Buffalo Chip is South Dakota’s Newest Town

Unofficial results from the Meade County Auditor show 43 people who claim Buffalo Chip is their home voted to become South Dakota’s newest city. Not a single person voted against it.

Buffalo Chip Campground owner Rod Woodruff says he’s excited about the possibilities this could bring to his campground that becomes one of South Dakota’s largest towns during the rally. The rest of the year – it’s probably among the smallest.

However, the future of the new town will more than likely continue to be a court fought battle.

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Gary Matthews reports that the city of Sturgis and some surrounding Buffalo Chip landowners have been trying to thwart the campground’s efforts to become a municipality.

They have cited several reasons, among which is the validity of those who claim Buffalo Chip as their home even though they don’t actually live there.

Last week, Circuit Judge Jerome Eckrich allowed Thursday’s election to go forward, but Sturgis City Manager Daniel Ainslie says they still hope to have their day in court.