Bushnell

The Town of Bushnell was established in 1884 as a railroad town. The once bustling town has transformed over the decades into a small, peaceful community known more for its artists and sculptors. Bushnell, with minimum lot sizes of ½ acre or larger, offers acreage living in a community atmosphere.

Bushnell was one of the earlier communities founded in South Dakota. Beginning as a farm town, Bushnell grew to encompass a railroad depot, cheese factory, and grain elevator at one point. In 1881 Dakota Agricultural College (now known as South Dakota State University) was founded in nearby Brookings, and Bushnell’s economy began to decline as the population shifted to the new college town. By the 20th century however, Bushnell had found a new niche as an artist’s community.

With more than 30 percent of its citizens employed as artists, the tiny town of Bushnell has a greater percentage of artists in their workforce than does Paris.