Gone Viral: Swett, South Dakota for Sale at $400,000

A tiny prairie town, unincorporated and controlled by a single owner, can be yours if you have the funds available. The town is a local draw thanks to its bar, the Swett Tavern.

1 minute read

July 1, 2014, 11:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"Lance Benson, the sole owner of Swett, an unincorporated hamlet in Bennett County about two hours southeast of Rapid City, is putting the whole town up for grabs: including its bar, workshop, three trailers, single house, and 6.16 acres of prime prairie real estate," reports Daniel Simmons-Ritchie.

"Once a town of about 40 people in the 1940s — with a post office, a few houses, and a grocery store — the town now stands as little more than a few ramshackle buildings along U.S. Highway 18."

"Today, with Benson and his new wife living in a house beside the Swett Tavern, the town's population officially stands at two."

Javier Panzar updates the story for the Los Angeles Times, finding that what started out as a quant story about a quaint town has attracted nationwide interest: "Potential buyers from Southern California, New York, New Jersey, Houston and Russia have been calling nonstop since Sunday morning, she said Monday."

Sunday, June 29, 2014 in Rapid City Journal

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