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657 .H9 P47 1908
HISTORY
HYDE COUNTY SOUTH DAKOTA
1800
X
A Evanbanka
John B. Perkins
HISTORY OF
HYDE COUNTY
SOUTH DAKOTA
FROM ITS ORGANIZATION TO THE PRESENT TIME
BY JOHN B. PERKINS
1908
Copy
11285 ILN55
F657 Hap47 1908
TO THE OLD SETTLERS OF HYDE COUNTY, WHO HAVE MADE ITS EARLY HISTORY, AND ALSO TO THE LATER SETTLERS AS WELL, WHO ARE AIDING IN MAKING ITS PRESENT HISTORY, THIS BOOK IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED
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bagt 10/23/84
PREFACE
The compiler of these pages came to Hyde County with his parents in the spring of 1884, then only a few months old, and lived here for several years, and after an absence in Iowa for a few years, returned here in 1905, so that he claims some distinction as an old settler, and feels that he has the authority of the public, and of all interested in the county, to prepare for them these pages, which constitute the history of the county up tothe present time. It is always well at certain periods of the ever onward passing of time to preserve records and incidents of the locality where one lives, for there are many things constituting its history, which, un- less preserved, will pass into oblivion. Our readers know that we are never looking for perfection in any department of life's labor, and in this history, if it is found that we have omitted something or have unintentionally erred in some statement, let the criticism be sparingly and charitably made.
48 05
THE NAME
Hyde County was named after James Hyde, who was one of the earliest and most influential citizens of Clay County, South Da- kota. He died in Vermillion May 28, 1902, and at the time of his death the papers there gave him prominent mention. Among other things said of him we reprint the following from the Dakota Republican of April 2, 1902.
"Last Friday morning the death angel visited a Vermillion home and removed from that home a kind husband and loving father, and removed from Vermillion circles a true neighbor and loyal friend.
James Hyde was one of the pioneers of this county. He came to South Dakota at the close of the Civil War, and since his coming here he has been prominently and actively identi- fied with all the interests that went to make up the material growth of this county. He was widely and favorably known, and all who had the good fortune to make his acquaintance came to know him as their friend. To his family he was the embodiment of all that is implied in a kind and loving husband and father, JAMES HYDE and his death falls heavily upon the bereaved ones. But his earth- ly sufferings are over and he has gone to a brighter and better land.
James Hvde was born on April 14, 1842, at Mapleton, Penn.
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
When he was a lad of eight years of age his parents moved to Iowa, where he lived until he was twenty years old. On May 23, 1862, he enlisted in Co. B, Second Battalion, Sixteenth U. S. Infantry, and saw a large amount of service during the war up to the time he was mustered out and received an honorable discharge at Lookout Mountain, May 24, 1865. Out of the three years he was in the ser- vice, he spent fourteen months in Southern prisons. He was con- fined in Libby prison for three months, and for eleven months he endured as best he could the horrors of Andersonville. When the war was over he came west and settled in South Dakota. In 1868 he was married to Miss Helen Miner, daughter of Captain Nelson Miner, who, with seven children, still survive him.
Mr. Hyde was prominent in society circles. He held a mem- bership in Miner Post, No. 8, G. A. R., and in Dakota Pine Camp, No. 450, M. W. A. He was also prominent in Masonic circles, be- ing a member of the R. A. M. and A. F. & A. M. in this city, and also of Vermillion Commandery No. 16, Knights Templar."
He represented Clay County in the Territorial Legislature of 1872. We are indebted to his daughter, Mrs. Rosa E. Beebe, of Vermillion, S. D., for the kindly interest she has taken in furnishing material for the above mention.
HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY
CHAPTER I
Organization of the County
Hyde County was organized in 1883. This was when there was only one Dakota and under a Territorial form of government, but soon after there was a division of the Territory, which resulted in the two states of North and South Dakota. The organization of the county was brought about upon presenting to Governor N. G. Ordway, the governor of the Territory, a petition setting forth that the county contained one hundred and fifty inhabitants, and asking that he proceed as an executive duty to organize the county. The law at that time provided that when such a petition was presented to the governor, he should act upon the same by appointing three commissioners, whose duty it would be to locate the county seat, and also to appoint the necessary officers to manage the county business. The law has since been changed, now providing that in- stead of appointing commissioners, the governor issues a notice calling an election by the people of the county, and fixing the time for the same, at which election the electors choose their county of- ficers who hold until the next general election, and also at the same election, there is selected the location for the county seat. When the petition for organization was presented to the governor he acted upon it, and right there we drifted unexpectedly upon the shoals and quicksands of contending influences, brought about by county seat rivalries, and by the governor's own act, who manifest- ed a selfish interest in the organization itself. The governor had made some deal whereby he was to be benefited by the location of the county seat at Holabird, and to carry out that deal he was to
HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
appoint as commissioners L. E. Whitcher, John Falde and A. E. VanCamp, giving the Holabird location two commissioners votes, for, as Mr. VanCamp was the owner of the Highmore townsite, his vote was not expected for Holabird, nor was it needed. At this stage of the proceedings it became known that the governor had changed his own views as to the county seat I cation, and was in favor of a site two miles east of Holabird upon land belonging to J. S. Harris, and he expected that his appointees would carry out his wishes, but he soon learned that Mr. VanCamp and Mr. Falde would vote for Highmore, and thereby defeat the Harris scheme. Accordingly after the commission to the three men above named had been issued and placed in the post office at Bismark for transmission to Highmore, the governor revoked the commission to John Falde and appointed in his place Geo. W. Dunham, and upon that act a case was brought to settle the question as to which held legally the office ot commissioner, whether it was A. E. VAN CAMP John Falde or Geo. W. Dunham, but the case never reached a hearing as a settlement of the matter was had later on.
In the meantime the conflict over this one commissioner re- sulted in two separate organizations, each having two commission- ers, that on the Ordway side being L. E. Whitcher and Geo. W. Dunham, and on the other side A. E. Van Camp and John Falde. The Ordway organization held their meetings on the west side of town at the office of E. O. Parker. Their first meeting was on the 5th day of November, 1883, at which time L. E. Whitcher was
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
elected chairman of the Board and J. S. Harris secretary pro tem, and thus organized, the following named officers were elected by the Board: J. S. Harris, register of deeds; J. F. O'Donnell, Sup't of Schools; James H. Lynch, sheriff; O. C. Cole, county judge; W. W. Kingsbury, assessor; A. H. Everhard, treasurer; D. L. Cadwal- ader, surveyor; Peter Learn, coroner; and N. F Bates, John C. Stoner, Sr., and G. L. F. Robinson, Justices of the Peace. The Board fixed the amount of officers bonds, also voted to defer action on the county seat location until there was an expression by the
RESIDENCE OF F. M. BARNES, HIGHMORE, S. D.
people. At a meeting of this Board held Nov. 14, 1883, they took a fling at the other organization in the following resolution :
"Whereas, one John Falde, of Hyde County, S. D., has and at present is acting or purporting to act as a commissioner of Hyde County without having been duly commissioned. or qualified ac- cording to law, and, whereas the said John Falde together with one A. E. VanCamp, a commissioner of said County of Hvde, have pro- ceeded to the organization of said county and the appointment of officers therefor, which said organization and appointments are
II
HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
bogus and contrary to law, and whereas; the further action of said parties in representing themselves to be such authorized commis- sioners will be of great and lasting detriment to the said County of Hyde.
Therefore Resolved, that the chairman of this Board, L. E. Whitcher, be instructed to procure proper counsel, and inaugurate the necessary legal proceedings to test the validity of their said claim, and enjoin their further proceedings."
At this time there were two newspapers published in Hyde County, the Herald and the Vox Populi, both of which refused to publish the proceedings of this Ordway Board, so that at their meeting Dec. 25, 1883, they authorized the clerk to post copies of the proceedings in three public places in the county.
On May 5, 1884, Geo. W. Dun- ham resigned as county commis- JAMES BUCHAN sioneer, which left Mr. Wh tcher to run the thing alone until June 13, 1884, when Wm. Fankboner was appointed in Mr. Dunham's place. This board continued its meeting until September 2, 1884, which was the date of its last meeting, and on this same date, Sept. 2nd, a settlement having been made between the two separate or- ganizations, the real legal commissioners met for the first time and organized. During the existence of the Ordway Board, they fixed the salaries of their officers, ordered supplies, established school and road districts, fixed the amount of liquor license, and indeed seemed to go on with the county business all right, except, we judge, must have been hampered for fi .. ances, as there is no ac-
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
count of any money received by their treasurer, no report by him and no account of disbursements.
THE OTHER
Having in the preceeding, mentioned what we have designated as the "Ordway Board," we will now refer to the "Other" of this
D. A. W. PERKINS
double headed organization. This Board also met Nov. 5, 1883, on the east side of Highmore town. There were present as commis- sioners A. E. Van Camp and John Falde. Mr. Falde was elected chairman and D. A. W. Perkins, clerk pro tem. The following county officers were then elected by the commissioners: D. A. W. Perkins, clerk and register of deeds; Lincoln Davis, sheriff; J. T. Haight judge of probate; L. C. Hadley. treasurer; D. C. Cadwalader, sur-
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
veyor; E. E. Christie, coroner; A. N. VanCamp, Sup't of Schools; N. M. Jacobson, assessor;and G. L. F. Robinson, A. B. Coplin, Rob- ert Stewart, N. M. Jacobson, Justices of the Peace. The Board then fixed the location of the county seat at Highmore The bonds of officers were fixed, and afterwards filed and approved. At their meeting held Nov. ro, 1883, they took official notice of the Ordway organization in the following resolution:
"Whereas, one L. E. Whitcher was, as we believe, appointed one of the commissioners of Hyde County, and who has habitually and wilfully neglected his duty as such commissioner, not having met with this Board at all, therefore
Resolved, that the county clerk be authorized and instructed to take such legal proceedings in the name of the county for the removal of said Whitcher as the law provides, and to employ counsel in the prosecution of the case as may be required."
Soon after the passage of this resolution the clerk reported that he had secured the services of Gamble Bros., of Yankton, as such counsel.
This Board also established roads and school districts, pur- chased supplies, allowed bills and transacted the county business in a regular way .. nd in about the same manner as the Ordway Board did.
H. C. SHOBER
They also fixed the liquor license and under their administra- tion three licenses were issued, which placed in the county treasury the sum of $327.81, which amout was counted out to the Board by Treasurer Hadley at their last meeting, thereby enabling the officers
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
appointed by this Board some pay for their services, a privilege not in the power of the Ordway Board, for their treasury was empty. The last meeting of the commissioners of this organization was Sept. 2, 1884, the same date of the last meeting of the Ordway commissioners and as the clerk has it in his minutes, "This wound up their earthly career." Both of these organizations hav- ing on that date retired from bus- iness and on both sides their ap- pointees to office having resigned, there was by this surrender of both organizations created the real legal organization of the county.
The Legal Organization
Resignations having been made by all of the county officers ap- pointed by the two separate or- J. C. STONER, SR. ganizations heretofore m e n - tioned, this cleared the way for the two legal commissioners. L. E. Whitcher and A. E. VanCamp, to come together and form the new Board, whose legality as the Board of Commissioners of Hyde County could not be questioned. Accordingly they met on the 2nd day of September, 1884. L. E. Whitcher was chosen as chairman and E. O. Parker as clerk. They being fully organized appointed the following county officers: E. O. Parker, register of deeds; Charles H. Price, probate judge; John F. Goudy, treasurer; B. D. Foster, coroner; D. L. Cadwalader, surveyor; Charles P. Jones, sheriff; Cora M. Shober, Sup't of Schools; Charles S. McGill, assessor, G. L. F. Robinson, George Close, John C. Stoner, Sr., E, J. Quinn, Justices of the Peace, and E. J. Mix, Quincy Stark,
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
Charles H. Lynch and James B. Newell, constables.
On the 4th day of September, 1884, this Board made their first levy for taxes as follows: Territorial purpose, three mills; Interest on Territorial Bonds, three-tenths of a mill; ordinary county rev- enue. six mills; bridge fund, one mill; road tax, one mill. At their next meeting, September 8, they levied a poll tax on all male per- sons between twenty-one and fifty years of age; one dollar and fifty cents on every elector for support of schools, and also for support of schools two mills on all taxable property. At this same meeting the Board allowed its first bill, being $4.50 to reimburse L. E. Whitcher money expended for chairs to be used in the court room for Justices of the Peace.
McGLINCHY HOUSE AND OPERA HOUSE, HIGHMORE, SOUTH DAKOTA.
:3500H
: AHONI 795W
asnow
CHAPTER II
Leaving now the monotony of county official proceedings (which, however, will be referred to again) we will mention in a lighter vein such scraps of history as tend to make up the unwritten record, but still are a part of the county, and without which the history would not be complete. There is something peculiarly fascinating to early settlers, who make the first start in a new county who constitute what the poet calls
THE FIRST LOW WASH OF WAVES WHERE SOON WILL ROLL A HUMAN SEA."
Its virgin and unbroken soil lies in mute silence, so to speak, waiting for coming events. A few men come together attracted by what seemed to them the best of opportunities to be in on the ground floor, and awaiting the results which are promising and al- luring, and they are, for time brings settlement, cultivation of the soil, land values, and, under proper management, wealth to the early settlers. The immediate future growth of the county also de- pends somewhat upon the character of the men who make the first start. In some parts of the west the first organizers of counties, as in Northwestern Iowa, were grafters pure and simple. They had no other object only to organize the county, set in motion all the machinery of a county municipal government, have themselves placed in the various county offices, then grind out county warrants for the most exhorbitan+ expenditures and divide the spoils. Hyde County did not start that way. Whatever strife there may have been in the early organization, it was not for graft, although that species of plunder mav after all, in a mild form, have crept in along some stages of the county's history, for men are weak, easily fall into temptation, when it pertains to money getting. But the county was not organized for plunder and the records of the county
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
show that as a rule its affairs have been honestly managed, though now and then perhaps there has been some thoroughly dishonest official, for no county nor any other species of governmental exist- ence can always be entirely free from them.
The first year of the county organization, during the period of its double character, from November 1883 to September 1885, there was no other town in the county except.Highmore and during that time there was little else to do except to join one faction or the other, each mingling with the other with such smiles and bland- ishments as they could command and carry upon their faces under a real feeling of hatred and dis- like, which, however, never cul- minated in an outbreak of person- al warfare, and after all the real humor of the situation would ap- pear upon the surface, and show itself in various ways. There was but little work for the two MRS. S. C. TRAVER registers of deeds, for there was but a small number of acres to be conveyed, most of the land then being owned by the United States government. But still there was some conveyancing and the parties to it, of the first and second part, in order to be sure of a legal record would pay double fees and the conveyance appear upon both sets of books. Some stranger appeared one day in town with a deed to be recorded, and on his way up street from the de- pot not knowing of the double headed organization inquired for the recorder's office, and was directed to the office of Recorder Perkins. He went there paid the fees and left his paper. At noon time when
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
he was among the Ordway crowd he was informed that his deed had been recorded at the wrong place, that it was a fake shop and he had been swindled out of a dollar. Being a man of nervous and excitable disposition he hurriedly went to the Perkins office, de- manded his deed and his money, and did this with the air of one who believed he had been swindled and was determined to avenge the offense and punish the offender. He was told, however, that he could have the deed when its record was complete, but the money would not be returned. Upon this he started in to be troublesome and belligerent, but a few of the boys being near by, he was hustled out into the street and threatened with ariest. He was a decent fellow, however, and when he learned the true situation of af- fairs he laughed over it, patron- ized both offices and later on had some of the individual members of both factions lined up together at the bar of John Zwight's saloon.
What is now Holabird township WAS known at first S. C. TRAVER as Hughitt township, though as a township it was not so designated, except as a school pre- cinct. It was given the name Hughitt by the Ordway Board, December 3, 1883. But that locality to Highmore and the Ordway crowd, was the offending territory and constituted the contention over the county seat. But although it had assumed the name of Hughitt and became known as such, Highmore people, in the spirit of sar- casm and irony, designated that locality as "Gumbo Holler" and would convey to the mind of the outsider and the incoming settler
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
the idea that the soil was nothing but gumbo and unfit for cultiva- tion, which is not so, and which statement those same Highmore people would now refute with the most emphatic denial.
But in the crisis of war, be it in the case of contending armies or in a bloodless strife, in a war of words, each side does not hesi- tate to blacken the reputation of the other, or to apply any kind of an offensive epithet with a large measure of expressive adjectives.
During 1882 and on to nearly the close of the season, the gov- ernment land in the vicinity of Holabird was without settlers. There were no filings in the Huron land office by homestead- ers, indeed the outside world had not been told of the opportunity to secure land there. Neither the railroad company nor hust- ling land agents had entered the advertising field to proclaim the virtues of this rich and unculti- vated El Dorado, waiting there G. C. STONER for incoming settlers. It was not until the following year, in 1883, when there was a rush of settlers to secure land in this part of the state and in that rush Hyde county obtained its share. Towards the latter part of 1882, however, a few parties from Highmore in- terested in establishing a town where Holabird now is, made some filings there, and there was some bogus settling, so called, as there always is in a new country. Some fellow from the east conceived the idea that he could hold some of these quarter sections of land tor speculation by placing shacks upon them and thereby deceive the incoming settler into believing that the land was legitimately
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
settled upon.
The shacks stood there ( about a dozen of them) for a few weeks. when the real settlers made investigation at the Huron land office, and finding that no filings had been made, and knowing there were no occupants of the shacks, they then realized the true condi- tion of affairs and decided to act. The result was that in a single night every one of these shacks disappeared, the next morning not even a single board w. s left. they were all gone as if the wings of the morning had borne them to distant lands. The speculative per- son who put them there never showed up, his scheme had been de- feated, and he was silent, for complaint on his part would have brought about an exposure.
The settlers who located in that neighborhood near the close of the year 1882 and in the early spring of 1883 were men who in- tended to establish a town, which afterwards was established by others and named Holabird.
That town will be mentioned further on under its appropriate heading, as we are now referring to the early settlers. These set- tlers consisted of L. E. Whitcher, Quincy Stark, George Stark, A. B. Vines, Charles McElwain, A. B. Chrysler, John Stevenson and D. A. W. Perkins. Each had shacks of their own, but the main tabernacle where they counseled together and played seven-up was on the northwest quarter of section 10, Holabird township; there they were in frequent conference over the new town to be started, and the establishment there of the county seat. At one time they were about out of grub, not enough for another day, when Whitcher went to Highmore for a fresh supply. Soon after he had gone, omnious and threatening clowds showed up, the atmo phere and the temperature betokened serious weather, and in a few hours a first- class blizzard was sweeping the prairie, making it impossible for even a Dakotan to venture out of doors. There was serious alarm in the camp. They had reached about the last of the fuel, with about one more meal of flour pancakes, and now this blizzard of
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
about three days prospective duration howling with mad frenzy about their single boarded habitation. The next day after dinner time-we say time, for they had no dinner-they heard shouting out of doors, and upon investiga- tion they found Mr. Whitcher and James Ingram, along with a team and wagon and a small amount of supplies. These two were nearly perished, and it took some time to bring them around, but with fuel from their wagon, the room was sufficiently warmed to get them well thawed out. Theirs was a dangerous mission and it was a wonder they success- fully performed it, but they felt the necessity of releaving their companions from their deplor- able conditions. In the blizzard D. L. CADWALADER they were unable for some time to find the shack, and had they not accidentally come apon it when they did they must have per- ished in the storm. As it was they brought supplies enough to last through the blizzard. Their horses were stabled in an adjoining shack and the straw beds were emptied to get feed for the horses, such as it was. But the storm, after lasting two days and two nights, let up, and then all was serene again and everybody happy. Along about the time mentioned there was probability of quite a Chicago settlement. About a dozen soldier declaraty filings were made, but under these there were only two settlements. Norman Barney, of Chicago, proved up on a claim there, also F. M. Barney and F. M. Smith. They did not remain, however, after final proof. W. B. Hamlin and Fred Lyman were among these from
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