USA > South Dakota > Hyde County > History of Hyde County, South Dakota : from its organization to the present time > Part 6
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
Odegard, Sophus Odegard, Jalmer Paulson.
Many of them have continued their education in High Schools, Colleges and Universities and are now found among the business and professional men of this and adjoining states.
The foregoing chapter was prepared by our present County Superintendant of schools, W. N. Van Camp, at our request and the author of this history feels exceedingly grateful to him for the contribution as it is well written, and as complete as it could be un- der the circumstances of the lost records. We can safely add also that Mr. Van Camp during his two terms of office has given us the best of service, and during his incumbency the schools have materially advanced.
F.v.
The Little Vine Clad Cottage on the Claim Sequel to "The Little Old Sod Shanty on the Claim" By E. W. Lowe, a Hyde County Farmer (Copyright by E. W. Lowe)
I am feeling sort of happy since I proved up on the farm, I have horses, sheep and cattle not a few,
Pork and 'taters in the cellar, Wheat and oats stored in the barn, And coal enough I guess to take us through.
CHORUS:
The little old sod shanty, where I nestled down to rest, When the eoyotes were howling round at night,
Has changed in its appearance,
Like everything out west,
To the little vine clad cottage painted white.
I found that sweet kind hearted girl of whom I used to dream, When working hard to beautify the place.
She came just like an angel,
As fair as any queen,
And Belle and Beulah have their mother's face.
We have prayed and worked together for nearly twenty years, Have had our pleasures often mixed with pain,
But He in whom we trusted,
Wiped away our tears,
And blessed us in our cottage on the claim.
The good old home way back down east, bright link in. memories chain,
The joyous scenes, the friends that loved us best;
But I'd rather drink the balmy breeze,
That floats across the plain,
And watch the golden sunset of the west.
Dakota, fair Dakota, we love thy genial clime, The breezes filled with fragrance from the plain,
And here on thy broad prairie, We'll live until we die,
In our little vine clad cottage on the claim.
W. D. McDONALD AND WIFE
CHAPTER VIII
SEVERAL MATTERS OF INTEREST
A MURDER
In August 1886 word was broughtto Highmore by four boys who were working at the Catholic Mission that they had discovered the remains of a man lying upon the prairie near the Mission, in township 109 range 72. Coroner Tallman took with him T. E. Price, J. T. Blakemore and A. A. Dibble, who went in search of the remains. They had been taken to Fort Thompson from which place they were officially turned over to the coroner, and were then taken to the Mission Stephan where an inquest was held. The verdict of the coroner's jury was, that the remains were those of a person unknown, that he was shot through the body by an unknown person, and this was the cause of his death aided by heavy blows on the head and a fracture of the skull. It was a terrible sight, the body had been almost completly dismembered, pulled apart by wolves and theflesh eaten. A tin spectacle case, a button hook and memorandum book were found about the clothing but, the book re- vealed nothing as to the identity of the person, and this is yet shroud- ed in mystery.
AN ACCIDENT
On September 17, 1886, at the home of their parents in Van Order township Mr. and Mrs. L. W. Harvey, Pearl Harvey aged three and one half years, and Georgie E., aged two, were burned to death.
A DELEGATE
A constitutional convention was held in Sioux Falls June 30, 1885, at which convention our present state constitution was fram- ed and afterwards adopted. George G. Crase was a delegate from
I30
HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
Hyde county.
AN EFFORT FOR A COLLEGE
In the latter part of 1885 an effort was made by Prof. J. C Black of the Christian Church for a Christian College. He wanted to find a site to which the college would be removed. He was de- lighted with the country here, but could not make satisfactory ar- rangements as to a bonus and for the required amount of land, either at Holabird or Highmore so the venture was abandoned and he left us regretfully.
RUSTLING FOR WOOD
In the early days the settlers would go to the Missouri river for wood, but as this act was forbid- den by the government at Wash- ington, being on the reservation, it was not often done. At one time however about fifteen of them made a trip there for some fuel, as it was in the winter time and the fuel was greatly needed. They went down and cut the wood and loaded it on their wagon and were ready to start home when they were surprised by the appear- ance of a few Indian police offic- CHAS. SHEEN ers, who ordered an unloading at once or there would be trouble. A few of the settlers were inclined to resist, but the peculiar "grunt" of the Indian race along with an expression upon their countenances that meant business, caused an apprehension that the trouble referred to might result in a scalping bee, which was something the settlers did not care to indulge in, so the boys unloaded and silently but indignantly drove home.
EXHIBIT
At the Territorial Fair held in Mitchell in September 1887 Hyde
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
County made a most wonderful exhibit, so much in excess of many other of the counties that the papers of the territory gave it special mention. The Mitchell Republican especially said that the display made by Hyde County was not only creditable but simply magnifi- cent. It made mention of nine varieties of corn well ripened and of immense size and of the product of that season estimated at not less than fifty bushels to the acre. Also samples of the No. I hard wheat, oats, flax, cabbage heads, pumpkins, squashes, on- ions, turnips, potatoes and many other things, all of which that paper pronounced as entirely un- expected from this county, and was astonishing to everyone who, saw it.
STILL HERE
Out of forty-eight residents who were drawn on the grand and petit jurys at the November term of court in 1886, only nine remain and still reside ยท here. They are Ed Rodgers, A. N. Ger- hart. B. A. Foote, George Foster, Fred Messick, Louis Rolewitch, E. C. Musser and J. E. McDonald.
SAMUEL BATES
COAL DISCOVERY
In the summer of 1886 there was considerable excitment in Hyde County over the reported discovery of coal. It was preceeding the 4th of July and so wrought up the people in their ardent enthusi- asm over this unexpected find that they forgot the American eagle and the Star Spangled Banner-in short they forgot to celebrate the anniversary of our independance. The hue and cry was made that under a portion of the soil in the northwestern part of the
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
county, lay a vein of good bituminous coal, fifteen feet under the ground with a seven foot vein of coal. Men are apt to believe that which they want to beleive, and while many were skeptical in re- gard to the report many others argued its truthfulness with scienti- tic certainty. Why not coal here as well as anywhere else, was asked with all the assurance of positive conviction, but there was no answer for nobody wanted it otherwse. But the fever of excit- ment soon abated, the wind of en- thusiasm soon died down into a calm of disappointment. The coal did not materialize, and the event of its report- ed discovery was soon forgotten.
A TIME OF TERROR
Monday morning, May 30th, 1889, a wind sprang up from the northwest and at the same time a fire caught by accident on the premises of James Ingram in the Medicine Valley about five miles southwest of Highmore. The wind in its rageing and cruel fury spread the fire rapidly across the south part of Highmore township and also Bramhall, the north part of Eagle and E. O. PARKER Van Order taking everything in its track. Mr. Ingram lost some stacks of grain, machinery and other property George Cree lost his stable stacks, and seed grain, in fact everything but his house. John Cunningham's barn, machin- ery and seed grain and one horse were burned, his wife being alone, rescued the other horses from the flames. L. L. Hatch lost everything but his house, H. B. Young lost his barn, granery, 600 bushels of wheat, 300 bushels of oats, also his farm machinery and also his seed grain, and he himself was burned trying to save some of his property. Others in the path of the flames suffered
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
damage but not so serious as those mentioned above. But while the south part of the country suffered in loss of property alone, the worst horror of all was the loss of life in the north part and more particularly in the northwest. The second day on Tuesday the wind seemed worse in its fury and for a while threatened to sweep the town of Highmore out of existance, and this same wind brought the fumes of the burning prairie, and although no fire could be seen fears were felt that from the northwest the flames were sweep- ing on in the work of distruction. Those fears were fully confirmed when people from that direction came to town and told the stor- ies of misfortune and disaster. Horses, cattle and hogs were roasted in stables and pens, and singed and suffocated on the prairie. Houses, barns, stacks of grain and hay and machinery were left in mouldering heaps, where before were thrifty suround- ings, and there was nothing left but a desolate and dreary waste of blackened prairie. But sadder Duncan McDonald and wife than all this was the story of agony and death of four well known settlers whose charred and blacken remains were left on the prairie. Anna Sweeny went out to loosen the picketed cows but the flames caught her before she had performed her task, and the cattle also perished. Mrs. Albert Jessup was at the house with her children and placed them in a cy- clone cellar and while fighting, the flames conquered and destroyed her. Thos. Tibbs took his wife and son Frank to a piece of plowed ground and told them to remain there until he ventured again to
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
the house for some articles of clothing, but the excited wife with the boy alone, thought it her duty to aid the husband in saving what was in their little home, and left her place of safety for that purpose, but they were caught in the flames and fatally burned and Mr. Tibbs himself was badly burned in his efforts to rescue them. Mrs. Ruby and her daughter were seriously injured internally while escaping from a cyclone cave, the entrance to which was wrapped in flames. Others were scorched and it is a wonder that many more did not perish in that ter- rible fire. Among those in that part of the county who lost all or largely all they had were the following: James Sweeney, Wm. Sweeney, Thomas Tibbs, Wm. Dougherty, Uriah Jessup, Albert Jessup, L. F. Walthall, M. T. Thayer, Jacob Becker, Hans Lar- son, S Hastings, John McGovern, Duncan Gray and Thomas Mc- Weeny.
FINANCES
As to the financial records of Hyde county it is not necessary to go into details only a general John Henfrey and wife statement is ; necessary. The first money ever received by the county treasurer was under the double headed organization, when L. C. Hadley was treasurer by virtue of appointment. He received $327.81 saloon license money, which upon his retirment was counted out to the board, and was soon appropriated for expenses incured. The first tax levy was made by the legaly organized board on the 14th day of September, the account of which tax if given on page 15 of this history. The first report made under the local organization was by John F Goudy
--
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
which was submitted to the county board at their meeting Novem- ber 10th, 1884. That report was as follows:
TERRITORIAL FUND
Receipts. $4.54
Disbursments . .. 18 Balance $4.33
COUNTY FUND
Receipts. $390.89
Disbursments $15.63 Balance $375.26
COUNTY SCHOOL FUND
Receipts .
$326.07
Disbursements.
.$8.45
Vouchers. . $248.10 Balance .$69.52
TOWNSHIP DISTRICT SCHOOL FUND
Receipts.
$31.80
Disbursements
$1.27
Balance
.
$30.52
BRIDGE ROAD FUND
Receipts. $3.00 I2 Balance $2.88
Disbursements .
INTEREST ON BOND FUND
Receipts . .
46
Disbursements. 02 Balance .44
Total balance on hand $482.96
The next report of treasurer was by Homer James submitted July II, 1885, showing a balance on hand from all funds of $1598.77.
Each of the rival county boards appointed assessors. The Ord- way board appointed S. R. Meigs with H. C. Shober, N. C. Cline, D. L. Cadwallader and John Newell as deputies. The other board appointed first N. M. Jacobson, who resigned, and then W. N. Green was appointed with T. R. Jones, Charles McGill, and Geo. Barret as deputies. These made an assessment of the county in the spring of 1884, which was afterwards revised and equalized by the legal board, when A. E. Van Camp, David Moore, and J. W. . Beardsley constituted that board, but no levy was made until the
Y. T. HATCH AND FAMILY
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
4th day of September, 1884, as before stated, so that we are unable to state and cannot learn from the records where Mr. Goudy ob- tained his receipt money, unless it was saloon money distributed in- to the various funds. The first money which went into the treasury by taxation was paid in when Homer James was treasurer, as shown by his report mentioned above. .
The present financial condition of Hyde county will be seen in the report of Auditor Buchan which was made by him and verified on the 30th day of June, 1908, and published a few days after in the local papers and is as follows:
ASSETS OF COUNTY IN DETAIL.
LIABILITIES OF COUNTY IN DETAIL
Total amount of School money loaned, se-
Amt. of school money rec'd to date 66 630 00
cured by mortgages and bonds
$65 925 00
Warrants issued and in hands of audi or
127 15
1906
483 86
Bonds Outstanding Interest Per Cent)
(Rate
13 500 00
60
1904
100 19
County sinking fond,
66
1903 and Prior
106 59
Assets over Liabilities
6 780 19
Cash in county fund
2 655 82
County Bridge and road
2 000 59
Bond Interest and sinking fund
3 000 00
Cash in sinking fund
Sales and Fixtures
2 000 00
Court House and Grounds
5 500 00
County Jail
500 00
Permanent School Fund
Dipping Stations
1 500 00
Total.
$87 037 34
Total
187 037 31
STATE OF SOUTH DAKOTA, )
COUNTY OF HYDE JAMES BUCHAN, Auditor, first being duly sword doth say that the Treasurer's exhibit hereon is a true and correct statement of the financial condition of Hyde county, as appears by his books, and that the Anditor's exhibit is a true and cor- rect statement of all warrants drawn on the treasury during the quarter, and that the state- ment of assets and liabilities is true and correct.
Subscribed and sworn to betore me this 28th day of July, 1908 James Buchan, Co. Auditor
(SEAL) C. H. Gray, Notary Public.
A TERRIBLE STORM
One of the worst blizzards on record occurred January 12, 1888. It was general in the northwest and swept Hyde with terrible fury. The morning was bright and calm, but this soon changed to a bitter cold driving storm and drifting snow. Near Sedgwick Mrs. Anthony Haby went from the house with her husband to assist in doing the chores. After working awhile she started to return, but she became bewildered, lost her way, and did not return. When Mr. Haby
Unpaid Tex,
1907
2 800 26
66
1905
464 43
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
went back to the house he did not find her there, and made such search as he could, but after the storm had subsided the body was found about a mile and a half from the house. Sister Wilhelme at the Stephan Mission started from the dwelling house to go to the school building, a distance of about seventy rods, but becoming be- wildered, lost her way and drifted with the storm for some distance, until she came to a fence that encloses the quarter section on
J. T. BLAKEMORE
which the mission is located. Missing her, search was instituted and after much difficulty she was found leaning against the fence, her limbs frozen and she in an unconscious condition. Chris Lexun, Peter O'Brien and others attempted to carry her to the house, but they in turn got lost and were obliged to leave her in order to save themselves. After finding the house, by the aid of cords to guide them in their re- turn, they retraced their steps to the unconscious form of the sister and carried her to shelter, them- selves almost overcome by the
storm. The poor woman lingered until twelve o'clock that night, when she passed away. She was a woman of high christian charac- ter and of strong devotion to her church. It was a wonder at the time that many others escaped for the drifting and driving snow soon obscured the sight, and any who were out were obliged to grope blindly about like one in utter darkness.
ASSESSMENT OF 1888
The assessment of 1888 showed the following, which consti- tutes the material wealth in Hyde County at that time:
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
Real Estate $619,833 00
Town Lots. . 56,099 00
Personal .. 117,417 00
Acres of Land 187,379 00
Horses, 1053 . . 23,857 00
Cattle, 2650
23,293 00
Mules, III
2,829 00
Hogs, 359
558 00
Sheep, 145
139 00
A PRAIRIE FIRE
During the last two days of September, 1888, a terrible prairie fire raged north of High-' more. It started. at Mr. Dougherty's place in Valley township and widened as it swept across Douglas, Lincoln, Wash- ington and Hamilton, burning hay, flax, wheat and many build- ings in its course. The following are some of the losses: Robert Wendland, stable and stacks; A. Kernberger, stable, one horse, 70 tons of hay, and most of his MATT SHOUP farming implements; C. F. Geer, 75 tons of hay; James Pettis, house, barn, stacks, and about everything on the place; G. W. Sanders, 15 tons of hay; James Stewart, a field of flax; Peter Hoe, hay and grain stacks; S. W. Ayers, 100 bushels of wheat and some hay; on the Sprecker place, his barn and numerous other losses, and many other settlers lost something.
RELIEF
At one time in the history of Hyde County, when the hot wind had done its work, and the prairie fires had been destructive, there
W, L. THOMPSON AND FAMILY
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
was a call for relief on the part of some of our people, and on the part of the others the call was stubbornly resisted. It is true that the American people are always ready to pour in their contributions to some unfortunate portions of the country which has been sud- denly stricken with some calamity as that of the San Francisco earthquake or the Chicago fire. It was a matter of much discussion at the time whether it was not better for the county, even as poor as it was, to provide for such of the county as needed it, rather than publish it to the world that they were in a condition of pov- erty and needed help. Such, however, as opposed it at first, were indifferent afterwards.
Too often in such matters of relief, the "cheeky" ones, less deserving, get it, while the ac- tually needy and modest appli- cants fail to get their share. Fraud, also, almost always enters into its receipt and distribution, and in the case of Hyde county, while some money was sent by mail, no report was ever made of Mr. and Mrs D. O. Welch receipts and disbursments, and if there was no stealing, there cer- tainly was an opportunity.
As it was, the Hyde County Board at its April session 1839, ap- propriated five hundred dollars for the benefit of the fire sufferers in the prairie fire of April that year, and that was well and met with approval, but on account of liberal donations from Pierre, St. Paul, and Chicago the vote here for the appropriation was rescinded.
Relief was sent in of clothing, groceries and other necessities, and Ilighmore was headquarters for its distribution, but whether or
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
not it was any benefit to anybody we do not know. Someone liv- ing near Holabird wrote to friends in Iowa of our starved and pov- erty stricken condition, which brought quite a consignment of second hand clothing and eatables. The people of Holabird re- belled against such an advertised condition of things, and resented the whole performance as an insult to the county. The result was that the parties who had the goods placed them in a vacant build- ing in Holabird for such disposi- tion of them as the people might make, and while they were thus stored, some unknown parties in the dark hours of the night entered the building, carted the whole business off in wagons, and it was never heard of or seen by the public afterwards. Holabird was sort of pleased over this turn of affairs, and no effort was ever made to find the stuff or to learn who took it, and there seemed to be too much pride on the part of the people of Holabird and vicin- ity to think of wearing around DUNCAN GRAY the cast off clothing and foot gear sent up here from Iowa where they had no further use for them.
J. L. Humphrey was one of the distributing committee of grain furnished the county, and in 1890 made a full and complete report of their doings.
AN EPISODE
In the early days the old settlers would occasionally indulge in a pilgrimage to the river or somewhere else. Sometimes they would go in pairs, or perhaps in a quartette, and occasionally in a large
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
and extensive gathering. We remember at an early day when L. E. Whitcher, A. N. Gerhart, S. R. Meigs and Frank Drew, tired of the monotony of every day business life, sought a brief recreation by a trip to the river, not to fish, but to gather the luscious plums which grew in abundance along the banks of the Missouri and other streams. The local paper had it at the time that they formed a complete organization with Meigs as guide and scout, Whitcher as hunter, Drew as cook, and Ger- hart as general rustler. They ar- rived on the banks of the river and went into camp about ten o'clock, but having forgotten or neglected to take a lantern along they had to feed their horses, get wood, and cook their supper in a strange country and in the darkness of night. They labored under difficulties, and soon all hands had to quit and fish Whitcher out of Joe creek, into which he had fallen trying to get wood and water; and Gus, in try- ing to fix the horses for the night got tangled up in the picket rope MRS. DUNCAN GRAY and all rolled down a bank fifteen feet high into the creek; it took the efforts of the other three to rescue Gus and the horses. The next day they got a mouthful or two of plums only, and in this respect the trip was a failure, so the following day they started home towards night, so late that darkness came upon them, but they traveled on and soon on the broad prairie realized that they were lost, and actually knew not where they were or whither they were going; indeed the points of the compass were a blank to hem. Upon a discussion as to the merits
CAP'T. VAN ETTEN AND WIFE
-
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HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
of the situation it was concluded that Whitcher should hold their horses while the rest of them, down on their knees, would hunt for the traveled road. Meigs went north, Drew east, and Gerhart west, but unsuccessful in their search, they got back to the wagon. Then they got into a wrangle as to which way was north, and which east, and over this they about exhausted themselves and the vo- cabulary of expressive adjectives, but finally concluded to get aboard and let the horses go where they liked, and thus they traveled un- til they came to a house where they stopped for the rest of the night, but what house they could not determine. Meigs declared they were in Hand county, for no such habitation existed within the confines of Hyde. Gus said it was the Harrold school house, and Whitcher said he didn't care a gol-darn where it was, he was going to lay down on the floor and go to sleep. This they all did, and when the light of the morning enabled them to locate themselves, they found they were within half a mile of Meigs' own C. E. CASE home in a house owned by D. S. Warner. Such experiences on trips of that kind are more enjoyable than the plain uneventful going and coming, for when it is all over there is something to make the heart bubble over with mirth and laughter at the unexpected predicaments in which they are caught.
THE CYCLONE
This portion of Dakota, and indeed no part of our great state is subject to cyclones, but one of those desolating creatures of the
146
HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA
air swept a portion of Hyde county on Wednesday evening, July 15, 1885. The writer with several Holabird people was sitting on the north side of a Holabird building about five o'clock in the evening trying to get some comfort in the shade, and away from the sun- shine, when we saw peculiar clouds forming about ten miles north of us which had that peculiar green tint which means danger and disaster. We saw rising from the ground what looked like a pyra- mid of dust, then a pointed streak of clouds which came down and in contact with the ground form- ation, was soon a rolling monster of air. It started on its mission of destruction towards us, came toward Holabird slowly, and reached the village about 8 o'clock. On its way it took sev- eral shacks and residences, but there was no loss of life, as peo- ple took refuge in their cellars. It scattered the house of WVm. Edgecomb in all directions, swal- lowed up a yoke of oxen and in- deed ruined everything on the premises. One particular thing MRS. O. R. VAN ETTEN it did was to take a bed tick, tear it into strips, and when found afterwards these strips were knotted together making a hard bundle of stuff which was a curiosity to us for years. James Peardon had a very fine mare and colt near the Edgecomb residence which were taken by the cyclone, and no part of them was found. T. W. Howey at Holabird had several kero- sene barrels in the rear of his drug store. After the cyclone had passed the iron hoops of the barrel lay there, but the staves were gone. At Holabird it carried away a barn belonging to J. R. Smith,
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