USA > South Dakota > Jerauld County > A history of Jerauld county, South Dakota > Part 23
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The "Blue Jays."
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The Bobolinks.
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oped into one of the most complete racket stores in this part of the state. This ended the commercial life of the old town of Waterbury.
Wessington Springs seems to have had a hard time of it in getting a co-operative creamery established. Another meeting to discuss the sub- ject was held on the 14th of July, but with no immediate results.
In Logan township the creamery project was pushed and by the close of the year arrangements had been completed for the establishment of a strictly modern creamery early in the succeeding spring. The foundation for the building was finished during the forepart of December, and the building material purchased and during the winter placed on the ground at Glen. The mason work for the structure was done by Anton Reindl of Crow Lake township.
In August, 1897, J. W. Snart having resigned the position of post- master at Waterbury, Mr. W. E. Waterbury was appointed to the posi- tion. Mr. Snart had held the position since the 17th day of March, 1886.
At Alpena Richard Davenport succeeded Geo. D. Canon as postmaster on May 8th.
Mr. A. F. Smith purchased the mercantile business of Manwaring Bros., taking possession Dec. Ist.
In Viola township the German church society began work on the foundation of their church building in December.
The Wessington Springs Seminary graduated the class of 1897 on the 8th day of June. The members were Myrtle G. Price, Abbie F. Whitney. Esther V. Danburg, Lucy A. Hartman, Vivian Hill, William F. Adabar, Simeon J. Whitney and Parker F. Whitney.
During the year 1897 F. M. Brown and N. P. Peterson worked at the blacksmith business as partners in Wessington Springs.
About the middle of June R. C. Smith sold his drug and grocery stock to Charles Jewell and M. A. Schaefer.
In the spring Mr. R. Vanderveen succeeded to the business of the Co-operative Grain Co. at Wessington Springs and added a stock of lumber. About the same time W. N. Hill, also began handling grain. coal and lumber.
In July C. N. Hall purchased the stock of confectionery of W. F. Taylor.
In the same month a camp of Sons of Veterans was established in Wessington Springs.
About the Ist of October C. S. Jacobs began work at the harness business in the building built by Jas. F. Ford in 1883. This is now man- aged by Mr. Jacobs' son. C. L. Jacobs in another building.
The Free Methodist conference of the state was held at Wessington Springs, beginning Oct. 6th.
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Dr. G. S. Eddy changed his location in October from Wessington Springs to Anaheim, California, and the county seat was again without a physician.
On November 27th the Universalists, who had been holding their services in the school house, held a meeting to mature their plans for building a church. A location committee was appointed and the taking of subscriptions carried on.
During the year the Wessington Springs ball nine played a number of games with teams from surrounding towns and made a record of which the community was very proud. The team attended the tourna- ment at Kimball and won the first prize, defeating the club from Plankin- ton and also the one from Gann Valley.
In the latter part of April W. H. Rogers closed the Willard Hotel at Wessington Springs and the building was then rented by Wm. Brodkorb, who took possesion about the first of May.
Chapter 10.
1898. The new board of county commissioners was organized on January 3rd by the election of D. B. Paddock, of the third district, chairman.
Some idea of the rental value of Jerauld county wild land at this time may be obtained from the fact that 240 acres owned by the county in sections 27 and 28 in Media township were leased by the board to J. W. Barnum in April for a term of three years at five dollars per annum. There seemed to be no basis from which to fix values of any kind of property. Wheat, in March, sold at 80 cents per bushel and soon after went to $1.00, but in September it was selling at 45c to 50c. A horse for a cow was considered a good trade. Yet in the month of February the county treasurer collected $10,000 in taxes, the largest sum ever col- lected in one month up to that time, in the history of the county. The assessors' returns from the various townships reported the total valuation of real and personal property in the county at $1,001.339. Upon this amount the county board, in September, levied a tax of, county fund, 7 mills ; bridge fund, 2 mills ; sinking fund, 2 mills ; general county fund. 2 mills ; state tax, 3 mills ; making a total of 16 mills. The county debt was rapidly decreasing and warrants rose to 98 cents on the dollar. At the September meeting the county commissioners transferred $1000 from the bridge fund to the general county fund.
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In the mail service of the county some changes were made during the year. The contracts for carrying the mail over the different routes leading from Wessington Springs were let in January, to take effect the first of July. The route to Woonsocket, daily, was let to Wm. Keene at $120 per year; to Miller, N. J. Tutts, twice a week, $386; to Crow Lake, twice a week, G. Cowles, $194.59; to Waterbury, daily, G. Cowles, $414.59; to Mount Vernon, twice a week, J. E. Franklin, $308.07. Mr. Franklin failed to meet the requirements of his contract on the first of July and G. N. Price continued the service until the first of September, when Andrew Mercer took the route, which had been changed from Mt. Vernon to Mitchell. A new route was established between Crow Lake and Glen with H. P. Will of Logan township, carrier.
On October Ist W. F. Bancroft succeeded Mrs. Eva Whitney as post- master in the Wessington Springs office.
The only change among the newspapers of the county in the year 1898 was at Alpena, where Mr. Lou Knowles succeeded H. T. Griggs, Sept. 9th as publisher of the Journal.
The county teachers' institute was held at the Seminary chapel in Wessington Springs June 13th to 18th, with A. H. Avery, of Woon- socket, conductor, and Geo. O. Williams and Miss White as assistants.
The old settlers' picnic was held at the farm of Geo. W. Burger in Crow township on June 24.
During the year the Alpena co-operative creamery had been a great success. The manager's report showed that from Dec. Ist, 1897 to Dec. 1, 1898, the creamery had taken in 1, 149,618 pounds of milk, made 50,364 pounds of butter, for which it had received $7,853.44 and paid to its patrons $6,087.07. The farmers elevator company had been equally suc- cessful and during the season shipped fifty cars of grain and paid to its patrons $16,500.
At Wessington Springs, during the fourteen months that followed the meeting at Albert & Vessey's store on the 27th of November, 1896, Geo. W. Backus, editor of the Sieve, continually agitated the subject of establishing a creamery at that place. At length he succeeded in getting the business men sufficiently interested to form an organization, and in January and February, 1898, arrangements were completed for building and equipping a co-operative creamery at Wessington Springs, with a capital stock of $8,000.00. The first regular meeting of the stock holders was held February 10, 1898, when Chas. Walters, C. S. Barber, H. C. Lyle, Richard Vanderveen, W. H. McMillan, C. Knudson and Geo. Homewood were made directors, T. L. White, manager, H. J. Wallace, treasurer, and C.,S. Barber, president. On the 22nd of February Mr. White resigned as manager and R. Vanderveen was elected to the
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Second Graduating Class at Alpena.
T. L. White.
C. S. Jacobs.
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vacancy, Mr. Vanderveen resigned as director, and Geo. R. Bateman was put in his place. The contract for putting up the building was made with E. L. Smith. The total cost of the plant when completed was $2,679.21. The institution was opened for business on the 16th day of May.
At Glen P. O., in Logan township, the people pushed forward their creamery project with a good deal of energy and by the first of April the plans were all completed and they were waiting for warmer weather to commence operations. Mr. T. A. Butterfield, of Burt, Iowa, was em- ployed as butter-maker, and on May 3rd the first milk was received.
In March a creamery skimming station was established at Campbell's artesian well in Blaine township with Wm. Brownell as manager. It was run in connection with the Woonsocket creamery.
In January, 1898, R. S. Vessey, of Wessington Springs and J. D. Chamberlain, of Alpena, began a move to get a telephone line extended from Woonsocket to both the Jerauld county towns, but the plan was not put in operation until the next year.
The year 1898 saw young cattle advance to prices that bordered on the ridiculous. It was not uncommon to see yearling animals sell for $23 to $28 per head. Large numbers of steers were brought into the country and sold to farmers, .on contract, and at prices that almost rendered a profitable deal impossible. Whole train loads at a time were brought into Alpena and contracted, 50 to 100 in a bunch to any one who could get control of range enough for grazing. Before winter set in thousands of animals were delivered back to the companies from whom they had been obtained, but not often with any profit to the man who had cared for the cattle during the summer months. From Alpena, alone, 165 cars of cattle were shipped to Sioux City and other markets. The same business was continued during the succeeding two years.
During the forepart of the year several literary societies were con- ducted in the county districts. In Chery township these. entertainments took the form of "spelling schools." At the Webber school in Anina township, and also in Blaine township the societies were for the purposes of debates and recitations. In Alpena township at the Sand Creek school house a night school for the study of German language was held every Monday and Tuesday evening. At Wessington Springs a literary society was organized that was continued during several winters.
In the church circles of the county there was considerable activity during the year. In Viola township the German M. E. building was com- pleted by the middle of February and a few weeks later a fine bell was sending forth its tones from the belfry arch. The building was dedicated June 12th, Rev. Hein pastor. The dedicatory sermon was by Rev. Kaste,
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of Redfield, presiding elder, and sermons were also preached by Rev. C. Schulz, of Charles City, Iowa, and Dr. McLean. The congregation de- rived great satisfaction from the fact that the building was dedicated free of debt. On the 16th of the following October Rev. Hein was suc- ceeded as pastor by Rev. Westphal.
At Alpena a ladies aid society was organized in connection with the M. E. church, Dec. 30th, with Mrs. Davenport, president. The charter imembers were Mrs. R. Davenport, Mrs. A. F. Smith, Mrs. R. H. Stokes, Mrs. T. Welch, Mrs. Alice Smith, Mrs. T. A. Thompson and Mrs. R. T. Blank.
In Marlar township Sabbath School was re-organized on March 6th at school house No. I.
On March 26th the Free Methodist church formed a new conference district, composed of the Alpena, Bates, Sweetland and Wessington Springs circuits.
On March Ist W. W. Smith located at Wessington Springs and re- mained the local physician for several years.
A fire company was organized at Wessington Springs in April with W. F. Bancroft as chief. This was the first organized fire company in the county.
May 30th, Decoration Day, had from the first organization of the G. A. R. in the county been duly observed at Alpena, Waterbury and Wes- sington Springs. But up to this time Alpena had felt the want of a suitable place upon which to raise the national colors. It was therefore determined to erect a flag pole in the main street of the village. A pole was prepared and on the morning of Decoration Day it was put in place and the flag hung at halfmast in honor of the nation's hero dead.
The Congregationalists and the Universalists each began building a foundation for a church at Wessington Springs in July. The former laid the cornerstone of their edifice on July 23rd, but did not begin work on the superstructure until in September. The Universalists had com- pleted their building and held the first services therein on Nov. 27th. The Congregationalists held watch meeting in their new church Dec. 31st.
About the 15th of February L. N. Loomis sold his interest in the Bank of Wessington Springs to H. J. Wallace, who took his son D. C. Wal- lace into the business, the banking firm being thereafter known as H. J. Wallace & Son.
The commencement exercises of the Wessington Springs Seminary for the class of 1898 were held on June 7th. Diplomas were granted to Edith H. Hill, Fannie C. Miller, Cora I. Horsley, Fred N. Dunham,
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Sadie E. Dixon, Edith E. Whitney, Edith J. Vrooman, Mabelle E. Hunt- ley, Anton P. Matson and Della L. Harlow.
May 21st a meeting was held at Woodburn Hall to organize a military company to be in readiness for a further call for soldiers in case one should be made for service in the war with Spain, which had been de- clared in April. As a result of this meeting a company was formed with 51 members, T. L. White, captain ; Criss Spears, Ist Lieutenant and Wm. Brodkorb, 2nd Lieutenant.
At Alpena O. W. Coursey resigned his position in the public school and accompanied by Jerry Turman, went to Sioux Falls as soon as the president issued the call for troops, and became members of the Ist South Dakota Regiment, which rendered distinguished service in the Philipine Islands.
Although neither of the villages in Jerauld county celebrated the national holiday, yet the day was generally observed. At Crow Lake the people gathered at the residence of Dr. S. H. Melcher for a picnic celebration. In Viola township a large crowd gathered at the P. H. Shultz homestead and enjoyed a picnic celebration. The same observance of the day occurred in Harmony township at the residence of Eugene Cole- man. At Glen, in Logan township, a large concourse assembled and enjoyed races, ball games and other sports. In Franklin township a picnic was held at the residence of J. W. Harden. At Wessington Springs two celebrations were in progress at the same time. The Universalists had a large tent near the grove in which patriotic speeches were made, followed by a picnic dinner while a number of Sabbath schools united in a celebration in the Bateman Gulch south of town. The day passed with no extreme manifestation of enthusiasm until the stage driver in the evening brought the news of the naval victory at Santiago. Then the bonfires flamed, the anvils roared, the rockets pierced the sky and the great event was celebrated as fully as it was possible to do in a little country village in the heart of the great plains.
On June 21st, 22nd and 23rd the Epworth League held a sub-district convention at Wessington Springs.
Sept. Ist Andrew Mercer retired from the Woodburn House at Wes- sington Springs and was succeeded by J. J. Hillis of Alpena.
F. M. Brown purchased of Wm. Kline his blacksmith shop, and barn Sept. 10th. This building Mr. Brown afterward enlarged and made into the livery barn that now stands on the east side of 2nd street north of Vessey Bros. store.
About the 15th of October R. M. McNeil bought the J. W. Snart hardware store. A few days later Bert Healey moved his harness shop and notion goods to a small building he had moved from Waterbury to
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Wessington Springs and placed it on the south side of Main Street west of 2nd street.
In politics the situation began early in the season to show symptoms of change. In September both parties put tickets in the field. The populist ticket was as follows :
Senator-J. M. Spears.
Representative-G. S. Nelson.
Register of Deeds-Gus Johnson.
Treasurer-T. L. White.
Sheriff-Pat McDonald. Auditor-Wm. Zink.
Clerk of Courts-S. S. Vrooman.
Judge-J. H. May. .
Attorney-J. R. Francis.
County Superintendent-Geo. O. Williams.
Coroner-W. W. Smith.
Surveyor-O. J. Marshall.
County Com., 3rd district .- B. R. Shimp.
The Republican ticket named for
Senator-L. N. Loomis.
Representative-J. V. Drips.
Treasurer-F. S. Coggshall.
Auditor-D. B. Paddock.
Register of Deeds-D. F. Moulton.
Sheriff-John E. White.
Clerk of Courts-W. F. Taylor.
Attorney-C. W. McDonald.
County Supt. E. H. Wood.
Judge-C. D. Brown. Coroner-W. W. Smith.
Surveyor-H. J. Wallace.
County Com., 3rd Dist .- M. A. Shaw.
The election was held on the 8th of November with the following result :
Senator-L. N. Loomis. Representative-G. S. Nelson. Treasurer-T. L. White. Auditor-Wm. Zink. Register of Deeds-D. F. Moulton.
Sheriff-Pat McDonald. County Supt .- E. H. Wood.
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Attorney-C. W. McDonald.
Clerk of Courts-W. F. Taylor.
Judge-C. D. Brown. Coroner-W. W. Smith.
Surveyor-H. J. Wallace.
County Commissioner-M. A. Shaw.
Equal suffrage, which was submitted at this election, carried the county by 218 to 150.
Dispensary Liquor Law carried the county by 243 to 132.
Initiative and Referendum carried the county by 270 to 96.
Chapter 11.
The county commissioners did little but routine work in the year 1899. During that time Treasurer T. L. White called in all the out- standing warrants, and as there were no bonds outstanding the county began doing business on a cash basis. The board re-organized on the 7th of January by electing P. H. Shultz, of the 2nd commissioner district. chairman.
April 4th the board granted to the Dakota Southern Telephone Co. the right to set telephone poles on the edges of the highways of the county, but not so as to obstruct the use of the public roads. On April Ioth the work of setting poles for the line from Woonsocket to Wessing- ton Springs commenced and was completed in August.
At a special meeting the forepart of May the commissioners appropri- ated $600 to be loaned to people who had suffered loss by the terrible prairie fires that raged during the latter part of April, and later ap- propriated $100 to help pay the expense of bringing the Ist South Da- kota Regiment home from San Francisco.
During the year the Jerauld county board arranged with the con- missioners of Brule county to put in a fifty-four foot steel bridge across Smith Creek on the south line of Logan township to cost $100, each county paying one half the expense. The bridge was completed in November.
On Sept. 5th the board made the lowest tax levy in the history of the county as follows: State tax 2 and two-fifths mills ; county general. 6 mills ; bridge fund, 1 mill ; sinking fund, 1 mill.
On April 7th and again on Oct. 7th the board transferred $1000 from the bridge fund to the county general fund.
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Raising the Flag Pole in Alpena 1898.
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Alpena 1908.
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Politics attracted but little attention in 1899 as only a county com- missioner from the 2nd district was to be elected. The populists re- nominated P. H. Shultz of Viola township and the republicans named John Grant of Wessington Springs township. Mr. Shultz was re-elected.
The county teachers' institute began August 2Ist and continued two weeks.
June 13th the old settlers picnic was held at the residence of O. O. England in Harmony township.
Among the newspapers of the county two changes were made during the year. J. W. Sheppard succeeding G. W. Backus in the editorial man- agement of the Sieve on February 10th, and E. M. Cochran following Lou Knowles on the Alpena Journal Dec. 29th.
A's the flocks of sheep enabled many settlers to retain their home during the hard times, so the creameries slowly but surely started the farming communities on the way to prosperity. A few cows living on the prairie grass, furnished milk that, sold to a creamery, enabled the farmer to keep up his bills at the local store and meet his small necessary cash outlay. All through the year 1899 grain prices continued low, wheat about 50 cents, and corn 15 to 20 cents per bushel. In December wheat at AAlpena was selling at 49 cents per bushel, while a dollar would only purchase sixteen pounds of sugar. Wages of all kinds were correspond- ingly low. The average teacher's wages for the county including the village schools was but $29 per month. The cattle business reached its highest point that year (1899), over 4000 head being contracted to farm- crs at Alpena alone between January Ist and April Ist. But while the cattle business was speculative and unprofitable, in the way it was con- clucted, dairying was a legitimate part of farm industry.
The Alpena and Glen creameries were kept in operation all through the winter of 1898-99, but the one at Wessington Springs was closed during the cold season. A skimming station was established at Charles Walter's artesian well in Viola township and another at Albert's artesian well in Chery township, both being in connection with the Wessington Springs creamery, and both run by well power.
On January 16th A. M. Slocum opened a photograph gallery at Wes- sington Springs. This was the first permanent studio in the county.
Among the mail carriers some changes were made during the year. About April 15th James Weast took the route from Wessington Springs to Waterbury, In June Howard Pope became proprietor of the Woon- socket stage line, but sold it to W. V. Dixon about August 15th.
Sometime in the forepart of May Wm. Brodkorb returned to his grocery business at the corner of Main and 3rd streets, and was succeeded in the Willard Hotel by his son Herman. About the first of July the
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liotel was leased to J. J. Hillis, who ran it in connection with the Wood- burn House. At this time Herman Brodkorb purchased his father's grocery business, and on the evening of the 4th of July Wm. Brodkorb, Sr., started on a trip to his Fatherland with no definite plans as to when he would return. He was absent from Wessington Springs just ten weeks.
Both. the Congregational and Universalist churches were dedicated this year, the former on the 18th of October, and the latter on the 18th of June.
The class of 1899 was graduated from the Seminary June 2Ist. The members were James H. Hall, Eva J. Whitney, Lawrence A. Pinard, J. Irving McNeil, Edna R. Vroomann and W. A. Harden.
By this time the Wessington Springs public school had grown until the school building erected by E. L. Smith in 1884 was too small to ac- commodate the number of pupils. On the 30th of August the people voted to build another and larger school house and bonds were issued for that purpose. The new house was built on the east side of 3rd street op- posite the Universalist church, by Mr. C. P. Christensen, and the school took possession of it Dec. 18th. The old school house was sold for $151 to the German Lutheran church of Alpena and Franklin townships, who moved and used it for religious purposes. After the founding of the town of Lane the old school house was moved to that place, where it is still in use as a church.
On the 2nd of September the whole county was shocked and grieved by the sudden death of H. J. Wallace, the Wessington Springs banker. After the death of Mr. Wallace the bank was continued by his son D. C. Wallace, until September 20th, when the institution was purchased by R. S. Vessey, J. H. Woodburn and F. G. Vessey.
The principal celebrations in the county on the 4th of July were at Glen, in Logan township, and at Chas. Walter's residence in Viola.
At Alpena J. D. Chamberlain engaged in the farm implement business and in the course of the year put up a warehouse for his stock of ma- chinery and later put up another building in which he placed a stock of furniture. That was the beginning of the furniture business in Alpena. In November he sold a half interest in the machinery business to Her- man Scheel.
July 15th was a "red letter" day for Alpena school township. In March the treasurer had called in all the outstanding school warrants, and on this day in July the board had obtained possession of all school township bonds and with appropriate ceremony all the old warrants and bonds were publicly burned. The school township was free from debt.
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In February a series of revival meetings were held by Rev. T. Do- noghue at the Eastman school house in the southern part of Alpena town- ship.
In Dale township Mr. Ernest Schmidt had employed W. P. Shulz to put down an artesian well which was completed in November.
Sometime in April Dr. J. E. Shull opened an office in Alpena and was soon after joined by his partner Dr. Bullock. The firm continued until about Aug. Ist, when Dr. Bullock retired from the practice in Al- pena.
Chapter 12.
(1900).
The year that closed the 19th century began in an exceedingly mild and open winter. No snow and but little cold weather. Several games of baseball were played in different parts of the county during January and February. In many of the business houses the fires were allowed to go out and the outer doors left open. No one in Jerauld county had a sleigh ride that winter.
The County commissioners reorganized January 2nd by electing J. E. Reynolds, of the first district, as chairman. In August Mr. Reynolds was taken with a very severe attack of typhoid fever that incapacitated him for any further service on the board.
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