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 77
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COOLEY, ALFRED J., is a native of Wisconsin, and was born August 15, 1851. He lived there and in Canada, Minnesota and Cali- fornia before he settled in this county in 1874, where he has since resided. He took up 160 acres as a homestead in sections 25 in Edi- son, and 30 and 31 in Palisade, and as a tree claim the northeast quarter of section 32 in the last named township. He resides on his homestead, and has a good farm with substantial buildings and im- provements. He has been a member of the town board of supervis- ors several years, and for the last three years has been its chairman. He is a good neighbor and a highly esteemed citizen.
ESTENSEN, C. ALFRED, was born in Norway in 1866, but while an infant came to this country with his father, Eistin Eistinson, who settled in Calumet, Michigan, and remained there until 1871, when he removed with his family to this county and settled in Dell Rapids township. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm and educated in the public schools, attended an academy at Red Wing, Minn., one year, and the Augustana College at Canton, one term. In
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1888, formed a copartnership with A. C. Berg and opened a general store at Sherman, where the firm has since been doing a successful business. Mr. Estensen is a good business man and an enterprising citizen.
HANSON, O. A., is a native of Norway, and was born December 7, 1850. He came to the United States in 1869, and lived in Wiscon- sin six years. In the spring of 1875 he came to this county and 'set- tled on his present homestead, the northwest quarter of section 3, in Palisade, and the following year he filed a tree claim on the north- west quarter of section 10, in the same town. He is also the owner of 320 acres of farm land in Rock county, Minnesota, but resides on his homestead in Palisade, which is a good farm with substantial buildings. His farm is only a quarter of a mile from Sherman and is watered by the Split Rock which runs through his land both in this county and in Minnesota. Mr. Hanson takes an active part in town affairs, has been a member of the school board about fifteen years, assessor four years, justice of the peace, and clerk and super- visor of the town board several years, also its chairman. He is not only a good farmer but is a good neighbor and a highly respected citizen.
HERBERT, FRANK L., was born in Canton, Fulton county, Illi- nois, March 6, 1849. He lived there and in Iowa and Minnesota be- fore he settled in this county in April, 1875. He took up as a home- stead the north half of the northwest quarter of section 28, and the south half of the southwest quarter of section 21, and as a tree claim the southeast quarter of section 29, in Palisade. He resides on his homestead in section 21, has a good farm and is a good citizen.
JACOBSON, LARS M., is the owner of and resides upon the east half of the northeast quarter of section 21, in Palisade. He was born in Norway, January 25, 1851, and came to the United States and to Dakota in 1870. He remained in Dakota one year, and then went to Iowa where he remained until April. 1882, at which time he removed to Palisade and bought the farm he now resides upon. He has been justice of the peace three years, school district clerk nine years and town clerk five years. He is a good citizen and highly esteemed by his neighbors.
JOHNSON, BERNARD, was born in the city of Kongsberg, Nor- way, November 21, 1853. He emigrated to the United States and settled in Wisconsin, removed from there to Minnesota and came to this county in 1876. He took up a homestead in section 7, in Pali- sade, where he still resides and has a good farm. He has held the office of school treasurer, and is a good citizen.
JOHNSON, MAGNUS, was born in Sweden, October 26, 1847. He became a sailor when quite young, and followed this occupation nine years, visiting the United States for the first time in 1865. In 1876 he settled in Santa Clara county, California, where he remained for seven years engaged in farming. Early in 1882 he visited his old home in Sweden for a few months, and upon his return to this coun- try located at Valley Springs, where he resided three years. He bought the southwest quarter of section 33, in Palisade, and in 1886
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moved onto this land, and still resides there. He has a good farm, and is a good, reliable citizen. He has been one of the supervisors of Palisade several years, constable two years, and treasurer of the school district in which he resides four years. His family consists of wife and four children.
KLUNGNESS, J. J., is a native of Norway, and was born July 5, 1846. He emigrated to the United States in 1872, lived in Iowa two years, and came to Dakota in 1874. He took up as a homestead 160 acres of section 27, where he still resides and has one of the finest farms in Palisade. The following year, 1875, he took up as a tree claim the southwest quarter of the same section, and now owns 320 acres of land under good cultivation. He has held the office of di- rector of the school board, and is a good farmer and a good citizen.
LOCKE, WILLIAM A., was born in Wisconsin, in 1850. He lived there and in Illinois and Iowa prior to his coming to Dakota in 1880. He has a fine farm of 200 acres in section 5, in Palisade, where he has resided ever since he first came here, and thinks that Dakota is better than any other place he has lived in. He is a good citizen.
NITTEBERG, HANS STENER, was born in Norway, May 23, 1828. He emigrated to this country in 1869, lived in Minnesota and Wis- consin for some time and came to Dakota in 1873. He took up as a homestead the south half of the southwest quarter of section 5, and the north half of the northwest quarter of section 8 in Palisade. He still lives on his homestead and has a good farm. Mr. Nitteberg was a soldier in Norway for several years.
OVERBEE, JOHN K., was born in Norway in 1850. He emigrated to the United States and lived in Iowa from 1871 till June, 1876, at which time he located in this county on his present farm in section 9 in Palisade. He has been treasurer of school district No. 30 since 1880, town supervisor two years, and town treasurer since 1892. He has a good farm, and is an active, enterprising citizen.
PETERSON, GEORGE W., well and favorably known by every old settler of this county, is a native of Canada and was born June 30, 1853. He came to the United States and located with his parents in Minnesota in 1865. In 1878 he came to Dakota and took up land in McCook county, but removed to Sioux Falls the same year, where he opened a meat market. He carried on this business until 1891, at which time he bought the northwest quarter of section 22, in Pali- sade, where he and his estimable wife now reside and have a very pleasant home. Mr. Peterson takes great interest in the welfare of his town, and has held several prominent township offices from time to time. He is an enterprising and upright citizen and a good neighbor.
PIERCE, WILLIAM, was born in Illinois, October 7, 1855. He went to Iowa and lived there and in Minnesota until 1885, when he removed to this county. He located on the northeast quarter of sec- tion 22 in Palisade, where he is engaged in farming, and has a good farm. He is a well-known and respected citizen.
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ROYCE, EMERY, was born in Illinois in 1849. He resided there and in Iowa until he came to Dakota in May, 1871. He took up as a homestead the southeast quarter of section 27 in Mapleton, now owned by Minnehaha county and known as the county poor-farm. There were no settlers north of him in the eastern half of the town- ship of Mapleton in 1871, but the next year he had neighbors on all sides. At the first great ball in Sioux Falls, which took place on New Year's eve in 1872, at the Cataract House, Mr. Royce and his brother furnished the music, and he says "it was a great society event." In 1878 he sold his farm and removed to Palisade where he engaged in the mercantile business and was the postmaster until 1886, when he again went to farming in Palisade township. He is an enterprising, good citizen.
ROYCE, EZRA, was born in Illinois in 1848. He was reared on a farm and educated in the district schools. In 1872 he came to this county from Iowa, and settled in Palisade, taking up the northwest quarter of section 29 as a homestead and the southeast quarter of section 31 as a tree claim. In 1897 he removed to the state of Wash- ington.
RUDD, JOHN H., is a native of Norway and was born November 28, 1850. In 1872 he emigrated to the United States, and came to Minnehaha county on the 17th day of May, 1873, and resided on his homestead in section 8, in Palisade, until 1897, when he rented his farm and removed to Hills, Minnesota. He has been chairman of the town board of supervisors and has held several other town offices in Palisade. If he had been postmaster upon the incoming of Cleve- land's first administration he would have been promptly removed for " pernicious activity in politics." He lives up to the full measure of his rights as a citizen, starts early for the primaries, is always around when there is a convention to be held by his party, and never leaves the polls until the last vote is counted. A man of this char- acter is always an enterprising citizen, and John H. Rudd is no ex- ception to the general rule.
RUDD, OLE, was born in Norway, November 30, 1847, and emi- grated to the United States in 1871. He has always been engaged in farming, and resided in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin before he came to Minnehaha county in July, 1877. Upon coming to this county he obtained title to the northwest quarter of section 15 in Pal- isade through a pre-emption filing, and has since then made it his home. He has a good farm with pleasant surroundings. Like his brother John, he has been honored with town offices. Upon the or- ganization of the township he was elected clerk of the town board and was re-elected several times to this office as well as that of as- sessor, etc. He is a good citizen and official, and is highly respected.
TANNER, ZACHARIAS, was born in the town of Schuyler, Herki- mer county, New York, October 12, 1825. He lived in New York, Illinois and Iowa before he came to this county, where he arrived in June, 1874. He filed a homestead upon the southwest quarter of sec- tion 3, in Palisades, where he has been a well-known resident ever since.
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WHEALEY, JAMES, was born in Huntington county, Canada, April 17, 1848. He came to the United States in 1863, and lived in New York until he removed to this county in 1875. He took up as a homestead the northeast quarter of section 28 in Palisade, bought the northwest quarter of section 27, and now has a fine farm of 320 acres. He has been chairman of the town board of supervisors, and school director several years, and is an industrious farmer and a re- spected citizen.
WOOD, JOB W., was born in the town of Conventry, Chenango county, New York, December 27, 1842. He came to this county on the 12th day of June, 1873, after having resided in the states of New York, Virginia, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nebraska and Texas. He secured by pre-emption the northwest quarter of sec- tion 4 in Palisade, where he lived for twenty years, removing from the state in 1893. He was postmaster in 1874, and has been justice of the peace, and was well known to nearly every early settler in the county as a good citizen.
ZELIFF, M. J., was born in Cavuga county, New York, on the 31st day of July, 1833. He was reared on a farm and educated in the public schools. After having lived in Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and Iowa he came to this county May 25, 1874, and took up as a home- stead the northeast quarter of section 4 in Palisade, and also secured the southeast quarter of section 33 in Highland. He set out 30 acres of trees on his farm, and cared for them so well that he now has one of the finest groves in the county. He has made maple sugar several years, and has walnut trees from which he has gathered nuts. He has also quite a thrifty little apple orchard, crab and standard trees, which have borne fruit in abundance for several years. The town site of Sherman, where there is also a station on the Great Northern railroad, is located on his homestead. Mr. Zeliff is an energtic, en- terprising citizen.
DEVIL'S GULCH.
Devil's Gulch, located on the east side of the Split Rock river in section 17, in Palisade township, is a remarkable gulch. Its south- ern extremity is less than half a mile north of the city of Garretson, where it forms a junction with the Split Rock river. The head of this gulch is in a natural basin, about two hundred rods northeast from the junction, where bare rocks, worn by water may be seen near the surface of the ground. Following its course southwesterly, a channel is formed through the rocks, gradually growing deeper for a considerable distance, only the east side of the channel is abrupt, the west side being a gradual slope for some distance back, but as the gulch proper is approached the channel is through solid rock, both sides being almost perpendicular for a short distance, when a basin containing water is reached which is a little more than one hundred feet in diameter. Near the point where this channel enters the basin there is another channel through the rocks from the north- west portion of the basin. This is narrow, and quite steep, but the basin can be reached through this channel. At the south end of the basin the channel through the rocks is not more than eight to ten
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feet in width, but it is only for a few feet when another basin is reached similar to the preceding one. After leaving this basin the west side only is abrupt, the east side being covered with trees for a distance of abont twenty rods. At this point the people of Garret- son have commenced fitting up the grounds suitable for picnic parties, and the possibilities for making it one of the most pleasant and enjoyable places in the county for picnic excursions are so ap- parent that the writer confidently predicts that in the near future visitors to Devil's Gulch will find beautiful grounds, walks, bridges and seats, which will add materially to their comfort while viewing this weird, picturesque and wonderfully unique natural formation.
In July, 1894, there appeared in the Saturday Blade, published at Chicago, a double-column cut of this gulch, and in connection with it a romantic story of a tragedy which occurred within the walls of
DEVIL'S GULCH.
this wonderful formation. It is impossible at this time to verify its truthfulness, but there are so many people who believe in dreams, and are in such dire need of incidents of this character to sustain them, that we insert below the story as it was given in the Blade.
"In the early days of the Dakotas, James Harding, wife, son and daughter, emigrated from eastern Wisconsin. While in camp on the bank of the Sioux, about a half a mile from the Split Rock river, they were surprised by a band of Indians, led by a white renegade, and Harding and his wife and son were murdered, while Nellie was carried away captive.
In his far-away Wisconsin home, on the night of the massacre, Dick Willowby, the young girl's lover, dreamed a fearful dream. He saw clearly depicted the vicinity and scenes of the murder, and
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the dream made so great an impression upon him that he immediate- lv started, armed and equipped, upon the route previously pursued by his friends. After two weeks' hard riding he arrived at the little village of Worthington, and learned that the Harding family left there the night before he had his dream. Hurrying onward he came late in the afternoon upon the country seen in his vision. A mile in advance stood the Harding wagon. Arriving at the camp, what a fearful sight met his anxious eyes! Father, mother and son mur- dered, and Nellie gone! After following the trail about ten miles up the Split Rock river he espied a narrow ravine, or canyon, about eighty rods long, running back from the river. The sides rose per- pendicularly from eighty to one hundred feet, and along the bottom was a small stream. This was Devil's Gulch. Out upon a shelving rock he saw the light of a fire. Creeping softly up he saw half a dozen Indians and a white man. Raising his rifle and taking careful aim, he fired and an Indian bit the dust. Another fell at the second fire. There was only one means of egress from their fastness and that was barricaded by an avenging rifle. Again and again the rifle spoke. Consternation seized the Indians. Their invisible enemy
fired again. The remaining Indians threw themselves into the depths below, The white renegade stood alone. Pausing an instant he darted to one side and in a moment reappeared with Nellie. There was a report of a pistol, a wild scream and Nellie was dead. Dashing up a rock the renegade mounted a horse and flew for his life. But his pursuer was close behind. For five miles the race was kept up, when the renegade's horse stumbled, throwing his rider to the ground. He faced his foe in an instant. There were two rapid reports and the renegade had paid for his crime with his life. Dick Willowby, mortally wounded, dragged himself back to the rock where Nellie lay. There, with her clasped in his arms, he was found. The body of the renegade was found in Rose Dell township, Minnesota."
CITY OF GARRETSON.
In July, 1891, a petition signed by a large number of the citizens of the village of Garretson was filed with the county commissioners, asking that the question of the incorporation of the city of Garret- son be submitted to a vote of the citizens residing within the pro- posed limits as set forth in the petition; and the county commission- ers finding the petition in full compliance with the requirements of the statute in such cases, an election was ordered to be held at the Hotel Garretson on the 25th day of July, 1891. The election was held at the appointed time, and the people voted to incorporate, and on the 22d day of August, 1891, the city of Garretson was incorpor- ated. At the September meeting of the county board the vote of an election held in the city of Garretson for the election of city officers was canvassed, resulting as follows: Mayor, John F. Sophy; treas- urer, M. H. Wangsness; police justice, F. Eastwood; city justice, Ed. Eastman; aldermen, D. J. Kennedy, J. O. Royce, W. H. O'Leary, E. E. Cross, J. Boldt, J. LaDue.
The records of the city commence with November 2, 1891, at which time a meeting was held and W. H. O'Leary was elected presi- dent of the council and D. J. Kennedy secretary pro tem. G. W. Smith was then nominated and confirmed as city auditor; rules were also adopted for the government of the council.
At a special meeting of the council on November 7, the bonds of the newly elected officers were approved; James Burries was nomi- nated city marshal, but the council did not approve of the nomina- tion, and Charles O'Leary was appointed city marshal. It was de- cided to employ Joseph Kirby of Sioux Falls as city attorney; Dr. C. W. Locke was appointed city physician, and the Garretson Pro- gress was made the official newspaper; ordinance No. 1, was intro- duced, fixing the salary of the city officials at one dollar each for mayor and aldermen, one hundred dollars for the auditor, and for the treasurer two per cent. of all moneys collected. At a meeting held December 14, Charles O'Leary was appointed street commis- sioner.
February 1, 1892, the regular monthly meeting of the city coun- cil was changed from the first Monday to the first Wednesday in each month. February 20, 1892, the council fixed the compensation for city marshal at $25 per month. March 16, the council referred the matter of dividing the city into three wards and fixing their boundaries; the proposed grade of the streets as made by Surveyor D. C. Rice was taken up and laid over for further consideration. April 6, council appointed judges of election, and ordinance dividing
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city into three wards was passed to its second reading; an ordinance vacating a portion of certain streets and alleys, and directing the mayor to deed the same to the Sioux City & Northern Railway com- pany was also passed to its second reading, and on April 13 the ordi- nance was passed. April 19, the council canvassed the votes for city officers; ninety votes were cast at this election, and John F. Sophy receiving fifty votes was declared elected mayor; A. J. Froelich was elected treasurer, Frank Eastman police justice, A. M. Olmem city justice; aldermen, 1st ward, Peter Doyle; 2d ward, John Nauth, W. H. O'Leary; 3d ward, Lars Jacobson, Charles Swenson. May 4, the grade of the streets as proposed by Surveyor Rice was established by the old council, and on the same day the new council organized, and the appointments of D. J. Kennedy as city auditor and F. C. Callender as city assessor were approved. Dr. C. W. Locke was appointed president of the board of health, and three standing com- mittees were appointed by the mayor. June 2, S. R. Short was ap- pointed city marshal and street commissioner, and D. J. Kennedy city justice; the committee on police was directed to build a cala- boose. At a meeting in July the council examined the assessment roll, and the assessed valuation of the real estate was S52,871, and the personal property $26,055. A city tax of eight mills was levied; a petition was received asking that a certain portion of the territory of the city "be excluded from the corporation;" the office of street commissioner was declared vacant owing to the sickness of Mr. Short, and his inability to perform the duties of his office, and John Stromme was appointed to fill vacancy; John F. Sophy, Jr., was ap- pointed city marshal to fill vacancy. August 3, C. C. Murphy was appointed city attorney at a salary of $100. There being a vacancy in the office of city justice and of one alderman in the 3d ward, a special election was held and Zane R. Biggs was elected city justice and C. H. Vickerman alderman. December 7, 1892, the resignation of F. Eastwood as police justice was accepted.
April 5, 1893, a petition of the citizens of Garretson was received asking that the city issue bonds in the sum of $4,000 to construct city water works, which was "tabled indefinitely."
The annual city election was held April 18, 1893. A. H. Rudd was elected police justice, and the following aldermen were elected: 1st ward, Henry Buck and Peter Doyle; 2d ward, H. L. Haydahl; 3d ward, Samuel Haren. April 29, the council authorized D. J. Kennedy to employ S. B. Howe of Sioux Falls to prepare plans for city water works; D. J. Kennedy was appointed auditor, John F. Sophy, Jr., marshal, Charles O'Leary assessor, and Charles Nelson street commissioner. During the year a good many meetings of the council were held to consider the grading of streets and other im- provements of the city. In September a seven-mill tax was levied. In November a special election was held to determine whether or not the city would bond in the sum of $1,500 for fire purposes, which re- sulted in favor of bonding. December 7, the resignation of C. C. Murphy as city attorney was accepted. January 11, 1894, the coun- cil accepted the proposition of the Revere Rubber Co., to furnish the city with a chemical engine and a hook and ladder outfit. February
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7, 1894, the council refused to call an election to determine whether the city incorporation should be dissolved or not, as requested by a petition of the citizens, the petition not having the requisite number of signatures. March 8, the chemical engine was accepted.
At the city election in April, 1894, Dr. C. W. Locke was elected mayor; S. A. Aukerman treasurer; Edwin Eastman police justice; Stephen Reeves city justice; Peter Doyle alderman 1st ward; W. H. O'Leary 2d ward; M. E. Heiney 3d ward. Charles O'Leary was ap- pointed auditor; O. J. Berdahl assessor and John A. Stromme street commissioner. July 5, the interest on the $1,500 fire bonds was raised from six to eight per cent. December 7, bonds sold to W. H. Wilson of Sioux Falls.
At the city election in April, 1895, the following officers were elected: Aldermen, 1st ward, John F. Sophy; 2d ward, D. J. Ken- nedy; 3d ward, Soren Sevenson and John Steinmetz received the same number of votes, and upon drawing lots for the office Sevenson was successful; city justice, A. M. Olmem. Mayor Locke appointed Charles O'Leary auditor, who was confirmed. He then appointed not less than six different persons for assessor, all of whom the council refused to confirm, but at a subsequent meeting A. J. Froelich was appointed and confirmed. C. C. Murphy as city attorney, and August Tradup as chief of police were appointed and confirmed.
At the annual election in 1896, D. J. Kennedy was elected mayor; Ed. Keller treasurer; Ed. Eastman police justice; Z. R. Biggs city justice; alderman, 1st ward, H. P. Hatland, J. F .. Sophy, Sr .; 2d ward, E. E. Cross, S. Reeves; 3d ward, A. Darrow, Sam Hagen. The mayor appointed A. E. Patterson auditor; John Steinmetz chief of police and street commissioner, and J. E. Sophy assessor.
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