The keeping of birth records in Shannon County began in 1905. Some records prior to this are at the Shannon County Registrar's Office. See Court Houses for the address. In addition to civil records, be sure to check for church records of baptisms. You can find information for most churches at the Churches page. The South Dakota State Historical Society may have information so you may want to check their holdings. Also the LDS Family History Library has hundreds of microfilms from the Pine Ridge Reservation, many of which contain annual censuses which will provide birth information. There are some that even have vital records.
This page will contain birth information as it is found or contributed. If you have birth information about your ancestors who were born in Shannon County, and wish to share it at this site, please email us. If you wish to help find records to post, please email us. Please do NOT contribute information on any living person. Thank you!
World War 1 Draft Registration Cards
While this record is not typically considered for births, it is a great source for that information. In 1917-1918 men born between 1873 and 1900 completed draft registration cards. A minority of those civilian men who registered were ever called up for military service. Men already on active duty were excluded from draft registration. During 1917-1918 an especially virulent influenza pandemic killed mostly young adults. This affected draft registration. Exemptions from induction were allowed for the following reasons: persons already in armed forces, officers of the Federal and State legislatures, judiciary and executive branches, clergy and theological students, those physically or "morally" deficient, those with dependents, and person whose occupations were necessary for maintaining military and national interests. There were only 3 drafts held: 5 June 1917 (born 1886-1896), 5 Jun 1918 (born 1896-1897), 12 Sep 1918 (born 1873-1900).