USA > South Dakota > Jerauld County > A history of Jerauld county, South Dakota > Part 31
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"James Otis Gray" is another name of the early times. He died Nov. Ist, 1888. He was one of the first magistrates of the county.
Another stone brings thoughts of the fatherland across the sea. It reads as follows :
"SOPHIA SELZ, Geb July 28, 1837. Gest Feb'y 24, 1907.
Christus ist mein leben und ster ben mein gewinn ich habe lust abzushei- den und bei Christ zu sein."
The name of August Scheel calls to mind a sad accident on the 19th day of May fourteen years ago.
A plain stone, bearing the inscription, "A. L. Eager, Co. B., 3rd Wis. Inf.," nothing more, is rich with thoughts of other scenes and other days. The story of that regiment is all the encomium, desired by the simple sol- dier, who rests here, alone, far from the comrades who marched with him in the campaigns of the army of the Patomac.
Many are here of more recent burial, but space is limited and I must go 011.
On the S half of 32-108-63, I met William Brandenburg, one of the earliest settlers of the county, who has a magnificent farm, and has found that Dakota, as territory and state, has been a good country in which to live. His son, Fred, living a short distance further north was the second child born in the township; the first being, Miss Scheel, now the wife of William Ahart.
In Alpena the changes have been so many, that I cannot mention all.
Of those who spent the winter of 1883 in the village of Alpena, W. W. Hillis, the druggist, alone remains. He has prospered in the years that have silvered his hair. He always has a good word for the town in which he lives. For 24 years the drug store has been in the same build- ing, and during 23 years of that time Willis has been behind the counter. either as clerk or proprietor.
Of the rest, many are gone out of the knowledge of those who knew them here. W. H. Arne, upon whose pre-emption claim the town is located. is living at Cottage Grove, Oregon, where his son-in-law. Frank Phillips, also resides.
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Residence of O. O. Lindebak, in Franklin Township.
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Jeff Hillis, the last of the '83 settlers to leave Alpena, now lives at Hillsdale, Oregon, a neighbor of Andrew Mercer, an early settler of Dale and who proposed the name adopted by that township, in 1884.
Ray Barber, at different times, hotel keeper, hardware merchant and liveryman, is now devoting his time exclusively to real estate, and the care of the several farms he owns in this vicinty.
An issue of the Jerauld County Journal, under date of February 22nd, 1884. published by Loomis & Davis was loaned to me by Mr. J. D. Cham- berlain. From it I quote the following items that were of interest to the pioneers of that day :
"Linn commences that livery and feed stable next week, we under- stand."
"Frank Wheelihan proves up on his dirt next week. No more visits to the claim for him."
Among the list of final proof notices I found the names of John Dukes and Sgt. John McKown, whose names I saw yesterday on the headstones in the cemetery. Other names in the list were George Whealen, Fred Busse, John E. Cook and Henry C. Neumeyer.
The issue of April 9, 1897, of the paper, the name of which had now been changed to "The Alpena Journal," contains the following interesting notes :
"A vote of thanks is due L. N. Loomis for walking to Woonsocket last Friday and returning on Saturday with the mail pouches."
"The Dakota Sieve, of this county, came out last week printed on the official blank ballots, the 'insides' not having arrived, on account of wash-outs."
The livery business that has been run by numerous owners since the days in 1884 when Wallace Linn hired broncho's, broken and unbroken. to traveling customers, is now controlled by Thompson Bros, who own as fine a livery property as the state affords.
The NW of 7-108-63 and the NE of 12-108-64, is a half section upon which Pat McDonald, for several years sheriff of Jerauld county. kept a bachelor establishment in the '8os and early '90s.
The SW of 6 was for many years the homestead and residence of J. H. May, a judge of the probate court, and for several years county and township justice. The farm is now the property of Fred Brandd, but is being cultivated by Rob't Richey, who is also tilling the NW of 7.
I had reached the west line of the township and, leading the wheel through the prairie grass, along a "blind trail," I bent my steps toward the home of Mr. H. C. Newmeyer, a grand army veteran, where I hoped to get the records of W. H. L. Wallace Post. The indications of rain were strong but the wheel and I kept up our usual speed, when walking.
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To ride the bike up and down the steep hills and gullies that cross the township line, and through the heavy grass, was impossible. Just as the big drops began to fall I arrived at the door of the hospitable Pennsyl- vanian, and then for several hours watched one of the heaviest rainstorms I ever saw. While the rain was falling I obtained from the G. A. R. records the extracts that I wanted, and then spent a very pleasant even- ing with Mr. Newmeyer and his son.
The SW of 18-108-63 and the NE of 13-108-64, has been for nine years the home of Geo. Reinhart. He has 90 acres in to crop, and was hurrying the breaking plow to get more land on the NE of 13 under cultivation. On this quarter-section Jesse Beadell and his grandmother, Mrs. Phillips, spent the night of Jan. 12th, 1888, under an overturned sled. The next morning the lad started for assistance, but did not go far before he succumbed to the intense cold. Relatives, a little later, found his lifeless body, and rescued the old lady badly chilled.
Frank Phillips lived for several years on the north half of 19-108- 63, and secured title to it from the United States. The NW quarter of this section is now owned by Dr. Shull, of Alpena, who also owns the SE of 13 in Dale township. From the Phillips quarter the buildings have been removed, but good ones stand on the quarter across the road where the Doctor has made his improvements.
The other Phillips quarter, and the south half of the section, together with a fine quarter in section 24, of Dale, is now owned and occupied by H. A. Munson, formerly of LaFayette Co., Wis. His farm extends across Sand Creek, affording running water in his pasture, while a strong arte- sian well furnishes the same for the farm yards.
The north half of Pat Conlon's old homestead, the SE of 18, and the north half of Jim Conlon's homestead, which was a mile long on the west side of 17 and also the homesteads of Hugh and Mike Moran, comprising all of the north half of 18, are now owned by Albert Krueger, who came here from Buffalo county and by energy and economy has built up a splendid home. He has in 175 acres of crop.
On the 20th day of May I got back to Wessington Springs, having led the bike all the way from Lane in the face of a strong west wind. But I reached the "hub of the universe" at last and stopped for a moment in front of the First National Bank, and my weariness brought to my mind one day twenty-five years ago when footsore, tired and hungry I stopped at that same spot in front of Tarbell's hotel. Then I had walked from H. D. Fisher's claim in Franklin- township, in October snow and mud. Then the twenty feet of board floor to the hotel porch was the only piece of sidewalk in the town. The hotel was owned and run by L. HI. Tarbell and J. H. Woodburn.
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East of the hotel was the building that now stands on the west side of T. L. White's hardware store, but then only reaching back to the win- dow. In that building Morse & La Pont lived and kept a hardware store. In the building where Mr. White now stores machinery, east of Alden Cutler's law office, Silas Kinny kept a general store, using the back part for a residence.
Opposite Kinny's store and a little east, stood Stevens Bros.' general store, a one and one-half story building, the upper story being occupied for living rooms. West of this stood the building now occupied by Henry Hermsen for a barber shop. Over its door was nailed a sign which read. "Ford & Rich, Law and Land Office," painted by J. H. Kugler.
Still further west, in the room now used by S. T. Leeds for his Cozy Cafe, was the printing office of McDonald and Bateman in whichi was published the Wessington Springs Herald, the first Jerauld county news- paper.
On the ground where Ausman & Wallace now have their real estate office, stood the law and land office of Drake & Magee. The little build- ing in which the pioneer firm did business now stands in the rear of the present office, which was built by Mr. Drake in 1885.
On the south side of the street, on the now vacant lot adjoining Shull's drug store on the east, stood the law and land office of Duinn & Hackett.
On the lot now occupied by the west side of Shull's drug store, stood Bender's drug store managed by Chas. P. Taylor.
On the lots now owned by Geo. N. Price, south of the city hall, stood the livery, feed and sale stable owned and operated by Bert Orr, now of Pleasant township. Near where the hotel Oliver now stands was a school house built by private subscription.
A blacksmith shop owned and run by J. H. Woodburn, had been erected on the ground now occupied by F. M. Brown's livery barn.
One more building, what is now the old Carlton House, then known as the Applegate building, and in which the True Republican was started in November, 1883, by W. S. Ingham and myself, completed what con- stituted the business district of Wessington Springs.
The residences of Rob't Bateman, C. W. McDonald, R. M. Magee. A. B. Smart and H. Blowers were the homes of the city aside from the business houses. Of these oldtimers, McDonald. Smart, Woodburn and Orr alone, remain in the county.
That was Wessington Springs the first time I saw it. The origin. growth and development of the town will be much more fully given in the history of the county.
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Of the men who were in business in Wessington Springs in October, 1883, except as before mentioned, the following is the record as nearly as I can ascertain :
L. H. Tarbell and Agustine La Pont are dead.
J. D. Morse is at Boulder, Colo.
C. H. Stevens is at Athens, Penn.
H. C. Stevens is in Colorado.
Silas Kinny moved from Jerauld county to Sioux City.
Thos. Drake moved from here to Faulkton, then to Redfield, next to Pierre and last to Seattle, Wash. His partner, R. M. Magee, is at Chadron, Neb.
Wm. Bateman, is in the government printing office in Washington, D. C.
Chas. P. Taylor is in Minneapolis.
Jas. T. Ford is living in Los Angeles, California.
I. N. Rich is in general merchandise business at Hubbard, Iowa.
Thos. Dunn is said to be at San Francisco and Collins E. Hackett is at Friday Harbor, Wash.
Rob't Bateman is in the pension department at Washington, D. C.
W. S. Ingham is running a newspaper in Butte county, S. D.
Hiram Blowers died of tuberculosis somewhere in Minnesota.
On June 27th I started north from Wessington Springs along the line between Dale and Chery townships.
Out of the center of the north half of thirty-one Maj. Wallace took his pre-emption claim. He made a tree-claim out of the center of the south half of 30, leaving a strip a mile long and eighty rods wide extend- ing along the town line from the west quarter-corner of 31 to the cor- responding corner of 30. This strip was afterwards taken by a widow named Mrs. Baker.
The east half of the NE 31, with the west half of the NW 32 was homesteaded by C. D. Brown, who was the first man to bring a family into Dale township.
The east half of the SE 30 was thus left as an isolated 80, and upon this E. Taylor, a son of W. F. Taylor, filed a declaratory statement.
All of section 30 is now owned by Mr. W. F. Harding, but is occupied by Mr. J. Barber, who came from Henry county, Illinois, and rented the farm the first of March, this year. He and his two nephews have in 300 acres of crop that bid fair to reward them well for their labors.
The north half of 30, a quarter of a century ago, was the home of Dr. E. L. Turner and his father. The doctor had the NE quarter and the old gentleman the northwest. E. L. Turner was an excellent physician, good hearted, kind and faithful. Reticent by nature, he shrank from the
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prying of the curious and, when not ministering to the wants of his patients, would sit for hours brooding over the wrongs that had ruined his family and his life.
North of the Turner land is the SW of 19 where Will Eagle had a tree claim when the settlements were new. On this quarter, in 1889, ended an event which has never been told. A young fellow had been arrested on a far-fetched charge of house breaking. The case was com- menced before C. W. Hill, at that time a justice of the peace of Chery township. A change of the place of trial was taken and the case went before Squire Van Voorhis, of the same township. A contest over a technicality in the complaint resulted in a dismissal of the action. He was immediately rearrested, on the same charge, on a warrant issued by G. R. Bateman, a magistrate of Wessington Springs. The district attor- ney, A. Converse, had now taken hold of the case. . Again the quibling over the papers resulted in the discharge of the prisoner, who was allowed his liberty while the district attorney made a new complaint. A new war- want was issued and placed in the hands of the sheriff. The attorneys and justice remained in the court room while waiting for the officer to bring in the defendant. The minutes dragged on into hours and supper time approached. J. R. Francis entered the room from his office and after looking about for a minute, remarked, "What are you fellows wait- ing for?" "We're waiting for the prisoner." replied the justice. ""Well." said Francis, "I saw him about two hours ago, with his coat over his shoulder making good time toward the hills. You fellows might as well go home." "It's a trick," said the district attorney, "but I'll have that fellow 'bound up' to court if I have to follow him to Kingdom Come." A few minutes later the boy's father and attorney were in a lumber wagon driving north along the road at the foot of the hills. A short distance north of the Wallace gulch the boy ran down from the hills and climbed into the wagon. The team was then turned east for Alpena. When they reached the SW 19 they saw a single rig approaching from the south, and so close that it was impossible to escape, if the rig contained any one interested in knowing who was in the wagon. The boy leaped out and, running a few yards, threw himself down in the short grass, where he kept his head bobbing up and down to see who was coming and whether he was discovered. Sure enough, the buggy contained the sheriff, who drove up to the wagon, stopped a few moments, remarked about the crops, thought maybe it would rain, though it was one of the dry years of early days, and then drove off, passing within ten feet of the bobbing head without once looking toward it. The boy, terribly frighten- ed, climbed to his seat in the wagon and silently rode away into the night. He has never been seen in the county since.
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H. A. Short.
Dr. M. W. Nesmith.
M. A. Shaw.
Frank and Will Eagle.
Mrs. M. A. Shaw.
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Across the road, west, in Chery township, on the SE of 24, now owned by F. Spears, Will Eagle had a pre-emption claim in 1884-85. He bought a relinquishment of Ole Nelson, a Norwegian.
Three cottonwood trees grew for years near where the claim shanty stood. One of the trees has died and fallen. The heat was intense when I reached this point and I thought to sit on the trunk of the dead tree. in the shade of the live ones, and write up the notes of the road thus far. The only things left on this quarter to mark the early habitation, are the trees, the rank grass, a few stones with which an attempt had been made to dam the little run, in which water sometimes flowed, and the mos- quitoes, of prodigious size, full grown I think, probably the same that drove the hardy Norseman to sell his claim. I postponed the note writing and moved on.
A short distance further north I saw an argument, big as a load of hay, in favor of better roads. It was left there by Ed. Dwyer, who lives on the W. T. McConnell farm in Dale, which comprises all of section seven. About two miles of the best improved highway is needed on the township line across the Firesteel bottom.
The north half of 19 in Dale was taken by L. F. Russell, present county treasurer, and his father, Lawrence Russell, as pre-emption claims.
The SE 19 was the homestead of Marc. Thomas, a young man well known to all the early settlers of the township. He now lives in Missouri.
After passing Ed. Dwyer's load of hay, I led the wheel north over the partially dried road, past the SW 18 where Hale Cleveland had his quarter of government land, and also past the NW of the same section. where W. H. Robeson, from Davenport, Iowa, "held down" a home- stead claim.
At the Tracy school house, which stands on the southwest corner of section 8, I stopped and entered. The doors were unlocked and the room looked as though a town meeting had been recently held there. The building is in fair condition, considering its age, 24 years, but the founda- tion needs attention. ยท Good firebreaks surround it and but little trouble would be experienced in protecting the house from prairie fires.
From there I walked south, most of the time in Eagle's pasture, in 17, because of the moist condition of the road. When almost at the next section line, I came to the Firesteel Creek, which had "tumbled out of bed," and lay spread out considerably. No bridge or turnpike, there was nothing to do but turn back to the school house. All of section 17 is owned by B. F. Eagle, who has it fenced in for pasture and it makes a good one, plenty of grass and watered by two artesian wells located on adjoining land.
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The SW of 8, was the residence of Jake Rosenthal and his wife, a couple who 20 years ago were well known in Jerauld, Sanborn and Beadle counties.
Turning east along the south line of section 8, I soon reached another stream, which George Washington could have jumped before he became president. But I am not a George Washington, and besides he couldn't have done it with a bicycle. Across the little stream, on the SE of 8 is the substantial home of John Scott. I saw Mr. S. north of a good sized hog pasture plowing corn. I lifted the bike over the fence, passed over the creek on a stone crossing, swung the wheel over another fence and got from Mr. Scott the story of his farm. But he informed me that the bridge was gone from where the creek crossed the road on the east side of 17, and that my surest way to get south was to go back through the hog pasture to the road, get over the fence into Eagle's pasture again, and strike the east line of 17 south of the stream. I did so but had to spend considerable time in repeatedly driving off the herd of cattle in the pasture. The wheel aroused their curiosity and they seemed determined to examine it too closely.
It was in this same pasture that Peter Wieland had trouble, in 1885, with a large bunch of curious cattle. Peter was driving a one horse wagon with a cow tied behind it. The cattle surrounded him, overturned the wagon, threw down and trampled on the horse and the cow, while Peter himself had to run to escape serious injury.
My troubles in getting on reminded me of the difficulties of some other men on that road a number of years ago, in which animal curiosity cut quite a figure. But thereby hangs a tale. See winter of 1896-7.
On Monday morning, July 27th, I brought out the bike, inflated the wheels, and then finding that the wind was in the north I turned the ma- chine toward Viola township.
My first stop was at the residence of Nathan Shuey who lives on the quarter where John Grant made his homestead entry, May 14th, 1881, the SE of 19, of Wessington Springs township. At the time of making his entry on the SE of 19, Mr. Grant also filed a tree claim entry on the NE quarter of the same section. Here he lived, making the place famous for its orchard of splendid fruit and many improvements, including a good well, fine grove and delightful shade. The farm now includes the M. C. Ayers quarter, which stretches a quarter of a mile in width, along the north line of section 30.
Across the way, east, lies the S. W. of 20. Here John R. Francis filed his soldiers declaratory and made proof for it as his homestead. Prior to making his home on this land he had lived at Sheldon, Iowa. When his six months, allowed by law, for establishing his residence, had
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nearly expired he came to the territory again, and for a few days re- mained at Plankinton, waiting for a chance to ride out with some settler, to his claim. On the day that his six months would expire Ed. Williams, a friend and neighbor, drove to Plankinton and brought Francis home. In some way, before he arrived at his claim, upon which no buildings had yet been erected he learned that some strangers had planned to go to the Mitchell land office the next morning and institute a contest against his entry. As soon as he arrived at his claim he went to John and Newell Grant, who were then living together on Newell's claim the NW of 19, and told them of his danger. It was late at night and the country covered with snow. But the Grants are not men to stop at untried obstacles when a friend needs help. No sooner was the story told than the three men set to work. A small shanty owned by the Grants, was placed on timbers and drawn over the section line and placed, as the required improvement, on Francis' land. A stove and pipe were furnished, fuel provided, and on the next morning when the strangers arose to prepare for their trip, the old soldier had so black a smoke rolling out of the shanty that the whole 13th N. Y. Heavy might have been there, and there could be no doubt about a residence having been established. The claim was saved. A few willows planted by Francis along the highway are now large trees, but their verdue is no greener than his memory among the people with whom he lived for more than a quarter of a century. He later sold his land to John McDonald now of Alpena.
The Francis quarter was purchased in 1898 by Mr. C. P. Christenson, who has built upon it a fine home and has added to it, in one good farm, the SE of 20, held in the early days by J. W. Wright and also purchased by H. Bloodgood. Mr. Christenson has also purchased the NW of 20. once owned by Rev. J. G. Campbell as a timber claim.
John A. McCarter who was here before other people came had a pre- emption and homestead on the west half of 29, while James, one of the boys, had a homestead on the SW of 30. These early settlers went out in the hegira that occurred during the "years of hard times." Their old- time holdings are now the property of others.
Carl Kleppin, Sr., has 800 acres which includes the McCarter SW of 29 and the north half and south east quarter of 31 and SW of 28. Of this land the north half of 32 was once the home of Jas. Houseman now in the Balck Hills country. The SE of 32 was a pre-emption owned by G. A. Groves.
The SW of 32 which is now owned by Paul Kleppin, of near Lane. was in 1883 the homestead of W. W. Goodwin, who was one of those who came to this township first, and stayed. Here was located old Sul- livan post office, where Mr. Goodwin was the postmaster. All the Klep-
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pin land is now in charge of two of the young men, George and Henry, who are cultivating this year 450 acres.
Across the way to the west lie two quarters upon which are no build- ings, the NE of 31, a pre-emption taken by Ed Lowe and the south east quarter of the same section taken as a pre-emption by C. A. Groves. At the NE corner of 6, I crossed the line into Viola township a country fair indeed, and I was literally "among Review readers."
I entered Viola township one mile east of its west line and the same distance from the hill tops over which the town line runs. Because of the roughness of the country, the highway between Viola and Anina is trav- eled but little, and in some places is practically abandoned. On this slope, lying at the foot of the hills, is some of the richest soil in the state.
On the west side of the road, and including the northeast quarter of 6, and also the east half of the west half of the same section, is the new residence of J. P. Eberhard, a man who started in life as a pioneer. He lived 38 years on his father's homestead, entered in 1868, in Plymouth county, Iowa. Two years ago he left the old home and, with his small family settled here. He has a good new house and other improvements, which, with his 75 acres of excellent crop makes him feel that he made 1:0 mistake in coming to the foot of the hills.
Twenty six years ago Miss Emma Cady taught the first school ever taught in this township. It was a subscription school and held in the basement of the dwelling house built by Rev. . Wm. Paganheart, a kind hearted German minister, who held as pre-emption and homestead, all of the east half of section 6. The teacher, the minister and the house have all diseappeared from Jerauld county. Her brother, Rolla Cady, was also a printer, on the Wessington Springs Herald, in the old days but is now living in Fargo, N. D., a conductor on the Great Northern Railway. But I am letting my pencil wander a long way from Viola township.
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