Fedora, SD

Fedora got its start in the late 1800s as a stop along the Milwaukee Railroad in Miner County. The settlement shifted around a bit and went by names like Van Horne and Miner Center before residents officially settled on Fedora in 1897. Local lore claims the name came from the fedora hat, though folks still debate whether it honored a merchant's popular inventory or a railroad executive's daughter.

Like many prairie hubs across eastern South Dakota, Fedora saw a lively building boom in the early 1900s, complete with local shops, a newspaper, and its own school. Over the decades, the community settled into a much quieter rhythm as schools and services gradually shifted to neighboring towns like Howard. Today, it remains a peaceful slice of rural South Dakota, surrounded by wide-open farmland and classic small-town calm.