Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.
“The Canton Indian Insane Asylum, aka Hiawatha Insane Asylum, was a federal facility for Native Americans located in Canton, South Dakota, between 1898 and 1934.”
Wikipedia article Canton Indian Insane Asylum, CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 27 National Register listings published here for Lincoln County · listed in 1998 · category: Site.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service · the Wikipedia article
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 71 fires within 5 miles of Canton Asylum for American Indians Cemetery between 1999 and 2020, burning about 192 acres in total. 1 started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 34 |
| Debris and open burning | 17 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 4 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 4 |
| Other causes | 3 |
| Smoking | 2 |
| Fireworks | 2 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 1 |
| Natural | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 1 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 September 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | 280TH FIRE |
| 20 September 2020 | Railroad operations and maintenance | 1.0 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | 278 |
| 2 September 2020 | Equipment and vehicle use | 35 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | WYNIA |
| 9 August 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 4.0 acres | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | VAN DYKE FIRE |
| 9 July 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | BARTLETT FIRE |
| 5 July 2007 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | not named |
| 2 July 2016 | Fireworks | under an acre | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | BENTZ TREE |
| 1 July 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | South Dakota Wildland Fire Suppression | SMOKE BALL FIRE |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Canton Asylum for American Indians Cemetery: 4 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canton Sand & Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Lyon County-Lems Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Canton, the town this property stands in, in 47 storm reports between 1993 and 2024: 25 hail, 12 thunderstorm wind, 5 tornado, 3 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| June 2014 | Flash Flood | Canton | $1,000,000 | Heavy rain caused flash flooding of numerous roads, including U.S. Highway 18 west of Canton. Damage was reported to main roads and some secondary roads were washed out. Fields, ditches, and some homes were flooded. |
| August 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $50,000 | Thunderstorm winds uprooted numerous trees, caused structural damage to a house and barn, damaged small farm buildings and a garage, and caused widespread crop damage. |
| July 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down power lines and at least one power pole, causing a power outage. |
| May 2000 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including a large tree blown over. |
| July 2016 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | $2,000 | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage and minor shingle damage. |
| May 1993 | Hail | Canton | $500 | no account filed |
| July 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | Thunderstorm winds downed numerous large tree limbs throughout Canton, along with several power lines. |
| June 2024 | Flash Flood | Canton | - | After heavy rainfall earlier in the day, another 5 to 8 inches rainfall between midnight and 3 am CST lead to widespread street flooding in Canton with at least one swift water rescue. For a more comprehensive description of flood damage, please see other entries for areal and river flooding for Lincoln County. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | A roof was torn off of a building by thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| July 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | Several tree limbs were downed by thunderstorm winds in Canton. |
| August 2021 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | Thunderstorm wind gusts downed a large tree. |
| May 2015 | Flood | Canton | - | Heavy rain caused local flooding of ditches along South Dakota Highway 18. |
| May 2013 | Flash Flood | Canton | - | Heavy rainfall of 4 inches caused flooding of roads. |
| June 2011 | Hail | Canton | - | Large hail covered the ground. |
| August 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | Thunderstorm winds caused tree damage, including several trees blown down at a golf course. |
| June 2005 | Lightning | Canton | - | Lightning struck and damaged a transformer, causing a power outage in Canton which in some areas lasted almost 24 hours. Lack of power to homes and businesses caused secondary problems due to the lack of refrigeration. |
| May 2004 | Tornado (F0) | Canton | - | A brief tornado caused no reported damage. |
| July 2001 | Tornado (F0) | Canton | - | A tornado which was on the ground for one minute caused no reported damage. |
| July 2001 | Tornado (F0) | Canton | - | A brief tornado caused no reported damage. |
| August 2000 | Hail | Canton | - | Large hail severely damaged crops. The amount of crop damage was not determined. |
| July 1997 | Tornado (F0) | Canton | - | A brief tornado observed by a local spotter resulted in no reported damage. |
| August 2021 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| August 2021 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| May 2015 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| May 2015 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| June 2014 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| May 2013 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| May 2013 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| September 2010 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| September 2010 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| August 2009 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| March 2007 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| April 2006 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| May 2005 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| September 2005 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| May 2004 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| July 2003 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| June 2003 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | no account filed |
| May 2002 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| April 2000 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| April 2000 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| July 1998 | Tornado (F0) | Canton | - | no account filed |
| June 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Canton | - | no account filed |
| July 1996 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
| August 1995 | Hail | Canton | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Old Main, Augustana Academy | 1.4 miles | 1985 |
| South Dakota Dept of Trans. Bridge No. 42-200-125 | 1.7 miles | 2002 | |
 | Dr. Andrew Anderson House | 1.7 miles | 2003 |
| Rudolph-Parke House | 1.9 miles | 2001 | |
 | C.B. Kennedy Mansion | 1.9 miles | 2001 |
 | Skartvedt House | 2.0 miles | 2000 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 98000074 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Lincoln County | All 27 listed properties in this county. |
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