South Dakota History

The Summer 2025 issue, titled “The Train is Coming,” illuminates the story of the 1968 Victory Special, the last campaign train to whistle-stop its way across South Dakota. Written by Terry C. Anderson, a former Teen Age Republican who joined the adventure aboard the Victory Special as a volunteer, the article collects first-hand accounts from those who participated in the train’s journey, whether as volunteers, paid staff, or the Republican campaigners themselves. “The Train is Coming” is a fascinating look back at South Dakota politics in the late 1960s and the highly coordinated effort to revive the bygone era of whistle-stop campaigning for one memorable summer, as told by those who were there.