USA > North Dakota > Dickey County > History Of Dickey County, ND, 1930 > Part 30
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The Lemke party got a chance to help drive some horses and cattle from Powell to the Hare Ranch (about sixty miles) in McIntosh County. There were six horses and 12 head of cattle. The direction was pointed out
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to them and the number of miles given, but they had no map, no trail, and no knowledge of the language or the people that they were to meet on the way. There were no people, in number worth mentioning, as they traveled two days before they came to a dug out, where they could get water to drink. Soon their provisions ran out, but they came to another dugout where by means of signs they were able to get some bread, and finally reached their destination. The men then walked over to Freimert's to get the location and went back to get their families. It was about the 12th of July when Mr. Lemke finally landed on the place where he has made his home. This was on Section 5, 130-66. They were tired out with their long journey and found themselves in a strange country and among strange people and customs.
Adam Lemke and his brother-in-law got busy and cut sod and mixed clay and grass and built up the walls of a dirt house, making it 16 by 24, with two rooms, one for living room and the other for the kitchen. They got a little lumber for doors and windows, and put on a board roof covered with paper and then sod on top of that. They built a room on one end of the house on which they put a brush and sod roof to shelter the animals. They also had to dig a well twenty-five feet deep and stone it up. Later this well went dry and they had to move a halt mile east to the spring and the place where the building's are now located.
The first summer after they had the hay up, and the buildings in con- dition to shelter them, both Mr. and Mrs. Lemke went down into the "valley" and worked for Frank Wilson. Mr. Lemke was doing outside work at $25.00 a month, and Mrs. Lemke got $3.00 a week for the house- work. When not working out Mr. Lemke cut hay with the scythe and drew it to Ellendale where he sold it for $1.50 a load. On the hay hauling he was using oxen and the distance of 28 miles took him two days for the round trip. The second summer they worked for Mr. Wilson, then did some break- ing for themselves. He and his neighbors did not have much crop that year. Henneberg cut Mr. Lemke's at 75 cents an acre, and Dan Goss from 18 miles north came down with a horsepower rig and did the threshing. On this horsepower they used some oxen and some horses.
Mr. Lemke says it was a couple of years after he came to Dickey before he saw a cat, and the sight made him glad, the same with chickens. After several years he was up near Edgeley and saw some geese, and bought them and brought them home, as the children had never seen geese. Mr. Lemke built a type of stove new to Dickey County. The heating stove was built of cracked lime-stone fragments mixed with clay which when burned was hard. The top of the stove and the return flue were supported by scrap iron which he secured from Ellendale. The stove was fired from the end and was about five feet long. The return flue brought the gasses back to a flue in the partition of the house. Such a stove gave off a lot of heat when
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Chimney partition
Settler's Heating Stove.
Top of Flue of iron & clay O
o
0000
0 o
1 .
0 O 0 0 0
00.0
Fire Door
Walls of cracked limestone & Clay In
Pioneer's Home-made Heating Store
well fired, and may be understood from the diagrams given above and on the following pages.
Mike Mallach came from South Russia to America in 1898, through New York and by train to Ellendale. He had to borrow $80.00 to pay his passage, so had to go to work to pay off that debt before filing a homestead for himself. Mrs. Mallach was Pauline Gulke and her family had filed on lands in Grand Valley. She herself had filed in 1902 taking her homestead on the big Lookout Hill on Section 35, 130-66, one of the best view-points in western Dickey County. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mallach had worked out several years to get money so they could get married. They then lived on and proved up her homestead after which they bought a relinquishment for $300.00 and located on it as their permanent home.
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A HISTORY OF DICKEY COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA
Even at that time there were the hardships of pioneering. If anyone got sick he had to take care of himself or send clear to Ellendale for a doctor. In one case a boy in the neighborhood had a broken leg and arm. The people set the limbs and they healed up better than some cases in the hands of a specialist. Grain was short from dry weather and they all
Front view.
1
1
1
Oven
bottom
- I
Fire door
Sketch of Front of Early Settler's Cooking Stove
used headers, a few binders came later. Butter sold for 10 cents a pound, and eggs for 6 cents a dozen. They did not know what ice cream cost for they could not afford ic, and did not think about it at all. Teams used to go by their place from 25 miles back in the hills, going to Ellendale.
The Brandenbergers left Russia in the spring of 1892. They had known Fred Scwitz who had been over here about two years and his letters induced the Brandenbergers to come to America. They bought tickets right to Ellendale at a cost of 160 rubles (about $84.80). They were the parents and three children, Louisa, Henry and Martin. They stopped in the back of Fred Blumer's store in Ellendale until they could get word out to their friends in the hills. These friends sent several teams to Ellendale and the whole family with their personal property were hauled out to the Wirch
A HISTORY OF DICKEY COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA
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neighborhood. They stopped with Fred Rutsky at first till they could get located. The next year they took up a homestead on Section 22 where Martin Brandenberger has lived. They built a sod house and a sod barn roofed with brush on which there was a layer of straw and then sod were placed over that.
Henry Brandenberger got his start in live stock by trading some hay for a heifer which Henry Stewart gave him for six loads of hay in the stack. The father died when Henry was about twenty, and his mother told him he
---- 2
Cross section of home made store. Side view.
Side
Door
Oven
bottom
Fire door
Fuel
Sketch of Settler's Home-made Cooking Stove (Side Viewe)
could go out and work for himself, keeping his wages. Martin stayed at home and looked after the home place and his mother. In 1899 Henry took a homestead and lived on it a year before he made the filing. He was married and they went to housekeeping in a sod house.
Johannes Wirch and his son John and other members of the family came from South Russia by way of Hamburg and to New York by the "Augusta Victoria." They had bought their tickets right to Edgeley for about eighty dollars for the transportation, but they had to buy their own meals on the train. They landed in Edgeley in June of 1889. The families were left in Edgeley while three young men, one of whom was John Wirch, went out on foot to look up some friends in Dickey County. They got out 8 miles and saw a stone that said "18 miles" so thought they had only 10 miles to go. They tried to inquire their way but the people were all Finns or Swedes who knew no English or German. Finally they met a man on a
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A HISTORY OF DICKEY COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA
load of hay who could speak German. He laughed and told them that "a joker had put a 1 before the 8" and the place was only 8 miles from Edgeley. They stayed with this man and the next afternoon they reached the friends. They were probably in McIntosh County, but the next day the friends went over to Edgeley with their wagons and brought out the rest of the outfit. The Wirches stayed at this place for a time, then found a vacant quarter southwest of Kulm, but it was stoney and did not satisfy them. Mr. John Wirch stayed with his father a year and made several trips to Ellendale for lumber and supplies. On one trip he saw the Southwest of Section 12, 130-65 and told his father he was going to look it over and if he found it looking pretty good he was going to file on it. He did file in 1890, but later located on the west of 15, 130-66, as they found a place where the whole family could locate together. The postoffice was established in 1900. and the store business was started later and added to the conveniences of the country.
The earlier settlers had earned some money by picking up bones, but the bones were gone by this time, and the Wirches had to make a living in other ways. Some of the people were ready to give up, as they were badly in debt, but the elder Mr. Wirch persuaded them to stay. In 1891 they had a pretty fair crop so they felt encouraged and hung on. The stove used by Mr. Wirch and his neighbors is described in a former chapter. The walls of their houses were plastered inside and out. The outside plaster was mixed of yellow clay and fresh cow manure, half and half, and straw was mixed in as a binder. They would make a pile of this and wet it up and have the horses driven around in it to mix it up. This was the custom when a house was being built. When a small quantity was needed it would be mixed up by the people stirring it with their feet. The inner plaster was different, being a mixture of a little lime and sand. This was a finishing coat. Some people went off down by Eureka and got gypsum, and mixed it for the first coat, and put the lime coat on afterward. About all the material that was bought was a little lumber for the roof, a door and window. The floors were bare at first. The bricks they used were made from yellow clay and chopped straw and dried in the sun.
In the first few years people who were poor used to get some help from people in the east. Mr. Wirch would haul hay to town and bring out these supplies to the poor. These supplies went to those who were the worst off and it helped them get through the worst years.
There was no attempt in the first years at having a church, but it was not long before ministers began to come out from Ellendale or Edgeley and visit the scattered German people in the west end of the county; then as soon as there were enough people for a congregation churches were estab- lished. A church was built and maintained in the Wirch neighborhood and later one over on the McIntosh County line. The people are mostly Lutherans and are faithful church-goers.
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They have also given considerable attention to schools and education. The early settlers were deprived of these privileges, but the younger gen- eration have been to the common school, and many of them to the State Normal and Industrial School at Ellendale. Some of them have become teachers and have had excellent success in their own communities. Mary Wirch taught her first term in the home school, and succeeded in interesting the people so that by sociables and entertainments they bought a Victrola and secured an excellent set of records, in this way taking to the children the music for which they have a natural fondness. Others of the people have followed the example of this teacher.
John Wirch was for several years the County Commissioner from his district and made an efficient public officer. The younger Wirches have proved capable of taking their places and many of the other families of the early days are still in the township.
When the township was first organized it was the northwest part of a large township twelve miles square which was called Spring Valley. Later it was given organization of a territory corresponding to the congressional township and was given the name of Spring Valley. The school district organized before the single township, was given the name of Hillsdale School District, a name which has continued to designate the district. When the highway west of Ellendale was laid out and improved it was located along the south line of the township, very nearly where the old stage route from Ellen- dale to Bismarck and later to Fort Yates and Ashley ran in the early days. The people get their mail at Wirch an inland office supplied from Forbes.
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CHAPTER XLIII
GERMAN TOWNSHIP
[The early settlers who have contributed to this chapter are Otto Ratzlaff, Samuel Bader, G. R. Montaney, John Bartel and others; also township and school district records furnish information].
G ERMAN Township was formerly a part of Whitestone which was six miles wide and eighteen miles east and west; but the division was made and German was organized in 1912. The first supervisors were Simeon Hille, John Motz and Jacob Lay. The first township clerk was G. R. Montaney and the first assessor was Fred Rutschke. The towns divided their cash and their debts, and German started with $45.00 in cash and $200.00 in liabilities, but after two years, in 1914, the account stood $132.52 cash and no debts. By 1922 the town had over $200.00 in the treasury, no debts and over $1500.00 worth of road machinery all paid for.
In 1892 Carl Ratzlaff came from South Russia, and with the assistance of John Bartel, took up a homestead, built a set of sod buildings,-house, barn and blacksmith shop,-and for several years followed his trade of blacksmith which he had learned in the province of Bessaraba.
There were four children in the family, and Otto took over the work when his father became too old, and still continues it. Otto relates many interesting accounts of early life. He says, as there were no dances and few parties, the days were spent in work and the evenings in study and reading. They read the New Testament through every winter. He thinks Adam Lemke, who came in 1885, was the first. settler. The winter of 1896-7 was very stormy, and the barn and shed were completely covered with snow. They did not see a neighbor for several weeks but one day a neighbor drove his rig right onto the top of the barn before he knew where he was. The men were inside, and at first they thought the sheep were running over the top, but when the roof began to break they ran out and found a team and sleigh on the roof.
Samuel Bader came from Russia in 1883 and first settled in McIntosh County, but later came over to Dickey County and settled on the northwest quarter of Section 19, 131-66, where he homesteaded and built a home. They constructed a fine sod house which lasted and was their home for twenty-five years. The first church services were held in his home. Bauman and Berger were two of the preachers who held services there in the early days, coming from Kulm or from Ellendale. The prairie fires were terrible and caused much damage in the hills further west, but the Baders escaped
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any loss. There were wild ducks, but few grouse and prairie chickens. All meat was raised at home, many vegetables were raised and some corn. Coffee essence was used in place of the real coffee berry. They picked up many buffalo bones, drawing them to Ellendale, which was their nearest trading point thirty miles away.
G. R. Montaney came to German Township in 1902, and settled on the east half of Section 17, 131-66. He was born and raised in Ixonia, Jefferson County, Wisconsin, living there until he was twenty-four years old. He came first to what is now South Dakota, living in Kingsbury County for five years, where he married a Dakota girl on October 31st, 1897. Atter a few more years in South Dakota he came up and found his present location, and built up one of the best homes one will see in a day's ride through that section. For twenty-two years they have made a home for the school teach- ers of that school district, as Mrs. Montaney herself was a teacher, and their fine library and other superior advantages made it a most desirable boarding place.
The greatest expense in any new country is always the establishing of schools, after which comes the highways. The rolling land in German has called for much grading to make the roads. The people early recognized the uses and necessities of the telephone, so in 1909 they organized a company of fifty-two stockholders and built fifty miles of line. Next, they went after a rural route for mail delivery, and a route was established in 1915 which gives service three times a week. With the graded and graveled roads; the church near the center of the township the telephones and rural routes, and the excellent schools; abundant water and grazing; the many fine farm homes, German is a most desirable township in which to live.
The church is located on the southeast of Section 15, and is known as the Kulm Church of the Seventh Day Adventists. The Baders and some of the others of the community were Congregationalists, but in the region there are a great many Adventists, and by these people a church was organized under the leadership of Elder C. J. Kunkel in the month of May, 1906. The first members were; C. Miller, J. Pfluskrat, A. Schwitz, John Lay, and several others. The present church building was built during June of 1911.
In the early days there was a great amount of grain destroyed by goph- ers, so the county paid three cents for each gopher tail as a bounty. The town of German added two cents to the bounty and in 1914 there were 12,193 gopher tails brought in and now the pest is practically exterminated.
The early settlers of German used a brick and stone oven for baking, and the housekeepers had the reputation of being the best of bread makers; also for the making of cakes and coffee. They are extremely generous and sociable people, and never ask pay from a traveler for a meal or a night's lodging.
In 1918 a call was made for help for the Red Cross, and twenty-three farmers of this township dedicated the net proceeds of an acre of wheat,
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while one gave five acres. After harvest the township clerk, who was charged with this business, forwarded $210.50 to the Red Cross officials. This goes to show the kindly and liberal dispositions of these people and what united effort can accomplish.
Like the people in many of the northwestern communities many of the original pioneers have passed on or have moved to other places. Their places are taken by those who have found the opportunities attractive. Among these are John S. Miller, Michael Hilscher, Gottfried Henneberg, Martin Gohner, G. G. Hildebrand, S. W. Hildebrand, Jacob Rutschke, Daniel Bader and Reinhold Retzloff who have their homes in German Township. John H. Miller has his home here and has served as a member of the school board. Mr. G. Wendland is one of the progressive farmers of the township, and has taken active part in the public affairs of his town and county. He has served for some time as clerk of the school board and has been County Commissioner from his district. Others who have come are making a prosperous community and helping to make it a good place in which to live.
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A HISTORY OF DICKEY COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA
CHAPTER XLIV
DICKEY COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR
[The authorities for this chapter are the files of the newspapers of the time, records of the county offices, and the memory of those who were active participants in the events related.]
"THE World War was brought home to the people of Dickey County very definitely, even before the formal Declaration of War on April 6th, 1917. The newspaper accounts of what was happening in the Old World had kept the people well informed, and sentiment had pretty well crystalized into a quiet determination that America must help.
Many American boys had gone over to Canada and enlisted, so that it had become a personal matter to many. When war was declared the young men were ready, but were advised that the country would adopt a plan whereby all could serve to the best advantage. That plan was announced the 18th of May, in the form of the Selective Service Act, which was aimed to mobilize and classify the entire force of the nation so as to make its power most effective.
Registration Day was fixed for June 5th, on which day every man in the United States between the ages of 21 and 30 was to go to the regular polling place in his precinct to be enrolled. A registration board of one man in each precinct was appointed, and the hours of registration were from 7 in the morning to 9 at night. A county committee consisting of the Sheriff, W. D. Huffman, the County Auditor, C. C. Misfeldt, and Doctors Maerck- lein and Lynde of Ellendale, J. P. Brastad of Oakes, and H. R. Gunderman of Monango were to have general charge of the registration. As this was a matter requiring haste the registration was to be made in one day. The results were to be telegraphed by the sheriff to the governor on the following day, and the governor was to telegraph the summary to the Provost Marshall General at Washington. This was to get a complete census and the method of inducting men into service was to be given later. Posters with instruc- tions for registering were put up at the polling places and the main personal facts about each man were to be obtained.
On Tuesday, June 5th, 1917, the registration was held and it was found that the county had 1107 men within the ages of registration. It was thought that not every one had registered, and a few more were found later. The total was a little under the government estimate, which showed that Dickey County should have 1180. The official list of registrants was pub- lished in the official newspaper of June 21st. Later it was found that the
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complete number of registrants was 1109, according to the tabulated return in the hands of Harry C. Wallis, Chief Clerk of the Local Board, and these were given a draft number on July 8th, so that they would know from the calls as made who should report to the Exemption Board.
Without waiting for the call through the draft several young men en- listed in the service. Leigh Porter of Ellendale joined the flying corps through Canada and got into active service in France as a member of the Royal Flying Corps. He was wounded severely in the hand in a later en- gagement. Howard Barnes, with Leonard McMarlin and William Eiden, went to Jamestown and enlisted in Company H of First North Dakota National Guard. Before the registration, Mr. C. C. Hale of the Faculty of the State Normal and Industrial School went back to his Ohio home and enlisted in the Marines. Charles Carry of Ellendale also enlisted in the Marines with Mr. Hale and these two were early into France. At the battle of Chateau Thierry Mr. Hale was killed by an exploding shell, the first casualty from Dickey County.
When Governor Frazier decided to organize a second regiment of the National Guard of North Dakota, a telegram was sent to Dr. Harry E. Thomas who had been the Captain of the old Company M at Ellendale, asking him if a home company could be formed in forty-eight hours. Before the time limit was up a telegram was sent the Adjutant General that the company would qualify. The number required was 65 and ninety had been enrolled. This number sifted down to 84. Other counties were enrolling their companies and the Second Regiment was assured, the "Smashing Second" as it was nick-named. In its organization the Ellendale company became Company K. The new company went to a picnic at Fullerton on July 4th, and about twenty-five enlistments were obtained there. As a number who had signed up were rejected by the examining officers enlist- ments continued until the total reached about 160, but when the examina- tions were completed the company mustered 110 to take with them to the mobilization camp.
Company K spent the months of July and August in drilling, taking examinations and getting ready for service. They were given the use of the Armory and the guns of the State School, but the guns were of the old type and useless and the Company found a better place for barracks down town. A purse of $500.00 was raised by the citizens for its mess treasury, and the company were given several banquets, and in other ways entertained during their training period. In the election of officers Dr. H. E. Thomas was chosen Captain, George W. Sears the First Lieutenant and James A. E. Huffman the Second Lieutenant. The Company was mustered into the United States Service on August 9th, served as escort to the two contingents of drafted men who were called to Camp Dodge in September and entrained for their concentration camp on October 1st.
'ine Local Exemption Board consisted of Sheriff W. D. Huffman,
A HISTORY OF DICKEY COUNTY, NORTH DAKOTA
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ROSEDALE
Company K, Second North Dakota Infantry at Ellendale, North Dakota, September 10th, 1917
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County Auditor C. C. Misfeldt, Dr. A. G. Maercklein and Harry C. Wallis, Chief Clerk. According to instructions sent from Washington on July 2nd, it was the duty of this Board to examine the registrants as called, and to furnish the quota required as called for from the Provost Marshall General. Each man was to be examined physically for fitness, appraised industrially for adaptability for service, and in his relation to those connected to him in his every-day life. The first draft included three hundred names, but further information from Washington showed that Dickey County was to furnish eighty men for the first draft. The Exemption Board called in 160 and planned to take fifty-three for each day, August 8th, 9th, and 10th. From these seventy-three were certified to the State Board, but with credit for enlisted men the final quota for Dickey County was reduced to four men. This first call was made on September 5th, and Ernest J. King of Ellendale, Ira P. Denning of Oakes, Earl A. Bellinger of Oakes, and Benjamin F. Clarke of Forbes left Ellendale on September 7th for Camp Dodge, Iowa. This was the first five per cent of the quota. The second contingent of forty per cent of the quota were called to leave on September 22nd; and in this group there were the following men:
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