VALE, S.D. (KELO) — A property recently sold for $37 million near the town of Vale, South Dakota.

The Bismarck Trail Ranch sits alongside the Belle Fourche River, and was sold by realtor Robb Nelson of Hall & Hall. He spoke with KELOLAND News over the phone to provide details.

Neal Wanless, a Mission, S.D. man, bought the ranch after buying a winning Powerball ticket in 2009, winding up with $88 million. In 2020, he listed the property for a staggering $41.15 million.

After a price reduction, the ranch was officially sold on Dec. 22, 2022.

“The documents had been signed over a week before that,” said Nelson, but because of the blizzard that hit the state, the process to close had been delayed.

The ranch had been on the market for about two years overall, which Nelson says is not unusual.

“Prior to the pandemic, our rule of thumb was that ranches that are more than $20 million take 18 months to 2.5 years to sell,” Nelson said. “The thing you gotta remember is the higher dollar the ranch, the more niche the market is.”

The ranch has a total of 4 homes, multiple sets of working facilities, numerous buildings and multiple pastures with water sources. There are also historic markers on the land.

At the moment, the buyers themselves are not known to KELOLAND News, with Nelson only saying that they are a family corporation out Kansas run by three brothers and their brother-in-law.

As far as Nelson is aware, this sale is one for the record books. “I think price wise, to our knowledge — and we’ve been around for 75 years — to our knowledge it’s the highest priced ranch sale in South Dakota history as far as working ranches go,” he said.

Nelson actually takes that title from another of his partners, who sold a ranch outside of Ft. Pierre to Ted Turner for $32 million.

The sale was special to Nelson, who was born and raised in South Dakota, not just due to the size of it. Andrew Rosander, Nelson’s great-great grandfather, homesteaded Vale in 1873. Now, with his signature included among those from the sale, his name too is a part of Butte County history.