Kennebec facts
Taken from "Early Settlers in Lyman County"
published by the Lyman County Historical Society.
The railroad reached Kennebec in 1905 and numerous homesteads were marked by various types of homes: tar-papered shanties, mud houses, etc., some two-roomed houses, which provided homes for bachelors, widows and widowers, teachers and families. At that time there were three stores: Charley Warner's, Henry Lien's and Henry Bradley's; two hotels, owned by W.E. Roeser and Fred Hubbel; a Catholic and Methodist church, which were still located where they were built in 1907; two livery barns operated by John Davis and his son, Ira, and Edward Egan. Frank Scarlett was the depot agent and Albert Williamson operated a hardware store and edited and printed the Prairie Sun. Type was set and printed by Chester Rosencrance. The old theater building was built by Sam Abdnor in 1908. The postmaster was R.C. Van Horn. The county seat was moved to Kennebec in 1924 and the present courthouse built in 1925-'26. At one time, Kennebec had three banks (today it has one.) A 25-piece band was organized and led by a Mr. Axlund 1910-1915. Other businesses included a drug store, music and jewelry store, blacksmiths doctors offices, restaurants. Ray and James Floyd brought hauled the first water into town by a horse-drawn tank wagon from a shallow well about one and a half miles northwest of town. Cattle, sheep and hogs were the basic export from Kennebec. Electricity came to Kennebec in 1914. Mail was delivered from the depot to the post office. Jas. Carr operated the first saloon, built by the Yankton Brewery. The first school was held in a log cabin located on the west side of Medicine Creek, known as Hotch City school. The first doctor was Dr. Miller. A cooperative elevator was established in 1947 with a new annex in in 1974. A public library was built in 1960 and today a new library/community center sits on Main Street for social events. Several businesses line Kennebec's Main Street and the elevators and Lyman County Courthouse are the main forces to the livelihood of the town.