Armstrong County, Former county in western South Dakota, United States.
Armstrong County was a former county in western South Dakota that stretched across rolling hills and prairie lands along the Missouri and Cheyenne Rivers. The territory remained sparsely populated and served mainly as rangeland for cattle operations.
The area was established in 1883 as Pyatt County during the Dakota Territory period and renamed Armstrong County in 1895. It was dissolved in 1952 and merged under Stanley County administration.
The region formed part of the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation, where Native American communities maintained their traditional practices.
The area had no independent government structure and was administered by Stanley County, with Fort Pierre serving as the administrative seat. Visitors will find little remaining physical trace of this former administrative unit today.
In 1950, this territory was the sole county in all of the United States without any civilian federal employees. This unusual distinction set it apart from every other administrative unit in the country.
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