Like many towns of the Midwest, Aberdeen was built around the newly developing railroad systems. Charles Prior, superintendent of the Minneapolis office of the Chicago Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad, or the Milwaukee Railroad for short, officially plotted Aberdeen as a town site on January 3, 1881.  Aberdeen was officially founded on July 6, 1881, the date of the first arrival of a Milwaukee Railroad train.  Aberdeen experienced rapid growth and quickly became popular with land speculators, businessmen, fortune seekers, and adventurers. Aberdeen grew out of the success of the railroads; hence, the nickname "The Hub City".
In the century that followed, Aberdeen has grown to become the third largest city in South Dakota, with agriculture and railroads as its backbone.