USA > South Dakota > Faulk County > History of Faulk County, South Dakota, together with biographical sketches of pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 2
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On motion the board adjourned to meet at the office of D. N. Hunt & Co. at LaFoon in said Faulk county on Wednesday, Nov. 7th, 1883, at 10 o'clock a. m.
The board met pursuant to adjournment and J. H. Bottum was elected clerk pro. tem. C. F. Hardy was elected judge of probate. By a vote of two to one LaFoon was declared the county seat.
At the afternoon session E. C. Sage was chosen sheriff; George J. Jarvis, assessor; H. S. Utley of DeVoe, county treasurer; Miss Angie Harrington, superintendent of schools; E. Baldwin, county surveyor; J. S. Bates, coroner; Frank Turner and C. M. Kellogg, justices of the peace; J. T. Mckinley and Edward Chapman, constables.
Other and continued efforts were made to remove the county seat five miles west to Faulkton and that much
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nearer the geographical center of the county, but as the eastern part of the county was first and more densely in- habited, always resulted in favor of LaFoon, and it is quite evident that LaFoon would have remained the county seat until the present day if the coming of the Chicago & North- western railroad had not aided Faulkton; so soon to be followed by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railway, with a branch road from Aberdeen to Faulkton and Orient near the southern line of the county. Even then LaFoon was able to dictate its terms of surrender and come as equals, with equal rights and privileges, including their homes, their churches and their public buildings.
On Sept. 18, 1884, the first convention for the elec- tion of county officers was held at LaFoon composed of the following citizens:
Precinct No. 1 G. S. Rice, L. H. Bailey, Ed. Clif- ford, James Devine and Charles B. Chambers.
No. 2: M. Purdy, C. C. Getting and A. Garrick.
No. 3: Morgan G. Millard, G. W. McTier and G. B. Dyer.
No. 4: Charles Rathke and Otto Mielke.
No. 5: Harry H. Sprowls, J. B. Smack and B. H. Clark.
No. 6: J. A. Pickler, W. G. Faulkner, J. W. Bass and J. H. Shirk.
No. 7: P. B. Durley, Ed. Hoisel, H. A. Humphrey and J. W. Hayes
No. 8: A. B. Sheldon, R. G. Morton, Joseph Powell, C. B. Oakes and A. E. Evens.
No. 9: H. S. Utley, George M. Butterfield, Alex Miller and Travis.
FAULK CO.
county
183 ARTESIAN WELLSING. FAULK Com
...
PLOWING FOR CORN IN FAULK COURT IN FROM FAULK CO.
FAULK COUNTY STATE FAIR EXHIBIT, 1904
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR. LENOX -ID V FOU- DA ANS
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No. 10: Robert Kmapton, F. M. Brown and J. M. Miles.
No. 11: H. Chain, H. Pool, Orin Strevel and H. Metz.
No. 12: D. N. Hillman, Geo. A. Morse and Chas. F. Chase.
No. 13: C. H. Ellis, W. W. Gwin and John Parsons.
The convention was called to order by Judge C. H. Derr and Morgan G. Millard and A. E. Evans were chosen secretaries. The following persons were placed in nomi- nation for the several county offices, all of whom were elected on Tuesday after the first Monday in November, 1884: C. H. Derr, judge of probate; Frank A. Pangburn, clerk of district court; James W. Johnston, register of deeds; P. E. Knox, treasurer; Mrs. Angie Rose, county superintendent; for sheriff, L. M. Buland; for assessor, E. G. Sage; for coroner, Dr. L. M. Sprowles; for surveyor, B. H. Clark; for district attorney, C. C. Clifford; for jus- tices of the peace, Frank Turner, W. R. Davis, W. G. Faulkner and D. S. Smith; for constables, J. W. Bass, C. B. Oakes, Ed. Hoisel and Channey J. Cooper.
John L. Chain was nominated for county commissioner for the second commissioner district.
The following persons were chosen to the republican convention at Pierre: John A. Pickler and John L. Chain. To the district convention at Redfield, W. S. Belknap, C. H. Ellis, M. L. Wood and F. M. Brown. Thus ended the first organized and well attended county convention in which there was a consciousness that it was the people and not politicians that were then in control of county affairs.
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CHAPTER IV. COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
No history of Faulk county can be complete without a. careful review of the unusual methods adopted by the Gov- ernor, N. G. Ordway, through his son, George L. Ord- way, and one Tibbits, who had been a business partner of George L. Ordway in Denver, Colorado. As reference has been made to this affair in a former chapter, the writer will confine himself to extracts and editorials from the. press of that day. The following affidavit is from the. columns of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
FAULK COUNTY.
"Thomas H. McMullin, one of the town site proprie- tors of LaFoon, in an affidavit sworn to. before C. H. Squire, notary public, Faulk county, says:
On or about Sept. 2, 1883, William B. Tibbits came to LaFoon and exhibited a letter from George L. Ordway,, son of Gov. Ordway, stating that. Tibbits came to Faulk county for the purpose of looking it over with reference to its organization. Tibbits stated to me that the county would be organized as soon as he reported to the governor, and in accordance with his report. I met Tibbits at the office of D. W. Hunt, in LaFoon. There were present, beside. Tibbits, C. F. Hardy, D. R. Miller, John Hough, F. W. Rogers and myself, all of whom were members of the town. site company, and D. S. Smith, who had land adjoining .. Conversation was had with Tibbits relative to the location. of the county seat. One of the party proposed to. Tibbits,
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that he become a partner in the town site of LaFoon. To this Tibbits assented. The meeting then broke up and Tibbits withdrew. The balance of the party being a major- ity of the shareholders of the town site, called a meeting at which it was agreed to give Tibbits one-half of the town site of LaFoon, comprising 160 acres. They also concluded to give him all the land they could get donated and whatever money they could get subscribed. It was agreed that those who donated the lands should execute deeds to Tibbits, and that the deeds and money subscribed should be placed in the hands of D. R. Miller of Redfield, to be delivered and paid to Tibbits whenever Faulk county should be organized and the county seat located at LaFoon. I proceeded at once to procure the deeds of property donated, and D. R. Miller and John Hough went to work to raise money. I obtained deeds from Andrew Greenwald, Alex LaFoon, Louis Kneisel. Jr .. Lee M. Sprowls, James P. Rathbun2 James W. Johnston, William T. Hensley, Lawrence W. Hensley, Darius S. Smith, Joel C. Booth and Nora Reppy for 380 acres of land in all. After I had procured those ·deeds they were shown to Tibbits, who expressed himself as highly gratifled at the result. He was also informed of the amount of money subscribed, and which I then understood and have since been informed, amounted to about $3,000.
The deeds were delivered to D. R. Miller of Redfield with a paper accompanying them signed by each stating that they (the deeds) were to be delivered to William B. Tibbits upon the happening of a certain event, to-wit: when the commissioners of Faulk county were appointed .by the governor, and the county seat located at LaFoon. After the delivery of the deeds Mr. Tibbits went away.
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He said he was going to Bismarck to see the governor and make his report. I saw Tibbits again Oct. 1, 1883, in the presence of D. R. Miller in the latter's bank at Redfield. Miller said it was all right, but that the deeds would have to be changed and made out to him (Miller), and that he would convey to Tibbits. Miller stated in the presence of Tibbits that the reason for changing the deeds was because it appeared too open and barefaced to have the deeds go direct to Tibbits. In accordance with this request, new deeds were executed to D. R. Miller. I wrote out four of the deeds myself. One of the deeds, that of Kneisel, was not changed, but went on record direct from him to Tibbits. The deed of Nora Reppy was also changed, but her deed to Tibbits has not yet been recorded. I have been informed , and so understand, that the money subscribed, amounting to about $3,000, was paid to D. R. Miller, to be paid by him to Tibbits, and that it was so paid. Tibbits subse- quently returned again from Bismarck to Redfield, and stated that the governor wanted a petition asking for the appointment of the commissioners that we wanted. Thereupon a petition was prepared and privately circulat- ed around LaFoon and the eastern portion of the county, asking for the appointment of Thomas L. Humes, Mat- thew J. Jarvis and Hervey A. Humphrey. This petition was forwarded to the governor, and the parties above named were appointed the commissioners of Faulk county.
E. S. SPINDEN,
one of the town site proprietors of Faulkton, in an affidavit miade before W. S. Bowen, notary public, Yankton county, stated he met Gov. Ordway in June, 1883-after numerous petitions for organization had been sent to him-and repre-
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sented the urgent necessity for an immediate organization of Faulk county. In August, 1883, he saw George L. Ordway at Pierre and was informed by the latter that he had sent W. B. Tibbits to Faulk county to look the ground over, and that the parties interested could confer with Tib- bits. On returning to Faulkton, Spinden met Tibbits, who said he had been there to investigate and report. Spinden told Tibbits that it was unnecessary to keep up pretenses, and that he was prepared, as president of the Faulkton Town Site company, to make an offer for the ·county seat. The town site company offered Tibbitts, or those for whom he was acting, 120 acres of land adjoining Faulkton, 250 lots in the town site and $1,000 in cash. Tibbits remained ten days in Faulkton and then went to LaFoon. He assured me that we should have an oppor- tunity to make a second bid if necessary. Afterward I went to Pierre and told Tibbits we would add to our offer the hotel in Faulkton and $1,000 for him ( Tibbits) per- sonally. I regarded him as acting for Gov. Ordway, to whom he said he was to report. It was understood by us all that a bonus must be given Gov. Ordway before the commissioners were appointed. Of the three members of the board, two were residents, at the time of their ap- pointment, of Spink county.
H. A. HUMPHREY,
of Faulkton, and one of the commissioners of Faulk county appointed by Gov. Ordway, in an affidavit before C. H. Squire, notary public, Faulk county, states that the letter written and signed by George L. Ordway, the governor's son, and brought by Tibbits to Faulkton, stated that Tib- bits came there for the purpose of looking the county over,
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in view of its approaching organization. Humphrey had several interviews with Tibbits, who said he wanted to see the most prominent men in various localities, and gave Humphrey to understand that the county would be orga- mized in accordance with his report. He further gave Humphrey to understand in a manner not to be mistaken that he was prepared to receive and consider any proposi- tion that might be made to him in regard to Faulkton's securing the county seat. On being asked what proposi- tion LaFoon had made, Tibbits replied that "that was confidential." Humphrey also states that he has been informed by men who subscribed to the LaFoon fund, that Tibbits had received large amounts of money and land in consideration of the location of the county seat at LaFoon.
George W. Fifield, P. B. Durley, H. A. Humphrey and J. A. Pickler of Faulkton, and Thomas H. McMullin of LaFoon, in a joint affidavit before C. H. Squire, notary public, Faulk county recite the facts in regard to the re- peated efforts of the citizens of Faulk county to obtain organization. Petition after petition was forwarded for this purpose in vain. The affidavits state that during the period of eleven months between the time the county should have been organized, as required by law, and the time it was finally organized, Faulk county was without local government or any court of justice, without schools, being without the power to levy taxes for their support. That many settlers, residents of the county, in making final proof on their claims, were put to great trouble and ex- pense by being compelled to travel with their witnesses, a distance of from thirty-five to forty miles to an adjoining county to reach an officer who could administer the neces-
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sary oath. That litigants and witnesses were compelled to travel a like distance at like expense in any action or pro- ceeding at law.
NORA REPPY,
a property owner residing near LaFoon, in an affidavit be- fore J. M. Miles, clerk of the district court of Faulk county, states at the tinie of Tibbits' visit to LaFoon, as the repre- sentative of Gov. Ordway, she was asked how much of her land she would give to have the county seat at LaFoon. She gave forty (40) acres, being the southwest fourth of section 17, township 117, range 68, a deed for which she executed to Tibbits and delivered to D. R. Miller, a banker of Redfield, to be given to Tibbits when LaFoon got the county seat. She understood that the land donated by her- self and others, was for the governor, and that LaFoon's chances for the county seat depended on the amount of money and land donated.
The certified copies of the deeds on record in the office at LaFoon of J. H. Bottum, register of deeds for Faulk count, Dakota, which accompany the affidavits, show the following transfers:
Louis Kneisel, Jr., to William B. Tibbits, 40 acres; consideration, $1. Andrew Greenwald to D. R. Miller, 20 acres; consideration, $1. Alexander LaFoon to D. R. Miller, 40 acres; consideration, $1. Lee M. Sprowls to D. R. Miller, 40 acres; consideration $1. James P. Rath- bun to D. R. Miller, 20 acres; consideration, $1. William T. Hensley to D. R. Miller, 20 acres; consideration $300. Lawrence W. Hensley to D. R. Miller, 20 acres; considera- tion, $1. Darius S. Smith and Adelia M. Smith, his wife, to D. R. Miller, 60 acres; consideration, $1. D. R. Miller
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and Della B. Miller, his wife, to Willianı B. Tibbits, 380 acres; consideration, $2,800.
The description and amount of property conveyed by Andrew Greenwald and others to D. R. Miller correspond with that of the property conveyed by Miller and his wife to William B. Tibbits, except in one instance, where twenty acres are deeded by Miller to Tibbits in lieu of the forty acres deeded to Miller by Alexander LaFoon. The other twenty acres may have been allowed Miller, who is a Red- field banker, as his per cent for negotiating the transaction. The lands deeded to Tibbits, included the forty acres given by Nora Reppy whose deed was not recorded.
The value of the sixty acres immediately joining the town site may be estimated at $1,500. If LaFoon has a "boom" this spring, this land can be platted and sold so. as to bring anywhere from $3,000 to $5,000. The value of the remaining 300 acres is about $3,700, ranging from $10 to $15 an acre, the latter figure applying to 140 acres. situated within a radius of half a mile from the town site. The value of the one-half interest in the 160 acre town site proper, which Tibbits received according to the affidavit of Thomas H. McMullin, cannot be less than $10,000 to its. owner, if he will handle it properly. It is extremely pro- bable that $15,000 will be realized this year by the owner of that one-half interest."
That Gov. Ordway, if not entirely responsible for the. whole transaction, was hand and glove with George L. Ordway and Tibbits, was so evident to the people of the territory, as to call forth the following from the territorial. press and the Chicago Inter-Ocean,
Campbell County Courier: Poor Governor Ordway
ALONG THE NIXON RIVER NEAR FAULKTON
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR 1 NOX TILDEN FOU DA IONS
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wails to the Secretary of the Interior because the task of organizing new counties is imposed upon Dakota's Execu- tive. He also wails because the law does not give the ex- ecutive power to remove or suspend the commissioners whom he has appointed, or their appointees as county officials. The Governor also intimates that designing men aim, through organization, to gain control of county poli- tics. No one in Dakota remembers of Ordway, in his an- nual message to the legislature, saying anything about be- ing relieved of the task of organizing new counties. Why did he not make this wail to the legislature, instead of the interior department, if he wanted any action taken upon it. But to protest because he cannot hold the official ax over his appointees' heads, thereby dictating their acts, is simply kicking because his political power is not extended, in- stead of contracted. "Oh! consistency." Ordway has evidently been asked to give some explanation of his delay in organizing counties, as his wails are a sort of appendix to his report, and he has dished up something which may sat-
isfy congress, but not Dakotans-they know he does not want to be relieved of the task of organization, and that his report about designing men is nothing but another blow at our people, whom he delights to defame. That there are some designers, is not to be denied, but Ordway generally sees that only his friends, or those designers who make it an object to him, succeed in their designs. He does not consider the wishes of the people whom he should aim to please.
Cavour Independent :- Governor Ordway is receiving scourgings on all sides and not without abundant provoca- tion. It is one of the bitter things that accompanies terri-
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torial government that we must call our own Uncle Sam to help us out of this shameful predicament. We're of age and able to take care of ourselves, Uncle-admit us and see how deftly we will shift (Ordway ) for ourselves.
Mitchell Capital :- Register McCoy, of the Aberdeen district, is at Washington, attending a meeting of the National Republican convention which assembled in that city on Wednesday of this week. While there he will be able to check-mate some of Ordway's schemes, opposing the endorsement of McCoy's appointment.
Press & Dakotan :- Delegate Raymond has introduced in congress a bill to establish the territory of North Dakota by dividing the present territory on the forty-sixth parallel. Mr. Raymond has taken early opportunity to carry out his promises, and to occupy an open position against the schemes of the Ordway clan to retain Dakota intact. He has taken this action in accordance with the wishes of ninety per cent of his constituents.
Andover Gazette :- The appointment of T. C. McCoy as register of the Aberdeen land office was confirmed on Tuesday. This is good news for the people of southern Dakota, but a "bad pill" for Governor Ordway.
Press & Dakotan :- C. T. McCoy has won in the fight against Ordway. McCoy's nomination as register of the Aberdeen land office was made to the senate by the presi- dent Tuesday night. This is an open vindication for Mc- Coy. Ordway has been charging him for a year or two past with complicity in Douglas county matters of unsavory repute, but this false accusation has fallen to the ground, and the object of his venom is clearly the winner in the contest. Charges of dishonesty are Ordway's weapons of
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offense and defense, but in this particular instance the means employed are liable to assume the size, proportions and pecuilarities of a boomerang. Mr. Ordway himself may be called upon to explain his suspicious connection with the original organization of Douglas county and the mysterious disappearance of Walter Bown, chief witness in the case. Mr. McCoy's success is a subject for congratula- tion. He is an old resident of Dakota, a capable man and one worthy of the place bestowed upon him.
Exchange :- The next popular prairie song will be en- titled, "The Old Man's Losing his Grip." Not the grip he carries his county seat deeds in, but the grip he had on the powers in Washington. The McCoy appointment in- dicates that things are slipping through his fingers.
Faulkton Times :- A petition to the President to re- move Governor Ordway, the robber executive of Dakota, is being circulated in every county. As none feel more deep- ly the tyranny and exasperating conduct of this barnacle upon our body politic than the people of Faulk county, it is hoped and believed that said petition will be unanimous- ly signed by our people, and by none more gladly than those so outrageously bled by him in connection with his Redfield deal in organizing the county.
Chicago Inter-Ocean :- Popular disapproval of the acts of Governor Ordway, which has been noted from time to time in the Dakota correspondence of the Inter-Ocean, has at last taken the shape of a pointed petition to the Presi- dent, embodying the prayer of a people for the removal front office of an executive who, it is claimed in general terms, "is not fitted for the place by education, experience, or qualities of mind, heart or character." This move of
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an intelligent, law and order loving people for the removal of their Governor, whose present administration is alleged to be scandal to Dakota and upon the public service, is made the subject of correspondence in another column, and should certainly receive the attention of the country, and be given careful consideration by the President, to whom the appeal is made. ' There may be more things charged to the account of Governor Ordway than can be substantiated, but it is not to be supposed that the people are signing the petitions in every county in the territory, without some reasonable measure of just provocation. Affidavits bearing on Governor Ordway's acts in relation to the organization of new counties and the capital commission scheme, are to accompany the petition.
At the present day it is impossible to form the least conception of the scorn and contempt in which Governor Ordway was held, and the wrath and indignation aroused against him throughout the territory. It was not alone in the County of Faulk that his system of bargain and sale was set up. Hand, Hyde, Potter and other counties were victims of his system of plunder. At last he was brought to the bar of justice. A United States grand jury found two indictments against him. On a plea of lack of juris- diction the case was thrown out of court, and what all the people believed to be a consummate scoundrel, escaped the just penalty of the law.
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CHAPTER V. THE FIRST SETTLER.
At the present date it has been decided that Hiran Rose was the first white man to locate in Faulk county. In the Autumn of 1881 he made a location and erected a shanty upon the shore of Scatterwood Lake in township 120, range 66, and remained there through the winter of 1881 and 1882. But if we are correctly informed, it was more for the purpose of trapping and hunting than for a permanent location. In April of 1882, D. S. Smith, Alex- ander LaFoon and T. H. McMullin from Hillsboro, Mis- souri, arrived at Redfield in Spink county and started out on a tour of observation, the object in view being a perman- ent location. Although Mr. McMullin was the first to move his family into the new settlement, the town was named after Mr. LaFoon. The long years, and influential and commanding positions filled, placed D. S. Smith of Faulkton, in line to claim the honor of being the first pio- neer settler in the county. The LaFoon settlement re- ceived important additions from Wisconsin, while a party from Charles City selected the present county seat on the bank of the Nixon and put forth desperate effort to secure for their settlement the honor of becoming the leading town in the new and important county. Among the men of qualities who were members of the LaFoon colony, were: J. H. Bottum, J. W. Johnston, F. A. Seaman, Dr. J. P. Rathbun, I. Allen Cornwell, W. H. Race, Hon. F. M. Byrne, Judge C. H. Derr and J. P. Turner, who have re-
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mained, and are active and influential citizens of Faulkton at the present day.
The first settlers of Faulkton were mostly from Iowa, and came here in the spring of 1882.
LOOKING BACKWARD.
It is impossible for us to realize the changes that a few years bring into our every day life, save as they enter in and become a part of it, and not even then, unless some written record is made to recall them to mind. Only a quarter of a century has passed since the full consciousness entered into the minds of men that Faulk county, South Dakota, was really a goodly land, to be sought out as a home for civilized men.
Government surveyors who made preliminary surveys, gave no word of encouragement to induce the homeseeker to even "come to see." Only one small body of water (Scatterwood Lake) was known to exist within all its bor- ders. The western line of the county was on the divide between the waters of the James and Missouri rivers, and, lying at the foot of the coteaux, had the appearance of a low region of country, while in reality it was nearly 1,000 feet higher than the eastern line of the county.
In the spring of 1882 the tide of emigration set strongly toward Dakota Territory. A party of three, leaving the Chicago & Northwestern railroad at Redfield, started out on a three days' trip in a westerly direction. The trip was one of most remarkable surprises. A beautiful ex- .panse of rolling prairie covered with luxuriant grasses lay out before them. A creek of delicious spring water-God's best gift to man-proclaimed it a "goodly land," much to be desired by any intelligent homeseeker. Not only
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