Aberdeen History Lessons: Celebrating A Great Hometown

Aberdeen, South Dakota, is your hometown. Perhaps you were born here, or maybe you moved here with your family, either way you are living in a town that will celebrate its 125th birthday in 2006. Do you know or can you imagine what Aberdeen was like in 1881 when it was founded? How was your town started? Who decided where your town would be? How was its name chosen? Who were the people who came to live here? What did Aberdeen look like to its first settlers? Do you think those pioneers would recognize their hometown today?

Let’s "Celebrate A Great Hometown" and learn about the history of Aberdeen, your hometown. Each month this website will have new lessons and activities to help you do just that. To help you learn about some of the buildings that our early settlers built and used, you will see “Patches” the friendly ghost of old Aberdeen. Patches will share some of his favorite memories with you and tell you about the buildings that only he can remember since they have been torn down and replaced with the modern buildings you see in Aberdeen today.

When you see words like be sure to put your mouse pointer over them to learn what they mean. You will need to know how to spell them, too, as you work your way through these pages.

Are you ready to find out about Aberdeen, your hometown?

Let’s begin our lesson!

Unit 1: How Aberdeen was Founded
Title	Subject	Printable version	Web activity
How Aberdeen Was Founded	history	click here	click here
Patches  shows  us Mr. Mills' Drugstore	buildings	click here
Aberdeen is the Hub City	railroad	click here
Word Search	game	click here	click here
Vocabulary Crossword Puzzle	vocabulary	click here
Vocabulary list	vocabulary	click here

Unit 2: What Aberdeen Looked Like in 1881
Title	Subject	Printable version	Web activity
What Aberdeen Looked Like in 1881	history	click here	click here
Patches  shows  us the Grain Palace	buildings	click here
Early Aberdeen Grows Quickly	map	click here
Praire Ecosystem	game	click here
Create Your Own Grain Palace	craft/color page	click here
Vocabulary Word Scramble	vocabulary	click here
Vocabulary list	vocabulary	click here

Unit 3: Schools for Aberdeen Children
Title	Subject	Printable version	Web activity
Schools for Aberdeen Children	history	click here	click here
Who My School Was Named After	history	click here	click here
What Some Schools Looked Like	buildings	click here	click here
Words for Me to Learn	vocabulary	click here
Science activity	science	click here
Patches  shows  us Jefferson School	color page	click here
School Name Matching	game	click here

Unit 4: Weather in Aberdeen
Title	Subject	Printable version	Web activity
Weather in Aberdeen	history	click here	click here
Weather in Aberdeen - Pictures	history	click here
Words for Me to Learn	vocabulary	click here
Crossword Puzzle	puzzle	click here
Flags That Talk	science	click here
Patches - Central Building Fire of 1961	color page	click here

Unit 5: Aberdeen Railroad Depots: Centers for Activity
Title	Subject	Printable version	Web activity
Aberdeen Railroad Depots: Centers for Activity	history	click here	click here
Jobs on the Railroad	history	click here	click here
Words for Me to Learn	vocabulary	click here
Railroad Depot Word Search	puzzle	click here	click here
Patches - Milwaukee Depot	color page	click here
How a Steam Locomotive Works	science	click here
Boxcar activity	puzzle	click here	click here

Unit 6: Getting From Place to Place in Aberdeen
Title	Subject	Printable version	Web activity
Getting From Place to Place in Aberdeen	history	click here	click here
Words for Me to Learn	vocabulary	click here
Word Scramble	puzzle	click here
Patches - Streetcar	color page	click here
Transportation Timeline	history	click here
Bicycles of the Past	science	click here