USA > South Dakota > Jerauld County > A history of Jerauld county, South Dakota > Part 6
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It was a long ways to haul the lumber and the roads, in places, almost impassable. Yet the frame of the structure was up and inclosed in July and on the 26th of August the cornerstone was laid. The ceremony of laying the stone was conducted by the pastor, Rev. J. W. P. Jordan, as- sisted by Rev. J. G. Campbell. The sermon was preached by Rev. W. H. Hoadley of Huron.
A "mite society" had been organized by the ladies of the church and on the evening of the 29th of August they held, in the church building. their first sociable.
In July Mr. Chas. E. Bourne, of Boston, Mass., purchased a one-fourth interest in the townsite, and was henceforth identified with the growth and development of the town.
In the early spring Jefferson Sickler put up a rough board shanty, 16x32. a little south of where the Kinney store was afterward built, and E. L. Smith and F. Drake later put up another small shanty west of the creek and both of these buildings were used as temporary residences. But the first permanent residence in the town was built by R. M. Magee, in August, on the north side of the creek. That little house is still stand- ing on the ground where it was built and is a part of the residence of Mr. James Barr.
During the same month, August, J. H. Woodburn and L. H. Tarble
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built a blacksmith shop where F. M. Brown's livery barn stands, near the alley north of Vessey's store.
Two lots east of Morse & La Point's store, E. H. Ford built a small room that was used for millinery, restaurant, printing office and other purposes in the years that followed.
In November the school house, built by subscription, was completed ..
The post office building, west of the Herald office, was completed the fore part of November, and on the 5th of the month Postmaster Barrett moved the office into it from his farm at the mouth of the gulch.
At the same time J. F. Ford and I. N. Rich began the construction of a law and real estate office, which is now used by Hermsen for a barber shop.
Chapter 16.
But other matters besides the erection of buildings occupied the atten- tion of the people of the town of Wessington Springs and the county generally.
Among the immigrants to the new county were a large number of the survivors of the Civil war. Of these veterans fifteen met in Stephens' Hall in Wesington Springs on the 16th of June, 1883, to take steps toward the organization of a G. A. R. Post. J. M. Spears was chairman of the meeting. The other present were P. R. Barrettt, C. W. P. Os- good, W. T. Hay, C. T. Hall, T. V. Donovan, H. C. Stephens, C. D. Brown, J. H. Woodburn, J. G. Good, Wm. Taylor, C. H. Stephens, Jno. R. Francis, Jas. T. Ferguson, and C. M. Chery. At this meeting it was decided to organize a G. A. R. Post, to be named in honor of Gen. E. O. C. Ord, of Pennsylvania. A charter was applied for and granted. The organization was completed on the 25th of August with H. C. Stephens, commander, and C. W. Hill, adjutant.
One of the things most desired by the people at the Springs was school privileges for the children. To meet this necessity Miss Jeanette Richardson organized a school in September, which she taught several weeks. The author has been unable to learn in what room this school was held, nor who were the pupils that attended it.
For several years the people of the Territory of Dakota had been asking congress for division into North and South Dakota and the ad- mission of both into the Union as states. In the spring of 1883 a large number of the advocates of division and admission living in the south
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part of the territory, assembled at Huron and issued a call for a consti- tutional convention to meet in the city of Sioux Falls on the 4th day of September, 1883. In that call Jerauld, being an unorganized county, was allowed but one delegate to the convention.
A call for a mass convention of the voters of the county was pub- lished July 21st to be held on the 25th of the same month at Stephens' Hall to consult as to the best method to secure representation in the Sioux Falls convention. As Jerauld county had not been represented in the Huron meeting no one had been appointed to call a meeting of the voters of the county, so this notice was simply signed "By Request."
At 2 o'clock on the afternoon of the day appointed (Wednesday) 24 voters met in the hall. Mr. R. S. Bateman was made chairman and C. WV. McDonald, clerk. The matter before the meeting was fully discussed and at length it was determined to proceed to the election of a delegate. The vote was by ballot with the following result :
C. W. McDonald, 17; C. W. Hill, 2; John Chapman, 2; J. M. Spears, 2; R. S. Bateman, I.
The election of Mr. McDonald was then made unanimous.
The constitutional convention met in Sioux Falls on the 4th of Sep- tember, 1883, and perfected an organization. Bartlett Tripp, of Yankton, was made chairman. In the appointment of committees the member from Jerauld county was made chairman of the committee on printing.
A gentleman named George Whalen appeared to contest the place from Jerauld county. His notice of contest was presented by A. Con- verse, a member from Sanborn county. The matter was referred to a committee of three, who reported that grave irregularities existed in the selection of both delegates and therefore it was recommended that both delegates be seated, giving Jerauld county two representatives. A. C. Mellette moved that both be seated with the right to half a vote each. Neither plan was adopted, and Mr. Whalen retired from the conven- tion, leaving Mr. McDonald to perform his duties without further an- noyance.
The convention was in session for several weeks.
People generally throughout the territory gave but little attention to the doings of the convention. Yet some of he leaders of certain move- ments brought forward their ideas and forced them upon the attention of the delegates.
At the 4th quarterly meeting of the M. E. church at Wessington Springs, held on Sept. 16th, for the year 1883, the services were held in the new church. Rev. McCready, of Huron, delivered a stirring tem- perance address, and at the close of the meeting a petition was circulated and extensively signed asking the convention in session at Sioux Falls
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E. B. Orr.
D. A. Scott.
Members of the G. A. R.
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to incorporate prohibition in the constitution they were framing. This petition with another asking for equal suffrage, was given to Mr. Con- verse to be presented to the convention. The petitions were duly pre- sented, but both were rejected.
The constitutional convention of 1883 concluded its labors by the appointment of a committee in each county having authority to call an election, at which the people could adopt or reject the proposed consti- tution. The committee for Jerauld county were C. W. McDonald, chair- man, and J. F. Ford, secretary.
The committee called the election for Nov. 6th. They defined the precincts and named the judges of election as follows :
No. 1-All of township 108-63 and that part of 108-64 lying east of the bed of the Firesteel Creek from the point where it crosses the south line of the township, and thence north through the channel of said creek, to the east line of section 16, thence north to the county line. Election to be held at the house of Mr. Stewart. No judges named.
No. 2-All of township 107-63 and that part of 107-64 lying east of the Firesteel Creek. Election to be held at the residence of W. P. Pierce. No officers named.
No. 3-All of township 106-63 and that part of 106-64 lying east of the Firesteel Creek. Election to be held at the house of John Ahlers. Judges, Joseph Steichen, Henry Walters, Samuel Swenson.
No. 4-All of township 106-64 lying west of the Firesteel Creek and the east half of 106-65. Election to be held at the house of T. K. Ford. Judges, T. K. Ford, S. S. Moore and John Phillips.
No. 5-All of township 107-64 lying west of Firesteel Creek and the east half of 107-65. Election to be held at the Herald office in the village of Wessington Springs. Judges, H. C. Stephens, P. R. Barrett, Hiramı Blowers.
No. 6-All of township 108-64 lying west of precinct No. I, and the east two-thirds of 108-65. Election to be held at the house of W. N. Hill. Judges, H. A. Miller, Jesse Simons and H. J. Wallace.
No. 7-West one-third of townships 108-65 and all of 108-66 and 108-67. Election to be held at the house of I. N. Rich. Judges, C. M. Chery. O. O. England and I. N. Rich.
No. 8-The west one-half of towship 107-65 and all of 107-66 and 107-67. Election to be held at the house of John Sullivan. Judges, Mr. Pryne, Samuel Marlenee and W. Crittenden.
No. 9-The west one-half of township 106-65 and all of 106-66 and 106-67. Election to be held at Crow Lake post office. Judges, S. H. Melcher, Mr. Jones and Joseph O'Brien.
Polls to be kept open from 8 a. m. to 5 p. m.
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The call for the election was dated October 20, 1883.
To get the constitution before the voters and do the work necessary to be done before the day of election a constitutional executive committee was appointed, composed of C. W. McDonald, chairman; J. F. Ford, J. M. Spears, Geo. Whalen, John Sullivan, C. W. Hill and R. S. Bate- man.
Prior to the call of the election a number of the prohibitionists of the proposed state met at Huron and organized a temperance party and named it "The Prohibition Home Protection Party of South Dakota." This meeting was held on the 10th day of October. A platform was adopted and a committeeman appointed for each county, Rev. J. G. Campbell being named for Jerauld county. Many prominent members of the new party advocated opposition to the adoption of the proposed constitution, because of the defeat of prohibition and equal suffrage. No opposition was made in Jerauld county, however, and the election came on without any strenuous campaigning.
The vote on the constitution in the county was light, the reports from the various precincts being as follows :
No. I-No votes cast.
No. 2-No votes cast.
No. 3-For the constitution, 7. .
No. 4-No votes cast.
No. 5-For, 35; against, I.
No. 6-For, 31.
No. 7-For, 7; against, 2.
No. 8-For, 32 ; against, 5.
No. 9-For, 26; against, I.
Total-For, 128; against, 9.
All the work in connection with the proposed constitution had been done without authority of law and neither the members of the conven- tion nor the election officers received any compensation for their services, nor were they reimbursed for their expenses.
Throughout the proposed state the vote was heavily in favor of the constitution.
By September, 1883, a number of Sunday schools had been organized in the county, and on the 6th of the month a county picnic was held at the grove, by the big spring. As it was the first gathering of its kind in the county the author has taken the time and space to insert the pro- gram in full:
PROGRAM.
Music-Wessington Springs Sunday School.
Prayer-Rev. J. W. P. Jordan.
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Music-West Valley Union Sunday School.
Address-Rev. O. E. Murray. Song-By all the schools.
Basket Dinner and Social Hour.
Afternoon, 2 O'clock.
Children's Meeting.
Music-Quartette-West Valley Sunday School.
Address-Prof. W. H. Jordan.
Music-Wessington Springs Sunday School.
Address-Mr. Huntley.
Song- West Valley Sunday School.
Blackboard Exercise-M. D. Crow.
Song-Wessington Spring Sunday School.
Closing Remarks-Rev. J. G. Campbell.
Closing Song by all present.
At the close of the picnic a county Sunday school organization was perfected with the following officers :
President, J. G. Campbell ; secretary, T. L. Blank, treasurer, Mrs. E. L. DeLine ; executive committee, Harvey Russ, T. L. Blank, C. M. Bar- ber, C. C. Wright, J. N. Cross, Mrs. D. Whealand, Lettie Ford.
This was followed on Nov. 2, 1883, by the organization of a County Sunday School association with M. D. Crow, president; T. L. Blank, secretary, and R. M. Magee, treasurer.
In September, 1883, a further change was made in the Wessington Springs townsite company by the addition of Mr. P. R. Barrett, who sold to D. A. Scott the 480 acres farm at the mouth of Barrett's gulch for $1,000 and an undivided one-fourth interest in the townsite.
Chapter 17.
When the first settlers in the three eastern townships of the county located there it was expected that he James river division of he C. M. & St. P. would meet the Southern Minnesota branch of the same system at Milwaukee Junction, a little town that had been platted by parties. not connected with the railway company, about five miles northeast of Woonsocket.
People had not then begun to realize how fully railroads were rim primarily in the interest of the few men who controlled the corporations.
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-
Isaac Pearce.
F. W. Whitney.
-
Rev. and Mrs. S. F. Huntley.
Mrs. Isaac Pearce
L. W. Castleman
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They did not know that townsite companies, organized among the of- ficials of the road were platting the townsites in the name of the company and that private parties who platted land were given no consideration whatever.
All through the spring and early summer of 1883 there were rumors of the extension of the line north from Letcher, but where it would go no one could even guess. In the fore part of June one of the Plankinton papers stated that the line would run northwest from Letcher, passing about six miles east of Wessington Springs. It was not until about the first of August that the public became appraised of the course the exten- sions would take. During that month the company platted the town of Woonsocket in Sanborn county and in September Alpena was platted in the northeast part of Jerauld county.
Before the surveyors had completed the work of platting the town of Alpena, a house mounted on four wagons and drawn by eight horses appeared in the southeast, coming across the prairie from the direction of Milwaukee Junction. As the moving building approached, the clear notes of a cornet floated out on the evening air. When the teams had reached a point near what is now the main street of the town, one of the teams hesitated and seemed about to stop. At that instant a voice, that for two decades drove things in the village and county, roared out "gedap." It was the first word spoken in the town by an actual settler. The teams were finally halted and two men-the one with the cornet and the one with the voice-stepped to the ground and became from that moment the first settlers of the village of Alpena.
The building rested on the four wagons until the next morning when the surveyors marked out a. lot on the south side of main street and then the structure was placed on its temporary foundation. It stands on the same spot to this day.
L. N. Loomis and Wesley L. Davis, the two men who arrived in the building from Milwaukee Junction at once engaged in the real estate business. One of their first moves was to purchase a printing office out- fit, which they hauled from Letcher with a span of horses and on the 19th day of September they issued the first number of the Jerauld County Journal. The paper is still in existence, but now under the name of the Alpena Journal, being the oldest publication in the county.
Within a few weeks after Loomis & Davis placed their office on the townsite, other buildings arrived from Milwaukee Junction, which town had by this time disbanded, so to speak, part of it going to the new town of Woonsocket.
O. B. Jessup brought a building, which he placed on the north side
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of Main street and is now used as a paint shop. Mr. Richard Davenport opened a restaurant in the Jessup building soon after its arrival.
W. L. Arnold, who had been in the mercantile business in tlie now deserted village in Sanborn county brought to Alpena a store building which he used that winter for a store, and in which Mr. Jessup, the first postmaster in Alpena, opened the post office about the middle of Decem- ber. The building has since been used for a drug store, first by Dr. D. F. Royer, until February Ist, 1891, and then by W. W. Hillis.
A residence building was also moved to Alpena from Milwaukee Junc- tion by W. L. Arnold.
Isaac Pearce, who owned a claim a mile south of town,- built a resi dence and restaurant combined on the south side of Main street and began doing business in November.
By the Ist of October, 1883, the railroad was constructed as far as Alpena and trains were running.
About the same time F. W. Whitney opened a hardware store in the building now occupied by Grant Anderson on the northeast corner of Main and 2nd streets.
Soon after the completion of the railroad into the town D. F. Royer and Wm. Walcott started a lumber yard which they continued as partners until the spring of 1884 when Royer drew out and engaged in the drug business.
During the winter of 1883 Dr. Royer built a residence on a lot south of Main street, fronting on 2nd street.
Before the winter closed in Wallace Linn built a barn for a livery business and established a dray line.
Soon after the town was surveyed John Zimmerman put up a black- smith shop.
In the township 107-63, a cemetery was located at the northeast corner of the NW quarter of section 4, then known as the Whiffin claim. Here Dr. Whiffin was buried in the fall of 1883, being the first burial in the township. A lady named Quiven was also buried in that cemetery, but in 1884 an acre was platted in the southwest corner of section 33 and both the bodies moved there. The new burial ground was named Fair- view Cemetery, and is controlled by a corporation known as the Fairview Cemetery Association.
In September, 1883, a postoffice named Starkey was established on the NE of 35-107-64, with Wm. Morrill as postmaster and supplied by the route from Mitchell to Elmer. Morrill retained the office but a few weeks and then turned it over to Ed LaRue, who took the office to the NW of 31-107-63, but soon resigned and James Johnson was oppointed. Johnson kept the office at the same place and opened a little candy store
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but in the spring of 1884 he resigned and the office was moved to the residence of W. P. Pierce, who retained it for several years.
On December 15th, 1833. Guy Posey was born, being the first birth in township 107-63.
The location of the new town over the line in Sanborn county was a great convenience to settlers in the east half of Jerauld county. As soon as the new town became a fact a petition was circulated in Wessington Springs and vicinity asking for a daily mail connection.
On October 10th, 1883, E. B. Orr put on a stage line between Wes- sington Springs and Woonsocket. and on the 25th of the same month. .1. Peck, of Woonsocket, put on a competing line.
Farmers began hauling their produce to Woonsocket before a ware- house or elevator had been built. The first load of grain taken into the new town was a load of flax by Rev. J. G. Campbell. The man who had located there to buy grain was out of town that day. but Mr. Campbell chanced to meet John T. Kean, a lawyer, who purchased it rather than see the first load of grain brought to the town hauled away again.
PART TWO.
Chapter 1.
Many years ago when Dakota Territory began to take political shape the part now known as Jerauld county was in the western part of Buf- falo county, which embraced the country west of Minnehaha and north of Yankton counties.
In 1873 the legislature created the county of Wetmore, including in it the west half of what is now Miner county, all of Sanborn, all of Jerauld, except the three west townships in range sixty-seven, and the north tier of townships in Aurora county. Wetmore county was never organized and in 1879 it was cut up into smaller political subdivisions. the present boundaries of Jerauld county being attached to Crogin county to form Aurora.
The creation of the county of Jerauld was an incident of the capital tight that for several years was waged with great bitterness and much of political intrigue between Yankton and Bismarck in the old territorial days.
In the course of the contest many towns became ambitious of capital honors, and many local jealousies were involved.
The men who controlled the contending forces were masters of all the arts of politics.
A history of that contest is outside the purpose of this volume, except in so far as it effects the subject in hand.
One of the methods to secure votes in the territorial legislature of 1879, 1881 and 1883 upon the questions involved in the relocation of the capital, was the creation of new counties and naming them in reward for political service rendered by the persons whose names were bestowed upon the various political subdivisions.
In some instances the opposite course was taken and a county would be threatened with annihilation (as in the case of Davison county) in the hope of whipping an obstinate member into line.
By an act approved February 22, 1879, the boundaries of the county of Hanson were extended to include the county of Davison, the latter county was abolished and the county of Aurora was created.
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By this act Aurora county extended from Douglas county on the south to Beadle and Hand counties on the north and included all of townships 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107 and 108, and ranges 63, 64, 65 and 66.
This act placed in Aurora county all of what is now Jerauld county, except the townships in range 67.
Commissioners for Aurora county were appointed by Gov. Ordway in the summer of 1881.
One of the commissioners appointed was A. B. Smart of township 107-65, now of Wessington Springs, Jerauld county.
In the organization of Aurora county, Mr. Alden Brown, now in the Soldiers' Home at Quincy, Ill., but then a resident of the northwest quarter of section 6-107-64, was appointed superintendent of schools. Mr. Brown served but a few months and resigned. At the instance of Mr. Smart the board then appointed C. W. McDonald, of section 13- 107-65, to fill the vacancy.
Another act approved March Ist, 1881, made Hanson county extend only to the James river, on the west, while the east line of Aurora county was made the new west line of Hanson county, but leaving the balance of Aurora county the same as designated by the act of 1879. This act, however, provided for a vote of the people of Davison county on the matter of annexation.
By an act approved March 9th, 1883, the last day of the session, a new county was created by dividing Aurora county on the line between townships 105 and 106. The new county was made to include town- ships 106, 107 and 108 from south to north, and ranges 63, 64, 65, 66 and 67, from east to west. The new county was named Jerauld, the name of a member of the territorial council from Lincoln county.
The townships 108-67, 107-67 and 106-67 had formerly been a part of Buffalo county.
The act made provision for an election on the question of division to be held in that part of Jerauld county taken from Aurora, which elec- tion was appointed by the law for the 17th day of April, 1883.
The act also provided that the commissioners of Aurora county should appoint judges of such election and establish precincts therefor. Pro- vision was also made for publication of notices of said election in paper to be designated by the Aurora county commissioners.
After the creation of Brule county in i879, Buffalo county was at- tached to it for judicial purposes. At the next session of the territorial legislature, 1881, an act was passed authorizing the filing and recording of deeds and mortgages, taken in unorganized counties in the county to which they were attached for judicial purposes.
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As Buffalo county was then attached to Brule for judicial purposes, the deeds and mortgages and other conveyances of Buffalo county lands were placed on the record books of Brule county at Chamberlain.
This included townships 106-67, 107-67 and 108-67, which were a part of Buffalo county until April 17th, 1883.
Chapter 2.
In accordance with the act of March 9th, 1883, the commissioners of Aurora county caused notice of the election for April 17th to the pub- lished in the Wessington Springs Herald and also in the Aurora County Standard. Precincts in the proposed new county were established and judges appointed as follows :
No. I-Townships 107 and 108, range 63 and the two east tiers of sections in township 107 and 108, range 64. Polling place, house of I. P. Ray. Judges, J. W. Whiffin, Hiram Fisher and I. P. Ray.
No. 2-Townships 106, range 63, 64 and 65. Polling place, the house of Chas. Walters. Judges, L. G. Wilson, T. K. Ford and John Steiner.
No. 3-Township 108, range 65 and 66 and township 107, range 65, with the four west tiers of sections in townships 107 and 108, range 64. Polling place, Elmer P. O. Judges, C. W. Hill, Chas. W. McDonald and A. B. Smart.
No. 4-Townships 106 and 107, range 66. Polling place, the house of Albert Allyn. Judges, H. F. Brasch, Albert Allyn and Phillip H. Best.
Polls to remain open from 8 a. m. until 5 p. m.
The election was a victory for the new county. The vote was for division, 149; against division 25. In Wessington Springs precinct division lacked but one vote of being unanimous.
The result of the election was certified to the territorial secretary at Yankton and on the 30th day of September, 1883, the governor appointed Hiram D. Fisher, of 107-64, Almona B. Smart, of 107-65 and Samuel H. Melcher, of 106-66, commissioners to organize Jerauld county. The commissions were sent by mail to Mr. Melcher, at Crow Lake, who for- warded the commissions for Smart and Fisher to them at Wessington Springs by T. H. Null.
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