Editing Kimball, South Dakota (section)

==History==
Kimball was first known as Stake 48 on the [[Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad]] line going west out of [[Mitchell, South Dakota|Mitchell]]. In 1880, the first [[Homestead Act|homestead claims]] were made in the vicinity of Stake 48. Kimball was organized as a village in the spring of 1883.<ref>''Re-echoing the Past'', Elsie Petula, 2000, pg 1</ref> The town was named for J. W. Kimball, a railroad surveyor.<ref>{{cite book|author=Federal Writers' Project|author-link=Federal Writers' Project|title=South Dakota place-names, v.1-3|url=http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015027015455;view=1up;seq=125|year=1940|publisher=University of South Dakota|page=45}}</ref>

The 1895 [[Holy Trinity Church (Kimball, South Dakota)|Holy Trinity Church]] is on the National Register of Historic Places.

The two major fires that hit Kimball, South Dakota, were significant events in the town’s history, both causing extensive damage to its downtown area.


The first fire occurred in 1890. At that time, the town's buildings were primarily made of wood, which made them highly susceptible to fire. The cause of this fire isn't well-documented, but it's likely that an accident involving a stove, chimney, or open flame—common sources of fire in those days—started the blaze. Due to the lack of a fully developed firefighting infrastructure, the fire spread quickly, destroying many businesses and homes in the heart of Kimball's downtown area. This fire caused significant economic damage, but the town began to rebuild afterward.

The second fire struck in 1905 and, like the first, caused widespread destruction to the downtown area. Many of the buildings that were rebuilt after the 1890 fire were damaged or destroyed once again. This fire reinforced the need for better fire safety measures, and after this second incident, more buildings were constructed using fire-resistant materials like brick and stone, which helped reduce the risk of future fires.