Hughes County, South Dakota Hughes County, South Dakota Hughes County is a county located in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2010 census, the population was 17,022, making it the least populous capital county in the nation, and the twelfth-most populous county in South Dakota. Its county seat is Pierre, the state capital. The county was created in 1873 and organized in 1880. It was named for Alexander Hughes, a legislator. Hughes County is part of the Pierre, SD Micropolitan Statistical Area. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and
South Dakota State Guard Guard was in federal service. Prior to the creation of the modern National Guard of the United States, the United States maintained a relatively small professional military and relied on state militias to augment the federal military in times of war. In 1901, the South Dakota Legislature designated the South Dakota State Guard as the organized militia of South Dakota, and required that the state maintain a certain minimum strength of cavalry, artillery, and infantry units. After the passage of the Militia Act of 1903, state militia units were reorganized into National Guard units and operated as a reserve component