real estate and mobile home taxes, handles indigent health care, and is responsible for primary and general elections. Information on voting or upcoming elections can be obtained here.

            The Veteran's Office handles matters for county veterans.

 
   This is a picture of the Veteran's Wall in the Courthouse on the main floor. It recognizes veterans from the local areas. 

            The duty of the Treasurer's Office is to collect all taxes for real estate and mobile homes. They sell hunting and fishing licenses, do title transfers, sell licenses for commercial and non-commercial vehicles, plus boat, trailer, and motorcycle licenses. Investment of county funds title transfers, sell licenses for commercial and non-commercial vehicles, plus boat, trailer, and motorcycle licenses. Investment of county funds, taking of tax deeds on delinquent properties, trust accounts for payments through bankruptcy court, and drivers license issuance are all handled here.

  An old safe, from the days when the Courthouse was still in Oacoma, is still in the Treasurer's Office today. It sits in a fire-proof back room they call the vault. Click on the photo to enlarge and read some more interesting facts.  

These are some of the tax record account books found in the Treasurer's Office. Some of the books were destroyed in the fire. The oldest books the Treasurer's Office has are from 1893. Click on the photo to enlarge and read some more interesting facts. 

An old map from when the Courthouse was first built,  still hangs in the Treasurer's Office today for everyone to see. Click on the photo to enlarge and read some more interesting facts. 

This is a vault door in the Treasurer's Office. It was put in when the Courthouse was moved from Oacoma to Kennebec in 1922. Click on the to enlarge and read some more interesting facts.

 This is the courtroom on the top level of the Courthouse. Sometimes big trials are held there. Click on the photo to get a better view of the courtroom.

            The Register of Deeds Office issues and files marriage licenses, birth and death certifications, and burial permits. They also record real estate transactions including deeds, mortgages, mortgage transfers, etc. They file financing statements, federal and state tax liens, county welfare and miscellaneous liens, military discharge records, business and new business names and corner records. They note and cancel motor vehicle liens and order duplicate titles. They assist with genealogy research when time permits. Passports can also be obtained here.

            The Clerk of Courts Office handles all court matters that include civil, criminal, probates, small claims, all traffic citations, fines, restitution, adoptions, child support, executions (deaths), and transcripts.

            The Lyman County Sheriff's Office  is open from 8:00 A.M. to 12:00 noon and 1:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M., Monday through Friday, while the Sheriff and deputies are on call 24 hours a day.

            The Director of Equalization Office,  also known as the Assessor's Office, has listings of all property in the county, including legal descriptions. They are responsible for figuring the value of real estate for assessment purposes. This value is used to figure taxes. All mobile homes must be registered in this office on or before February 1st each year.

             Lyman County Commissioners are elected. Commission meetings are held in the Conference Room on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. They consider all bills, plats, liquor licenses, and resolutions. The Board approves county budgets for the coming year each September.

Horace Wagner from Reliance painted the picture above in about 1925. It is a picture of the White House. This painting hangs on the wall of the main floor waiting area. 

(All of the little kids scream in this waiting area so they can hear their echo.)

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All photos in this section were taken by Kristin, a ThinkQuest member.