USA > South Dakota > Jerauld County > A history of Jerauld county, South Dakota > Part 24
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In the forepart of January the board made an agreement with R. S. Vessey, manager of the Dakota Southern Telephone Company, to put a 'phone in the county treasurer's office, to be used by all county officials and the public in the village of Wessington Springs, for a rental of $20 per year.
At Alpena the first farmers institute in the county, under the auspices of the state, was held January 30th and 3Ist.
On May 14th Joseph Ponsford was given a contract for the con- struction of a bridge across Crow Creek in Crow township. The work was completed in time to be accepted by the county commissioners and paid for at the meeting in September.
The county commissioners on Oct. 3rd, acting under a law, the enact- ment of which had been secured by Senator Loomis in 1898, reduced the salary of the county attorney for the next two years to $100 per year.
About three o'clock in the morning of October 13, fire was discovered in the county jail and the building was soon destroyed. The origin of the fire, though strongly suspected, was never certainly known.
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Robt. E. Dyc.
Dr. J. E. Shull.
Joseph H. May.
L. N. Loomis.
O. O. England.
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The assessors' returns from the various townships gave the assessed valuation of all the real estate and personal property of the county in 1900 at $1,102,536. The tax levy for the years was as follows: State 2 seven- tenths mills ; county 3 mills ; bridge five-tenths mills ; insane I mill.
The total number of school children in the county at this time was 909 ; school houses, 57, and the cost of schools, $25,200.57.
The county teachers' institute began June 18th and continued two weeks with Prof. Doderer. as conductor.
The old settlers' picnic was held June 26th at Foster Grove in Pleasant township, on section five.
During the year the prices of farm produce remained low, but land values began to show a decided advance. In the east part of the county several quarter sections were sold at from $800 to $1,500 per quarter. At this time the only real estate man in the county actively engaged in. the business, was O. J. Marshall, who was also a bonded abstractor.
Late in the autumn a disease, known as the cornstalk disease, broke out among the farm herds of cattle, all over the northwestern states. In Jerauld county the loss was quite heavy.
August 10th the governor appointed Mr. N. M. Thompson of Alpena game warden for Jerauld county to serve one year.
Business changes were few in the county during the year 1900, and but few improvements of any kind were made. In Chery township Wm. Kline, assisted by W. P. Shulz, completed his artesian well about Dec. ist and in Marlar Dr. J. E. Shull began the task of drilling a similar well on his ranch in the northeast part of the township. This last effort con- tinued for many months and was finally abandoned after the drill had been driven to a depth of over 1,725 feet.
In Chery Township a new school house was built to replace the one that had been destroyed by fire in April, 1899.
In the mail service of the county but little change was made. The Sullivan P. O. in Anina Township was discontinued. In the west part of the county a short star route was established from Waterbury to Gann Valley with Mark Abermathy as mail carrier. April Ist A. M. Slocum became mail carrier on the Wessington Springs-Waterbury route.
The Woodburn House, at Wessington Springs, was purchased by Carl Hall Feb. 5th, and the name changed to "The Carlton House," Hall retained charge of the hotel until April 17th, when Miss Chandler and her mother rented it and cantinued its management until the fore- part of Sept., when it passed into the hands of A. C. Parfitt. About Dec. 15th A. J. Evans became landlord of the Carlton House and remained in charge of it for several months.
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On February 23rd, 1900, J. W. Sheppard retired from the editorial management of "The Sieve" and was succeeded by A. J. Evans.
About the first of March Mr. O. O. England purchased a carload of furniture, and with his son and daughter, G. T. England, and M. Della England, opened a furniture store in a building erected by Joseph Wei- bold on the southwest corner of Main and Third streets. This was the beginning of the furniture and undertaking business in Wessington Springs which with careful management has now become large and profitable.
Sometime in January Nate Spears bought the confectionery business of Howard Pope and for a short time thereafter ran it in connection with his barber shop.
On May 7th C. W. England sold to D. B. Olson his tobacco and confectionery business and retired from business in Jerauld county.
A district encampment of the G. A. R. occurred at Wessington Springs on July 3rd, 4th and 5th.
At that time there were standing on the south side of Main Street between. 2nd and 3rd streets the old Thayer Bank building, occupied by C. W. McDonald, Bert Healey's notion store, M. A. Schafer's drug and grocery store and two small office buildings. Before daylight on the morning of the 6th of July fire broke out in the Schaefer building. It with all the other buildings in the row were destroyed. A few months later E. L. Smith and O. J. Marshall put up a double store building on the ground where the burned structures had stood .. Into one room of the new building Mr. Healey again opened a notion store on Dec. Ist, 1900, and about the same time Mr. Bancroft moved the post office and the True Republican printing office into the other room.
The Willard Hotel was rented about the 15th of July by Mrs. Coffin, who occupied it during the ensuing year.
The state conference of the Free Methodist Church was held at Wes- sington Springs Oct. 3rd to 7th.
About November Ist O. O. England sold his hardware store building and stock to Wm. Kennedy and son, Alexander.
December Ist Howard Pope and Mr. Mennill opened a blacksmith and woodwork shop in a building then standing on the south side of Main street east of the Vessey store. They set up a feed mill, which was run with power furnished by a geared windmill.
At Alpena J. D. Chamberlain opened a hardware store with a stock he had obtained in a real estate deal. The D. H. Wood hardware store was sold by that gentleman on July 16th to Grant Anderson, who has continued the business to the present time.
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On June 16th Andrew Mercer purchased of John Woods the Alpena meat market.
At 7 o'clock on Wednesday evening, Dec. 5th, 1900, the first ring of a telephone bell was heard in Alpena and the village was then in close touch with all the surrounding towns.
In the fall of the year the Sioux Falls brewing company attempted to establish a wholesale and retail liquor store in Alpena, but the concern was of short duration.
The Wessington Springs school house which had been purchased for church purpose by the Ev. Luth. Zion Church and moved to the south part of Alpena Township, was dedicated May 13th, 1900, with Rev. Lack as pastor.
Rev. R. A. Brough was engaged as pastor of the Presbyterian Church in Alpena, beginning his work on May 13th. The conference appointee for the M. E. Church, made in October, was Rev. W. B. Stewart.
The year 1900 being the time for a presidential election the Repub- licans of Jerauld County hoped to recover some more of the political field that had so long been occupied by their opponents. The election, though lacking much of the bitterness that had characterized former cam- paigns, was hotly contested for the more important offices. The tickets placed in nomination were as follows:
Republican :
Senator-L. N. Loomis.
Representative-A. J. Wooledge.
Treasurer-Geo. R. Bateman. Auditor-W. H. McMillan.
Register of Deeds-W. B. Wilson. -
Attorney-N. J. Dunham. Sheriff-Wm. Brodkorb. Judge-C. W. McDonald.
Clerk of Courts -- W. F. Taylor.
County Supt .- E. H. Wood.
Coroner-Dr. J. E. Shull. Commissioner, Ist Dist .- Gus. A. Newman.
Populists :
Senator-Jefferson Sickler. Representative-G. S. Nelson. Treasurer-T. L. White. Auditor-Wm. Zuik.
Register of Deeds-Wesley Brownell.
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Sheriff-Chas. A. Knudson.
Clerk of Courts-S. S. Vrooman.
Judge-Daniel Mitchell. County Supt .- Abbie Whitney. Attorney-John R. Francis.
Coroner-J. E. Shull. County Com., Ist Dist .- R. J. Tracy.
The election occurred on Nov. 6th, with the result that the Populists retained the offices of Treasurer, Auditor, Sheriff and Attorney. The balance of the places were filled by the Republicans. The Prohibitionists had nominated a full legislative and county ticket but practically dropped the contest in the early part of the campaign.
Chapter 13. (1901).
With the beginning of the century an era of business activity set in that, probably, has never been equaled. In the Dakotas this was most noticable in the rapid selling of real estate. Land prices doubled and doubled again, before people began to realize that the long deferred "boom" had struck the great prairie country. Men who had complained that they were "land poor" suddenly found themselves rich beyond their most optimistic dreams. But few people realize how much of this was due to the real estate men. Every village and city became the head- quarters of from two to a dozen dealers in South Dakota land. Prior to 1901 nearly all the real estate business of the county had been done by O. J. Marshall of Wessington Springs ; but during that year D. C. Wal- lace, located at Alpena, and F. M. Steere, at Wessington Springs, formed a partnership in the real estate business and during the year sold an immense acreage to buyers from other states. John Chamberlain, L. N. Loomis and Ray Barber, all of Alpena, engaged actively in the business at that point, while D. F. Moulton and R. S. Vessey each had an office at the county scat. Later the National Land Co. opened office at Alpena with L. Elliott and A. C. Doubenmier, managers. The method of hand- ling was such as to force the price upward. The agent required the owner to put a net price on his land. The real estate broker then sold the land at whatever he could get above the owner's price, taking the excess as commission. In this way fortunes were made in a few years by both buyers and brokers.
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The rapid sales of land called for men to do abstracing, and bonded abstractors were located in every county seat. In Jerauld County C. W. McDonald filed his bond as an abstractor in April and soon had all he could do it that line. In July the Jerauld County Abstract Co. was formed.
The numerous land deals were of great benefit to the county in the collection of delinquent personal and real estate taxes, which were a lien on the land and must be paid before an abstract could show a clear title.
But land prices were not the only evidences of prosperity. Mortgage sales of all kinds ceased almost entirely except in a few cases where fore- closure was necessary to perfect a land title. The price of farm products began to go up. In October wheat was selling at 52c; corn 40c ; hogs $6.10; butter 13c; eggs 15c. The creameries were the greatest sources of wealth aside from the rise in the value of land. At Alpena the creamery took in over two million pounds of milk and made almost 89,000 pounds of butter during the year 1901. In January, 1901, the Glen Creamery reported that during the preceeding year it had paid to its patrons $11,836.13, while the institution at Wessington Springs did an equally good business. In the banks of the county the deposits increased to $22.00 per capita of the county population. In Alpena, for the first time in several years all four grain elevators were in operation handling the immense crop produced that year. The county treasurer's report made in January, 1901, showed that during the preceeding three months the county had not paid out a dollar for relief of the poor and during the next three months the amount expended for that purpose was but $7.65.
At Glen, in Logan Township, Mr. Frick was compelled to add twenty feet to the length of his store building to accommodate his growing busi- ness. At the Walter's skimming station in Viola Township Mr. Otto Wagner built a store in the forepart of the season and for some time drove a good trade in such articles as the farmers needed.
In county matters but little occurred outside of routine business. The board reorganized January 3rd, by electing P. H. Shultz, commissioner from the second district, chairman. At this meeting the board decided to build an addition to the court house and put in another vault. It was also necessary to rebuild the jail and repair the cells. The contract for put- ting up the two buildings was let to Samuel Marlenee, the total cost being about $2,500. It was planned to build the new jail on the block south of the Willard Hotel, but a 'strongly signed petition from the people of the town resulted in placing the building on the hill near the count lionse. where. it now stands.
On November 18th, 1901, the county commissioners acting as road viewers reported in favor of opening a highway beginning at the half-
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Alpena 1899.
Alpena Band.
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section corner post between sections 20 and 21 in Media Township and running east through the center of sections 21, 22 and 23 to half-section corner post between sections 23 and 24, thence north one mile, thence east So rods to end of lane, which is 80 rods east of half-section corner be- tween 13 and 14. They also reported in favor of abandoning the high- way between sections 16 and 21; 15 and 22; 14 and 23; 21 and 28; 22 and 27.
On the evening of April 22nd a young man, riding one horse and leading another, arrived at Wessington Springs and stayed over night. The animals were valuable ones and the young fellow was anxious to sell one of them. He offered the horse at a price so low that Mr. Price, the liveryman, became suspicious that all was not right. In the morning the man departed taking the horses with him. About an hour after he had left the town a telephone message was received from Huron telling the sheriff, Chas. Knudson, to look out for a man who had stolen a team of horses near that place and was supposed to be somewhere in the vicinity of Wessington Springs. The sheriff invited Mr. Price to go with him and together they set out in pursuit of the man with the animals. They overtook him at the residence of J. A. Paddock in Crow Township. They were close upon the fellow before he discoverede that he was being pursued. He was requesting Mr. Paddock to open a gate that stretched across the road, when that gentleman remarked that "Those men who are following seem to think otherwise." The young man released the led horse and attempted to escape on the other. Mr. Price drew a revolver and began firing. The horseman immediately stopped and surrendered. He proved to be the man wanted by the Huron parties.
In November a man named Romboldt stole a span of heavy draft horses from Ray Barber at Alpena, but was captured with the stolen property. At the request of States Attorney Francis, a special term of the circuit court was called and the prisoner was sentenced to two years in the penitentiary on a plea of guilty. This ended the perpetration of crimes of that character in the county.
The annual picnic of the old settlers' association of western Jerauld County was held at Pierce's grove, two miles west of Templeton, on the 14th of June. This grove then became the meeting place for the associa- tion in subsequent years.
On May 15th a district W. C. T. U. convention was held at Wessing- ton Springs in the Congregational Church. This was followed on June 28th by a county Sunday School convention in the same church.
On June 12th the Wessington Springs Seminary graduated a class of twelve members as follows: Harry Lackwood, May Cook, Clara Phil-
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lips, Stephen Dixon, Carry Talbot, Carrie Allen, Roy McNeil, Frank Shultz, Ethel White, Hattie Esmay, Alex. Kennedy, Geraldine Heath.
The county teachers' institute was opened June 17th and continued two weeks in the Seminary Chapel, Prof. Doderer, of Chamberlain, con- ductor.
A state conference of the Universalist Churches of South Dakota was held at Wessington Springs on June 20th.
On July 3rd, 4th and 5th a district G. A. R. re-union was held in White's Grove at Alpena. Like all such gatherings, the old veterans were greeted with an immense concourse of people from Jerauld, Sanborn and Beadle Counties.
The Fourth of July was also celebrated at Glen, Gordon P. O. and the Solberg Church in Viola Township.
The only change made in the mail service in the county was in Viola Township, where the Ada post office was re-established, with Mr. J. C. Miller as P. M. This occurred in April.
Among the churches and societies some changes and additions were made. In Pleasant Township a Farmers' Club was organized that so- cially was a great help to the west side of the county. On June 30th a Congregational Church was organized at Fauston and on July 7th it was received into the fellowship of churches. The new church started out with 22 members. In the autumn the society employed Samuel Mar- ienee to put up a church edifice for them and on the 7th of November the corner stone was laid.
At Alpena the Presbyterian society began the construction of a new church building. The contract for the carpenter work was given to Samuel Marlenee, who began work on the 7th of November. A lodge of "Brotherhood of America" with 21 charter members was organized in January and the "Royal Neighbors" in August. These were fraternal insurance societies.
May 5th the German Lutherans dedicated a new organ which they had purchased for their church in the south part of Alpena township. A sermon in the German language was preached by Rev. Gebhardt, of Conova, and one in English by Rev. Lack, the local pastor. Rev. Lack resigned as pastor in December.
On November 30th a brass band was organized at Alpena with 15 pieces, to which seven more instruments were added the next week. This organization became one of the prominent musical aggregations of the state.
The only change among the newspapers of the county was in Alpena. when R. E. Dye on April 5th succeeded E. M. Cochran in the office of the Journal.
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Business changes in the county in 1901 were numerous.
About the first of June Ray Barber began. building at Alpena one of the finest livery barns in the state. It was 42. feet wide by 96 feet in . length.
Sept. Ist C. W. Miller purchased the Alpena hotel of Mrs. Barber and Mrs. Thompson and took possession. At about the same time the C. L. Coleman Lumber Co. established a yard at Alpena.
During the first week in December W. H. McMillan and J. D. Cham- berlain purchased the Alpena meat market of Andrew Mercer, and a few days later W. R. Wiley bought the furniture store and business at Alpena of J. D. Chamberlain.
In August Mr. Chamberlain had purchased the Presbyterian Church building on the north side of Main street in Alpena, opposite Odd Fel- lows Hall and fitted it up for use as a general store.
At Wessington Springs the first business transaction of the year was the sale of the local telephone company's line to the Dakota Central Tele- phone Co. This occurred on January Ist, 1901.
A few days later Mr. Vanderveen sold his lumber stock and business to E. B. Paddock, who ran the business alone until September, when he sold a half interest to W. T. McConnell.
The latter part of March Homer Hackett began the erection of a building for use of the England furniture company. G. T. England. successor to the company, still occupies the building, which he has since purchased.
In April W. T. George and W. T. McConnell located in Wessington Springs to engage in business. The coming of these gentlemen was probably the first step in the making of a greater Wessington Springs. Mr. George purchased a half interest in the Vessey store, which then took the name of Vessey-George Mercantile Co., and Mr. McConnell be- came president of the Bank of Wessington Springs.
On May 3rd E. M. Cochran rented and took possession of the Carlton House in Wessington Springs, but retired from it in October and was succeeded in its management by C. N. Hall, the owner.
Howard Pope sold his interest in the blacksmith business to which he and Mr. Minnill had added feed grinding. This change occurred in May and a little later Mr. Mennill sold a half interest in the business to Homer Hackett.
In August A. M. Slocum built a photograph gallery on the northwest corner of Main and Third streets.
The next month (Sept. 1901) Mrs. Minnie Easton took charge of the millinery department in the Vessey-George store.
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About the first of October Dr. Smith and Prof. E. G. Burritt opened a drug store in the Weibold building on the southwest corner of Main and 3rd streets.
On November 15th Steere & Wallace began building a two-story mer- cantile structure on the northwest corner of Main and 2nd streets.
Sometime in the forepart of the year Mr. M. Kieffer, undoubtedly one of the most skillful masons in the state, located at Wessington Springs and began working at his trade.
Among the prominent people of the county who died during the year were Ambrose Baker of Marlar township: J. H. May, of Alpena town- ship and C. M. Chery and Mrs. C. M. Spears of Wessington Springs.
Chapter 14.
( 1902).
On January 7th, 1902, the county commissioners re-elected P. H. Shultz chairman of the board, being the only time in the history of the county that a member has been given that position two times in succes- sion.
On March Ist of that year the cash in the hands of the treasurer was a little more than $20,000. Never before had the county funds reached so high a figure.
In July the county purchased of Mrs. Johanna McDowall a tract of land for a road through the hills on the east line of the. county. In August the board took up for final adjustment the matter of a highway through Media township west from the end of the grade west of Wes- sington Springs. For many years this had been a vexations subject. Many "views" and surveys had been made, but with no practical results. But this time a survey was made, the notes recorded and the land pur- chased for the road that now extends from the county seat to where it strikes the section line road between sections 8 and 17 in Media township.
Nothing else was done by the county board during the year except the ordinary routine work.
On July 28th the county teachers' institute began a two-weeks session with Prof. C. W. Martindale, of Yankton, conductor.
The County Sunday School convention was held Sept. 7th in the Grisinger grove in Franklin township.
As the time for the bienniel election approached the parties prepared for the contest. The Republican party put forth the following ticket :
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Senator -- T. W. Lane.
Representative-H. B. Ferren.
Treasurer-D. C. Wallace.
Register of Deeds-W. B. Wilson.
Auditor-J. D. Powell. Sheriff-G. N. Price.
Judge-C. W .. McDonald.
Clerk-W. F. Taylor.
County Supt .- A. V. Hall.
Coroner-J. E. Shull.
County Com., 2nd District-Geo. C. Martin.
County Co., 3rd District-O. O. England.
The Populist party nominated :
For Senator-J. A. Eberly.
Representative-N. A. Keeler.®
Treasurer-M. A. Shaefer.
Auditor-R. W. Wiley.
Register of Deeds-J. A. Ford.
Sheriff-Chas. A. Knudson.
Attorney-C. C. Gleim.
Clerk-J. W. Snart.
County Supt .- Geo. O. Williams.
Coroner-Pat McDonald.
County Com., 2nd Dist .- P. H. Shultz.
County Co., 3rd Dist .- H. T. Gilbert.
The Prohibition party also had a ticket in the field.
The result was the election of the entire Republican ticket except the candidate for sheriff. This was the first sweeping victory of the Repub- licans in twelve years.
In 1892 the government established a post office at the sod house of Jacob Stickley in Pleasant township. There O. E. Corwin opened a store at the same time. Both continued about a year.
In February the government contracted with the following mail car- riers : Crow Lake and Mt. Vernon routes, J. H. Vessey; Miller route. W. Spain ; Woonsocket, Wm. Keene. All these routes started from Wes- sington Springs.
In March the county furnished the plank and street commissioner Wm. Hawthorne for the village of Wessington Springs laid a sidewalk from the Willard Hotel to the court house.
The Fourth of July celebrations in 1902 were at Chas. Walter's grove
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II. B. W'ilson.
WVm. F. Taylor.
G. T. England.
Dale C. Wallace.
Mrs. Minnic Euston.
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in Viola ; at Glen P. O. in Logan ; at Peirce's Grove in Harmony and at Wessington Springs.
A month later, Aug. 3rd, the new Congregational Church at Fauston was dedicated and on Sept. 21 the same ceremony was conducted for the new Alpena Presbyterian Church. . On October 19th the Alpena M. E. Church was out of debt and celebrated the occasion by publicly burning the mortgage that had rested on the church so many years. In connec- tion with the same church a charter was granted to a Junior Epworth League society on Dec. 15, 1902.
Early in 1902 the M. E. Society at Wessington Springs decided to erect a larger church building on Fourth Street, a block north of Main Street and offered the old church, built by the early settlers in 1883, for sale. It was purchased by the Solberg Swedish Lutheran Society of the south part of Franklin township, but was not moved to its new location until 1904. The Methodist Church at Wessington Springs began the erection of their new building in the summer of 1902. but it was not completed until the next year. In the meantime the society obtained the use of the Universalist building.
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