Our Beginnings in Gary, SD

The South Dakota School for the Blind was officially opened in Gary, South Dakota on March 1, 1900, under the Board of Charities and Corrections. The citizens of Gary were instrumental in pursuing the location of a state "Blind Asylum" in their community and offered the former Courthouse as a facility.

After inspection by the Board of Charities and Corrections it was determined additional accommodations would be needed. The city of Gary constructed a new two-story building according to the plans submitted by the Board of Charities and Corrections. Ground was broken for the facility in July 1899, and the facility was officially presented to the state of South Dakota on March 1, 1900, with a grand reception.

Additional construction on the Gary campus included areas for administration, girls' dormitory, boys' dormitory, auditorium, several barns, and a large chicken house. The school kept a large dairy herd, raised hogs, and chickens and planted a large garden. They produced milk, meat, eggs, and vegetables for their own use and for sale to the community. In 1945 the School for the Blind was placed under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Board of Regents.