Seal of South Dakota of Fort Pierre and shall be the basis for all reproductions of the great seal of the State of South Dakota. The South Dakota Secretary of State is the designated custodian of the South Dakota State Seal. Seal of South Dakota The Great Seal of the State of South Dakota was designed while the area was a territory, in 1885. The outer ring of the seal contains the text "State of South Dakota" on the top and "Great Seal" on the bottom. Also the year of statehood, 1889. Inside the inner circle of the seal contains the state motto "Under
South Dakota State Guard of the federal military. The South Dakota National Guard was federalized in 1917. By 1917, Home Guard units were organizing in various counties and townships. In 1918, the South Dakota Legislature passed legislation allowing for the creation of a Home Guard. South Dakota’s Home Guard, which was particularly active in protecting property from fire, reached a strength of 100 companies consisting of approximately 7,000 men by the end of the war. The State Guard was disbanded later in 1918. Following the federalization of the South Dakota National Guard during World War II, South Dakota raised four companies of militia using