Newton Hills State Park
| Newton Hills State Park | |
| South Dakota State Park | |
| named for: early settler William Newton | |
| Country |  United States |
|---|---|
| State |  South Dakota |
| County | Lincoln |
| Location | Canton |
| - elevation | 1,309 ft (399 m) |
| - coordinates | 43°13′28″N 96°34′38″W / 43.22444°N 96.57722°WCoordinates: 43°13′28″N 96°34′38″W / 43.22444°N 96.57722°W |
| Area | 1,063 acres (430 ha) |
  Location of Newton Hills State Park in South Dakota
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| Website: Newton Hills State Park | |
Newton Hills State Park is a South Dakota state park in Lincoln County, South Dakota in the United States. The park is 1,063 acres (430 ha) and sits at an elevation of 1,309 feet (399 m). Newton Hill State Park is open for year-round recreation including camping, swimming, fishing, hiking and boating. It is 12 miles (19 km) east of Interstate 29 and south of Canton.
Newtown Hill State Park is named for William Newton who was one of the first European American settlers to make a home in the area. Newtown made his homestead in Lincoln County in the 1850s. His wife was a mid-wife and until the 1870s she was the only white person in the area who had the skills to deliver a baby or provide health care for the sick.
Some of the first people to live in the area were Native Americans from the Woodland Indian Culture. Archaeologists have discovered burial mounds and artifacts that have been dated back to 300 BC to 900 AD. The park is surrounded by a vast open prairie. But it is heavily forested making it a unique setting. The dark forests of the park have prompted many legends. Tales of buried gold and hideaways for horse thieves and robbers have been passed on through the years. A small unit of the United States Cavalry was chased into the forest by a group of Lakota warriors. Legend holds that the soldiers had a supply of gold which they buried in the park before they were killed by the Native Americans. Several searches have been made to locate the site of the battle and the gold, but so far nothing has been found.Frank and Jesse James used the forests of what is now the park as a temporary hideout after their famous robbery of a bank in Northfield, Minnesota The robbery in Northfield was not successful and after this robbery and a manhunt, only Frank and Jesse James were left alive and uncaptured.
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