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 25
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
Dupries built the Central House, which is still standing on the same spot, but greatly altered and enlarged. Mr. Dupries was a genuine Frenchman. In the fall of 1871 a Mr. Leonard taught school in a sod shanty on the side hill near where the brewery is now. He lived in a shanty on his claim a little west of town. He was partially in- sane, and we boys used to go and stay with him nights for fear he might commit suicide if left alone. There was an old man we called "Dutch Charlie." He was an old trapper and had a shanty on his claim near were the linen mill is now. Everybody was afraid of him. James Stevenson built a large stone house for a hotel where the brewery is now, but he never finished it so he could occupy it. He was the Stevenson who succeeded Duling in running the stage line to Yankton. In 1872 he had a pony livery stable - not a horse in the outfit. The same year a man by name of Caster built a butcher shop east of the Central House. In 1871 a lawyer by the name of McLaury built an office where the Metropolitan block is now, but moved it off the next year, when the Episcopal church was built there. In 1872, McLaury built a residence and an office with a basement where the Emerson block is now; there was a meat market in the basement and "Billy Bainbridge" was the butcher and Captain Dick was with him. They had a good choir in the Episcopal church in those days - I sung in it myself. Before the church was built the meetings were held in any place where a room could be had. In 1872, a bakery and restaurant was started in the barracks by a Mr. Boardman. He afterwards moved north and put up a building about where the Merchants Hotel is now. In 1872, a man by name of Dixon, who had been a clerk in Boston came to Sioux Falls with $8,000 and bought all the land he could see. He soon had more land than money. He built the building on the northwest corner of Main avenue and Eighth street. J. D. Cameron built a bank building a little north of the Cataract. C. O. Natesta & Brother had a general store just north of Cameron's bank. Napoleon Boutcher, fresh from Canada, opened a shoe shop opposite to where Daniels' store is now, and he used to charge the boys as high as $20 for a pair of boots, but he made the finest boots I ever saw. In 1870, a Mr. Botsford took up a claim of 40 acres where Meredith's addition is now. He married the cook of the Cataract Hotel. He was the first miller that came to Sioux Falls, and he was always planning to build a mill but could not raise the money. When I first came to Sioux Falls in the fall of 1870, we all turned in and helped build Covell's two-story sod mansion, and a sod barn over 100 feet long. They were located south of the street car track, opposite the present Covell buildings. There was a large family of Harthorns - the old man and his wife, Frank, Dan, Jim and Tom, his boys. Harthorn senior lived out near Clark Coats. Frank had a pre-emption claim south and east of the culvert under the Illinois Central railroad on the east side of the river, and he had a shanty in the rocks a few rods northeast of the culvert. I slept with him one night and I had to crawl in on my hands and knees. In the winter of 1872 I taught school in the barracks. I still have a certificate to teach school, dated December 28, 1872, signed by Cyrus Walts, superintendent. During the winter of 1873, Frank Forde,
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
John Forde and myself lived in a log shanty on the bank of the river west of town. We had no knives or forks, and used to cut our food with jack knives. I used to go over to Fuller's, a half a mile south, and get about three square meals a week; got there about meal- time and they would ask me to eat with them - and I consented. There was no work to be had that winter, and we used to pull up maple trees in Fuller's grove (a natural grove) and sell them in town for what we could get. We ate a good many beavers that winter cooked them in the sod as we had no stove. Frank Forde took a soldier's black blanket, folded it and laid it on a table and cut out a pair of trousers with a shoe knife and sewed them himself. Dressed in these, a buckskin shirt and a pair of moccasins he used to attend the dances in town. He made a cap from a wolfskin, with two tails attached to it, which he wore on all occasions. I remember a little experience I had in 1871. There was an odd character known as "Israel Putnam," who had taken up a claim one mile east of Dell Rapids in the bend of the river. I went up and staved with him a few days. The mosquitos were so bad that we had to sleep under a wagon box. They stampeded the horses one night and we had to go about ten miles after them the next day. There was not a house then where the city of Dell Rapids is now located. Well, in those days society wasn't graded anywhere in these parts; the Indians were about as good as anybody, and they used to come from Flan- dreau to Sioux Falls in droves, and the merchants used to trust a good many of them for goods. When I hear people now talking about hard times, I always think of the early seventies in Minnehaha county."
REMINISCENCES OF MRS. HATTIE C. PHILLIPS.
In an interview relative to the early days of Sioux Falls, Mrs. Phillips informed the writer of many interesting incidents which occurred at that period, and which are given below in her own lan- guage:
"The first sermon I heard in Sioux Falls was preached by a Methodist minister by the name of Cuthbert. One day I was in my kitchen and heard some one say "howdy!" I looked around and saw a tall gentleman standing in the kitchen door, and he again said "howdy!" I had lived south, and knew what howdy meant, so I said "howdy!"' and asked him in. He then asked me if he could hold re- ligious services in my house. I told him my husband would provide a place for him somewhere in town; but he said he did not want any other place than my house. He waited until the doctor came home, who gave him permission to use our rooms. They were neatly car- peted, and the clerical stranger ejected so much tobacco juice and so indiscriminately that at last I spoke to him about it, when he apolo- gized and said he would be more careful. He held meetings Satur- day evening, and Sunday morning and evening, and Monday I had to go all over my carpets on my hands and knees and clean them of tobacco juice. On Sunday I provided dinner for himself and family, consisting of eight persons, and, as all our provisions came from Sioux City, taking it all together, these meetings were quite a tax
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upon our hospitality. In those early days a Mr. Riggs, pastor of a Presbyterian church in Lockport, Illinois, and the Rev. Dr. Ward also preached in Sioux Falls. The first church organized was the Episcopal, and this organization erected the first church building. Mrs. Clark G. Coats and myself started the first Sunday school. We had happy times in those days. Every one went to church and Sunday school, even Charley Howard (in his shirt sleeves).
I remember the blizzard of 1873, very distinctly. It came with- out warning. The doctor had just taken the pony and started for the river, and I was taking up dinner in the kitchen. The stove pipe ran up through the roof in place of a chimney, and all at once some- thing struck that pipe with a crash. It was the blizzard. I looked out the window, and saw the doctor a little ways from the house hanging on to the pony. For some time he could not move away from where he stood. It was a terrible day. I had a servant girl at the the time by the name of Foster whose brother and sister were lost in the blizzard in Benton, where the family resided.
I remember an amusing incident, which I saw from my window, in connection with the store building near the barracks. Col. Allen had purchased it, but the Delaneys occupied it, and he wanted to get them out. He tried to persuade them to give possession, and one day he became so urgent that Mrs. Delaney, who was a large woman, picked up a tea kettle of boiling water and started for him, and the colonel ran away just as fast as he could."
JOHN NELSON'S "INDIAN SCARE."
As will be seen from his biography, Mr. Nelson settled in Ma- pleton during the summer of 1866. At that time his only neighbor was John Thompson, who lived about two miles up the river on his claim. Mr. Nelson had erected his cabin in the woods near the Big Sioux river, where he thought himself safely hidden from the pio- neer's most dreaded foe, the roaming Indian. Everything was quiet for a few months, and no unusual sound disturbed the stillness of the prairie. But one evening during the fall, just about sundown, while he was chopping wood near the cabin, unearthly vells and howls sud- denly reached his ears. In shorter time than it takes to tell it, he dropped his ax, ran into the cabin, and gathering up what valuable papers he had, brought his frightened wife and baby out of the cabin and around the bend of the river, where they remained until quite dark. They then crossed a little valley to a small lake surrounded by tall grass in which he hid his wife and child. Having placed them where he thought they would not be discovered, he shouldered his rifle and started for John Thompson's place. Upon arriving there he was surprised to find the family quietly eating their supper, while he had expected to find them all butchered by the Indians. After having briefly told of the approaching danger, he returned for his wife and child, whom he safely brought to Mr. Thompson's house. During this trip he heard something moving through the grass near him. He cocked his rifle and quietly awaited the approach of the stealthy steps of what he thought to be an Indian, but fortunately
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY
was found to be only a deer. It was temptingly near for a good shot, but for fear of attracting the attention of the Indians he did not fire.
The next morning, in company with Mr. Thompson and Ole Gil- seth, he went down the river, and nearly opposite his cabin he dis- covered two Indian tepees. They then got behind a tree and called to the Indians, which seemed to greatly surprise them, and gather- ing up their belongings, they hastily left the place without further trouble.
EXPERIENCE OF TWO OF THE EARLY SETTLERS IN THIS COUNTY DURING THEIR WALK FROM RED- WOOD, MINNESOTA, TO THE SIOUX VALLEY, IN THE FALL OF 1866.
An account of this trip appeared in an issue of the Syd Dakota Ekko in November, 1895, and thinking it would prove interesting to the readers of this work, a translation of the same is given below.
Ole O. Gilseth and John J. Aasen, Jr., left Goodhue county, Minnesota, in the fall of 1866, with the intention of joining their friends, John Thompson and John Nelson, who had settled in the Sioux Valley in Dakota during the spring of that year. Ole J. Aasen, who then lived in the vicinity of Kenyon, in the same county, drove them to Faribault. From there they took post horses to St. Peter, where they found a man who was going to Redwood, and drove with him to that place. They then continued their way on foot, each car- rying a bundle of clothes and a rifle. Thus far they had put up no provisions for their trip, thinking they would buy some from a family they knew, who lived on a farm some distance from Redwood. But evening came with not a house in sight, and they spent the night on the open prairie. The next morning it was cloudy, the sun could not be seen, and they were unable to tell what direction to follow, but they decided to try and find the farm they had looked for the day be- fore, and which they believed could not be very far off. Early in the afternoon a grove came into view, and thinking this must be the place, they walked briskly on, hopeful of being in plenty time for a good supper. However, the grove was farther away than it at first appeared, and it was not until late in the evening they reached there, only to find, instead of friends and shelter, the dreaded wigwams of an Indian camp, with their still more dreaded occupants. Having the terrible massacre of 1862 in the western part of Minnesota still fresh in their minds, even starvation could not induce them to go near the Indians, but with trembling hearts and careful steps they succeeded in reaching the other side of the grove, without being no- ticed, and here they spent the night in a large tree, Mr. Gilseth keeping vigilant watch, with his hand on the rifle until the break of dawn, when, thankful for their scalps though starving, they con- tinued their wandering westward. That day they could not even find any water. Towards evening they noticed a storm was approaching, and it being late in the fall and quite cold, they wrapped all their
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
clothes about them and laid down, trying to rest. Soon the storm broke loose. It was a terrible storm of snow and rain, and con- tinued until towards morning, when it cleared up and they could see the sun again. They now took a southwesterly course, thinking they had gone too far north. That evening they reached a few small lakes, the shores of which were frozen, but farther out they discov- ered a flock of ducks swimming about in the open water. Mr. Gil- seth sent a shot into the flock, and two big ducks was his reward. Now, at last, there was to be a feast! Roasted duck! But again they were doomed to disappointment. The storm had wet them through to the skin, and their matches were useless. Consequently, no fire, no steak; and the ducks were eaten raw.
After having rested through the night and breakfasted on an- other piece of duck, they continued their journey. During that day they discovered a wagon track, which they followed, thinking it must lead to some settlement. It was very indistinct, and sometimes even lost, but it was fortunately found again. Towards evening Mr. Aasen became so weak and tired that he told Mr. Gilseth to continue his way alone, but after having slept awhile he felt so much better that they resumed their walk, though they were obliged to leave their bundles of clothes, only carrying their rifles. They walked about that whole night, and in the morning found themselves by a river which they supposed to be the Big Sioux river. But now the ques- tion arose whether to follow the river up or down to reach their des- tination. Finally they decided to follow the river on its course down- ward. Soon they came to a hay-stack, and thinking that now they must surely find some people, they made a thorough search, but no one could be found. Later they came to a bend in the river, which they forded in order to shorten their way, and following the river the whole day and part of the night finally came across some new-mown hay raked up in small piles, and near by found a wagon box which Mr. Gilseth recognized to be the same that John Thompson had taken with him from Goodhue county.
Encouraged by these discoveries they looked around further, and soon found a door to a dug-out on the hillside. Here they knocked, and this time they were not disappointed, as a friendly voice from within bid them enter. Opening the door they found a room occupied by two white men, who, they soon learned, were hunters stopping there while hunting game in the vicinity. This was near where Dell Rapids is now located. The wagon box they had seen proved to belong to Mr. Thompson, the hunters having on their trip from Sioux Falls borrowed the same from him. The starved and tired wanderers were well received; the hunters abandoned their bed in their favor, and slept on the floor, and the following morning drove them down to John Thompson's, where they received a hearty wel- come. And thus ended their perilous journey, and two more sturdy pioneers were added to the young setlement.
Mr. Gilseth took up land in Mapleton township, which he gradu- ally improved for a future home. The first three years he only staid on his claim long enough to keep his rights under the homestead law, the other part of his time he worked out. During this time he came
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
to the conclusion that "it is not good for a man to be alone," and in the spring of 1870, returned to Goodhue county, worked there dur- ing the summer, and in the fall, in company with quite a number of new settlers, came back to Minnehaha county. In this company was a Miss Anna P. Moe. Shortly after their arrival the first marriage ceremony in this county was performed by Pastor Christensen; and Ole Gilseth and Anna P. Moe since then have managed the Gilseth farm in unity and concord.
Mr. Aasen took up land in sections twenty and twenty-nine in Sverdrup township, there he still resides and has a good, comfort- able home.
CHAPTER XV.
CEPHAS TALCOTT ANECDOTES - - RAISING A CHURCH DEBT-CHARLES L. NORTON'S BIRD DOGS-AN INCI- DENT AT LONE ROCK-THEY SAW THE GOAT- CHARLES BARRETT'S NARROW ESCAPE FROM BEING BURIED ALIVE-BUCHANAN BROTH- ERS GREAT SHOW-RAINMAKING.
CEPHAS TALCOTT ANECDOTES.
Among the early arrivals in Sioux Falls was one Cephas Talcott. If he was not an original character he was at least a little peculiar. While looking for land one day, he was returning to Sioux Falls and came by the burial place of Governor Masters, the Amidons and those of the soldiers who had died during the time Sioux Falls was a military post. The burial place was located on the resident lots of the late Justin A. Pettigrew, and the officers in charge of the mili- tary post had enclosed the grounds and put up the following notice: "Anybody interfering with the government burial ground will be guilty of and punished for a misdemeanor." Talcott came into the village wild with delight. He had made a discovery. He had found a claim unoccupied almost in the heart of the village. He finally said: "I will have it understood that no gosh darn Miss D. Meanor can hold down a claim and live in another place." On one occasion when out on the prairie looking for land, he found a government stake, and being unable to decipher it, pulled it up and brought it to town. He was informed it was a serious offense, and went back to replace it, but could not find the place from whence he had taken it. He finally took up some land west of the river, and getting a little broken and fitted for a crop, came to town to advise what crop to raise. He fell in with one Robinson, who told him the best paying crop he could raise was nutmegs -- that their cultivation was easy -- that they grew rapidly and would mature in a short season -- that they were easily gathered, growing on low bushes, and brought a good price. Talcott bought all the nutmegs he could get in town, Robinson instructing him to plant them shallow and to put a little stick by every nutmeg planted, and Cephas followed instructions, and Robinson followed him, and stole all the nutmegs. Talcott was too good for this country, and Robinson went farther west.
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
RAISING A CHURCH DEBT.
E. W. Caldwell is well known as a good story-teller, and it is also well known that he considers it a grave offense to allow the color of a good story to fade out while being told to his hearers. The writer heard him on several occasions repeat an appeal made by a professional church-debt-lifter at an early day in one of the churches in Sioux Falls to liquidate the debt on the church in which he was speaking. On one occasion the writer had a stenographer take down the language as it fell from Cal's lips, which was as follows:
"My dear Brethren! I want to impress upon you the great fact that for every dollar you give in this cause or any other cause in which the good Lord is interested, He will pay it back to you many fold. You may rely upon this as a principle to which in all church history there is not a single exception. As an illustration of it I will tell you of an incident which came under my own observation. We were undertaking to raise the debt which laid as an incubus upon the church at Fort Dodge, and I was undertaking to raise a subscrip- tion from the brethren. There was one member of the church, who was engaged in the grain business, that is, not exactly as you might say, in the business of buying the real grain, but something that I believe they call options, and he had a great deal of money invested in these options; and I went to him and asked him to contribute $1,500 towards raising this debt. He protested, that his funds were so closely tied up that he did not feel justified in using any of his money outside of his business. I impressed upon him, as I desire to impress upon you, that the money that he might contribute towards paying this obligation, would result in the Lord's repaying him.
Finally he was induced to contribute the amount that I requested; and brethren, I want to say to you, that sooner even than I expected, the amount was paid to him again. As I was saying, he was engaged in the grain business, and had bought a great deal at a price, which, had there been a tremendous crop, would have occasioned him con- siderable loss; but very shortly after he made this contribution, there came sweeping down over this country tremendous hordes of those pestilential insects that destroyed the crops and left the harv- est fields a bare ruin. The result was that directly the price of grain went up so enormously that this dear brother who had contri- buted so largely towards the Lord's service, was rapaid more than a hundredfold. And so it is my brethren, that the Almighty pays particular attention to promoting the interests of those who have maintained His interests.'
CHARLES NORTON'S BIRD DOGS.
Sioux Falls, like all new towns, had its full quota of practical jokers. It is necessary for all communities to have a certain amount of amusement, and if it does not come to them through the ordinary channels, it is supplied in some other way. Theatrical troupes did not visit Sioux Falls during the first few years of its existence, and trained bears and hand organs were rarely seen upon its streets. To ·make up for the deficiency in the line of amusements, practical jok-
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
ing was resorted to, and occasionally resulted in considerable merri- ment, especially to those who were closely allied to the principals.
Strange as it may seem to those who have become acquainted with Charles L. Norton during the last few years, vet, it is a fact that during his early residence in Sioux Falls he was a person who would "bear watching." He seemed to enjoy the discomfiture of those upon whom he could play a practical joke, and he was always sure to have a circle of confederates to help him enjoy the fun. To such an extent had he added to his list of victims that the whole field was pitted against him, and here is one of the good things that was successfully worked upon him.
One day while engaged in work at the station he received a tele- gram from Conductor Parker, who was coming in charge of a train from St. Paul, which read as follows: "Two tramps aboard have got a fine bird dog, will sell for ten dollars. Do you want it?" The chicken season was just dawning, and Charlie didn't know for cer- tain the tramps had stolen the dog -- the dog was cheap - he wanted a dog, and this appeared to be the dog he was looking for, and so he telegraphed back: "Buy him." The train came and the dog was delivered and the money paid to Parker. Charlie noticed that Cap- tain Bourne - a lumber dealer in Sioux Falls -- got off from the train, accompanied by a good looking stranger, who afterwards proved to be a man by the name of Foster on a chicken excursion - but no tramp. Charlie tied the dog in the freight room, but about an hour after, upon going to see him, found he was gone - rope and all. He went after that dog, and he found him over town in company with Parker, Foster, Captain Bourne and several other congenial, convivial spirits, and they all seemed as happy as though they were spending some one's money instead of their own. He soon learned that Foster had, what is called, a superior title to that dog, and that Captain Bourne got Parker to telegraph Norton for authority to purchase the dog for him.
He took the matter philosophically, didn't complain and did not try to get his money back -- in fact, that had been spend before he found out all the facts. But he did sit down and give away to resent- ful feelings, and plan for revenge. The mere sight of a bird dog made him wild. All through that fall and winter he seemed absent minded - in a sort of deep study - but when spring came, and the chickens began to hatch, his accustomed cheerfulness returned, although his friends noticed that there was a "way off look" in his left eye when he met Captain Bourne.
He discussed all summer with Captain Bourne the pleasure of chicken hunting, until that gentleman was enthused with the idea that there was nothing like it. During all this time Charlie was making friends with an old dog belonging to one of his neighbors. He petted and fed him, and taught him to follow him.
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