History of South Dakota, Vol. I, Part 54

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 998

USA > South Dakota > History of South Dakota, Vol. I > Part 54

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BEADLE.

Beadle county, named for Gen. W. H. H. Beadle. as at present bounded was created by act of February 22, 1879, from portions of Kings- bury and Burchard counties. It was organized

July 9, 1880, by Governor Ordway, among his first official acts being the appointment of Eli C. Walton, Charles Miner and S. Simeon Nielson as commissioners for the purpose. They located the county seat at Huron. The county was ex- plored at least as early as 1832 by William Dick- son, and was visited for trapping constantly thereafter. The first settlement was made by Charles Miner, a son of the well-known Captain Nelson Miner, of the Dakota cavalry, on Pearl creek, in April, 1879. Among the early settlers were Andrew J. Sweetser and J. S. and S. S. Nielson and Martin Baum, who came in the sum- mer of 1879 and were the only white persons to spend the succeeding winter in the county. The next year the Northwestern Railway was built into the county and with it came a flood of popu- lation. Huron dates from May 10, 1880. Other towns are Cavour. Hitchcock, Wolsey and Wess- ington. The city is divison headquarters for the Dakota Central Railway; has the United States land office, surveyor general's office, chief weather bureau office and is the seat of Huron College, founded June 8, 1898. William B. Sterling, of this county, was United States dis- trict attorney during the Harrison administration. John L. Pyle was attorney general from 1899 until his death, in 1902, and his term was com- pleted by A. W. Burtt. H. Ray Myers was United States consul to Nicaragua in 1889. Har- vey J. Rice and N. T. Smith have been railway commissioners. The county is bisected by the

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HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

James river. It contains one thousand two hun- dred and seventy square miles and had 8,081 people in 1900.

BON HOMME.

Bon Homme county, named for Bon Homme island, was created by the first legislature on April 5, 1862. It was organized by Governor Jayne through the appointment of Byron M. Smith, Laban H. Litchfield and Henry Hart- sough as commissioners. Bon Homme village was made the county seat by the organic act. Being upon the Missouri river, it was explored by the earliest voyageurs. Lewis and Clarke, in 1804, who found the island already named and known by its present appellation. The first settler was Zephyr Renconter, who built a trading station on Bon Homme island in 1828. He and his half Indian offspring continued to live there and in the vicinity for forty years. The modern set- tlement was made July 10, 1859, upon the open- ing of the reservation, by John H. Shober and a party from Mantorville, Minnesota. Shober and his party had attempted a settlement the previous year, but their log buildings were destroyed and thrown into the river by a detail of soldiers from Fort Randall, sent down to keep trespassers off the Indian lands. Among the settlers of 1859 were Mrs. Rounds and children, Dr. Wallace, Mr. Gifford and family, Nathan McDaniels and family, Thomas Tate, L. H. Litchfield, William Hammond and Daniel P. Bradford. In the spring of 1860 these settlers built the first school house in Dakota and established a school of ten pupils under Miss Emma Bradford. The towns of the county are Scotland, Springfield, Tyndall and Avon. Tyndall is the county seat. Two lines of the Milwaukee Railway cross at Tyndall. A state normal school is located at Springfield, founded in 1898. It is a rich agricultural sec- tion. SamuelG. Irish was first territorial treasurer. Laban H. Lichfield, United States marshal, 1863- 70. Robert Dollard was attorney general from statehood until 1893. George W. Snow is lieu- tenant governor. James D. Elliott is United States district attorney. Florenzo G. Hale was 26

regent of education, 1893-6. The county con- tains 569 square miles and had 9,570 people in I 900.

BROOKINGS.

Brookings county was created by the first legislature April 5, 1862, but then embraced the north half of Moody county and some adjacent territory. Its present boundaries were fixed in 1873. The county was organized by commis- sions issued by John A. Burbank, governor, January 21, 1871, with Martin Trygstad, L. M. Hewlitt and Elias Thompson commissioners. The county seat was located at Medary, where it remained until the 18th day of November, 1879, when it was, by vote of the people, re- moved to Brookings, then a new village on the newly built Northwestern Railway. The first recorded white exploration of the section was by Nicollet and Fremont in 1838. The first settle- ment was by a party under Maj. Franklin De Witt in May, 1857, but this settlement was broken up by hostile Yankton Indians a year later. In the spring of 1869 Nils O. Trygstad, with his sons, Martin, O. C., Cornelius, Erick and Michael, and Ole Gjermstad and Ole Balstrud, settled at Medary and made the first permanent settlement. About 1873 a considerable settlement came, but it was not until 1877 that a real impulse was given to the immigration movement. The commercial history of the county dates from the opening of a store at Medary by C. H. Stearns in October, 1872. The chief towns of the county are Aurora, Brookings, Bruce, Elkton, Bushnell, Volga and White. Brookings is the most important and is the seat of the State Agricultural College, founded in 1883, the state's most extensive edu- cational institution. Two lines of the North- western and the Rock Island Railroads pass through the county. It is a rich agricultural community. Hugh S. Murphy was secretary of state in the statehood government of 1885, George A. Mathews was last territorial delegate to congress; O. H. Parker, commissioner of school lands, 1889-1890 ; William H. Roddle, sec-

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HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

retary of state, 1897-1901 ; Philo Hall, attorney general, 1903. The county contains 817 square miles and had 12,561 people in 1900. Company K, First Dakota Cavalry, in the Philippines, was recruited in this county.

BROWN.

Brown county was created February 22, 1879, and was named for Alfred Brown, member of that legislature from Hutchinson county. It was organized by Governor Ordway July 20, 1880, by appointing John R. James, Clarence D. Johnson and D. C. McKenzie commissioners, who located the county seat at Columbia. It was explored by Robert Dickson in 1800, and fur posts were established on Elm river in 1828 and at Rondell in 1835. First set- tlement by Clarence Johnson and William Young at Yorkville, on James river August 10, 1877. Chief towns, Aberdeen, Groton, Frederick, Hecla, Columbia, Warner, Bath, James, Westport, Plana and Claremont. County seat removed to Aber- deen in 1888. Milwaukee Railway reached Aber- deen, July, 1881 ; Northwestern, October, same year ; Great Northern, 1887. Fine farming coun- try. Aberdeen seat of Northern Normal and In- dustrial School, founded 1902. United States land office, United States court, internal revenue office for North and South Dakota. Extensive wholesaling point. Charles N. Harris, public ex- aminer. 1887-8; George N. Tyner, attorney gen- eral,- 1887-8; Frank H. Haggerty, immigration commissioner, 1889-90: John H. Drake, United States consul to Kiel, Germany, 1892; James H. Fletcher, lieutenant governor, 1889-90; James H. Kyle, United States senator, 1891-1901 : Robert W. Haire, commissioner of charities and correc- tions, 1890-1896; M. R. Henniger, Frank H. Adams and Robert W. Haire, regents of educa- tion ; John D. Lavin, commissioner of charities and corrections, 1901-3; James D. Reeves, state auditor, 1899-1903; Charles B. Collins, state treasurer, 1903; Joseph Meyers and E. C. Moul- ton, oil inspectors ; Charles A. Howard, major First South Dakota Regiment in Philippine war. Company F. same regiment, recruited here.

Area, 1.745 square miles. Population, 1900, 15.286.

BRULE.

Brule county was created by act of the legis- lature January 14, 1875, and was named for the Brule (Burned Thighs) band of Teton Sioux. The county was organized at once, but in May of that year all of the land in Brule county was withdrawn from settlement by executive order of President Grant and was not restored until 1879. Nevertheless the county organization was maintained by the few settlers who remained. The first exploration occurred before 1800. A trading post was established on American island as early as 1822 and it is possible that Manuel Lisa had a post in the county much earlier. Brule City was founded opposited the mouth of White river in 1873 by D. W. Spaulding, Charles Col- lins, M. H. Day and others. The plan was to make it a great colony for Irish immigrants and a headquarters for the Fenian movement, but the plan was nipped in the bud by the executive or- der withdrawing the lands from settlement, made in the interest of the Indians for the purpose of keeping liquor remote from the reservations. When settlement was revived in 1879, Governor Howard reorganized the county. The railroad reached Chamberlain in 1880, and the county seat was removed from Brule City to Chamber- lain in September. Agriculture and stock raising are chief industries. Seat of government school for education of Indians. Chamberlain, Kimball, Pukwana and Bijou Hills are chief towns. A. G. Kellem, of this county, was judge of supreme court, 1889 to 1894; W. V. Lucas, member of congress, 1893-5 ; Nelson W. Eggleston, regent of education, 1893-6; A. S. Stuver, commissioner Soldiers' Home, 1903. Area, 808 square miles. Population, 1900, 5,401.

BUFFALO.

Buffalo county was created January 6, 1864. but its boundaries were fixed by the act of Feb- ruary 22, 1879, when all of the counties of the interior of the state were readjusted, but there

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HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

was a still further revision of the lines in 1883. Exploration dates from the earliest movements on the Missouri and the Loisee trading post was established within Buffalo county prior to 1796 and was, according to Captain Chittenden, the first trading post in Dakota. It was burned in 1810, together with fifteen thousand dollars' worth of furs stored in it. The section was a fa- vorite resort of the Indians, for the reason that near the mouth of Crow creek there was an easy ford of the river, where for a long period the Sioux swam the river, and it is among them to this day known as "the pass of the three rivers." Near this pass the Crow Creek agency was built in 1863. Most of the territory of Buf- falo county is embraced within the Crow Creek reservation. The county was organized on Jan- uary 5, 1885, by James P. Cleveland, John Tum- cane and C. A. Osman, commissioners appointed for the purpose of Governor G. A. Pierce. There are no towns of great importance, and no rail- ways in the county. Gann Valley is the county seat. The area is 483 miles and the population, 1900, 1,790.

BUTTE.

Butte county, named for the abrupt and pre- cipitous buttes or hills which are characteristic of some portions of the county, was created by the legislature of 1881, but it was greatly en- larged to its present dimensions by the legisla- ture of 1897, for the purpose of bringing all of the range country west of the Indian reservation into a county organization that the property might be more readily assessed for taxation. The county was organized July II, 1883. with the county seat at Minnesela, but it was removed to Belle Fourche after the construction of the rail- way in 1889. The first recorded exploration of the county was by Walter P. Hunt's Astoria party in the summer of 1811. The first settle- ment drifted out from the Black Hills and among the settlers were William Grimmet, William Hayden, Ed Buford and J. M. Eaton. The coun- try is rich in agricultural possibilities, under irri- gation, good progress having already been made in that line, but primarily it is the best of stock

ranges. Belle Fourche is one of the world's greatest primary stock markets. The area is 7.834 square miles and the population, 2,907. Troop C, Grigsby's Cowboys, Spanish war, 1898, was recruited at Belle Fourche.

CAMPBELL.

Campbell county was created by act of Janu- ary 8, 1873, and was named for Newton B. Campbell, of Scotland, a son of the famous Gen. Charles T. Campbell, the man whom Lincoln made a brigadier general upon condition that he should die immediately. Young Campbell was a member of the legislature which created the county. It was explored by the rivermen at an early date. It is probable that it was the home of Pierre Garreau, the first white man to make a permanent home in Dakota in 1790. Lewis and Clarke were entertained by the Rees on Grand River island in 1804, who told them a marvelous story of a stone idol on Spring creek, which was created by the conversion of a lovely but lovelorn maiden into stone. The county was organized November 6, 1883, by Governor Ordway. It is a good farming and stock country, those being the chief interests of the people. There are no large towns. The only railway is a short branch of the Sault road, which makes down to the Mis- souri along Spring creek. The town of Herreid, named for Gov. Charles N. Herreid, is the chief village. Mound City is county seat. The area is 765 square miles and there were 4,527 people in 1900. F. M. Slocum, regent of education, 1903. Ira Hatch, agent to Cheyenne river Indians, 1898.

CHARLES MIX.

Charles Mix county was named for the then commissioner of Indian affairs and was created by the first legislature in 1862 and the county seat located "on the claim of Mr. Papineau." It was attached to Bon Homme for judicial purposes and was not organized until September 1, 1879, when Governor Howard appointed commissioners for the purpose. These were James G. Jones, John Johns and William Miller and they located the county seat at Wheeler, where it still remains. The Yankton Indian reservation was within the

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HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

county, together with Yankton agency. One of the first trading posts in Dakota, if not the very first, was located near Wheeler in 1796 by Trudeau, of St. Louis, and is known as the Pawnee House. It burned after twenty years. The Yankton Indians took their lands in severalty and sold the surplus to the government, and the same were opened to homesteaders in 1895. The county is a splendid agricultural section, but its resources remained undeveloped until recently by reason of lack of railway facilities. In 1899 and 1900 the Milwaukee was extended through the heart of the county, giving rise to the fine towns of Wagner, Geddes and Platte. The area is 1,123 square miles and the population, 1900, 8,498.

CLARK.

Clark county was created in 1873 and read- justed in 1879 and again and finally in 1885. It was named for Newton Clark, a legislator. Lit- tle is known of early exploration. It did not lie in the direct lines of travel, except at the north- west corner at Oak Gulch, which was on the trail from Waubay to the Missouri. Near this point is a well known landmark of the old days, called the Hunter's Well. John Bailey settled on Lake Bailey in the northern part of the county in 1878. The settlement at Clark was made in 1879 by Syl- vester J. Conklin and Frank Hoskins. The Northwestern Railway passed through the county from east to west in 1882 and the Milwaukee from north to south in 1887. The chief towns are Clark, Raymond, Bradley, Garden City, Vienna and Willow Lakes, the latter on the Great North- ern, which bisected the county in 1887. It is a good agricultural county, draining both into the James and the Sioux. John E. Bennett was su- preme judge from statehood to his death, Janu- ary 1, 1894; Frank Conklin, railway commis- sioner, 1893-6; S. J. Conklin, adjutant general, 1901 ; S. H. Elrod, United States disbursing agent for Sisseton Indians, 1892. Area, 973 square miles. Population, 1900, 6,942.

CLAY.

Clay county, created by first legislature, 1862, and named for Henry Clay by Jacob Deuel, a

member of legislature from that county. Ex- plored by early fur traders. Fort Vermillion, fur post, located near Meckling, 1823, but re- moved to Green Point, 1836; discontinued, 1852. Modern settlement, July 10, 1859, by many set- tlers waiting opening of reservation. Organized by Governor Jayne, 1862. First church in Da- kota built at Vermillion, 1860, by Presbyterians under Father Charles D. Martin. Dakota Uni- versity, located at Vermillion by first legislature, endowed 1883. Milwaukee Railway, then Dakota Southern, came into county 1872. Vermillion, chief city, destroyed by floods 1883. Very rich agricultural county. Wakonda, at north, on Northwestern, is second village in importance. Jefferson P. Kidder, supreme judge, 1865 to 1874, and 1878 to death, 1883; member of con- gress, 1874-1878; J. W. Boyles, member supreme court to 1866; John L. Jolley, member of con- gress, 1891-3; Cyrus J. Fry, United States mar- shal, 1889 to death, 1894; Andrew E. Lee, gov- ernor, 1897-1901; E. E. Collins, superintendent public instruction, 1899 to 1903. Area, 408 square miles, and population at last census, 9,316.

CODINGTON.

Codington county, formerly Adair county, created by act of February 15, 1877. Explored first by Fremont and Nicollet, 1838. Visited by Dr. Riggs, 1840. First railway, in advance of set- tlement, 1872. In 1873 Joseph B. Montgomery and David D. Keeler settled upon Lake Kam- peska, but there was no settlement of consequence until the early spring of 1878, when it came in a flood. The county was organized by Governor Howard in 1878 by the appointment of William McIntyre, O. S. Jewel and George Stoddard as commissioners. They located the county seat at Lake Kampeska, but that fall the settlers voted it to Watertown, where it remains. The county was named for Rev. G. S. Codington, an early Dakota legislator. Rich agricultural county. Watertown, chief city, has United States land of- fice and weather bureau. Large wholesale trade. Rock Island Railroad, built in 1884, also same year Minneapolis & St. Louis. Great Northern came in 1886. A. C. Mellette, governor, 1889-

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HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

93 ; Frank Phillips, railway commissioner, 1892-4 ; Frank Crane, superintendent public instruction, 1895-99; H. M. Finnerud, regent education, 1893-6; Alex McIntyre, regent of education, 1903; John Mulholland, oil inspector, 1891 ; Lee Stover, lieutenant colonel First South Dakota in Philippine war; Company H, same regiment, re- cruited in Watertown; Mark W. Sheafe, brig- adier general of volunteers, Spanish war, 1898; David C. Thomas, commissioner of charities and corrections, 1903. Area, 786 square miles. Population, 1900, 8,770.

CUSTER.

Custer county was created by the legislature of 1877 and organized that year by Governor Pennington. First recorded exploration by Lieu- tenant G. K. Warren, 1857. Second exploration by General Custer and Seventh Cavalry, August, 1874. First settlement by Gordon party at stock- ade near Custer, December, 1874. Gold discov- ered by Billy McKay, gold expert with Custer, on French Creek, August 2, 1874. Mining and ag- ricultural district. Sylvan Lake great attraction and summer resort. Eleven thousand settlers March, 1876. Stampede to northern hills, 1876. First county seat at Sheridan, now at Custer. Named for General George A. Custer. Area, 1,612 square miles. Population, 1900, 2,728. Company I, First South Dakota, in Philippine war, recruited here.

DAVISON.

Davison county was created January 8, 1873. but its lines were readjusted February 22, 1879. Its first settler was Levi Hain, at Firesteel, and H. C. Green on the James, who came in 1874. The county was organized the first year of settlement with Levi Hain, J. Platt and J. Head as commissioners appointed by Governor Burbank for that purpose. The county seat was located at Firesteel, but re- moved to Mitchell in 1880. The Milwaukee Rail- way was built through the county in 1880 and north from Mitchell in 1883; the connection from Scotland to Mitchell was not made until 1885. Mitchell, the chief town, is division headquarters

for the Milwaukee Railway, and an important distributing center. Has United States land of- fice since 1880 and seat of Dakota University, the college of the Methodists, founded in 1884. County named for Henry C. Davison, an early settler. Mount Vernon, also dating from 1880, another important town. Dick Haney, of this county, has been supreme judge since 1894; George A. Silsby, adjutant general, 1893-7; pub- lic examiner of national banks, 1897; T. E. Blanchard, public examiner, 1889-93; Major Warne, First South Dakota, in Philippine war. Area, 486 square miles ; population, 1900, 7.483.

DAY.

Day county, named for Merritt H. Day, the pioneer Democratic politician, was created by the act of February 22, 1879, which reorganized the county lines throughout the state. The section was formerly called Greeley county. It was or- ganized December 5, 1881, by Governor Ordway. Chauncy Warner, Lansing Sykes and George Bryant were the commissioners, and the county seat was located at Webster, where it remains. At that time the county included Marshall county and the south tier of towns was a part of Clark county. The session of 1885 created Marshall county and added the south tier to Day. The first exploration of Day county goes back to the fur trading days of the 'thirties, when Major Joseph R. Brown had a trading post at Buffalo lake. Fremont and Nicollet visited the county in 1839. Waubay and the adjacent lakes were favorite resorts for the Indians, time out of mind, and all of their trails across Dakota centered there. The soil is fertile and productive. The railroad came in 1880 and the modern settlement dates from that time. In public affairs the county has been represented by Eugene Huntington, adju- tant general, 1890-3; Charles H. Sheldon, gov- ernor, 1893-7; Charles W. Stafford, oil inspector, 1893-7; David Williams, census superintendent, 1890. Area, 1,077. Population, 1900, 7.483.

DEUEL.

Deuel county was named for Jacob Deuel, a member of the first territorial legislature from

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HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

Clay county. It was created by the first legisla- ture, but was not organized until April 26, 1878, by Governor Howard, who appointed Henry H. Herrick, Byron J. Cochrane and A. J. Torger- son commissioners. The county seat was located at Gary, but in 1888 was removed to Clear Lake by a vote of the people. The first exploration of which we have record was made by John C. Fremont in 1838. Chanopa (Two Woods) lake, in the central portion of the county, the home of a band of Sissetons, was a favorite Indian camp and was upon the main trail from the Minnesota to the Missouri; hence all of the early white ex- peditions westward passed that way. The mod- ern settlement dates from 1872. In the month of July B. J. Cochrane and the Oliver Brothers made homestead settlements there and in August Henry H. Herrick came. The Northwestern Railway reached Gary that fall. There was not much settlement, however, until 1877-8, when the people poured in and occupied the land. Its only representatives in public affairs have been Rev. Mr. Brant and Millard F. Greeley, regents of education. Its area is 621 square miles and population, 1900, 6,656. Clear Lake, the county seat, dates from the building of the Rock Island Railway in 1884. State Blind School is located at Gary, from 1893.

DOUGLAS.

Douglas county was named for the "Little Gi- ant" and was created by law in 1873. The first attempt to organize it was made in 1880, by a man named Brown, an adventurer who, before there was a single bona fide resident of the county, obtained for himself and some confed- erates commissions from Governor Ordway to organize the county. They established a county seat at a mythical place called Brownsdale, in a covered wagon, and proceeded to purchase an outfit of blank county, town and school warrants and of these they issued just as many as they were able to negotiate. Major Robert Dollard, since attorney general, settled in the county that fall, and learning of the fraudulent procedure, began vigorous action to defeat it and succeeded in invalidating the bonds in the courts. The

county was reorganized July 10, 1882. The county seat was first located at Huston, but was removed at an early election to Grandview and subsequently, after the building of the railroad, to Armour, where it now is. The county is fa- mous as the home of the large and prosperous colony of Hollanders. It has been represented in state affairs by Frank LeCocq as railroad commissioner, 1901. W. E. Tipton, com- missioner of charities, 1901. The area of the county is 445 square miles. Population, 1900, 5,012.

EDMUNDS.

Edmunds county, named for the second terri- torial governor, was created by law January 8, 1873, and was organized by Governor Ordway July 8, 1883. There is no record of early explora- tion and as it does not lie along the ordinary lines of travel, it is probable that it was not vis- ited by white men until a comparatively recent date. The first settler was Dr. L. F. Diefendorf, who located in the eastern portion in 1882. It is a farming and stock-growing region. The rail- road reached Ipswich in 1883 and the county seat was removed there from Edmunds, a nearby village. Its representatives in state affairs have been E. F. Hewitt, regent of education, 1890-3; George C. Aurand, public examiner, 1901-3. Area, 1,176 square miles. Population, 1900, 4,916.

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History of South Dakota, Vol. I, Part 54

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn Publication date: 1904 Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen Number of Pages: 998

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 998