Editing Rockham, South Dakota (section)

==History==
Rockham was [[plat]]ted in 1886.<ref name="history">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=OspBAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA119 | title=A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways | author=Chicago and North Western Railway Company | year=1908 | page=119}}</ref> It was named after [[Rockhampton]], in Australia.<ref name="history" /> A post office has been in operation in Rockham since 1887.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.postalhistory.com/postoffices.asp?task=display&state=SD&county=Faulk&searchtext=&pagenum=2 | title=Faulk County | publisher=Jim Forte Postal History | accessdate=March 26, 2015}}</ref>

The [[Chicago & North Western Railway]] constructed a rail line from [[Redfield, South Dakota|Redfield]] to [[Faulkton, South Dakota|Faulkton]] in 1886.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://history.sd.gov/Preservation/OtherServices/SDRailroad.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=November 11, 2013 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111204158/http://history.sd.gov/preservation/OtherServices/SDRailroad.pdf |archivedate=November 11, 2013 }} | p=80</ref> Rockham was founded as a stop on the railway that year, in 1886 on land originally homesteaded by Anders Opperud, and was incorporated on March 4, 1909. Rockham's first school, the F.M. Brown School, was erected in 1884; the Rockham Public School was built in 1915. Rockham received its first telephone service in 1903 and electrical power was distributed throughout the city in 1919.
<ref>South Dakota Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 29, adopted February 19, 1986; Concurred in by the South Dakota House of Representatives February 19, 1986.</ref>

In 1925, the Rockham Public School was damaged by a tornado.<ref>{{cite book |title=Rockham Centennial, Rockham, S.D., Revisit Rockham July 4, 5, and 6, 1886-1986 |publisher=The Redfield Press |date=1986 |page=40}}</ref>

In 1970, the [[Chicago & North Western Railway]] abandoned its rail line from Redfield to Gettysburg, leaving Rockham without rail service for hauling grain.<ref>http://history.sd.gov/Preservation/OtherServices/SDRailroad.pdf| p = 87</ref>

The Rockham Public School closed in 1972.

Rockham celebrated its centennial on July 4–6, 1986.