USA > South Dakota > Minnehaha County > History of Minnehaha county, South Dakota. Containing an account of its settlements, growth, development and resources Synopsis of public records, biographical sketches > Part 17
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During Sunday the motor people had prepared injunction papers against any interference by the car company in laying its track on Tenth street, and during Sunday evening W. R. Kingsbury, J. W. Jones, W. A. Wilkes and C. E. Johnson took an engine, went to Canton and induced Judge Aikens to return with them, and they ar- rived in the city at midnight. Judge Aikens signed the papers, and within thirty minutes they were served on Judge Tate and the fore- man of the car company-and the war for the occupation of Tenth street was transferred to the courts.
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
The cause of this little scrimmage, of course, was the desire on the part of the street car company to prevent the motor from occu- pying any of the principal streets of the city. The company had an exclusive franchise for twenty years, and had been operating its street cars at a loss, and the managers felt that the motor was tres- passing upon its rights, and that the building of the motor line would lessen the value of the street car property.
It is only necessary to add, that in the end the matter was ami- cably adjusted.
We left the ordinance limiting the time for the completion of the motor line, when we turned aside to chronicle the Sunday war be- tween the two companies, in the hands of City Attorney Brockway, who reported to the city council on May 27, that in his opinion the ordinance ought not to pass-and the council defeated the passage of the ordinance.
On Friday, June 13, 1890, at five o'clock in the afternoon, the first trip over the electric motor line was made. Three trips in all were made during the evening of that day, and as this was the first electric train that had ever been run in the state, it was quite an event. Everything worked smoothly, and to the entire satisfaction of the management.
On Saturday, June 21, 1890, the motor line commenced running regular trains to East Sioux Falls.
For two or three years there was considerable traffic over this line, and during the summers it was largely patronized by picnic parties and pleasure seekers, who invariably enjoyed the seven-mile trip between the two cities. But the enterprise did not prove a good investment, and after considerable struggling against adverse cir- cumstances, it went into the hands of a receiver, and during the sum- mer of 1898 the rails were taken up, and we regret to state, there is now nothing left but the bare roadbed to remind the people that there was at one time a rapid transit railway line between the cities of Sioux Falls and East Sioux Falls.
SIOUX FALLS, YANKTON AND SOUTHWESTERN RAILWAY.
This railroad, the last one to enter Sioux Falls, was opened to the traveling public October 19, 1893. No railroad project ever con- ceived of by a citizen of Sioux Falls, had been so constantly before the public, as a railroad from Sioux Falls to Yankton. The files of the newspapers in Sioux Falls for fifteen years, disclose the fact, that this project, though dormant at times, was ready to come to the front whenever the slightest interest in railroad building was mani- fest among her citizens. At times its construction seemed assured, and then again, it would for months appear as remote as aerial navigation.
A bill was passed by the last territorial legislature, 1889, in aid of the construction of railroads, that was introduced and pushed through, with nothing behind it but this project of Sioux Falls to build a road to Yankton. The writer was sent to Bismarck by the
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
Commercial Club of Sioux Falls, and spent thirty days in getting this measure (with others of less importance) through, and while there reported to R. F. Pettigrew, then president of the club, that it seemed impossible to get the law enacted, and received in reply a telegram which directed the writer to "stick, " that it must be done, and strongly intimated that the writer's residence in Sioux Falls would not be desirable if this measure did not become a law. The law was enacted, and before the constitution of the state was adopted, the citizens of Sioux Falls went at this project with a determination that it should be accomplished. E. A. Sherman in particular, de- voted a good deal of time to the matter, organizing a company and en- deavoring to enlist capital in the East, and at one time it seemed as though he would be successful. But it was decreed otherwise, and all hope of aid through any legislation after the adoption of the con- stitution was at an end. On the 27th day of September, 1892, some of the foremost citizens of Sioux Falls met at the request of Senator Pettigrew, "to consider a matter of public interest," and when the meeting was organized, he stated that the time had come when a rail- road could be built to Yankton upon certain conditions. The con- ditions were stated, and the meeting promptly decided that the re- quirements were reasonable, and proceeded at once to pledge that the city of Sioux Falls should perform all that was required of her people. This much having been accomplished, the Sioux Falls, Yankton, and Southwestern Railway company was organized, with Senator Pettigrew as president. On the 31st day of October, the Argus-Leader announced that the grading contracts had been let by Senator Pettigrew. From this time on, the work progressed rapidly. On August 15, 1893, the first passengers came from Lennox to Sioux Falls on a construction train. As the road approached completion, the Jobbers and Manufacturers Association of Sioux Falls decided that the road should be opened in due form, and proceeded to ar- range for an excursion to the Queen City from all points on the line, and Monday, October 19, 1893, was the day fixed upon.
The train left Yankton at 8:20 A. M., consisting of six coaches, and arrived in Sioux Falls at 11 o'clock sharp, having made the run of sixty-two miles in two hours and forty minutes. The train was in charge of Conductor August Burr and Engineer C. N. Oram. Upon the arrival of the train at the corner of Eleventh street and Phillips avenue, nearly 700 people disembarked from the cars, and a procession, headed by the Sioux Falls band, the city council and re- ception committee, was soon formed, and all falling in line marched down Phillips avenue to Eighth street and thence up Main avenue to the council chamber, where the visitors were received and welcomed by C. A. Jewett, president of the Jobbers Association. Mayor Peck followed in a speech of welcome on the part of the city. The Yank- ton fire department, accompanied by the K. P. band of Yankton, were among the excursionists, having received an invitation from the fire department of Sioux Falls to honor the occasion with their presence.
The banquet in the evening was the finest ever given in the city. The Press of the 20th of October said: "Germania hall shone re-
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splendent last night. The banquet hall with its decorations, its lights, its beauty and the attending brains, made a gem that scintil- lated in the breast of the metropolis of the Dakotas never before equalled, and long to be remembered. The management of the cele- bration had turned over the entire management and arrangement of the spread to the Ladies' Industrial Society and the St. Agnes Guild of the Episcopal church. Royally the ladies did their duty. The two societies had for assistants thirty-five young ladies of this city, who, under the supervision of captains, did the service at the tables in a manner to do credit to Delmonico's finest. Stout's orchestra occupied the stage and furnished music throughout the entire pro- gramme. Seven tables were tastefully arranged with palms and flowers. Banquet lamps and boundary ribbons of colors to match were used to divide the tables in sections. Over each section a bevy of young ladies, costumed in the same colors as the decorations, gave the guests constant attention. Everything was the perfection of order. Every section had distinctive arrangement of plate and dec- oration. Two hundred and seventy-five covers were laid. The ser- vice was solid silver, and at each cover was a rose boutenniere." E. W. Caldwell was toastmaster, and Captain W. H. Stoddard, William Blatt, Esq., of Yankton, W. H. Wait of Lennox, Melvin Grigsby, E. A. Sherman, J. Tomlinson, Jr., Herbert L. Greene, H. H. Keith of Sioux Falls and Judge George W. Roberts, Otto Peemiller and W. B. Wilcox of Yankton responded to the toasts. The speeches were all admirable, but the gem of the evening was the address of Mr. Wilcox. Mr. Tomlinson in closing his response to the toast "Sioux Falls and Her Business as a Jobbing and Manufactur- ing Center" said: "And further, I want to pay my respects to one man who more than any other has made possible the occasion tonight. A man, who day and night, can always be found pushing, working and accomplishing for Sioux Falls, a man who differed with him in politics, but who every man in Sioux Falls should be ready and is ready to honor as her most energetic and worthy citizen, the Honor- able R. F. Pettigrew." During the construction of the road, Jacob Schaetzel, Jr., acted as disbursing agent, and furnished for publica- tion the following list of the stations and their distance from Sioux Falls: Byron, 10 miles; Lennox, 17 miles; Davis, 26 miles; Viborg, 331/3 miles; Irene, 41 miles; Volin, 50 miles; Yankton, 62 miles. On Monday, October 23, regular trains, both passenger and freight, commenced running over this line under the management of the Great Northern.
Right here the subject of railroads is dismissed, and although nothing is expected in a work like this but a record of the past, the writer cannot forego the pleasure of predicting that in the near future other railroad enterprises will originate in Sioux Falls, be- come accomplished facts, and bring additional prosperity to the city and the country tributary thereto.
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
SCHEDULE OF DISTANCES FROM SIOUX FALLS TO RAILROAD STATIONS IN THIS COUNTY AND OTHER IMPORTANT POINTS.
CHICAGO, ST. PAUL, MINNEAPOLIS AND OMAHA.
From Sioux Falls, going east, to Brandon 8.6 miles, to Valley Springs 15.1 miles, to St. Paul 240 miles: going west, to Ellis 6.6 miles, to Hartford 14.2 miles, to Humboldt 20.9 miles.
CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE AND ST. PAUL.
From Sioux Falls, going north, to Renner 6 miles, Baltic 13.6 miles, Dell Rapids 20 miles, Egan 34:2 miles, Flandreau 40.6 miles; going south, to Harrisburg 9 miles, Canton 20 miles, Elk Point 69.7 miles, Sioux City 91.5 miles.
ILLINOIS CENTRAL.
From Sioux Falls to East Sioux Falls 6.7 miles, Rowena 9.3 miles, Ben Clare 13.4 miles, Chicago 547 miles.
GREAT NORTHERN.
From Sioux Falls, going north, to Corson 11 miles, Garretson 19 miles, Sherman 22 miles, St. Paul 249 miles; going south, to Yankton 63 miles.
BURLINGTON, CEDAR RAPIDS AND NORTHERN.
From Sioux Falls to Chicago 554 miles.
ELEVATION OF STATIONS.
Omaha depot 1,397 feet
Milwaukee depot 1.395 feet
Sioux Falls
Burlington depot
1,400 feet
Great Northern depot
1,420 feet
Brandon
1,319 feet
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Corson 1,362 feet 1
Garretson
1,457 feet
Sherman
1.396 feet
Dell Rapids 1,485 feet
Hartford 1,564 feet
Valley Springs
1,392 feet
ELEVATION OF THE BIG SIOUX RIVER.
Low water mark near Dell Rapids 1,485 feet
Low water mark above the falls, Sioux Falls. 1,380 feet
Low water mark near Brandon 1,281 feet
Low water mark Sioux City 1,098 feet
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CHAPTER VII.
SOUTH DAKOTA PENITENTIARY COUNTY POOR-FARM CHILDREN'S HOME.
On the 8th day of February, 1881, a bill that had passed the four- teenth session of the territorial legislative assembly, providing for the location and government of a territorial penitentiary, was ap- proved by the governor. The law provided that it should be located on a tract of land not less than eighty acres in extent, to be selected by the directors therein mentioned, within the corporate limits of the village of Sioux Falls, Minnehaha county, D. T .; and if a suitable tract of land could not be obtained within the corporate limits of said village, then the said penitentiary should be located on such tract of land as said directors should select within a radius of one mile of the corporate limits of said village. The law also provided that the pen- itentiary should be "erected and constructed under the direction and government of three directors" who were to be appointed by the governor, with the advice and consent of the council, and that they should immediately proceed to contract for the erection of a suitable building for a penitentiary of such dimensions as would accomodate one hundred and twenty-five to one hundred and fifty persons, at a cost of land and buildings not to exceed fifty thousand dollars. In accordance with section 2 of the act, Thomas H. Brown and Richard H. Booth of Sioux Falls, and Wallace L. Dow of Pierre were ap- pointed directors.
The following is a summary of the facts contained in the direct- ors' report to Governor Ordway, December 23, 1882: That owing to the impassable condition of the roads during the spring of 1881 the board was unable to meet until June, at which time it organized by electing W. L. Dow chairman and T. H. Brown secretary. That two sites, one located on the Omaha and the other on the Milwaukee line of railroad, were found suitable. That the sum of five hundred dol- lars appropriated to pay for the required amount of land for a site was insufficient. That the financial difficulty was finally removed by the offer of the company securing the site to pay any deficiency; and resulted in the selection of the site located on the C., M. and St. P. railroad. That the United States government had made an appropriation of $30,000, for a territorial penitentiary at Sioux Falls, and by the provisions of chapter 23 of the session laws of 1881, (an act passed to provide for raising funds to build the penitentiary) it
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
gave the directors the right to receive this sum from the government, and they were to place it to the credit of the penitentiary fund, and if they did receive it, then they were to raise the balance only, in all sufficient to make $50,000.
That the board soon learned after its organization, that the $30,000 appropriated by the United States government, could not be used in the construction of the contemplated buildings, but upon consultation with the proper officials, eighty-five acres were pur- chased, of which eighty-one acres were deeded to the Territory of Dakota, and four acres to the United States government. That it was agreed that the government should erect one wing of the pro- posed building and pay for the four acres five hundred dollars, this being the amount the directors were permitted to pay for the site. The location having been settled and the plans and specifications made, sealed proposals for the construction of the buildings were advertised for, and on August 30, 1881, the masonry and carpenter work was let to R. D. Silver of Lincoln, Nebraska, for the sum of $34,813.80. R. H. Booth was appointed superintendent of construc- tion. October 27, the contract for the iron work complete was let to Messrs. Martin & Anderson of Yankton for the sum of $6,550.00. September 30, 1882, a final settlement was made with R. D. Silver, and on November 22, with Martin & Anderson, their work being completed.
On the 13th day of December following, twenty-nine prisoners were transferred to the building from Detroit, Michigan, and placed in charge of C. M. Koehler as warden. Territorial bonds in the sum of $50,000 were issued, running for a period of twenty years, and payable at the option of the territory after a term of five years, bear- ing interest at the rate of 6 per cent per annum, payable semi-annu- ally, and were sold at a premium of one thousand five hundred and twenty-two dollars and fifty cents. The appropriation made in 1881, for directors and warden, and subsistence of prisoners, was eighteen thousand dollars. The cost of the land, buildings, water supply, heating and cooking apparatus, pay of directors, and numerous mis- cellaneous items, was in all the sum of fifty-nine thousand six hun- dred and twelve dollars and ninety cents.
In 1883, W. L. Dow and R. H. Booth of Sioux Falls and George P. Harvey of Minto, were appointed directors. The legislature made an appropriation of seventy-seven thousand six hundred and fifteen dollars to defray the ordinary expenses of the institution for two years ensuing; and at the same session directed the territorial treasurer to issue bonds in the sum of thirty thousand dollars to provide funds to pay the cost of constructing a boiler house, laundry, hospital, a prison for females, residence for warden, steam heating, machinery and tools, finishing main building, and purchasing or leasing stone quarry. The bonds were to run twenty years, with the same rate of interest and upon the same conditions as the first issue of bonds for the penitentiary. From the directors' report, bringing the affairs of the penitentiary down to December 1, 1884, it would appear that all the improvements contemplated had been com- pleted, and that nearly all the common labor and carpenter work had
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
been performed by the prisoners. From the warden's report it ap- pears that on December 1, 1883, there were in confinement seventy- five prisoners, and on December 1, 1884, one hundred. From Janu- ary 1, 1883, to December 1, 1884, fifty-nine prisoners had been re- ceived-two sentenced for life, and the remaining fifty-seven for such terms as made the average two years and six months.
On the 20th day of February, 1885, by an act of the legislature, the government of the penitentiary was placed in the hands of five directors, to be appointed by the governor with the advice and con- sent of the council. Jacob Schaetzel, Jr., B. F. Campbell, William McBain, H. S. Hills of Sioux Falls, and Gust A. Uline of Dell Rap- ids, were appointed as directors. Amos F. Shaw was elected warden and Andrew J. Mills deputy. Mr. Koehler's connection with the in- stitution terminated in June, 1885. On the 19th day of October, 1886, Mr. Hills died, and Henry T. Corson was elected by the board to fill the unexpired term. In 1887, W. H. Corson, Porter P. Peck, E. P. Beebe and John Murray of Sioux Falls, and Phil Runkle of Sa- lem were appointed directors; Daniel S. Glidden warden and Den Donahoe deputy warden; John J. Patton clerk.
In 1889 the territorial legislature enacted a law by which the public institutions of Dakota were each to be governed by a Board of Trustees, to consist of five members, two of them to hold their office for the period of two years, and three for a period of three years. The trustees for the penitentiary were Roy Williams president, Gust A. Uline secretary, J. F. Ferguson, O. S. Pendar and B. S. Williams. Theodore Kanouse was elected warden, and C. T. Jeffers deputy warden; John J. Patton clerk.
At the first session in 1890, of the legislature of the State of South Dakota, a law was enacted, by which the penitentiary and the school for deaf and dumb, located at Sioux Falls, the hospital for insane at Yankton and the reform school at Plankinton, were placed under the control of five commissioners, who constituted a State Board of Charities and Corrections. By the provisions of this law, one of the commissioners held the office for one year, two for the term of three years, and two for five years. Governor A. C. Mellette appointed J. M. Talcott of Elk Point for one year, G. A. Uline and Z. Richey for three years, C. M. Howe and Robert W. Haire for five years. The board organized March 28, 1890, and elected G. A. Uline president, and Z. Richey secretary, Two important laws were enacted at this session of the legislature, bearing upon the term of imprisonment of persons confined in the South Dakota penitentiary. One of them re- lated to the parole of prisoners, and the other, good time to be earned by them. The law relating to the parole of prisoners, in substance provided, that the board should have power to establish rules and regulations under which any prisoner who was then or thereafter might be imprisoned under sentence other than for murder in the first or second degree, who had served the minimum term provided by law for the crime for which he was convicted, and who had not previously been convicted of a felony and served a term in a penal institution, might be allowed to go upon parole outside the buildings and enclosures, but while on parole to remain in the legal custody and under the control of the board.
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
The other law in relation to good time provided, that "every convict sentenced for any term less than life, who shall have no in- fraction of the rules and regulations of the penitentiary or laws of the state recorded against him, shall be entitled to a deduction of his sentence for one year, and pro rata for any part of a year when the sentence is for more or less than one year, as follows: From and in- cluding the first year up to the third, a deduction of two months for each year; from and including the third year up to the fifth year, a deduction of seventy-five days for each year; from and including the fifth year up to the seventh vear, a deduction of three months for each year; from and including the seventh year up to the tenth year, a deduction of one hundred and five days for each year; from and in- cluding the tenth year up to the fifteenth year, a deduction of four months for each year; from and including the fifteenth year up to the twentieth year, a deduction of five months for each year; from and including the twentieth year up to the period fixed for the ex- piration of the sentence, six months for each year."
These laws took effect ninety days after the adjournment of the legislature.
By virtue of the power conferred, the board established rules for paroling prisoners, which were in substance as follows:
1. That the warden should not recommend prisoners for parole, except upon request of the board, and then his recommendation should be limited "to a statement of good time earned by the prisoner and his conduct during confinement.
2. No prisoner should be paroled until satisfactory evidence had been furnished the board in writing, stating that employment had been secured for the prisoner "from responsible persons."
3. No prisoner should be paroled who had not been obedient to the rules of the penitentiary for at least six months preceding his application for parole.
4. No prisoner should be paroled until the board was satisfied that he would conform to the rules of the parole.
5. Every paroled prisoner should be liable to be retaken and again confined, for any reason that should be satisfactory to the board.
6. It should require the affirmative vote of at least four mem- bers of the board to grant a parole.
The last rule (the seventh) prescribed the form of the parole to be issued to the prisoner, in which was clearly set forth what the pa- roled prisoner must do to keep his parole in force.
During the time the law was in force the board paroled eighty- two prisoners and such was the character of some of the prisoners paroled, and the great length of time they had to serve when paroled, that the people of the state became alarmed, and on the 27th day of February, 1893, repealed the law of 1890. By the report of the board it appears that thirty-eight prisoners had been paroled during the first six months after the law went into operation, and that from De- cember 1, 1890, to June 30, 1892, twenty-seven were paroled, and sixteen more after this date and prior to February 27, 1893.
Upon examination of the records at the penitentiary, it appeared
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
that the twenty-seven prisoners paroled between December 1. 1890, and June 30, 1892, had received sentences amounting in the aggre- gate to seventy-nine years and three months, and that the aggregate time they had served when paroled amounted to only thirty-one years, nine months and seven days. With such a record it is unnecessary to add, that the repealing law had an emergency clause.
Mr. Kanouse was warden until June 1, 1892, when he resigned, and was succeeded by I. R. Spooner, who held the position until April 3, 1893. At that time, N. E. Phillips assumed the wardenship, and remained in charge until May, 1899, when he was succeeded by the present incumbent, John A. Bowler of Sioux Falls.
This institution has been very fortunate in the selection of war- dens, all of them having proved to be competent and faithful officials. Shaw, Glidden and Phillips, all residents of the city of Sioux Falls, were in charge ten years.
During the administration of Mr. Phillips, the convicts were set to work upon the construction of a stone wall enclosing about two acres of ground. Before the wall was commenced it was estimated that it would cost $36,000, but Mr. Phillips so conducted the enter- prise that it cost the State less than $12,000. The wall is 1,182 feet in length, about 30 feet in height, and 11 feet in thickness at the base, and has a guard walk near the top the entire length.
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