Lower Brule Agency

On October 14, 1865, at Fort Sully (5 miles E of Pierre) the Lower Brule Band by Iron Nation, White Buffalo Cow, Little Pheasant and 12 others, signed a treaty. It differed from the others signed there in that it set up a reservation 20 miles long and 10 back from the river between White River and Fort Lookout.

The 1,800 Lower Brules were to get $6,000 a year and families who went to farming were to get $25.00 bonus. In 1866, they planted some acreage and to their great surprise got 2,000 bushels of grain. Joseph R. Hanson, Headquarters at Fort Thompson was their agent in 1866 and he estimated 800 hostiles, 700 friendlies but they acknowledged no chief.

The agency was 15 miles below Fort Thompson on the west side. In 1870, two companies of troops were station nearby. Their agents operated out of Fort Thompson until Thomas A. Reilly was made sole agent in 1876 and the agency moved to the mouth of American Crow Creek (Oacoma). They had various agents and clerks in charge.

Henry E. Gregory, 1877; Capt. W.E. Dougherty, 1878080; W.H. Parkhurst, 1881-82, Gregory, D.S. Altman and W.W. Anderson, 1883-89. The reservation was enlarged and moved to north of Ft. Lookout 472,550 acres. Luke C. Walker, Episcopal and Joseph Rogers, Presbyterian, both full bloods, were missionaries.

Big Main, John Desomit, Eagle Star were first tribal judges. On June 30, 1894, the new buildings near the present agency were accepted by Frederick Treon, the first agent there who had succeeded A.P. Dixon.