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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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