Similar to many towns of the area and of the Midwest in general, Bristol came into being as a result of railroad expansion. The railroad, which first came through the area in the 1870s, identified the site which would become Bristol as Station #70. C.P. Prior, a district railroad surveyor and townsite agent, was given credit for naming Bristol in 1881. He named the town after Bristol, England.
In July 2002, we were visiting Patty's brother in Minneapolis, Minnesota, so we decided we couldn't miss the opportunity of a little daytrip to Bristol, South Dakota, 250 miles away. It was well worth the trip.
Bristol, South Dakota
Bristol sign
Railway goods yard, Bristol, South Dakota
Just opposite the goods yard we saw this mural
According to the tag line it was painted in 2001 by Karin Bartell, along with Rachell and Morgan, her children
Bristol Community Store
St. Anthony's Catholic Church
Bristol, SD Post Office
A sign on an old warehouse
United Methodist Church
The Mural
Just opposite the goods yard in Bristol, South Dakota we saw this mural.
According to the tag line it was painted in 2001 by Karin Bartell, Rachell and Morgan. Rachell and Morgan I later discovered, are her children.
B of the mural - the water tower and bridge
R of the mural - Bristol School as it stood in the 1903's and Handke Jubilee Park
I of the mural - a grain elevator
S of the mural - U.S. Highway 12 looking west and a pheasant in the fence line to depict the hunting
T of the mural - a country church
O of the mural - Main Street as it was in the early 1900s
L of the mural - farm house scene
Isn't that neat?
Sources & Resources
Bristol 1881 (Historical Marker Database)
Bristol, SD (South Dakota)
Bristol Genealogy (LDS Genealogy)
City of Bristol, South Dakota (U.S. Cities & Towns)
History of Bristol (City of Bristol)
The Bristol Mural (Historical Marker Database)
Welcome to Bristol, SD (Internet Archive)