USA > South Dakota > Jerauld County > A history of Jerauld county, South Dakota > Part 18
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39
192
Chapter 27.
But little change was made in the mail service of the county during the year. Sept. Ist the Templeton post office in Media was discontinued and in the same month Ada P. O. was established at the residence of A. Converse in Anina township. This office was named in honor of Miss Ada Needham, youngest daughter of Don C. Needham and a niece of the postmaster.
In February, 1888, the P. O. department at Washington, on its own motion changed the name of the Lyndale office to Fauston, because it was so often mistaken for Tyndale in Bon Homme county.
The first political county convention in 1888 was held at Wessington Springs by the Democrats on the 25th day of April, with John R. Francis as chairman and J. R. Dalton, of Blaine township, secretary. It was held for the purpose of selecting delegates to the Democratic territorial convention at Watertown to elect delegates to the national convention. The delegates selected were Pat McDonald, J. R. Dalton, J. J. Steiner and J. R. Francis. This was a mass convention.
The Republican convention for the same purpose was held at Wes- sington Springs, May 12th, with C. E. Thayer, chairman and F. B. Phil- lips, secretary. The delegates chosen at this meeting were L. F. Schaefer, B. B. Blosser, W. T. Coffee and O. P. Hull, all newspaper men, sup- posed to be provided with railroad passes, according to the custom of those days. This, also, was a mass convention.
The "line-up" for the battle in the county began with the meeting of the Republican county central committee at Wessington Springs on June 23rd, 1888. At that meeting a mass convention was called for July 14th to elect delegates to the territorial convention at Watertown, Aug. 22nd, to nominate a delegate to congress. The committee at the same meeting issued a call for the regular county convention to be held Sept. 29th, at Wessington Springs, and recommending a call of the township caucuses for Saturday, Sept. 22.
In July the Democrats held their congressional convention at James- town, at which J. W. Harden, of Jerauld county, was nominated for congress.
At the Republican convention at Watertown George Matthews, of Brookings,'was nominated for congress.
The call for township caucuses was formally issued Sept. 7th, with the recommendation that all caucuses be held from the hour 2 p. m. to 4 p. m. and be conducted like general elections, the township committee- men to act as judges. This method of holding caucuses was adopted
193
H. J. Wallace.
J. W. Harden.
ยท Wessington Springs Stage Coach starting for Woonsocket.
194
and continued to be the practice in Jerauld county until the adoption of the "honest causes" law in 1906.
Those who proposed this method thought its absolute fairness would be a safeguard against the feeling of dissatisfaction that had in former years, followed each Republican county nominating convention. It was found, however, that shrewd politicians will manipulate any convention and that disappointed candidates will not be satisfied with the results.
The county convention met on the day appointed in the call, and John Teasdale, of Dale township, was made chairman, with E. S. Waterbury, of Crow township for secretary. The convention nominated D. F. Royer, of Alpena, for councilman, and gave him the privilege of selecting the delegates to the district legislative convention, which had been called to meet at Alpena on October 2nd. The ticket placed in nomination was as follows.
Register of Deeds-J. M. Wheeler, of Blaine.
Treasurer-H. J. Wallace, of Chery.
Sheriff-Joseph O'Brien, of Crow Lake.
Dist. Attorney-C. V. Martin, of Crow.
Probate Judge-A. Gunderson, of Wessington Springs.
Assessor-C. S. Richardson, of Harmony.
Surveyor-J. M. Corbin, of Marlar.
Croner-A. M. Mathias, of Wessington Springs.
Justices and constables were also nominated.
A county central committee was named as follows: J. R. Milliken, chairman, H. A. Miller, H. A. Peirce, S. S. Vrooman, R. S. Vessey, S. H. Melcher, Fred Luker. At the conclusion of the other business Royer announced the names of the delegates to the legislative convention, as follows: J. R. Millikin, O. G. Woodruff, R. S. Vessey, S. H. Melcher and H. A. Peirce.
At the Alpena convention Oct. 2nd, there were three candidates for territorial councilman from this district, Lowry, of Beadle county, Price of Sanborn, and Royer of Jerauld. Twenty-six ballots were taken before any candidate received a majority. Then one of the Jerauld county dele- gates voted for Lowry and he was nominated. . The convention then named Royer and Price for assemblymen by acclamation.
Two days later, Oct. 4th, the Democratic legislative convention was held at Alpena. Mr. Davis, of Beadle county was named for the terri- torial council, and Frank Anderson, of Sanborn county, and A. Converse, of Jerauld county, for the assembly.
The Democratic county committee met at Wessington Springs on Oct. 2nd and called a delegate convention for that party, to be held on Oct. 13th. The convention met at the time appointed and was called to order
195
by Jefferson Sickler, committee chairman. Twenty-eight delegates were in attendance, John Chapman, of Wessington Springs, was made chair- man. A full ticket was nominated, although a part of the Republican ticket was indorsed. It was as follows:
Register of Deeds-F. W. Whitney, of Alpena.
Treasurer-H. J. Wallace, Republican, indorsed.
Sheriff-Pat McDonald, of Alpena.
Dist. Attorney-A. Converse, of Anina.
Probate Judge-J. R. Francis, of Wessington Springs.
Assessor-Isaac Byam, of Pleasant.
Surveyor-B. R. Shimp, of Pleasant.
Coroner-John Steiner, of Blaine.
Justices and constables were also named.
For the first time the Democratic party organized and prepared for hard work. They felt sure of the support of that part of the Republicans who had been defeated at previous elections and especially of those who remembered the defeat of Mr. Converse for commissioner the year before. These dissatisfied Republicans now saw an opportunity to "get even" with those who had controlled the party since its organization, and ac- cordingly a mass convention was held on Oct. 24th. A new ticket made up of Republicans and Democrats was put in the field as follows :
Register of Deeds-F. W. Whitney ..
Treasurer-H. J. Wallace.
Sheriff-J. M. Spears.
Dist. Attorney-A. Converse.
Probate Judge-M. C. Ayers, of Wessington Springs.
Territorial Council-Mr. Lowry.
Territorial Assembly-Anderson and Price.
In the first commissioner district the Republicans nominated R. J. Eastman, of Alpena, and the Democrats, Knute S. Starkey, of Franklin.
The young voters of this, and future generations, will hardly credit the story of how their fathers carried elections. The method of holding caucuses adopted in Jerauld county in 1888 was a great improvement cver prior methods. In former years a candidate would get enough of his supporters together to hold a caucus, and be prompt at the time and place mentioned in the "call." If an opposing candidate for the party nomination was present with his supporters, it then became a matter of majority. or possibly of parliamentary tactics. If the opposition was a few minutes late in reaching the place of holding the caucus, they were liable to find all the work done, the delegates elected and the caucus ad- journed. The writer has known instances where the whole work of "expressing the will of the people," in a populous precinct was done by a
196
half-dozen men in three minutes. So the plan of holding the caucus open for two hours as adopted in 1888 was looked upon with much favor. But in all other respects the campaign was in accordance with "time honored customs."
During the last two weeks of the campaign business was almost at a stand-still. Every man was a politician. Day and night the contest raged. The farmer was called from his bed at midnight for a few hurried words and the messenger sped on in the darkness, to be followed by other mes- sengers from the opposition before morning. Tickets were printed with a party name at the head but possibly containing the names of all the opposing candidates. In many instances tickets with "stickers" pasted on were distributed by men stationed at the polls for that purpose. The "sticker" was a narrow strip of gummed paper upon which was printed the name of a candidate. These strips were intended to be put on the tickets of the opposite party over the name of the opposing candidates. During the two weeks before the election the newspapers of the county advertised "stickers for sale at reasonable prices." Heated political dis- cussions, in which the matter in dispute, was the merits of a party or a candidate were engaged in at the polling places and participated in by the judges of election and as many of the bystanders as cared to take a part.
The election occurred on the 6th day of November and the Repub- licans sustained a defeat from which they did not recover for several years.
The ticket elected was as follows :
Register of Deeds-F. W. Whitney.
Treasurer-H. J. Wallace.
Dist. Attorney-A. Converse.
Sheriff-Pat McDonald.
Assessor-C. S. Richardson.
Probate Judge-J. R. Francis.
Surveyor-J. M. Corbin.
Coroner-A. M. Mathias.
Commissioner-R. J. Eastman.
The Republicans elected the Justices of the peace and constables, and the legislative ticket.
The last notable event of 1888 was a spirited game of base ball at Wessington Springs on Xmas Day.
Meanwhile the little band of temperance workers in the county kept a watchful eye upon political affairs and prepared for the statehood can- paign that everybody knew would soon come.
197
The Sunday school convention for the county was held on the 14th and 15th of May.
August 3rd a W. C. T. U. society was organized at Alpena with Mrs. J. R. Milliken, Mrs. R. Davenport, Mrs. F. W. Whitney, Mrs. Wm. Arne, Mrs. C. D. Woriall, Mrs. Daniel Kint, Mrs. Underwood and Miss Lizzie Crawford as charter members.
Chapter 28.
Early in January, 1889, B. B. Blosser, editor and publisher of the True Republican began planning for a spelling contest to be participated in by all the public schools of the county, the prize to be a set of Alden's Encyclopedia for the winning school. A committee of arragenment was appointed composed of Mrs. N. J. Dunham, Mrs. C. V. Martin, Miss Kate McLean, B. R. Shimp, J. F. Wicks, N. E. Williams, and E. C. Nordyke, with B. B. Blosser and Supt. Binford.
The interest of the schools at once became great. Each township could be represented by a class of four students made up from all the schools of the township, the classes to be selected at township contests to be held on the 2nd day of March. The township contests were conducted by educators from outside the township. The appointments were as fol- lows :
Alpena-F. B. Phillips, of Dale.
Dale-Mrs. N. J. Dunham, of Alpena.
Chery-E. F. Harmston, of Dale.
Harmony-B. R. Shimp, of Pleasant.
Marlar-Mrs. C. V. Martin, of Crow.
Pleasant-F. K. Luke, of Pleasant.
Media-N. E. Williams, of Anina.
Wessington Springs-E. C. Nordyke, of Wessington Springs.
Franklin-J. F. Wicks, of Logan.
Blaine-Jesse Morse, of Viola.
Anina-Miss Ida Nesmith, of Viola.
Crow Lake-Supt. Binford, of Pleasant.
Logan-Mrs. E. G. Will, of Logan.
The county contest occurred on the 9th day of March and was parti- cipated in by twelve townships represented by the following classes :
Alpena-Abbie Whitney, James Worrall, R. W. Tennery and Edgar Beadell.
198
Dale-James Traey, Daniel Tracy, Lora Gregory and Rosa Youngs.
Chery-Grace Lanning, Clarence Lanning, Mary Miller, and Charles Miller.
Harmony-Anna Titus, Ernest Huntley, Rena Butterfield and Charles Weeks.
Marlar-Rebecca Ruan, Laura Ruan, Grace Ruan and Cora Corbin.
Pleasant-Sarah Elmore, Mabel Holdridge, Mary Marlenee and Rolla Lynn.
Media-Manly Voorhees, Clara Voorhees, Harry Young and Louis Beels.
Wessington Springs-Edward K. Starkey, Paulina Mihawk, Sever Starkey and Abe Divick.
Franklin-W. N. Zink, H. E. Whiffin, Mata MeCaul and Ira Posey.
Viola-Howard Phillips, Susie Phillips, Wesley Paganhart and Myr- tie Moss.
Anina-Geo. Stevens, Tommy Day, Harry Nelson and Samuel Nelson. Logan-Lewis Pfaff, J. J. Riegal, Lewis H. Waterbury and Anna Hannebuth.
Forty-eight in all.
Blaine, Crow and Crow Lake townships were not represented.
Supt. Binford pronounced 100 words from the first fifty pages of Mc- Guffey's Speller. The words were written by the contestants, with the following results in words missed :
Alpena 2, Anina 3, Franklin 4, Harmony 9, Pleasant II, Logan 16, Viola 25, Dale 40, Marlar 40, Media 47, Chery 69, and Wessington Springs 75.
Alpena had won the prize.
In an oral contest that followed the prize was won by Miss Anna Hannebuth, of Logan township.
On April 2nd prairie fires raged in all parts of the territory, accom- panied by an electric wind storm of great violence. The loss in Jerauld county was estimated at $100,000. Particulars will be given more fully in a chapter to be devoted to prairie fires.
In business matters but few changes were made during the year and but few new enterprises started.
The territorial farmers Alliance established a warehouse at Wessing- ton Springs to handle farm supplies. This institution began doing busi- ness in February, with W. N. Hill as manager.
In the same month Mr. L. G. Wilson, of Viola township called the attention of the farmers to the large number of silk cocoons that were hanging from the branches of small trees throughout the county and re- quested, through the newspapers, that a quantity be gathered and brought
199
to him, at Wessington Springs. A barrel of them was soon at his dis- posal and he shipped them to Paris to be tested as to their value. They were found to be of good quality, but could never afterward be found in sufficient quantities to pay for the work of gathering them.
On October Ist G. N. Price took charge of the Wessington Springs- Waterbury stage line, which gave him control of all the mail routes of the county.
In January, 1889, Ed Hinchliff opened a meat market in Alpena and continued the business until the following July.
In March Ray Barber sold the hardware business in Alpena to Grant McLean, who continued it about a year and then sold to F. B. Phillips. In 1894 Phillips sold the business to D. H. Wood. In June, 1900, he sold to Grant Anderson, who is still in charge.
In the forepart of January, 1889, Isaac Pearce succeeded F. W. Whit- ney in the Alpena post office.
During the same month Roth Bros. opened The Security Bank in their store at Alpena.
In March following W. F. Cass started an art studio in Alpena.
The latter part of July D. F. Royer repurchased the Journal from Lacy F. Schaefer.
At Waterbury no changes of importance occurred in 1889 until the forepart of November, when C. M. Hopkins rented his hotel to Wm. Toaz.
J. H. Vessey moved from Crow Lake to Wessington Springs about the middle of January, 1889, and the next month bought the mercantile business of Albert & Vessey.
In February, 1889, Mrs. Albert Gunderson opened an abstract office in the rear room of the old Herald building.
R. S. Vessey and C. E. Nordyke formed a partnership to do real estate business at Wessington Springs and opened their office in the building erected by W. J. Williams on the lot owned by H. Bakewell, of Plankinton. The partnership continued until Oct. Ist.
D. W. Clink and F. G. Vessey closed up their farm implement busi- ness in March, leaving the field open to the Farmers' Aliance Co.
A restaurant was opened by Mrs. Francis Smith in the forepart of April, in a building put up by Dr. Turner on a lot west of Thayer's bank.
One of the buildings erected in Wessington Springs in 1889, was a stone bath house in July, by A. C. Thompson, on the east side of the creek opposite his barn. The barn is now owned by Mrs. Eva Whitney, but the bath house soon fell to ruins.
200
Charles E. Thayer, who in five years had amassed a fortune in the banking business in Wessington Springs, sold his institution to Charles W. Lane, who took charge of the bank Oct. Ist, 1889.
About the middle of November, 1889, Wm. Skinner and C. W. Pet- tis started a meat market on the south side of Main street, near where Shull's Drug Store now stands.
In religious matters the only events of importance in the county in 1889 were the first Free Methodist camp meeting, which began June 12th and lasted one week, in the grove by the big spring, and the county Sun- day School convention which was held May 23rd.
At Crow Lake Mrs. Allyn's vacant store building was used during the summer for church and Sunday school purposes.
On May 15th, 1889, an Epworth League was organized in connection with the M. E. church at Wessington Springs.
Along educational lines the most important event of the year was the organization of a lecture association by R. S. Vessey, G. R. Bateman and Prof. J. K. Freeland. Mr. Vessey was made the president of the society and Mr. Freeland secretary. The society is still alive. During the years of its existence it has brought to the county literary men, lecturers and statesmen of world wide reputation. Among them have been Joseph Cook, the eminent Boston divine, Roswell G. Horr, Michigan's greatest congressman, Joseph Littell, Col. Sanford, Maj. Copeland; besides many other scientists and scholars from all parts of the nation.
In July, 1889, Dr. C. S. Burr, of the Wessington Springs Townsite Company donated to the Seminary ten lots in the town. A few days later Samuel Marlenee was employed to build the superstructure on the walls of the Seminary, and the work was done in August of that year, the building being veneered with brick. It was in the chapel room of the new building that the entertainments provided by the lecture course were held.
Another educational enterprise led by the Pioneer W. C. T. U. was a series of meetings held in every township in the county to study the proposed Sioux Falls constitution for the new state.
The fourth annual teachers' institute was held Oct. 28th to Nov. 8th inclusive, with Prof. Enos as conductor.
In the line of amusements in 1889, one of the notable events was a sham inaugural in Odd Fellows Hall at Alpena, which was attended by fun-loving people from Woonsocket, Wessington Springs and all parts of the county.
On what was then known as the White tree claim, adjoining Alpena on the south, was established a race track in the summer of 1889. Ray Barber was secretary of the association. All the records of this society
20I
were destroyed in a fire that occurred in the Journal office a few years later.
The crop prospects in 1889 were good until the 13th of June, when the whole country was visited by a destructive hot wind that blew from the southwest several days. Added to this was the decline in the market price of all kinds of farm products. In September the Chicago price of wheat was 80 cents per bushel ; corn, 32c; oats, 19c; butter, I2c per lb .; eggs, I7c per doezn. In Sioux city hogs were sold at $3.82 per cwt., fat cattle $2,65 to $2.75, stockers $1.85 to $2.35.
And people were paying from three to seven per cent a month on notes secured by chattel mortgages.
Chapter 29.
The proceedings of the county commissioners in the year 1889 con- tains but little of interest.
R. J. Eastman became a member of the board on January 7th and Mr. Sickler was made chairman.
On the same day F. W. Whitney took possession of the office of reg- ister of deeds, and two days later the official bond of Pat McDonald as sheriff was approved.
On February 5th a resolution was adopted by the board fixing the price of auctioneers' license at $10 per year.
As a result of the prairie fires that had devestated the county on April 2nd, the county board on April 15th resolved to furnish lumber to the amount of 1,000 feet to people who had suffered loss by fire and 25 bushels of seed grain to those who could not procure it otherwise.
On May 21st the board decided to abandon the section line road be- tween sections 24 and 25 in Franklin township and for $75 purchased of Mr. McDowall a right of way over his land through what is known as "the pony hills."
The treasurer's report, made the forepart of July, 1889, showed that during the year ending June 30th the county had paid for pauper support $96.20, and for temporary relief of the poor $193.64.
The county tax levy made Sept. 2nd was, county general fund, 6 mills ; sinking fund, 3 mills ; road and bridge, I mill. The territorial levy was, general fund, 3.3 mills; bond interest, 1/2 mill; and stock indemnity, 1/2 mill.
202
The act known as the Omnibus Bill, which enabled South Dakota to prepare for statehood passed congress on the 14th day of February, 1889, and on the 22nd was approved and signed by President Cleveland. That year became an era of conventions. Politics of many different brands became the pastime of "all sorts and conditions of men."
A convention at Wessington Springs, January 12th, elected E. V. Miles, C. H. Stephens, J. M. Spears and R. W. Probert delegates to a statehood convention to be held at Huron on the 16th.
A mass temperance convention was held at the county seat on March 28th to prepare for the statehood campaign which was now on.
Jerauld, Buffalo and Hand counties were made the IIth district for representation in the constitutional convention which had been called to meet in Sioux Falls on July 4th, 1889, and were entitled to two delegates, to be elected on the 14th of May.
The Republican district convention to nominate a delegate to the con- stitutional convention was called to meet at St. Lawrence, in Hand county on May 7th.
The republican county convention to send delegates to the St. Law- rence convention was held at Wessington Springs, May 4th, and S. F. Huntley, of Harmony township received an indorsement for the position of delegate to the Sioux Falls convention. The convention voted that he should select his own delegates, and he named T. L. Blank, E. V. Miles, J. F. Wicks, E. S. Waterbury, A. I. Churchill and O. G. Moodruff, and C. G. Hartley, of Hand county.
Mr. Huntley and C. G. Hartley, of Hand county, were nominated at the St. Lawrence convention and at the election May 14th they were elected delegates to the state constitutional convention.
The opposing Democratic candidates were Jefferson Sickler, of Har- mony township, and Mr. Anderson, of Hand county. There are no rec- ords of the conventions at which these gentlemen were nominated.
No change was made in the election precincts for the May election, but for that to be held on Oct. Ist each township was made a precinct by itself, and that rule has been followed ever since.
In the constitutional convention Mr. Huntley was a member of the apportionment committee and chairman of the committee on expenses of the convention. On his recommendation Jerauld and Buffalo counties were made one senatorial district.
On July 20th the Republican county committee called two county con- ventions-one for Aug. 17th to select four delegates to the state conven- tion to be held at Huron and four delegates to the judicial convention to be held at Mitchell, the other to be held Sept. 7th to put in nomination a county ticket and select delegates to the disrict legislative convention.
203
On July 26th R. S. Vessey announced his candidacy for the legisla- ture on the Republican ticket.
At the convention held Aug. 17th I. N. Rich was chairman and E. F. Harmston secretary. Delegates were selected to both the state and judicial conventions, those to the latter being instructed to support the candidacy of A. Converse for Judge of the circuit court.
A mass convention was held Aug. 19th to discuss plans for getting aid in the county for the construction on the Huron, Chamberlain & Black Hills railroad. It was decided to ask the townships through which it was proposed to build the road to vote a tax. Accordingly a petition from Dale, Wessington Springs, Media, Crow Lake and Logan townships was laid before the county commissioners on Sept. 12th asking that the mat- ter of voting a tax in aid of the road be submitted to the people of those townships at an early date. The board granted the request and called the election for Oct. Ist, the day set for the statehood election. The pro- moters of the project at once put in the field a party of surveyors, con- sisting of :
E. F. Harmston, chief engineer ; T. L. Blank, transit man; A. H. West, leveler ; J. A. Calhoun, topographer ; W. W. Hillis, rodman ; Chas. Has- kins, head chain; Thos. Day, hind chain; C. Thompson, axman; Chas. Whiffin, back flag; J. J. Doctor, cook; and M. E. Harmstan, teamster.
At the election the tax was voted down in all the townships but Dale.
On the same day a meeting was held to take measures to put Wessing- ton Springs in the race for state capitol. Five thousand acres of land were pledged, and C. E. Thayer elected a delegate to meet representatives of other cities at Aberdeen. That was the end of it.
At the Republican convention on Sept. 7th S. F. Huntley was in- dorsed for state senator, by acclamation. On the 36th formal ballot V. I. Converse was nominated for the legislature. A. I. Churchill was made the nominee for county Judge.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.