USA > South Dakota > Jerauld County > A history of Jerauld county, South Dakota > Part 25
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The Society of Friends in Harmony Township moved a building owned by them in Hand County to a location they had obtained on the south side of Peirce's Grove, two miles west of Templeton, and established that as their meeting place in the county.
During the first week in January, 1902, R. E. Dye succeeded Richard Davenport as postmaster at Alpena. Later in the season the postoffice and printing office were placed under one roof at their present location.
Nov. 29th the Stock P. O. in Chery township was discontinued.
April Ist W. E. Waterbury gave up the old Waterbury P. O. and it was moved three miles east to the residence of . Clark Wetherell who had been appointed P. M.
About the middle of December O. O. England bought the J. R. Eddy mercantile stock at Templeton and became postmaster at that office.
In the fall of this year, (1902), a fire company was organized in Crow Lake township for protection against prairie fires. The officers were J. C. Russell, Joseph O'Brien and B. Weibold .; Each member of the company was required to equip himself with certain means for fighting fire and to respond immediately to an alarm.
On March 24th John Sime completed his artesian well on the south- west quarter of section seven in Franklin township at a depth of 830 fcet.
Numerous changes were made in the banking institutions of the county during the year. The Bank of Alpena on the 22nd of July increased its capital stock to $12,000 and about the same time began the construction
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F. G. T'essey.
A. R. McConnell.
M. S. Cowman.
J. H. Woodburn.
E. B. Maris.
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of a brick building for use of the institution at the' southeast corner of Main and 2nd streets.
The organization of the Alpena State Bank was completed Aug. 22nd. The incorporators were D. S. Manwaring and Frank Baker of Alpena and C. R. and M. A. Manwaring of Atwood, Iowa, with F. E. Manning as cashier. The capital stock was $10,000. The bank was formally opened for business Sept. Ist. The deposits in this institution during the first three weeks of its existence was $23,000.
In the latter part of December, D. C. Wallace resigned his position as cashier of the Bank of Alpena and moved to Wessington Springs to enter upon his duties as county treasurer.
On Sept. 17th R. S. and F. G. Vessey became owners of the stock of the Wessington Springs State Bank with T. F. Vessey, F. M. Steere, John R. Francis and Gilmore Robins, the latter being of Grinnell, Iowa.
The First National Bank of Wessington Springs was authorized Sept. 25th and opened for business on the first day of Oct. The first issue of its currency was on November 19th. The stockholders of the new bank were. J. H. Woodburn, John Grant, W. T. George, E. B. Maris. W. T. McConnell, A. R. McConnell, O. J. Marshall, Sarah McConnell, J. B. Collins, W. H. Sutton and C. R. Cornelius, all but the last four being directors. The officers were W. T. McConnell, president, J. H. Wood- burn, vice-president and E. B. Maris, cashier. The capital stock was $25,000, upon which semi-annual devidends have been paid each year since the opening of the bank. At the close of this history, January Ist, 1909, the bank's surplus and undivided profits exceeded $10,000. The new institution began business in the little frame building formerly occupied as a hardware store on the north side of Main street, three doors west of 2nd street. The directors immediately began preparations for a brick building on the corner of Main and 2nd streets on the ground where the Woodburn store building stood. The store building they moved one lot east. Work on the new building commenced Dec. 9th, but it was not completed until the next year.
The year 1902 was one of much business activity in both Wessington Springs and Alpena. At the latter place Grant Anderson started a har- ness shop in his hardware store in January, and the next month C. S. Jacobs opened a harness shop on the north side of Main street, with his son Louis Jacobs as manager. About the first of August, however. Mr. Jacobs sold his business to Mr. Anderson, who has since done the business for that part of the county.
C. C. Isenbuth sold his mercantile store and business in January to F. A. Franzwa, who took possession February Ist. In May Mr. Franzwa had the first cement walk in the town laid in front of his store and in
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Jacob Sickley's Sod House.
Stickley's Martial Band.
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August remodeled and enlarged the building, adding another story for living rooms.
In February George Hatch began building a new livery, barn, which was completed in early spring. He later in the summer purchased the barn and livery stock of Ray Barber taking possession in August.
T. L. White and Wm. Zink of Wessington Springs put in a stock of farm machinery at Alpena in January and employed Pat McDonald as . salesman. In October Mr. White sold his interest in the business to Mr. Zink, who continued alone to the close of the year.
In April and May Andrew Mercer built a restaurant building on the south side of Main street, but in October sold the building and business to G. Evenson.
A. Amundson, who for several years had been in charge of the C. M. & St. P. Ry. station at Alpena, resigned on May Ist and was suc- ceeded by C. G. Boom.
July Ist, J. R. Milliken purchased of L. N. Loomis his real estate business and a few days later the latter moved to Minneapolis.
A change was made in the barber shop in the latter part of August when Art Winters and Frank Eastman bought the business of L. N. Tillery.
In the same month W. H. McMillan purchased J. D. Chamberlain's interest in the meat market.
In the fall of 1902 Dr. H. E. Jenkinson located in Alpena to take up the practice of his profession.
To the real estate men more than all others, probably, was due the increased activity in the various lines of business. At Alpena fifteen cars of immigrants arrived on Feb. 21, brought by the National Land Co., and the next week twelve cars came, independent of local agents. The state was litterally overrun with real estate men taking prospective buyers to different counties to look at land. In November J. W. Doubenmier came to Alpena to take charge of the business of the National Land Co. in place of A. C. Doubenmier.
At Wessington Springs W. H. Sutton purchased the Kennedy hard- ware stock the latter part of January and later moved it into the Steere & Wallace building on the corner of Main and 2nd streets.
Early in the year White & Zink built a machinery warehouse on the north side of Main street between First and Second.
March Ist Hugh Personius of Woonsocket rented the Carlton House. but in the latter part of March sold to F. W. Dodge. About the first of Sept. Mr. Personius purchased the Willard Hotel, but a few days later sold that, also, to Mr. Dodge.
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In April R. Vanderveen re-purchased of Messrs. Paddock and Mc- Connell the lumber business in Wessington Springs.
A month later J. B. Collins established a lumber and coal yard in Wes- sington Springs, which became the first permanent yard in the town, being purchased March 23rd, 1904, by the W. W. Johnson Lumber Co.
In July C. C. Gleim, an attorney from Artesian, located in Wessington Springs to practice law.
August Ist W. T. George retired from the Vessey-George Mercantile Co., and the business again passed under the name of Vessey Bros., man- aged by T. F. Vessey. On the 8th of Sept. Vessey Bros. began putting up a two-story building on the northeast corner of 2nd and Main streets. Into this building they moved their mercantile stock on Dec. 8th and had an "opening" for the entertainment of their customers on Dec. 18th.
In Sept. E. L. Smith erected a store building on the lot east of Brod- korb's meat market, on the south side of Main street for use of N. M. Spears with his grocery stock.
October Ist J. W. Shull bought and took possession of the Pioneer Drug Store.
Dr. C. E. Stewart located in Wessington Springs in the summer to practice medicine with his brother Dr. F. H. Stewart.
But many things occurred this year tending toward the advancement of general business and social affairs of the county, aside from individual business matters.
On March 8th the Alpena band, which had now become a very efficient musical organization, made its first public appearance and soon became noted in this part of the state.
The Alpena Gun Club had its first contest with outside marksmen on March 20th and won the game. The Alpena shooters were C. W. Miller, R. Mercer. C. G. Haskins, J. E. Shull and J. H. Verry.
In the early spring of 1902 the village of Alpena found itself entirely free from debt and a strong demand being made for better school facili- ties. An election was therefore held on April 5th to vote on the matter of creating an independent school district three miles square in the northeast corner of the township. The proposition carried and the new district at once set about the building of an addition to the old school house. Fifteen hundred dollars bonds were voted and issued for the improvements. On Oct. 26 school was opened with 100 pupils divided into three schools.
In August the Alpena Epworth League arranged for a lecture course for the ensuing winter. This was the beginning of a course that has been continued ever since.
At the Wessington Springs Seminary the graduating exercises occur-
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red on June 18th for a class of six; B. I. Hubbard, G. Benton Ingram, Mary M. Nelson, Odell K. Whitney, Ara B. George and Ruth Cook.
In both Alpena and Wessington Springs the subject of better protec- tion against fire began to be seriously considered. Both towns were "talking" artesian well, and on Dec. Ist the county seat voted bonds in the sum of $2,500 to carry out the project. Alpena postponed the ques- tion until the next season.
For twenty years Wessington Springs had been waiting for a rail- road. Each year there had been rumors of railway communication, some- times in one direction and sometimes in another. But now the people determined to do something to remedy the methods of transportation. A league of business men was formed in February 17th, 1902, to consider all matters pertaining to the welfare of the town. An organization was perfected with C. S. Jacobs, president ; W. T. McConnell, vice-president ; E. G. Burritt, secretary and Jeff. Sickler, treasurer. These officers were members of an executive committee to which was also added R. S. Ves- sey, O. J. Marshall and F. M. Steere. A few days later a company was incorporated under the name of the Wessington Springs and Woonsocket Electric Railway Company. A good deal of correspondence was had by the league with civil engineers and capitalists during the next few weeks. On May 9th a couple of railway officials of the C. M. & St. P. came to Wessington Springs and engaged a livery team with G. N. Price as driver. They visited the west part of the county and spent the night at Richards P. O. in Buffalo county. The next day they returned and went on to the railroad. What would come of this visit no one would guess. Disappointments from that source had been so many that none would risk a hope. A meeting was called to consider the feasibility of putting an automobile line in operation between Wessington Springs and Woon- socket. While that was under consideration by the people of the town, the C. M. & St. P. on June 6th began surveying from Woonsocket west. One line was run straight toward the court house in Wessington Springs and another toward the Wallace gulch three miles north. Then the days, weeks and months dragged wearily on and all thought this railroad rumor had gone like the others. December came, and on the 9th of that month Mr. B. H. Eldridge, civil engineer, in the employ of the C. M. & St. P. Co. arrived in Wessington Springs with a full crew of surveyors. They secured board at the Willard Hotel and obtained the use of the office room of the old Carlton House for headquarters. It then became known that a final survey was to be made for a line between Wessington Springs and Woonsocket and that a railroad was to be built from Woonsocket to the Wessington Hills. But, would it be run to Wessington Springs, or would the company destroy the town that the people had kept alive, with
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hope, for so many years. The year 1902 drew to a close, and one of the hardest winters in the history of the county settled down over the prai- ries, leaving the important question unanswered.
On Dec. 13th, 1902, snow began falling in large flakes and continued two days and two nights without stopping. There was no wind and the flakes rested where they fell. The weather was just cold enough to keep the snow from changing to rain until the evening of the 16th, then for a few minutes the rain fell in torrents. This was followed by a cold wave with a northwest wind. The snow was too wet to drift and the crust of water froze until all over the prairie, on hill and in valley, rested a coating of ice from a half inch to an inch in thickness. It was impossible to drive animals through the snow because the ice crust cut their legs like glass. To make a road men had to go ahead and break the ice so the teams could follow. This winter, though not so cold as some, was one of the hardest in which to do farm work, that has even been experienced in the Dakotas.
Chapter 15.
(1903).
The surveyors that had established headquarters in the old Carlton House at Wessington Springs in the last week in December, 1902, con- tinued their work during the first week of January, 1903, and ran several lines from the Firesteel Creek to the hills. On February 19th the rail- way company notified the people of the town that the nearest approach they could make to the town was the line over which the track was even- tually built. They also requested the people to donate the land needed for depot and terminal facilities. The amount thought necessary was 16 or 18 acres. This, Mr. B. F. Hubbard, who owned the land, offered to sell at $75 per acre. A meeting of the Business Men's League was held on the 21st, at which it was voted unanimously to comply with the request and to raise the money by popular subscription. Before the land was deeded to the company the request was reduced by about II acres so that only about seven acres were desired by the company. This change was made in the forepart of May. At another public meeting held March 3otlı. it had been voted to ask the village trustees to levy a tax to pay for the terminal ground. The tax was levied, but its collection was en-, joined by the circuit court. The money had already been paid, however.
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by subscription, and the expense of providing the depot and other grounds fell upon a few individuals.
The work of buying the right-of-way for the railroad began on March 13th, the company paying therefor $30.00 per acre. On May 6th Mr. Kennedy, a railway contractor, arrived with a large force of graders and pitched his camp about a mile east of town, near the right-of-way. The grading was divided into two contracts and was pushed as is the case with all such contract work. By September Ist the grade was completed from Wessington Springs to Woonsocket and laying ties and rails com- menced. On September 20th the long looked for day arrived when the construction train reached the end of the line and Wessington Springs had a railroad.
With the railroad came a new influence, before unknown to the village by the hills. In all the years of its history Wessington Springs had been strict in its observance of the Sabbath. By ordinance the village trustees had imposed a fine upon any business man who sold goods on Sunday, except the meat market man, who was permitted to keep his shop open on Sunday until 10 o'clock A. M.
But the railroad threatened to revolutionize the old town in regard to Sabbath observance. The first passenger train to be pulled out of Wessington Springs was an excursion on Sunday Sept. 27th. G. A. Lawler, conductor, and A. Martins, engineer, to the Corn Palace at Mitchell. A great many Wessington Springs people went on that train. The puritanic sentiment of those who stayed at home was greatly shocked. A petition in the nature of a protest was liberally signed and forwarded to the officials of the company, requesting that they desist from running Sunday excursions to, or from, Wessington Springs. At first but little attention was paid to the petition, but at length the expressed public opinion had its effect and the practice of running Sunday trains iinneces- sarily was abandoned.
The next day, Sept. 28th, the railway company began running a mixed train daily to Wessington Springs, where they had left a box car to be used as a depot in charge of Mr. Earl, the first station agent. A few days later the long distance telephone line was extended to the depot box car for use of the station agent until the telegraph line could be brought in. The phone is still in use.
On Oct. 2nd Car No. 46574 was loaded by J. B. Collins with 996 bushels of No. 1 hard wheat. There being no agent at Wessington Springs at that time, the car was taken to Woonsocket by the construction train and there billed to the Van Dusen-Harrington Co., at Minneapolis. This was the first car of grain shipped from Wessington Springs. The price was 79 cents per bushel. The proceeds of the grain was $786.84.
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H. A. Frick and his two sons Guy and Harry E. Frick.
IT. T. McConnell.
Mr. and Mrs. E. H. W'ood.
C. J. Pfaff.
J. G. Bradford.
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Before the first of October Gotwals & Russell, stockbuyers at Wes- sington Springs shipped the first carload of cattle over the new road. The stock yards were completed in November, and when, on the 15th of December the mail began coming to Wessington Springs by rail the town felt its connection with the world was complete.
STARTING A NEW TOWN.
When it became certain that the C. M. & St. P. was going to build west from Woonsocket, L. N. Loomis and T. W. Lane purchased the south half of section 17, of Franklin township and gave the railway town- site company a half interest in the land in consideration of it being made the site of the town to be located between Wessington Springs and Woon- socket. A few days later, May 15th, Mr. Franzwa, who had sold his store at Alpena, began building a store on the railway right of way near where the depot now stands.
About a week later E. H. Wood and F. G. Vessey of Wessington Springs borrowed a small safe which they placed in Franzwa's store building and started "The Farmers State Bank," as a partnership. About the same time the Fullerton Lumber Co. put up a small office building as the beginning of the first lumber yard in Lane, with G. S. Warren agent.
Before the roof had been put over the Fullerton office building the First National Bank people of Wessington Springs took steps toward the incorporation of another bank, also having the name "Farmers State Bank." The articles were prepared and sent to Pierre to be filed with the secretary of state, and Carl Lange, cashier, procured a dry goods box for a desk and a cracker box for a seat. By permission, he placed them both in the roofless lumber office, and placing himself behind one and upon the other, was also ready to do a banking business in the name of "The Farmers State Bank." But Vessey & Wood had by this time learned of the move of the rival bank, and had drawn up articles of incorporation which they had recorded. Mr. Wood then took the papers for his bank and went to Pierre. The articles of the opposing bank were sent to the state capital on the same train. Arrived at the office of the secretary of state both sets of papers were presented for filing. The secretary looked over the documents and rejected the one presented by First National Bank because it had not been recorded at Wessington Springs. He then took up Mr. Wood's articles of incorporation and rejected them because the notary in his hurry had neglected to affix his official seal. It was to be a race for the name of the bank. One set of papers must be recorded. and the other must be sealed. Mr. Wood was probably never more thank- ful for a long distance 'phonc. He called up the notary at Wessington
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Springs and told him to come to Pierre at once and bring his Notarial Seal. It is needless to say that Vessey & Wood became officers of "The Farmers State Bank" of Lane. The other bank became incorpor- ated, but under the name of "The Security Bank," of Lane.
About the same time that the race for the name of the bank was going on Mr. Franzwa forwarded to the post office department at Washington an application for the establishment of a post office at Lane and that he be made the first postmaster. During this time a ball nine and a gun club were organized composed of sportsmen living in the vicinty of the new station. No records have been preserved of the achievements of the gun club, but the ball nine distinguished itself by defeating all the neighboring teams that crossed bats with it. As yet the town had not been platted and persons established on the proposed townsite were only "squatters" with no priority of right.
On the 16th of July the "Jerauld County News," published by R. B. Smith, was issued from an office located in a granary on the northeast quarter of section 19-the old L. E. Franklin homestead. The paper was a six-column folio and announced decided opposition to saloons. The first subscription order received by the publisher was from Mr. John Klem.
The town was platted about the middle of July and on the 3Ist the company sold the lots at public auction. Mr. Franzwa received his com- mission and began to do business as postmaster on the day of the town lot sale.
By this time both banks were duly incorporated and doing business. The directors of the Security Bank were W. T. McConnell, J. H. Wood- burn, E. B. Maris, O. J. Marshall, O. O. Lindebak and F. A. Franzwa .. The officers of the Farmers State Bank were F. G. Vessey, president ; D. H. Wood, vice president and E. H. Wood, cashier. But as it was thought the business of the town would not warrant the continuance of two banks the Security sold its business and outfit to the rival institution on the first day of August.
All was now hustle and hurry in the new town. Hammers and saws sounded from daylight until long after nightfall in strenuous preparation for the approaching winter. In the first days of August the foundation for the bank building was completed and the superstructure erected upon it in time to make it the first permanent building of the town.
On Sept. Ist L. W. Casteman, of Alpena, began selling meat in Lane, and on the 12th the railroad construction train arrived. About the same time work on the L. N. Loomis elevator commenced and in one month it was ready to receive grain.
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Carl L. Strieve and Fred Seifkin were both buying stock at Lane during September and October, 1903.
On Sept. 6th a large tent was set up at Lane and an enthusiastic Sun- day School rally held.
By Sept. 24thı the weather had become so cold that the open granary from which the newspaper had been issued was no longer habitable for a printing office. There was no room that could be rented and the editor was forced to suspend publication until a building could be erected and a room prepared. Between Sept. 24th and October 22nd no paper was issued. The paper then resumed regular issue. On November 12th the name of the paper was changed to "The Lane Pioneer News" and as such it has made its weekly visit to its readers ever since.
About the Ist of November W. L. Smith became local agent for the Fullerton Lumber Co. at Lane, and has held the position to the present time.
On November 27th two things happened of widely different natures ; one was the organization of The Ladies' Aid Society with Mrs. L. J. Grisinger, president ; Mrs. George E. Whitney, vice president ; Mrs. R. B. Smith, secretary ; and Mrs. R. Nesbit, treasurer ; the other was a peti- tion by Nick Wicker to the township board to call a special election to vote on the saloon question.
By November 24th a forge had been set up in the smithy and Samuel Feistner lighted the first forge fire and repaired a "throw-off" lever for the News job press. This occurred in Feistner Bros. shop.
Ed. Eaton named his restaurant "The Star" and served the first meal in it at noon on the last day of November in the building put up by Mr. Franzwa about the middle of May. Up to that time the room had been used as a general merchandise store but these Mr. Franzwa began moving into his new store on the corner which he formally "opened" on the 12th of December.
One of the most important events in November was the sinking of an artesian well, which has since supplied the town with water.
On Dec. 4th D. P. Ryan, as buyer, opened the Cargill grain elevator for business, and on Dec. 22nd H. H. Fetterly opened a barber shop.
During all this hurly-burly of building, moving and getting ready for winter probaly no man was of greater assistance to all than Oscar Lin- (lebak who began doing a dray and livery business in November.
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