USA > South Dakota > Jerauld County > A history of Jerauld county, South Dakota > Part 27
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The Glen creamery that had done so much to enhance the prosperity of the farmers in that vicinity, was rented to the Turner Produce Co .. of Mitchell, in June, 1904, and in August a still further change was made
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in business matters at that place by the retirement of Mr. Eberly from the firm of Eberly & Barker.
G. M. Titus bought the Templeton store in March. 1905, of O. O. England and was appointed P. M. at that office.
At Alpena on January Ist, 1904, M. S. Rahn leased the restaurant of R. W. Wiley, and took possession the same day. Since then this property has changed hands so often that it is almost impossible to give a com- plete record of it.
In the forepart of March T. B. Yegge traded his stock of merchandise to J. R. Milliken for a quarter section of land in Dale township.
About May 20 another restaurant named "The Bon-ton" was opened at Alpena by a gentleman named Badger.
May 25th J. R. Milliken and J. D. Chamberlain had an opening of their store in' the old store room opposite the I. O. O. F. hall.
In the spring of the year Mrs. James Eastman began doing a milli- nery business in Alpena. This was the first permanent business of the kind in the town.
At the village election, March 15th, the saloon license was upheld by- a majority of one vote. The institution did not live until the next year. however, because of legal complications arising from the sale of the con- cern by its proprietor, to parties who had given no bond, nor made appli- cation for a license.
Some time in June Mr. J. F. Spencer came to Alpena and bought John Doubenmier's pool hall.
In October A. Mercer finished a dipping tank at Alpena and began operations on the 15th of the month by dipping 116 head of cattle.
A few days later Milliken & Chamberlain, who were actively engaged in real estate business, brought to Alpena a number of automobiles, the first to be owned in the town and probably the first in the county. One of these machines was sold to D. C. Wallace, of Wessington Springs.
In the summer C. C. Rohr bought an interest with Castleman in the Alpena meat market.
On February 25th a Women's Relief Corps was organized at Alpena in connection with W. H. L. Wallace G. A. R. post.
A Yeoman lodge, with 30 members, was formed at Alpena about the 20th of April, and about the same time a fire company with ten members was formed.
Memorial Day exercises were held at the German Lutheran Church in the south part of Alpena township.
A Congregational Church was built in Anina township during the- summer, to be supplied by the church at Wessington Springs.
The County teachers' institute was held August 22 to Sept. 2, con-
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J. W. Doubenmier.
F. E. Manning.
Sam H. May.
N. B. England.
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ducted by Prof. T. H. Hoff, assisted by John F. Wicks, Miss Irma Hall and Mrs. Ida Baker.
During the summer a rural telephone line was established from Wes- sington Springs south into Viola township.
In July, and the only time in the history of the county, a dense fog in heavy banks rolled over the state and all the northwest country west of the Mississippi river and blighted the wheat with black rust. No wind was blowing and the heat of the sun poured in between the fog banks burst the wheat straw and in two hours time the immense crop was ruined. The yield of wheat was light and of poor quality, but the damage was somewhat retrieved by good prices. For the first time in years the price of wheat reached one dollar per bushel.
The most important work of the county board was making the banks of the county depositories of county money requiring a bond for safe keeping of funds and payment of four per cent interest on daily balances.
At the April meeting the places for conducting chattel mortgage sales were fixed at Alpena, Wessington Springs and the Fauston P. O.
In politics the principal matter of interest was the election of a state capital. As the campaign progressed people in many cases dropped all kinds of work and spent their time riding from one candidate city to the other. No fare was charged and riding was unrestricted. The railway coaches were so packed with people that the conductors could not force their way through, and did not try.
In county matters three tickets were in the field, Republican, Citizens and Prohibition. Of the Republican candidates, Theo. Dean, nominated for Co. Supt., refused the nomination and the county committee named W. B. Wilson for the vacancy on the ticket, so the tickets presented to the voters were as follows:
Republican Ticket.
Senator-R. S. Vessey.
Representative-J. Jorgenson.
Treasurer-D. C. Wallace.
Auditor-J. D. Powell.
Register of Deeds-C. J. Praff.
Co. Supt .- W. B. Wilson.
Sheriff-J. D. Chamberlain.
Judge-C. W. McDonald. Clerk-W. F. Taylor.
Attorney-C. C. Gleim.
Coronor -- H. E. Jenkinson.
Co. Com., Ist Dist .- L. J. Grisinger.
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Citizens Ticket.
Senator-T. L. White.
Representative-Henry Klindt.
Treasurer-Chas. Knudson. Auditor-J. A. Paddock.
Register of Deeds-S. E. Pflamn.
Clerk-H. A. Adebar. Sheriff-J. A. Zink.
Co. Supt .- Geo. O. Williams.
Coronor-J. E. Shull. Co. Com., Ist Dist .- R. J. Tracy.
Independent candidate for Co. Supt .- A. V. Hall.
The result of the election was a Republican victory for every pos tion except sheriff.
Chapter 17.
(1905).
The beginning of the year 1905 found the people of Jerauld county still hustling to keep pace with the prosperity that had come upon tl:cm. More residences must be built in both town and country ; more prairie must be broken, and more crops grown. The increasing value of land seemed at first to be only speculative, but the advance in the market price of cattle, hogs and grain, with the productiveness of the soil under proper cultivation together with the improved market facilities made the values real. Land that a few years before could not be sold at any price wa> now sold at from $15 to $20 per acre, and most astonishing of all, paid for with a single crop of any kind of grain. New life was infused into the people and they bestirred themselves to take advantage of the favor- alle opportunities.
The great lumber companies with yards at Wessington Springs re- ported more lumber sold at that station than any where else on their lines. At Lane, W. L. Smith, local agent for the Fullerton Lumber Company. received the company's prize of $100 for having the smallest percentage of unpaid accounts at the close of the year, of any of their agents. Not only were business collections generally good, but interest and taxes were promptly paid.
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During the conference year of 1905 the M. E. Church at Wessington Springs, Rev. Crowther, pastor, raised $500 for missionary work. The next year, 1906, same pastor. the amount was increased to $1,600; in 1907 Rev. J. M. Tibbetts, pastor, $1,700 and in 1908, same pastor, $1,800.
In January, Dr. Martin located at Lane, the Lane Pioneer News was made one of the county official papers and a pool hall was built and ready for business by the first of February.
In March David Ried bought an interest in the livery stable of which be became sole owner in May. The township of Franklin voted saloon license by 30 majority and granted franchise for local telephone exchange to the Wessington Springs company. No exchange was put in, however, until in August, when F. McCurdy obtained a franchise and installed 25 'phones in the town. The line had been extended south from Lane to Gordon P. O. in July, where it connected with the Wessington Springs line, which had been built to that point in June. March 25th the town- ship board granted the application of H. H. Fetterly and Fred Seifkin, but the bond was rejected by the county commissioners. Later, on August 12th, the commissioners approved the bond of Fred Seifken, by a divided vote, O. O. England voting no and L. J. Grisinger and Geo. C. Martin voting yes. The bond of Joseph Diedrich at Alpena was ap- proved on September 22nd by the same vote.
In April Sever Starkey started in the implement business in Lane, and about the same time the "Owl" restaurant was sold to Fred Oddy and the name changed to "The Hotel restaurant." In the same month a drug stock was brought to Lane and purchased by F. McCurdy who placed it in the large double building he had completed a short time be- fore. In May Mr. McCurdy began the construction of another building south of his general store for use of the drug stock alone. The building was completed and occupied in November by Walter McCurdy, in charge of the drug department.
The W. W. Johnson Lumber Co. located a yard in Lane in April with H. O. Refvem, agent, and in the latter part of the month Wmn. Brod- korb purchased the meat market. The last of the month work began on the Whitney two story building. This structure was intended for a pool hall in the basement, and to it that sport was moved about the 15th of August, the first floor for a hardware and the 2nd story for a public hall. which plan was carried out. In December David Reid built a pool hall on the east side of Main street and that has been the location of the games of pool and billiards ever since.
In May the water mains were laid deep in the ground and a system of waterworks permanently established.
The German Lutheran Church in Lane was dedicated May 21st, and
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a few days later the German and English Epworth Leagues were united.
The two events in June that attracted greatest local interest at Lane were the establishment of a furniture store by G. T. England, of Wessing- ton Springs, and a game of ball with the Alpena nine in which the Lane players were victorious by a score of 6 to 5. This practically established the prestige of the Lane ball nine, a distinction in the county which they have maintained to the present time.
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In August N. P. Petersen began work in Lane as a blacksmith. Mr. Lewis Hare opened a barber shop and Mrs. Hare established a millinery shop.
On Sept. 12th The Citizens State Bank of Lane was organized with a capital of $5,000; E. Soper, Jr., president ; L. J. Grisinger, vice-presi- dent; Carl Klippin, cashier. The directors were A. Strub, F. McCurdy and Noah Kellar.
This bank began doing business in the Grisinger building on the corner south from the Farmers State Bank. Mr. Whitney had moved the hardware stock across the street west into the building he had put up on that corner.
On October 22nd Rev. John E. Hughes, Pastor, laid the corner stone of the first Congregational Church building at Lane. This church had been formed in 1903 with 14 members, with Rev. Reese of Wessington Springs supply. First pastor was Rev. Jas. Davies, 1903 to 1905. Third pastor, John E. Hughes, 1905 to 1907, followed by S. T. Beatty.
In July C. A. Voorhees moved his stock of groceries to Lane from Wessington Springs, but in the autumn sold the business to H. D. But- terfield of Mitchell who placed J. H. Miller in charge.
Sometime during the summer, or fall, Hayes Cunningham and Linde- bak bought the livery business again.
About the middle of December. F. E. Poole bought the barber busi- ness of Mr. Hare and has conducted the business ever since.
In March of this year Shultz and Starkey, the artesian well men, completed a well for Henry Keiriem at 727 feet, in Franklin township.
In Chery township two more wells were completed during July- one for E. S. Dowling and one for M. Brenneman.
On the old John Teasdale farm in Dale township, now owned by Michael Wahl, a well was put down by Jensen in May, 810 feet. The work was done in four days.
The Fourth of July celebrations this year, (1905) were at Peirce's Grove in Harmony township, and the G. A. R. celebration July 3rd. 4th and 5th at Alpena.
In 1905 W. S. Crist brought some registered Durham cattle to Jer- auld county and located in Crow Lake township. This herd was gathered
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in Shelby county, Iowa, and contained some of the best bred short horns in that state.
In Viola township a Sunday School and Epworth League convention was held at the German Methodist Church, commencing February 15th and continuing one week.
The postmaster at Gordon resigned in July.
In Anina township the Congregational Church was dedicated May 7th. During the summer the telephone line was extended west from the Kellogg farm in Anina to the Vessey farm in Crow Lake township.
In the summer of 1905 a meeting was held at the residence of An- drew Pflamn in Logan township, by a few members of the Catholic Church at which it was decided to build a church edifice on section 20 in Crow Lake township, to cost about $1,500. At the meeting mentioned $600 was subscribed. Work on the church commenced at once and mainly through the efforts of Anton Reindl the money was raised and the building completed. The church was ready for dedication in the late autumn of that year. It was named "St. Marys." It stands near the south line of section 20 and is surrounded by a cleanly kept, beautiful church yard. In the cemetery are two graves, (1908), one that of an infant child of Mr. and Mrs. Petroski, but has no inscription on the head board. On the other grave stands a pretty monument. In German text. . on a white plate, is this inscription, "Heir richt Anton Reindl, geb z11 Reitz in Osteweich den 10 Juni, 1848, gest in Crow Lake, So. Dak. den 7 Juli, 1905." On a lower plate are the words, also in German text. "Nur in der Kirche ist Mein Heil."
The last work of Anton Reindl was building the foundation of this church. While engaged in that work he contracted the sickness from which he died before the edifice was completed. The church society was organized by Father O'Flaherty, of the Kimball parish.
In April a cream buying station was established at Crow Lake by Turner & Son, of Mitchell.
On July 6th while helping to dip cattle at a dipping tank located at Frank Smith's farm in Pleasant township, D. B. Paddock, of Logan town- ship, ex-county commissioner, was struck by lightning and killed in- stantly. A few weeks later, Sept. 16th, Ludwig Pfaff, of Crow town- ship, was also killed by lightning.
At Alpena Castleman and Rohr dissolved partnership January Ist. the latter remaining in charge of the market at Alpena and the former retaining the business at Lane until he sold to Wm. Brodkorb in April.
In the second week in January Mason Smith sold the Revere House to W. W. Hillis.
Chamberlain & Milliken sold part of their mercantile stock to J. H.
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Creighton the latter part of January to be moved to Wessington Springs, and the balance to Mrs. L. W. Castleman.
On January 20th a lodge of Home Guardians with 23 members was organized.
About the 20th of March Frank C. Wood bought the Alpena res- taurant of H. A. Leighton.
In the early autumn Mrs. W. G. Milliken purchased Mrs. Eastman's millinery business.
In October A. N. Louder sold his mercantile business to E. V. Miles and E. E. Hunter.
During the same year August Holmes opened a jewelry store in Alpena.
In December, 1905, Pat McDonald began building an implement warehouse on the north side of Main street west of Tripp's drug store.
From the public schools of Alpena four young ladies graduated on May 25th. The class was composed of Misses Gertrude and May Cham- berlain, Lizzie Smith and Mattie Hatch.
This year another move was made by parties from Sanborn county to divide Jerauld county so as to add Alpena, Blaine and Franklin town- ships to the county on the east. The move failed and now that Woon- socket has a new court house the attempt will probably never be made again.
On June 14th a swarm of bees alighted in Mr. A. F. Smith's yard and were captured and hived by H. C. Newmier. From whence the little strangers came no one could imagine.
In Sept. a star postal route was established running east from Alpena with W. H. McMillan carrier.
About $900 were spent during the summer in repairing and reseating the Alpena M. E. Church.
At Wessington Springs :
F. M. Steere sold to J. B. Collins his interest in the telephone ex- change in January and in the same month the Wessington Springs creamery was leased to the Turner Produce Co. of Mitchell.
In February J. H. Creighthon opened a store on the northeast corner of Main and 2nd streets.
About the middle of the month Mrs. Minnie Easton moved her milli- nery stock into the Housman building adjoining Dr. Cooper's office and established the first permanent independent millinery shop in the town.
The White, Zink & Farrington warehouse north of Main street, on First street, was completed in March. In August, however, Mr. White retired from the firm and bought the R. M. McNeil stock and building on the south side of Main street,
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In March and April the local telephone company extended their line east and north.
March 21st Wessington Springs incorporated as a city of the third class and the first meeting of the city council was on the evening of May Ist.
In April B. D. Olson sold his barber shop to Herbert Bryson and Ensley Shaw, and during the same month C. S. Jacobs formed a part- nership with his two sons, Howard and Lewis, in the harness business.
K. S. Starkey put up a store building on Second Street at the crossing of the section line road and in November filled it with a stock of mer- chandise.
In July Gus Nordlie, a tailor, located in Wessington Springs and opened a shop. In the same month J. F. Spencer bought the Bateman meat market.
August 3rd Wm. Brimner began work on the foundation of the opera house. The building was completed and opened for amusements on the 3rd of November.
Sept. Ist L. E. Ausman located at Wessington Springs and engaged in real estate business with F. M. Steere.
On October 2nd work was commenced on the Catholic Church in W'essington Springs.
The State Bank began work on their brick building at the southwest corner of Second and Main streets in the early fall and continued to the close of the year.
John W. Snart put up a building on Third street in which R. A. Bushnell subsequently started his electric light plant, and on Oct. 11th began grinding feed there. In the same month Martin Bjorlo became owner of the Slocum studio and a few days later L. R. Theeler bought the Clark dray line.
December 21st an Eastern Star Chapter with 20 members was formed at Wessington Springs.
On December 31st G. W. Bakus retired from the Dakota Sieve and was succeeded by Fred N. Dunham to whom he had sold the paper a few weeks before. The paper was changed to Republican in politics.
In the proceedings of the county board but little of interest occurred. At the January meeting Geo. C. Martin was made chairman. On March 18th at a meeting of the cattle owners of the county, called by the county auditor, L. F. Russell, was elected cattle inspector. Then the county com- missioners went at work to aid the inspector to stamp out a disease that had appeared among the livestock. 'Dipping tanks were built in various parts of the county, at public expense and some of those already erected were purchased. It was expensive work but so thoroughly did Mr. Rus-
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sell and his assistants do their duty that in two years the quarantine was lifted.
On April 7th the Wessington Springs telephone company was granted permission to set poles along the public highways of the county.
August 12th the commissioners re-districted the county into the fol- lowing commissioner districts :
Ist District-Blaine, Franklin, Alpena.
2nd District-Viola, Wessington Springs, Dale.
3rd District -- All the balance of the county.
During the year ending April Ist, 1905, the banks paid interest money to the amount of $415.96 on county deposits.
The teachers' county institute was held the 21st of August and con- tinued two weeks with Prof. J. Jones, Jr., conductor, assisted by John F. Wicks and Miss Westcott.
At the Wessington Springs Seminary the graduating class was Mabel Seger, Bertha Starkey, Wilson Slocum, Ethel Seacord, A. D. Sprouse, Charles Cook, Hugh Short, Olaf Rosengren, Roy Eagle, Leonard Hitch- man, Val La Bau.
The Mt. Vernon mail route was discontinued June Ist and the mail carried only to Gordon P. O. A. V. Hall became the driver on this route, while J. H. Vessey took the route from Wessington Springs to Waterbury.
Charles Walters, the postmaster at Gordon, resigned Sept. 2nd and on the 19th of the same month he turned the office over to Fred Kieser, his successor. Ten days later, (Sept. 29th), the postmaster at Wessing- ton Springs was authorized by the department at Washington to establish Dec. Ist, 1905, Rural Free Delivery, Route No. I from that office as fol- lows: Go east from the Wessington Springs office to the section line, then south 57% miles to the southeast corner of section 7; then west 2 miles to the southeast corner of section II; then south 3 miles to the southeast corner of section 26; then east 4 miles to the southeast corner of section 28; then north 4 miles to the south east corner of section 4; then east I mile to the southeast corner of section 3 ; then north 5 miles to the southeast corner of section 10; then west and south 4 miles to the Wessington Springs P. O., making a total distance of 293/4 miles. An examination for carrier was held and Jay Dodge was given the position at $750 per year, including horse hire.
A census of the county taken by the assessors in June showed but 1,152 children in the county of school age-but 127 more than at the time of the great blizzard in 1888.
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Chapter 18.
(1906).
The year 1906 was ushered in with an exceedingly mild winter. While the states east and south were suffering the severities of vigorous cold the plains of Dakota secmed the abode of summer. On the 18th of February the writer found great numbers of grasshoppers, alive and jumping, on one of the highest points of the Wessington Hills. But little snow fell during the winter and there was no sleighing. The never- failing April storm came, however, with more than its usual amount of wind and snow. But as people had learned to guard against this spring storm, only sleight damage was done.
In March Supt. Wilson began preparation for a county spelling con- test to be held on the 7th of April. One thousand words were printed and distributed among the children of the county public schools. Each school had its trial of skill and sent its champion to the county contest. Numerous prizes were offered and the interest was great. The first prize was won by Miss Allie Nesmith, of Viola township. The judges could not say, however, that Miss Marie Davis of the same township had missed a single word. Miss Nesmith had certainly not missed any and so the decission turned on the penmanship. One letter in Miss Davis manuscript was doubtful, therefore, she was given the second prize. A free-for-all contest was then held for a set of books offered by the Jerauld County Review. For this prize Miss Allie Nesmith, of Viola township, and Earnest Simmons, of Dale township, were a tie and the set of books was divided.
In April two steam breaking outfits were started in Wessington Springs township-one by J. A. Zink with two 3-plow gangs, on the C. E. Baker farm and the other by Leo Richardson, one four-plow gang, on the farm of Lewis Tofflemeier.
The teachers' county institute. was held during the two weeks com- mencing June 18th, Prof. Jones, conductor. This had the largest attend- ance of any institute ever held in the county-the enrollment being 165. John Wicks was again one of the assistant conductors.
The total assessed valuation of the county this year was $2.520,530. In March there were but 541 farms in the county having 63.778 cultivated acres, over one-sixth of which was in Blaine township and but 740 in Crow township.
On Sept. 18, 19 and 20 a county fair was held at Wessington Springs and was largely attended.
About the middle of July the Alpena Telephone Co. was granted. a right to set poles along the county highways.
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A farmers telephone company was incorporated about May Ist to construct a line west from Alpena to the west line of the county. The officers were Will Linn, president; Peter Myron, secretary ; Michael Wahl, treasurer. The directors were F. M. Shull, A. McLoud, Will Linn, Henry Beck, Harry Shefield. Work on this line began about the middle of June and was completed about the middle of August. It was connected at D. M. Brenneman's with line from Wesington Springs. The telephone line running northeast from Alpena was put in working order about the 15th of July.
On May 24th the people of the west half of the county enjoyed a pic- nic at Crow Lake for the benefit of the Catholic Church in that township. Financially it was a success. Father O'Flaherty, of the Kimball parish, delivered an address on patriotism that has probably never been excelled in the county. On the 12th of Sept. St. Mary's Church was dedicated, according to the rites of the society.
At Lane the Congregational Church building was dedicated free from debt. The dedication sermon was by Mrs. Abi T. Huntley.
Sept. Ist Rev. Greve resigned from the Lane German Lutheran Church and was succeeded Oct. 10th by Rev. Sclinski.
In the first week of January A. H. Hawley purchased the England stock of furniture at Lane, but three months later sold it to D. J. Walker.
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