History of Dakota Territory, volume III, Part 1

Author: Kingsbury, George Washington, 1837-; Smith, George Martin, 1847-1920
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: Chicago, Ill. : S.J. Clarke Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 1146


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GEN


1


ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01066 7035


GENEALOGY 978.3 K61H V. 3


-


GEORGE M. SMITH


HISTORY OF DAKOTA TERRITORY BY GEORGE W. KINGSBURY


SOUTH DAKOTA ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE


EDITED BY GEORGE MARTIN SMITH, B.A., A.M.


ILLUSTRATED


VOLUME III


CHICAGO THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COMPANY 1915


COPYRIGHT 1915 BY THE S. J. CLARKE PUB. CO. CHICAGO


CONTENTS


CHAPTER I 1151090


1


NATURAL AND ACQUIRED RESOURCES.


.I


CHAPTER II


MINING OPERATIONS


.. 23


CHAPTER III


THE INDIANS : THEIR SCHOOLS AND LANDS ; THE VERENDRYE PLATE. ....... 57


CHAPTER IV


STATEHOOD, GOVERNORS' MESSAGES, ETC. 116


CHAPTER V 1


CAPITAL CONTESTS DURING STATEHOOD.


163


CHAPTER VI


IMPORTANT PROCEEDINGS AT LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS. ...... .. 219


CHAPTER VII


RAILWAYS, TELEGRAPHS, TELEPHONES, GOOD ROADS, EXPRESSES, ETC. . . .. 294


CHAPTER VIII


ASSESSMENT AND TAXATION


329


CHAPTER IX


HEALTH, PREVENTIVE MEASURES, PRACTITIONERS, ETC.


352


CHAPTER X


NATIONAL GUARD, SOLDIERS' HOME, ETC.


373


iii


iv


CONTENTS CHAPTER XI


MILITARY SOCIETIES


.. .386


CHAPTER XII


THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR .416


CHAPTER XIII


IRRIGATION, WATER SUPPLY, RAINFALL, STREAMS, ELEVATION, TEMPERATURE, RES- ERVOIRS, CONSERVATION, RECLAMATION, ETC. 440


CHAPTER XIV


AGRICULTURE, HORTICULTURE, LIVE STOCK, ETC. .476


CHAPTER XV


STATE DEPARTMENTS, COMMISSIONS, EXAMINERS, ETC. . 540


CHAPTER XVI


STATE INSTITUTIONS


593


POLITICS FROM 1889 TO 1900. CHAPTER XVII 654


CHAPTER XVIII


POLITICS FROM 1900 TO 1915.


686


CHAPTER XIX


TEMPERANCE .735


CHAPTER XX


WOMAN'S WORK


.764


CHAPTER XXI


EDUCATION FROM 1889 TO 1900


... .797


CHAPTER XXII


EDUCATION FROM 1901 TO 1915. .856


.


CONTENTS CHAPTER XXIII


V


ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE, COURTS, BAR, ETC. CHAPTER XXIV


...


.. .. .922


RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS


.943


SOUTH DAKOTA ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE


CHAPTER I


NATURAL AND ACQUIRED RESOURCES


Probably no subject is of greater historic interest to the people of the state than the development of the natural resources. South Dakota did not start out on the perilous but prosperous voyage of statehood with either a bankrupt treasury or a dearth of resources that could be made useful. Three very important resources shone above all others when the young state began its career, namely : (1) The mines; (2) the plant products, and (3) the live stock industry. All three had grown wonderfully under the sunny skies of territorial existence, but had in reality only well commenced. In addition and only of secondary importance, were the following additional means of resource: (1) Lignite and coal beds; (2) artesian water supply; (3) cement formations; (4) building stone; (5) fer- tile soil; (6) available moisture for crops; (7) abundant timber in the extreme western part and along many streams; (8) extension of the corn growing area; (9) introduction of drouth resistant plants; (10) irrigation and intensive farm- ing; (11) improvement of live stock; (12) diversified farming and rotation of crops; (13) extension of the fruit growing area ; (14) oil and natural gas deposits ; (15) available water power; (16) the intelligent, mixed and industrious popula- tion; (17) healthful climate; (18) large amount of annual sunshine; (19) wild game for food, furs, pelts, etc.


But there were also serious drawbacks which had to be taken into considera- tion here as in every other state and if possible overcome, as follows: (I) Gen- eral prejudice against the West and particularly the western half of the state, due to unfair and unfounded reports that the region was a semi-desert and largely uninhabitable; (2) lack of moisture for crops sometimes in certain portions ; (3) danger from late May and early September frosts which might cut down the crops; (4) tracts of soil or subsoil that required study and special manipulation to reward the agriculturist; (5) occasional severe winters that endangered live stock and violent storms that damaged crops; (6) want of forests and timber in the central and eastern portions (7) occasional hot winds that wilted crops in July and August ; (8) difficulty of irrigating the soil which contained alkali; (9) lack of good drinking water in certain restricted sections.


It may be said generally that everyone of these resources except two or three have been advanced and expanded far beyond the hopes and dreams of the first Vol. III-1


1


2


SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE


settlers. The mines have become among the greatest producers in the world and the supply seems inexhaustible. The plant products have far surpassed all expec- tations-agriculture, horticulture, etc. The corn belt now covers nearly the whole state. The live stock industry first expanded marvelously on the ranges, but has since diminished there, but has vastly increased on the small farm. All of the other resources mentioned above have been elaborated, improved and utilized until South Dakota now is, and has been for nearly a score of years, at the head of the states in the annual value of products per capita. The mines, the plant products and the live stock industries are given elaborate treatment elsewhere in these volumes.


The drawbacks have been largely overcome or wholly removed. People now in all parts of the country know that the state is one of the best for husbandry in the whole country. Irrigation and reservoirs supply the moisture lacking; quicker growing and maturing crops evade the frosts; the soil is better under- stood and more wisely handled; plants adapted to the soil, temperature and moisture have been procured or developed; better buildings and feed supplies render the winters less damaging; forests are being grown; vegetation and moisture temper the hot winds; alkali is sub-drained from soils, and good drinking water is secured everywhere. Thus South Dakota with its prosperous business and its happy homes will compare favorably with any state in the Union.


The territorial growth was at first slow and spread from the eastern portion of the state particularly in the southeastern corner. The rush for the Black Hills which occurred principally in 1876 was followed the next year by a great impulse in settlement throughout the Hills region and the eastern part of the territory. The homesteading movement of 1877 gave great hopes to the few settlers that the territory would rapidly become densely populated, but this movement did not last long. There came a reaction. Conditions here were vastly different from what they were further east and south. New and insuper- able obstacles had to be encountered, such as prairie fires, devastating floods, early and late frosts, and drought that dried up every leaf of vegetation. This condition drove many of the first homesteaders from the territory, but after a few years or early in the eighties, there came another homesteading movement which continued until after statehood was secured. The admission of the state in 1889 and the opening of the Big Sioux Reservation were alone sufficient to bring here thousands of settlers.


When the new state came into being in 1889-90, although there had been a great onrush of settlers, there was much discouragement and many failures, and in many portions of the young state destitution was painfully present and apparent. The officials of the new state on more than one occasion were com- pelled to appeal to the generosity of the people in the East for means to keep the settlers in certain portions of the state alive until they could realize on their cattle or their crops. The great financial depression which swept the whole country at that time added to the dismay and distress which prevailed in this section of the Union. This depression reached its climax in 1893, but the crop failure in 1894 and the robbery of the state treasury in 1894-5 completed the depression and the distress. A few years later another reaction occurred and since the late nineties South Dakota has been prosperous and contented perhaps as much so as any state in the Union in proportion to population. Late in the


3


SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE


nineties, pioneer conditions over most of the state were changed. Schools were in successful operation, churches were numerous and well attended and the towns and villages began to prosper in accordance with the development of the rural districts.


The possibilities of securing an abundant water supply from the artesian system were developed early in the eighties and the number of wells rapidly increased. By December 31, 1889, Yankton County alone had seventy artesian or semi-artesian wells in operation. They were sunk and used mainly by the farming community, but many were located in the towns and villages where they were first developed. At this time about half a dozen wells were in the towns of Yankton County and all the others were on the county farms. The first artesian well in Dakota Territory was sunk on the hill at Yankton early in 1880. It was put down 485 feet and yielded 300 gallons per minute. In 1881 another was sunk at the Germania House; it was 380 feet deep and yielded ten gallons per minute through a 2-inch pipe. In 1882 one was sunk at the Morrison Hotel, Yankton, to the depth of 275 feet and yielded twenty gallons per minute. In 1883 five more were sunk in Yankton County. After that date one was sunk in 1884, five in 1885, eight in 1886, thirteen in 1887, fourteen in 1888, and twenty in 1889, thus making a total of seventy in Yankton County in nine or ten years. All yielded a total of 11,133 gallons per minute. This gave over sixteen million gallons per day of twenty-four hours. The construction of wells mainly for domestic use had progressed notably since the first one was sunk; they could now be put down for from $50 to $100. During these nine or ten years the remainder of the basin was not idle in the artesian well movement. Similar wells were sunk in many portions of the James River Valley, few going down more than 1,000 feet; but flowing water was secured. By June 1, 1890, the following was the condition of the artesian wells in this state:


County


No. of Wells


Depth of Shallow Wells


Depth of Deep Wells


Flow in Gallons per Minute


Beadle


I


1


600


Bon Homme


6


512


736


219


Clay


150


205


500


55


Davison


10


97


288


3


Grant


12


30


I17


17


Hanson


50


70


315


260


Hutchinson


II


3


154


26


Jerauld


2


0


0


3


Lincoln


12


32


70


3.


McCook


85


195


41


Miner


66


60


284


16


Sanborn


92


60


600


8g


Turner


30


24


340


18


Yankton


74


225


645


38


Totals


527


1388


The artesian basin in South Dakota had become well defined in 1890. Union County marked the southern end of the artesian area. The northern limits were in North Dakota. The eastern limits were on the divide between the James and Big Sioux valleys. At this time South Dakota had the largest flowing wells


4


SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE


of any state in the Union, though the largest thus far did not deliver much over 3,000 gallons per minute. It was necessary to reach what was known as the Dakota sandstone before the artesian supply was obtained. As this sandstone dipped toward the north it became necessary to go deeper in that direction. One of the most notable wells at this time was at Huron, where an abundant supply was reached at the depth of about nine hundred feet. Artesian water was deemed invaluable at this time, and all farmers who could afford to do so secured home wells or combined with their neighbors for that purpose. In many towns and villages artesian power companies were organized to utilize the pres- sure of the wells. One was organized at Yankton with a capital of $100,000; another at Wolsey. The Wolsey artesian wells were famous the world over; so were those at Woonsocket. One well had a pressure of 150 pounds per square inch. At Springfield the artesian wells were equally famous; through an 8-inch pipe there a column of water was thrown 121/2 feet high. The same well threw a stream 26 feet high through a 6-inch pipe; 62 feet high through a 4-inch pipe; and 77 feet high through a 2-inch pipe. One of the wells at Springfield at first developed a flow of 3,293 gallons per minute. Another of the wells there threw a stream 16 feet high through an 8-inch pipe ; 32 feet high through a 6-inch pipe; 68 feet high through a 4-inch pipe; and 96 feet high through a 2-inch pipe. These wells were used to furnish power for a flouring mill. In January, 1891, the most important wells in the state were as follows: At Huron, where the flow was 1,668 gallons per minute; Aberdeen, 1,215; Mel- lette, 1,215; Redfield, 1,261 ; Hitchcock, 1,240; Columbia, 1,399. At Risdon's farm near Huron the flow was over 3,000 gallons per minute and the pressure was over 200 pounds to the square inch. It threw a stream of water 125 feet high through a 21/2-inch pipe. Flouring mills at Yankton, Hitchcock and Springfield were operated by water power. The pressure in these wells varied from one hundred to one hundred sixty-six pounds to the square inch. The following table shows the most important wells in the state on May 1, 1891 :


Wells


Depth


Size of Pipe


Pressure


Flow in Gal- lons per min.


Woonsocket, City Well.


840


6


120


1,152


Woonsocket, Mill Well.


850


7


125


1,800


Hines Well


742


3


131


455


Wolsey Well


860


6


150


1,500


Plankinton, City Well.


850


6


91


22.1


Springfield Well


900


6


160


3,200


Kimball, City Well.


640


4


20


185


White Lake, City Well.


863


6


35


1,000


Huron, Risdon's Well.


1,060


6


200


3,000


Aberdeen Well


1,100


6


125


1,215


Yankton, Cement Well.


650


6


50


1,300


Brick Yard Well.


705


6


43


1,455


City Well


860


6


18


880


Insane Hospital Well.


680


4


IC


600


The artesian wells developed many varieties of drinking water within the state limits. The temperature of the water in the eastern portion was usually cold enough for drinking purposes. In the region west of the Missouri River. many wells sunk at a later date spouted comparatively warm water which was


5


SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE


greatly relished by live stock, particularly during the cold months. The water from many of the wells possesses valuable mineral properties and can be used largely as a means of restoring inert bodily functions and for the improvement of health generally. In the extreme western portion of the state many valuable mineral springs were early discovered and enlarged and are to this day one of the valuable assets of the state. The Hot Springs at the town of the name in Western South Dakota have become famous the world over, and thousands of people visit them annually for the curative effects of the water. Many wonderful recoveries from various physical and mental disorders have been ascribed to these famous waters. To aid in the effect upon patients, the surroundings there have been beautified until the scenery seems like fairyland. The waters at Hot Springs were famous as early as the eighties and began to be advertised exten- sively for their curative effects. At that time a daily stage ran from Pierre to Rapid City and thence branches conveyed health seekers to the springs.


In 1893 Chamberlain struck one of the greatest spouting wells in the state. At first it was reported to throw 8,000 gallons per minute through an 8-inch pipe, but later the quantity was fixed approximately at 3,300 gallons per minute. Thus it was equal to the famous wells at Springfield, Huron, Woonsocket and elsewhere. In 1893 artesian wells were sunk at Pierre and west of the Missouri. At Dry Run, six miles from Pierre, flowing water was struck at a depth of 1,200 feet. This point was 300 feet higher than Pierre. This was one of the first indications that the artesian basin extended west of the Missouri River. Congress appropriated money for sinking artesian wells at the different Indian agencies of the state. It was about this time that Colonel Edwin S. Nettleton of the Government Irrigation Investigation Commission announced that the James River Valley artesian basin covered about forty thousand square miles; that the artesian rock dipped somewhat sharply to the north; that water was reached at a depth of from five hundred to six hundred feet near Yankton; that it was necessary to go from fifteen hundred to seventeen hundred feet deep at Devil's Lake; that the dip of the Dakota sandstone from Yankton to Devil's Lake was about seven hundred feet; that the eastern extension of the basin reached over into Minnesota, and that its western limits were still undefined, but were far west of the Missouri River. Already by 1894 artesian water had been struck almost as far west as Deadwood. In 1895 the Black Hills Artesian Weils Com- pany was incorporated and offered their services to sink wells in any portion of that district. The United States Government at this time made a thorough investigation of the subterranean waters of the state. The deepest wells in the state in 1895 were near DeSmet, where it was necessary to go over sixteen hundred feet deep to secure flowing water.


In the spring of 1893 the artesian well at the Pierre Indian School was down 1,191 feet, had a 6-inch bore, yielded 500 gallons per minute, and had a closed pressure of 165 pounds to the square inch. The water was about 92° temper- ature, had strong magnetic properties and contained a considerable quantity of natural gas.


In 1893 the governor noted the great development of artesian wells in the James River Basin and said that the work was due almost wholly to private enterprise, owing to the fact that the law which permitted townships to issue irrigation bonds was somewhat indefinite and defective. As it now existed the


6


SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE


artesian basin, he said, covered the whole region between the James and Missouri rivers and extended east of the James River to the boundary of the state and in all probability extended west of the Missouri to the Black Hills. At this time he announced that there were ninety-nine deep artesian wells in operation in the state; that they were from three to ten inches in diameter; that they were from six hundred to one thousand feet deep, and that they had an average closed pressure of nearly one hundred pounds to the square inch and an average flow of about seven hundred gallons per minute. He noted that many farms were being irrigated, and that most of the artesian water was being used for domestic purposes. In a few towns and villages the pressure of the wells was being used for power purposes, such as pumping, electric lighting, operating flour mills, etc. He noted that such power was being used on flour mills at Hitchcock, Yankton, Mellette and Woonsocket.


Many of the wells which were at first denominated artesian, were really not such because they did not strike the Dakota sandstone. Many of the wells sunk on farms were no deeper than two hundred fifty feet. While it is true that there were probably over three hundred artesian wells proper in the state in 1891, it is also true that there were several thousand others which were yielding so called artesian water for domestic purposes. Up until the present time (1915) artesian wells have continued to be sunk in all parts of the state and occasionally one of great power is secured.


The following is the result of the analysis of water from the Locke Hotel well, Pierre, the table showing grains and decimals of a grain in a gallon of water :


Silica


1.050


Ferric Oxide and Alumina


.070


Calcium Carbonate


4.935


Magnesium Carbonate


1.855


Sodium Carbonate


43.360


Calcium Chloride


.693


Magnesium Chloride


1.8.14


Sodium Chloride 184.569


Sodium Lithate


1.250


Sulphates


Trace


Total Solids per gallon. 239.626


The artesian water will continue to have its uses forever, owing alone, if for nothing else, to the medicinal qualities which it contains. It may be said that the whole artesian supply is a medicinal one, good for nearly all human ailments and sufficient, if the water be rightly used, to correct many disordered bodily functions. The following is the analysis of the city artesian water at Yankton, the figures showing so many grains and decimals of a grain in a gallon of water:


Chloride of Sodium 1.346


Chloride of Lithium


.102


Chloride of Magnesium


9.914


Chloride of Calcium


5-314


Bromide of Sodium


.124


Sulphate of Lime


92.345


Sulphate of Baryta


.025


ARTESIAN WELL, PIERRE


7


SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE


Bicarbonate of Lime 4.816


Carbonate of Iron


196.367


Alumina


1.246


Total Solids per gallon


.3II.599


As late as 1904 and even down almost to the present, large gushers were obtained in the James River Valley. One at Woonsocket threw a 2-inch stream 100 feet high and the sinkage of this well did not interfere with the others in the same village. As early as 1890 fine mineral springs were located near Chamberlain on American Island. The water had a temperature of about 80° and flowed from a spot which the river never reached. At this time there was not much diminution in the flow.


By 1904 it was estimated that there were in round numbers 2,400 genuine artesian wells within the limits of South Dakota. There was but little decrease in the flow, though some of the wells had lost their higher pressure. Professor Todd, state geologist, said that the decline in pressure was due no doubt to the large number of wells which had reached and drawn upon the artesian supply below the Dakota sandstone. He suggested that there should be a decrease in the waste which was constantly going on from all wells. The wells have continued to increase in number and usefulness throughout the state down to the present time. By February, 1908, there were in Faulk County alone 314 flowing wells, though many had but little pressure. It was not many years before that date that the first artesian well was secured in that county. In January, 1913, there were twenty-four flowing wells in Spearfish, Lawrence County. In the Bad River Valley the artesian water often has a temperature of from 128° to 138º Fahrenheit. A recent well at Edgemont yields water with a temperature of 120°; this well is 2,970 feet deep and the water is said to be soft and suitable for domestic purposes. In 1910 it was estimated that there were at least sixty-five artesian wells in operation in South Dakota west of the Missouri River. The flow from these wells varies from ten gallons to six hun- dred gallons per minute. The three wells at Pierre supply 1,500 gallons per minute. The new well at the Pierre Indian Schools is said to flow 6,000 gallons per minute, but this is probably a mistake of the state engineer. The total amount of water supplied by the artesian wells of the whole state would be hard to estimate. If there are a total of 3,000 wells and they flow an average of thirty gallons per minute, the total quantity supplied in a day of twenty-four hours is 129,600,000 gallons. Much of this water flows away and is wasted so far as the wants of man are concerned-a serious drain on the natural resources.


ARTESIAN WELLS IN SOUTH DAKOTA, 1909; LIST INCOMPLETE


County


Number of Wells


Flow in Gallons per Minute


Aurora.


100


6,000


Beadle


55


15,000


Bon Homme


20


10,000


Brown


75


16,000


Brule


35


24,000


Buffalo


6


600


8


SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE


County


Number of Wells


Flow in Gallons per Minute


Butte


65


1,800


Charles Mix


37


II,000


Clay


230


3,500


Davison


250


12,000


Day


12


600


Douglas


25


14,000


Edmunds


400


6,000


Fall River


3


540


Faulk


30


3,000


Grant


IO


300


Gregory


30


2,000


Hand


80


7,000


Hansen


55


1,000


Hughes


25


10,000


Hutchinson


50


2,000


Hyde


65


1,600


Jerauld


14


1,600


Kingsbury


45


3,000


Lawrence


I2


1,000


Lyman


14


1,000


McCook


10


300


McPherson


40


1,800


Marshall


35


3,000


Meade


8


360


Miner


60


3,000


Pennington


2


100


Potter


6


300


Sanborn


100


7,000


Spink


800


70,000


Stanley


17


700


Sully


IO


600


Turner


18


1,100


Walworth


8


300


Yankton


50


12,000


Indian Reservations


2


700


Grand Total


2,909


255,800


In the spring of 1913, an artesian well was sunk at Edgemont and proved to be one of the greatest spouters ever struck in the United States. It had a flow of 700 gallons per minute or more than one million gallons in each day of twenty-four hours. The distinguishing feature of the water was its high tem- perature, the register showing 126°. The water was unusually pure and could be used for domestic purposes. It was one of the deepest wells in the country, the drill going down a distance of 2,970 feet. Drilling was in progress for about two years and the cost was many thousands of dollars.


The lakes also furnish a large supply of water for all purposes. The impor- tant lakes are Pickerel, Kampeska, Poinsett, Hendricks, Andes and McCook east of the Missouri River, and Sylvan west of that river. They are natural reservoirs and thus must be classed among the state's resources.


· In his speech when dedicating the South Dakota building at the World's Fair in 1893, Governor Sheldon declared that the resources of no portion of the


9


SOUTH DAKOTA: ITS HISTORY AND ITS PEOPLE


country had been so glaringly misrepresented as those of South Dakota; that for years the entire East had unfairly denominated the country west of the Missouri as a desert ; that on the other the soil was intensely rich in plant food and that soils in places were eighty feet deep; that South Dakota was a desirable place for residence; that no stock was permitted to run at large; that no fence law was in operation east of the Missouri River; that the farmers had already learned that growing wheat alone was unprofitable and had adopted mixed farming and rotation of crops; that the area upon which corn could be grown had been extended from a small section in the southeastern portion of the state northward and westward until practically the whole state had been covered; that few states could surpass South Dakota in the rearing of horses, cattle, sheep, hogs and poultry; that the Black Hills were thick with pine and other timber; that the state was rich with gold, silver, lead, tin, iron, stone for build- ings, gypsum, lime, plaster, stucco, cement, granite, jasper, etc. He stated that on June 30, 1893, the bonded debt was but little more than one million dollars, the most of it bearing only 4% interest ; that the funding warrants outstanding were comparatively few in number; that the taxation was very low, being but two mills on the dollar, with provisions for a slight increase in case of deficiency ; that no state had better health; that cases of malaria and consumption were few, and that the aurora borealis was finer than in any other state in the Union.




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