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 36
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After a discussion of the propriety of organizing, the meeting resulted in a unanimous resolution to perfect an organization. This, however, was not done at this meeting; various persons within the city were named as proper persons to be visited and requested to unite in the movement, and committees for visitation were appointed. The organization of this society, however, properly dates from this first meeting.
Meetings were in the meantime regularly held at the various homes of the parties who had attended the first meeting and who
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were zealous in the work they had begun. These meetings were of that class peculiarly denominated among these people as "social meetings." At one of these meetings held at the home of W. H. Frick on South Main Avenue on the evening of January 10, 1888, the first formal election of officers took place after the religious services of the evening. At that meeting H. C. Carver and S. E. Young were chosen elders and W. H. Frick and James H. Hart deacons. They were the first officers of the kind chosen by this society.
In the meantime the membership had increased until the number now aggregated sixteen. Regular meetings were from that time for- ward held at such places as could be arranged for, but chiefly in the Y. M. C. A. rooms and afterward in the Knights of Pythias Hall in Temple Court building. In the meantime a Bible school had been organized and was prospering.
The first regular series of meetings was conducted by Ira J. Chase of Danville, Indiana, who was afterwards Governor of that state. These meetings continued from March 28, to April 30, 1888.
The first of these meetings was held in the little church building near the corner of Twelfth street and Dakota Avenue, then owned and occupied by the Adventist church. Arrangements were, how- ever, made for a vacant store-room on Phillips Avenue and there the meetings rapidly grew in interest. They were very successful and resulted in establishing a knowledge, throughout the city of the distinctive plea made by these people. At the close of the meetings the membership of the society was thirty-one. The Bible school was reorganized and other societies in connection with the church date from this period.
In September, 1888, the society had sufficiently increased in numbers, confidence and enterprise to purchase a lot near the corner of Twelfth street and Summit Avenue as a prospective site for a church building. This lot was, however, afterwards sold at a net profit of $353 and a new site purchased at the corner of Thirteenth street and Duluth Avenue. On the latter site a church building was erected during the summer and fall of 1889, at a total cost of about $3,500 for the building and lot. It was furnished and equipped for service and was dedicated by Robert Moffatt of Cleveland, Ohio, on 3d of November, 1889. On the evening of the 2d of November the election of officers took place, and a permanent organization under the existing laws was provided for. While this meeting was prog- ressing the ringing of bells and the blowing of whistles announced that the proclamation had been signed by the President of the United States admitting the State of South Dakota into the union of states. From this fact this society claims to have been the first religious association to organize and incorporate in the new State of South Dakota, for it was at this meeting this organization was perfected under the laws of the state.
In pursuance of the action taken at this meeting articles of asso- ciation were completed and entered into on the 9th day of December following. Prior to this time and since the latter part of the year 1888, Rev. J. Carroll Stark had presided as pastor. His services for the association were closed in December, 1889, and there was no reg-
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ular pastor until March 27, 1870, at which time Rev. E. P. Wise assumed the position vacated by Rev. Stark.
During the pastorate of Rev. Wise the church passed through a period of marked prosperity. There were ninety-nine additions during that time, and yet all the work that was accomplished seemed to drift away to other fields, for during this period the church lost heavily by removals from the city; so greatly had it lost that the active membership was reduced to sixty-three.
The church has in connection with it a well organized and actively working Bible school, an active society of Senior and Junior Endeavors, a very successful auxiliary of the C. W. B. M., and various other organizations and societies usually connected with church organizations. During the year, ending April 1, 1892, the total contributions for the carrying on of this work amounted to $1,600.61 or an average of more than $25 per capita of the active mem- bership.
The Rev. H. S. Simpson supplied the pulpit from July to Octo- ber 1, 1892, when the Rev. George A. Ragan became the pastor, and remained in charge until December 31, 1895. From the 1st day of June, 1896, to October 1, following, the Rev. C. M. McCurdy supplied the pulpit, and two months later he was succeeded by the Rev. W. P. Shamhart, who remained in charge until February 1, 1898. On the 7th day of April, 1898, the Rev. L. H. Humphrey became the pastor.
THE PIONEER UNION SABBATH SCHOOL .- During the summer of 1870, before any church was established, a Sunday school was started in Sioux Falls by Mrs. Clark G. Coats and Mrs. Hattie C. Phillips. It was designed, as its name indicated, to be a school for all denominations without regard to religious pre- ferences so that all could aid in carrying on the work. It was the first Sunday school in the county, and, of course, at that early date the members met in the barracks. For the first few months it was without a superintendent, but during the fall it was organized and Mrs. Coats was elected to that position, which she held until August 18, 1872, when she resigned and H. J. Whipple was elected, and re- mained superintendent for about three years until denominational Sunday schools were organized. While this school was in operation it was supplied with papers by Artemas Gale, and it had a library of about 125 volumes, which were procured by subscriptions of its members.
THE SALVATION ARMY .- The Salvation Army appeared in Sioux Falls for the first time in November, 1889, and commenced parading the streets and holding open-air meetings. Some of the people were not aware that the Salvation Army was an institution that had come to stay, and that its legal standing had been determined by the courts, and consequently on the 20th day of November two male members of the army were arrested for parading the streets, and taken to the calaboose. As soon as the officers arrested the parties, several prominent citizens joined the procession, thinking the two men were to be confined there over night. John Donahoe was then chief of police and had been ordered to arrest the parties, but when he got them to the city prison he released them upon their own re-
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cognizance to appear before Judge Hawkins the next day. At nine o'clock in the morning of that day the persons arrested were promptly on hand in the police court, and Judge Hawkins as promptly dismissed them, saying: "There is no law prohibiting the accused from parading the streets and praying there if they wish to." But this did not end the matter. Several citizens were determined "to carry the war into Africa," and Nils Ronlund swore out a warrant before Justice Stickney against the chief of police for assault and battery upon the person of Joseph Campbell, one of the persons who had been arrested. Upon the case being called, the rooms of the justice were inadequate to hold the people who were anxious to hear the trial, and the circuit court room was procured. The defendant called for a jury, which was impaneled, and the trial lasted two days, resulting in a disagreement of the jury. A few days later the case was dismissed, but a good many people in Sioux Falls had learned the fact that the Salvation Army had a host of friends, and that the little corps located in Sioux Falls would be fully protected from any further interference.
Sioux Falls was not the first place where attempts had been made to prevent the parades of the Salvation Army. Captain Mar- garet Cartmill, who was in charge of the corps in Sioux Falls during the summer of 1895, and had then been connected with the army for eleven years-two years as soldier and nine as captain-said to the writer that she had been arrested five times for holding open-air meetings in the streets, twice in Rochester, N. Y., twice in Nashua, N. H., and once in St. Louis, Mo. She was sentenced to jail in New York for twenty days and served her time, but she carried the case to the highest court in the state, and there prevailed. In New Hampshire she was sentenced to thirty days in jail, and after having served the time resumed her work on the streets, and was again ar- rested and received a thirty days' sentence, but served only two days. Here again she went to the supreme court and prevailed.
The members in Sioux Falls number about twenty at the pres- ent time (1895), and they conduct their services without molestation, the authorities having learned that the Salvation Army is an institu- tion which the people will sustain; and mischievous boys have also learned that it is not expedient to disturb the meetings.
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NEWSPAPERS.
The history of the first newspaper in Minnehaha county-The Democrat, edited by S. J. Albright in 1858-9-has already been given in Chapter I. The fact that an attempt was made at that early day to publish a newspaper at Sioux Falls demonstrates one thing, if nothing more, that the persons who first took possession of the land about the falls of the Big Sioux, had un- bounded faith in the rapid settlement and growth of the surrounding country. But with the first issue of the
SIOUX FALLS PANTAGRAPH on the 10th day of April, 1872, the history of the newspapers of this county properly commences. In 1871, William F. Kiter moved to Sioux Falls from Council Bluffs, Iowa, and during the fall of that S. J. ALBRIGHT. year built a house in Sioux Falls, which he occupied as a residence and office. The house was built where the Leader block now stands, and is now located in the rear of that block on Seventh street. Sioux Falls at that time had a population of about 300, and of this number not to exceed one-half of the adults could read or write the English language, and the Pantagraph received its support mainly from out- side the Territory. It was the sixth Republican newspaper pub- lished in Dakota, the other five being the Union & Dakotan, Yankton Press, both published at Yankton; Vermillion Republican, Springfield Times and Elk Point Courier. During the time the Pantagraph was published by Mr. Kiter it was subject to the usual changes in form and size that all young, growing newspapers undergo. At first it was a seven-column folio and was printed in Sioux Falls, but after five issues it became an eight-column folio, and, from then on, it had patent inside or outside. The heading had a picture of the falls and the motto "Excelsior." On the 21st day of October, 1872, J. H. Stahl, now of Madison, became interested in the publication of the paper, but severed his connection with it on the 27th day of November fol- lowing. The Pantagraph then took a rest until March 26, 1873, when Mr. Kiter resumed the publication until February, 1876, at which time the paper was sold to John McClellan and the building to R. F. Pettigrew. During Mr. Kiter's proprietorship there was one hun- dred and sixty-three issues of the paper, the last one being on the 26th day of January, 1876.
A very interesting lawsuit arose in reference to the Sioux Falls Pantagraph about this time. It appears from the records of the court that at the last mentioned date John McClellan bought the Pantagraph plant, upon which he gave a chattel mortgage. That the next day he leased it to F. E. Everett for eighteen months, and Mr. Everett went into possession and became its editor. That on the
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16th day of February following, one I. M. Hay took possession of the plant under the Mcclellan mortgage, which had been assigned to him, and on the 21st day of February sold the outfit to Robert Bu- chanan, who purchased it knowing of the lease. Everett brought an action of claim and delivery, claiming the right of possession of the property under the lease, and the case was tried in the district court, resulting in a special verdict. Upon this verdict a judgment was rendered for Everett, and the case went to the supreme court upon appeal, where the judgment of the lower court was affirmed in May, 1880. During the time this litigation was in progress, the materials were sold under a chattel mortgage to R. F. Pettigrew, and for a long time stored by him in a shed adjoining his office, but were finally sold to Eno & Brown of Egan, and taken there and used in the publi- cation of the first newspaper at that place.
THE SIOUX FALLS INDEPENDENT .- Was established in Sioux Falls on the 15th day of May, 1873, by C. W. McDonald, and was published weekly until it was merged with the Dakota Pantagraph on the 6th day of January, 1881, without missing an issue. It was Republican in politics, and during its existence was a potent factor in political matters in this section of Dakota. In June, 1873, E. A. Sherman came to Sioux Falls, and his first business transaction was to purchase a half interest in the Independent, and during the next eighteen months he was associated with Mr. McDonald in the man- agement of the paper. Mr. Sherman then sold his interest to T. J. White. During its publication F. E. Everett, W. A. Williams and L. C. Hitchcock were in the editorial charge at different times, either as lesses or by purchase, but in July, 1878, Mr. McDonald purchased the plant and remained in charge until it was merged in the Dakota Pantagraph, as above stated.
DAKOTA PANTAGRAPH-The first issue of the Dakota Pantagraph was published in Sioux Falls on the 12th day of September, 1877; George M. Smith and Melvin Grigsby editors and proprietors. The press and type were purchased at Swan Lake, S. D., having been used at that place in the publication of the Swan Lake Era.
The first editorial was as follows:
"The Dakota Pantagraph will be devoted to the interests of Da- kota generally, and particularly to the commercial, political and moral welfare of the counties of Minnehaha, Lincoln, Turner, Mc- Cook, Lake and Moody, of which Sioux Falls is the commercial cen- tre. These six counties, containing one hundred townships of as fine agricultural land as the sun ever looked down upon, and capable of producing annually forty million bushels of wheat, have as yet a population of not more than 12,000.
"Politically, we belong to that class of Republicans called croak- ers, soreheads, fault-finders, too good for their party. Notwithstand- ing these stripes from the party lash, we are proud of the record of our party, and in a humble way shall endeavor to perpetuate its principles as they were enunciated by its greatest party leader, hon- est Abraham Lincoln.
"The Republican party must either reform or sink into oblivion.
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We shall at all times and under all circumstances exercise our right 'to publish with impunity truth, with good motives and justifiable ends, whether it concerns government, magistracy or individuals.' We shall not use our columns for the purpose of revenging private wrongs from, or venting private spleen towards individuals, nor shall we permit others to do so." (Notwithstanding this promise, Mr. Grigsby was in jail within six weeks for libelling the governor). It was a weekly, eight-column newspaper, and remained under the man- agement of its founders until April, 1878, when the plant was pur- chased by E. W. Caldwell and James F. Stahl.
On the 6th day of January, 1881, the Sioux Falls Independent was merged with it, and continued under the management of Cald- well & Stahl until March, 1882, when they sold the plant to D. Elwell, who had just purchased the Sioux Falls Times, and the two plants were consolidated.
From this aggregation a company was organized called the Sioux Falls Publishing Company, and on the 9th day of March, 1882, it gave birth to the
SIOUX FALLS WEEKLY PRESS, of which E. W. Caldwell had editorial charge, and Thomas H. Brown was manager until the first day of June, 1882, when W. H. D. Bliss took his place.
SIOUX FALLS DAILY PRESS .-- On the 3d day of January, 1883, the first issue of the Sioux Falls Daily Press appeared. A few months after the Daily Press was first published, Caldwell & Bliss purchased the entire plant. From the time of this purchase until February 19, 1890, at which date Mr. Bliss died, the business management was in his hands, and with Caldwell as editor and Bliss as manager, the Daily Press became the leading newspaper in South Dakota. The death of Mr. Bliss was a severe blow to the enterprise, as it was a hard matter to fill his place as manager. After a few years Mr. Cald- well bought the interest of Mrs. Bliss, and remained the editor and publisher of both papers until the 15th day of November, 18%, at which time he sold the plant to Mrs. Bliss and removed from the state. Mrs. Bliss published the papers until about December 10, 1896, when she disposed of the plant to the Sioux Falls Press Com- pany, a corporation composed of several citizens of Sioux Falls, and the papers since then have been published by this corporation.
During the time Mrs. Bliss was the owner, Al. Caldwell had editorial charge, and he retained this position for a few weeks after it was sold by her. M. L. Fox from the Black Hills was then em- ployed by the company, and had editorial control of the papers until the 20th day of August, 1898, and since that time Ora Williams has been the editor.
The papers were Republican in politics until purchased by this corporation, but since then the advocacy of free silver has been their most prominent political feature. Under the editorial control of Mr. Williams, the Daily Press has been very much improved, and is to-day recognized as one of the strongest and best dailies in the state.
THE SIOUX FALLS TIMES was established in Sioux Falls on the 15th day of November, 1878, by E. O. Kimberly and C. M. Morse.
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It was a nine-column folio issued weekly, and was Republican in poli- tics. In February, 1879, Mr. Kimberly purchased Mr. Morse's in- terest, and soon after a half interest was purchased by Thomas H. Brown. This plant was supplied with the first power press ever brought into the county that was large enough to print an ordinary sized newspaper and its job department was well equipped for busi- ness. It was a vigorous, well edited newspaper, but its proprietors were induced to sell the entire plant to D. Elwell, in March, 1882, when it was merged with the Dakota Pantagraph, and from the two plants the Sioux Falls Weekly Press had its origin.
THE DAKOTA .- In 1880, N. C. Fredrikson established a Scandi- navian weekly at Sioux Falls, but it was published only a few months. It was a six-column folio and Republican in politics.
THE ARGUS-LEADER .- On the 2d day of August, 1881, the first issue of the Sioux Falls Argus was published by the Argus Publishing Company, with W. A. Fulmer and Hibbard Patterson as editors. This outfit came from Hamburg, Iowa. Mr. Fulmer being a consumptive, he and Mr. Patterson decided to take the paper to Gunnison, Colorado, Mr. Fulmer thinking he could regain his health there. The materials were all boxed and ready to ship, when, owing to the hostility of the Indians in Colorado, it was decided to go to Sioux Falls. Mr. Patterson came here and commenced the publica- tion of the paper, and Mr. Fulmer came with his family in Novem- ber. He arrived in the city on Saturday and died the following Mon- dav. Mr. Patterson continued to publish the paper until the follow- ing February, when it was sold to Charles Knisley, who conducted it about three months and then sold it to T. S. Goddard. In Decem- ber, 1882, Mr. Goddard sold the paper to W. S. Wynn, and the first issue under the Wynn regime was published January 3, 1883. Mr. Wynn was a lawyer and came from Hamburg, Iowa. He commenced the publication of the Daily Argus as an evening paper on the 4th day of March, 1885, the day of Grover Cleveland's first presidential inauguration. November 1, 1885, Wynn sold the Argus and plant to W. W. and Paul R. Goddard, sons of its former owner. Extensive additions and improvements were made by them to bring the paper up to the requirements of the progressive town. In April, 1887, a stock company was formed, called the Argus-Leader Publishing Company, of which the Goddard Bros., were the active managers and principal stockholders, which purchased the Weekly Leader of Rob- ert Buchanan and consolidated it with the Argus under the name of the Argus-Leader, daily and weekly. On the 9th day of November, 1888, the Argus-Leader was bought by Tomlinson & Day, its present proprietors, and they issued their first paper the following day. Under the management of Tomlinson & Day, the Argus-Leader greatly increased in circulation, and in a short time became the lead- ing Democratic newspaper in South Dakota. This position it held until the summer of 1896, when, owing to the course pursued by the Democratic party upon national issues, especially upon the financial question, it refused to be further identified with it, and advocated the election of Mckinley for president. It is now acknowledged to
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be the leading Republican newspaper in the state. It has an opinion to express upon all public questions-city, county, state and na- tional-and it is expressed fearlessly. Its editorial columns are con- ceded to be as ably conducted as those of any newspaper in the state, and the people of Sioux Falls have reason to be proud of the two daily newspapers having their homes in the Queen City. We should be remiss if we did not record the fact that its business management has been successful, and that all its editions are printed upon three Mergenthaler Linotype machines, and are being published in morn- ing and evening editions-the evening edition being the principal one, and having the largest circulation.
SIOUX FALLS REVIEW .-- The first issue of the Sioux Falls Re- view made its appearance in March, 1883. It was published monthly by L. D. Henry, then engaged in the real estate business in Sioux Falls, and the purpose of the paper, as set forth in the initial num- ber, was "to note the principal improvements in the city and county; the average temperature, rainfall, crop reports, the industries estab- lished or perfected and the desirability of this section as a home for the farmer, the carpenter, the laborer and the capitalist." How long this publication was continued the writer is unable to ascertain, but remembers that it appeared monthly, as advertised, for several months at least.
SIOUX FALLS LEADER .- This paper was established by the Minnehaha Trust Company, and its prime object was to promote the interests of the north end of town. This company built the Leader Block now standing on the corner of Seventh street and Phillips avenue, and when it was completed the Sioux Falls Leader, a weekly newspaper, was started in this building with Peyton H. Acton as editor. Its first issue was on the 28th day of June, 1883. On the 3d day of September, 1883, a daily edition of the Leader was commenced, but was discontinued on the 7th day of November following, the polit- ical campaign of that year being over. This branch of the Leader was started for political purposes, and while it was in existence the writer remembers it was a lively sheet. Mr. Acton and Arthur C. Phillips had editorial charge, and D. L. Mckinney was manager. In January, 1885, Judge Brookings bought and edited the Leader until April 8, following, when he sold it to Samuel T. Clover and a man by the name of Daniels, who removed the plant to the Waples Block. Clover very soon after bought out his partner and conducted the paper very successfully until the 19th day of May, 1886, when he sold it to Robert Buchanan who after running it until April, 1887, sold it to the Goddard Bros., by whom it was consolidated with the Argus. Although the Leader was originally started for limited local pur- poses, it was fortunate in having during its career three able edi- torial writers. Peyton H. Acton was a gentleman of fine literary attainments and one of the brighest editorial writers that ever had control of a newspaper in Sioux Falls. He died on the 24th day of March, 1885. Sam. T. Clover succeeded Acton, and the Leader, al- though somewhat changed in style, still remained a bright, enter- taining readable newspaper; and when Mr. Buchanan became pro-
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