History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 131

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1138

USA > South Dakota > History of South Dakota, Vol. II > Part 131

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In 1884 Mr. Crary engaged in the livery busi- ness at Custer City, to which line of activity he has devoted his attention from that time to the present, meeting with flattering success in the undertaking, his barn being the largest and most complete establishment of the kind in the place. Meanwhile he was identified with another en- terprise of no little moment, having, in 1890, with a friend by the name of James Clark, taken up mining claims on the present site of Sylvan Lake, and the year following a movement was set on foot by them and another party to dam a stream so as to fill a natural depression with water, thus creating one of the most beautiful little lakes to be found in any part of Dakota. This lake, which embraces an area of fifty-five acres, lies about six thousand one hundred feet above the level of the sea, and the situation is noted far and wide for beauty and romantic scenery, as well as for its pure air, equitable temperature and the remarkable healthfulness of the climate. The creating of this artificial body of water and establishing a health and pleasure resort was undertaken by Messrs. Crary, Clark and Spencer and shortly after locating their re- spective claims these gentlemen set about to carry their intention into effect. In due time the work of damming the water was successfully ac- complished, after which the advantages of the place were extensively advertised with the re- sult that within a comparatively brief period people from all over the country were attracted to the spot and it soon gained the reputation it has since sustained, as one of the most attractive resorts in the state. Mr. Crary erected a small cottage in 1890, which he continued to occupy of

summer seasons for several Scars ther. after. and in 1866 he and Mr. Spencer became sole owners of the place. Two years later, however. he disposed of his interest to his partner, who is now owner and proprietor, and the resort has continued to grow in public favor until the large hotel and other places of entertainment are now taxed to their utmost capacity to accommodate the visitors that annually flock there to spend the summer seasons. Mr. Crary has made a success of all of his undertakings, has done much to promote the material welfare of Custer City, and takes an active part in municipal affairs and enjoys worthy prestige as a wide-awake business man and public-spirited citizen. He owns con- siderable eity property, besides having vel· able mining interests in the vicinity and in other parts of the Black Hills. In politics he is un- swerving in his allegiance to the Republican party, being one of its standard bearers in Cus- ter county, and he has also served the people in public capacity, having for several years held the responsible office of county commissioner.

Mr. Crary. in 1886, contraeted a matrimonial alliance with Mrs. Alice ( Weisner ) Crary. a na- tive of Ohio, the ceremony being solemnized in Custer City.

SEYMOUR N. FITCH, the leading dry- goods merchant of Custer City, is a native of New York, born in Rome, that state. on Decem- ber 24, 1863. He was educated in the schools of the above city and there remained until his nine- teenth year, when he left home to achieve his own fortune, going first to Des Moines, Iowa, where he held, during the two years following. a clerk- ship in a wholesale confectionery and cigar store. Resigning his position at the expiration of that time, Mr. Fitch, in the spring of 1882, came to South Dakota and after working on a ranch near Custer City about one year, became identified with the mercantile interests of the town by pur- chasing an interest in the dry-goods and clothing house of Bartell & Smith, succeeding the former partner in the business. Under the name of Smith & Fitch, the new firm grew rapidly in

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public favor and soon commanded the bulk of the trade in the lines of goods handled. The original building was a small structure, the ca- pacity of which was in due time found entirely inadequate, accordingly a large addition was sub- sequently made and from the beginning a series of continued successes attended the enterprise. His partner dying in 1889, Mr. Fitch purchased the entire interest and became sole proprietor and as such enjoyed uninterrupted prosperity until October, 1901, when his establishment was al- most destroyed by fire, entailing a loss conserv- atively estimated at twenty thousand dollars. This disaster, which would have been discour- aging to the majority of men, served to stimu- late the enterprising spirit of Mr. Fitch, as he immediately began rebuilding and within a com- paratively short time recovered from his loss and was again on the high road to prosperity. The new building, in every respect larger and super- ior to the former structure, is one of the finest business houses in Custer City. It is now stocked with full lines of dry goods, clothing, gents fur- nishing, etc., and the business conducted within its walls exceeds in magnitude that of any simi- lar establishment in the southwestern part of the state.

In addition to his commercial interests Mr. Fitch is also engaged quite extensively in the live-stock business, owning, in partnership with his cousin, Newton S. Tubbs, a large ranch near Edgemont, which is being devoted to sheep rais- ing. The latter enterprise, under the efficient management of Mr. Tubbs, is successfully con- ducted and has proved the source of a very liberal income to both proprietors. While first of all a business man, Mr. Fitch is by no means indiffer- ent to other matters in which his fellow citizens are interested, being a zealous Republican poli- tician and an enthusiastic worker in local, dis- trict and state affairs. In recognition of his valu- able services to his party, also by reason of his peculiar fitness for the position, he was elected some years ago treasurer of Custer county, dis- charging the duties of the office with credit to himself and to the satisfaction of the people. He also served on the board of county commissioners

and in that capacity was untiring in his efforts to inaugurate various public improvements. Fra- ternally Mr. Fitch is identified with the Knights of Pythias, belonging to the lodge in Custer City.

On January 9, 1890, in Custer City, was sol- emnized the marriage of Mr. Fitch and Miss Helen Willis, of Springwater, New York, the fruit of the union being one daughter, Gladys M.

EDWARD STENGER was born June 5, 1858. in Douglas county, Oregon, and there spent his childhood and early youth, beginning life for himself when but sixteen years of age. Leaving the parental roof in the spring of 1874, he began trailing cattle through eastern Oregon, and after two years at that kind of work settled in Grant county, where he engaged in stock raising upon his own responsibility. in addition to which he also bought and shipped cattle and in due time built up a large and flourishing bus :- ness. In 1882 he disposed of his interests in Oregon and trailed horses into Montana, going as far as Bozeman, where he located, later turn- ing his attention to horses and sheep, in the raising of which his efforts were crowned with a large measure of success.

Mr. Stenger, in the early part of 1884, started for the Black Hills, arriving at Spearfish on the 3d day of July following, but not being able to find a favorable location on Battle Creek, he took up a pre-emption about eighteen miles from Rapid City, to which he brought a large num- ber of horses the same year. The following spring he bought a ranch on Battle creek and for two years thereafter raised horses on quite an extensive scale, adding cattle in 1886, both of which lines of industry he still pursues. In 1887 he began sheep raising in connection with his other business and with characteristic energy has gradually extended the scope of his oper- ations until he is now regarded the leading live- stock man in his part of the country. He pur- chased from time to time extensive tracts of land adjoining his ranch, and at this writing owns on Battle creek about seven thousand acres, two thousand of which are irrigated. a large part

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IIISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

of the latter being in cultivation. In addition to his live-stock interests, he devotes considerable attention to farming, raising large crops of grain and hay which he feeds to his cattle, besides marketing each year the vegetable crops which his land produces in abundance. Mr. Stenger's ranch is not only the largest on Battle creek, but is also one of the best improved and most valu- able ; he spends the summer months on the place. giving personal attention to its management, but of winter seasons lives in Hermosa, where he owns a beautiful and well-appointed residence, one of the finest homes in the city.

In 1886 Mr. Stenger, at the urgent solicita- tion of many of his friends, erected a hotel in Hermosa, which he ran for some time, under the name of the Battle River House, but which is now known as the Glendale Hotel. After acting for some time in the capacity of "mine host," he retired from the hotel business and rented the property, later disposing of it at a liberal margin on the investment. Since then he has given all of his time and attention to his live-stock business. In matters of business, Mr. Stenger is energetic, wide-awake and pro- gressive, and he occupies no small place in public esteem. He holds membership with the Masonic fraternity, Modern Woodmen of America and Ancient Order of United Workmen, and in politics supports the Democratic party.

Mr. Stenger, on April 17, 1887, contracted a matrimonial alliance with Miss Amanda Thomas, of Missouri, the marriage being blessed with two daughters, Eva and Edna.

JOSEPH E. PILCHER, proprietor of the largest drug house in Custer, was born in Ra- cine, Ohio, on August 18, 1851. He attended the public schools of his native county until about sixteen years of age, when he went to Indiana, and for some time thereafter worked on a farm in Jefferson county, that state, later taking a com -- mercial course in an Indianapolis business col- lege. In 1878 Mr. Pilcher went to Colorado, where he entered the employ of the Santa Fe Railroad Company, which was then construct-

ing one of its lines through that country, and after working there for some time he assisted in building branches of the same system in New Mexico and Arizona, remaining with the com- pany in different capacities until 1880. In the latter year he made a business trip to Europe, returning in the fall of 1881, and immediately thereafter came to the Black Hills, locating at Deadwood, where he engaged in the hotel busi- ness, conducting the same until the spring of 1883, when he disposed of his interests in that place and changed his abode to Custer City. After devoting his attention for the greater part of a year to mica and gold mining, Mr. Pilcher, in the spring of 1884, accepted a position with the .Adams Express Company, being appointed to a local agency in Nebraska, but later he was pro- moted traveling auditor of the company, and in that capacity visited various parts of New Mex- ico, and other western states and territories, dis- charging his duties in an able and business-like manner until his resignation, in August, 1886. After severing his connection with the above company, Mr. Pilcher returned to Custer City and, entering politics, was elected the same year register of deeds for Custer county, which posi- tion he held until 1891, proving an exceedingly efficient and popular official; meanwhile, in the fall of 1890, he was appointed assistant secre- tary of the state senate, in which capacity he served two terms, and in 1893 was sent to Chi- cago in charge of the Black Hills mineral ex- hibit at the World's Fair. Returning to Custer City, he resumed mining in various parts of the Hills, but not meeting with the results antici- pated, he discontinued that line of work three years later and purchased a drug store, to which business he has since devoted his attention, build- ing up a large and lucrative patronage.

Mr. Pilcher is still interested in mining and owns considerable mineral property in the Black Hills, some of which is quite valuable and from which he reasonably hopes to realize a fortune. As an authority in all matters relating to the min- ing industry, he is frequently consulted by ex- perts and others, and in 1898 he had charge of the large mineral exhibit of the Black Hills at

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Omaha. He has devoted much study to mining in all of its phases, has made many valuable re- searches and original investigations, being a sci- entific assayer, as well as a graduate of the School of Mines at Rapid City, one of the most thorough institutions of the kind in the world. Mr. Pilcher is a Republican in politics, and for a number of years has been an active party worker and an influential factor in the public af- fairs of his city and county. He is now second vice-president of the Black Hills Mining Men's Association, and he is also interested in various other local enterprises for the promotion of the material welfare of his adopted state. Frater- nally he is a Mason, in which order he has held various official positions, and he also holds mem- bership with the Modern Brotherhood of Amer- ica and the Knights of Pythias.

Mr. Pilcher, on April 10. 1886, entered the marriage relation with Miss Jennie Thornby, of New York, and is now the father of two sons, Rufus J. and Warren T. Pilcher.

DANIEL NEWCOMB HUNT, one of the earliest settlers in Spink county, and the first mayor of the present attractive little city of Red- field. was born in Mansfield, Tioga county, Penn- sylvania, on the 28th of January, 1843, and is a son of Dr. Daniel Newcomb Hunt and Miranda B. (Allen ) Hunt, the former of whom was born in Rutland. Vermont, and the latter in Massa- chusetts. From a carefully compiled record of the genealogy of the Newcomb family the fol- lowing data is obtained : Captain Charles Hunt, grandfather of the subject, married, in 1788, Jerusha Newcomb, a daughter of Lieutenant Daniel Newcomb, who was in the sixth gener- ation in descent from Andrew Newcomb, who came from England to the New England colonies about 1650. Family tradition farther states, in ' connection with the maternal ancestry of the sub- ject, that his grandfather Allen was a relative of Ethan Allen, of Ticonderoga fame, and also a ! descendant of Priscilla Alden, whose gentle virtues are so pleasingly recorded in the poem of "Miles Standish," by Longfellow. Both grand-

fathers were valiant soldiers of the Continental line during the war of the Revolution.

In 1853 Dr. Daniel N. Hunt, father of the subject, removed with his family from Pennsyl- vania to Reedsburg. Sauk county, Wisconsin, where he was engaged in the practice of his pro- fession about five years, at the expiration of which time he removed to Granger. Fillmore county, Minnesota, where the mother died in 1864, at the age of fifty-five years. The father was born in 1799. He lived through every ad- ministration of the United States government until his death. In 1880 he came to Spink county, South Dakota, where he died in 1884. The sub- ject was about ten years of age at the time of the family's removal to Wisconsin, and from 1853 to 1858 he was a student in the public schools of Reedsburg, and from 1859 to 1861 he continued his educational work in the schools at Decoral, Iowa. After the close of his service in the Civil war he entered the Eastman Business College, in the city of Chicago, where he was graduated in the spring of 1866.

On the 15th of March, 1862, Mr. Hunt en- listed as a private in Company C, Fifth Min- nesota Volunteer Infantry, and re-enlisted as a veteran in the same company and regiment in 1864, with which he served until the close of the war. having been mustered out on the 6th of September. 1865. He was with his regiment in thirteen campaigns, five sieges and thirty-four battles and minor engagements, among which was the siege of Fort Ridgely, during the Indian massacre in Minnesota, in 1862. Mr. Hunt's name appears upon a monument erected by the state of Minnesota in commemoration of this massacre. He also holds a medal presented to him by the same state, one of which was given to each soldier present at the memorable tragedy. After receiving his honorable discharge Mr. Hunt returned to Granger, Minnesota, and there- after was engaged in farming and teaching school in that state until April, 1879, when he came to what is now Spink county, South Dakota, being one of the first citizens of the city of Redfield, he being here when the town was founded and surveyed. Here he established himself in the

DANIEL N. HUNT.

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real-estate business, in which line he has ever since continued operations, being one of the lead- ing dealers in this section of the state. He was register of deeds of the county, by appointment, from 1880 to January 1, 188t, and was secretary of the first Republican convention called in the county to elect delegates to the territorial con- vention. He was a member of the first consti- tutional convention of the territory, at Sioux Falls, in 1884. In May, 1883, he was elected the first mayor of Redfield, receiving a silver dollar as his salary, the facts in the case having been engraved on the coin by order of the council, and it is needless to say that Mr. Hunt places a high valuation on this unique and historic souvenir. He has been four times re-elected to the office of mayor, having been re-elected the last time on May 1, 1904. He called and was chairman of the first school meeting held in the county, and from the early days to the present he has always been found at the front in lending his aid and influence in support of measures and enterprises tending to promote the general welfare and progress. He has given his efforts in further- ance of the cause of the Republican party, of whose principles he is a stanch advocate. He was initiated in the Masonic fraternity in 1865 and is still actively affiliated with the same. He has been identified with the Grand Army of the Republic from the time of its organization in the territory of Dakota, having held office in his post and being at the present writing quarter- master of George H. Thomas Post, No. 5, in his home city.

On the 15th of February, 1873, Mr. Hunt was married to Miss Adalynn J. Ellis, who was born in the state of Vermont, on the 2d of Oc- tober. 1849, and is a descendant of the Chase family who came from England to the Massachu- setts colony in the early colonial epoch. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt have three children, Arlington Chase, who was born on the 2d of January, 1877; Georgie Mae, born August 15, 1881, and Ray Nelson, born February 8, 1887.

The following story of an early trip made by Mr. Hunt is of special interest :

About the middle of March, 1881, 1 hired William West. now of Clifton township, and Ira Bowman, brother of the present chairman of the county board, to attempt a trip to Huron for provisions. There had been nothing received from outside since the first of January, except one small loal of flour brought in February from Huron by F. H. Craig. A heavy storm followed and to get that flour from his place to Old Ashton-about eight miles-required two teams and three men three days. The flour had to be conveyed by the men from Craig's place to Bolcher's ford, a distance of two miles. This flour had been largely distributed and consumed, and I engaged the two men, West and Bowman, to attempt another trip to Huron.

When knowledge that the trip was to be attempted had spread, our party was joined by the mail carrier. who had been snowed in for a month at Old Ashton, and by Cal Spencer, who afterward built the Clyde mill in 1881. I accompanied the party, which con- sisted of five men with four horses and one covered wagon.

The first day out from Old Ashton we made Red- field, a distance of five miles, and stopped with Mrs. Welker. The second day we made an early start and took a straight line south to the grade of the Chicago and Northwestern road, which had been thrown up in the summer of 1880, but had not been ironed, and from there followed the grade, and by night had reached the high grade just north of Hitchcock. The most difficult points were where the culverts now cross sloughs and through the cuts. These were filled level with the prairie with snow, and to cross we men would shovel and tread the snow and then give the lead team about thirty feet of chain, and when they were through to solid footing they helped drag through the other team and wagon. The second night we wintered in a snow house, dug in about ten feet of snow, over which was spread a tent cover. The night was severely cold and none were allowed to sleep in the snow house more than two hours at a time, but were made to get out and walk on the grade to keep up circulation. By the second night all but two of the party had gone snow blind so that they had to be piloted. The third day we made Huron. The Pierre hranch had heen ironed, and when we reached James Valley junction we took to the track and bumped over the ties, to the amuse- ment of the few residents of Huron who had been warned of our coming by the rattle of the wagon, and who were curious to know who and what were com- ing and where from.

I bought all the flour I could serure in Huron. about three thousand pounds, upon which some of the citizens were disposed to put an embargo, lest

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they also should get short. The fourth day we spent in building a couple of snow boats, convinced by our trip down that we never could get the load back by wheels. They were made of boards about ten feet long, turned up a little at the front and bolted to a scantling frame by which to haul it, the boards serv- ing as runners. The flour, with some other provisions and feed for the teams, made for each boat a load of about one thousand eight hundred pounds.

The fifth day we started on the return trip by way of the VanDusen ranch, which lies nearly due north from Huron. We had a compass with which to keep our direction. For the first few hours, owing to a thaw and freeze, the snow crust carried both the horses and sleds and we made good time. The snow at this time stood at least three feet deep on the level prairie. When the crust softened so that the team would break through the progress was a slow wallowing, and by night we had made the twelve miles to the ranch. Here we struck quite comfortable quarters for both men and teams.

From the ranch to Old Ashton was a distance of twenty-five miles, and for the first eighteen miles there was no trail and no shanty of any kind. This we knew to be the most critical day of the whole trip. and possibly we tried to crowd too rapidly. I had set the compass direct for Old Ashton and we began the slow wallowing, but before night it became evi- dent that we could not make Holcomb's during day- light and so I pushed on ahead and had a light hung out on a pole at Holcomb's to guide the other boys. The horses played out so thoroughly that the boys left the loads in the big slough near Will Bingham's present residence and came in to Holcomb's for the night. On the seventh day we returned for onr loads, and by noon hal gotten as far as Warden's. Here I engaged Jimmie Warden, who had six yoke of cattle, to yoke up and drive them from there to the river. thus breaking a road through which our teams made fair progress. From the river we knew we had a track, and at sundown of the seventh day, which was Sunday, we reached home.

The frozen snow cut the less of both the men and horses co severely that protection was provided for by w rapping our legs and the legs of the horses with main sacks, and not less than one hundred grain sacks were worn to rags in the trip.

JAMES A. STEWART, postmaster of Edgemont and president of the Citizens' Bank, at the same place, is a native of Newton county, Indiana, born May 18, 1863. His father was a tiller of the soil, and to this kind of labor young Stewart was reared, his early experience on the

farm being instrumental in forming industrious habits and teaching him the important lessons of independence and self-reliance. At the proper age he entered the district school and attended the same of winter seasons until the age of sev- enteen. While still a youth he left home and went with a brother to Furnas county, Ne- braska, where the two took up land, and later he spent two years teaching in the public schools of that state. Discontinuing educational work, he served a two-years apprenticeship at the printer's trade in Arrapahoe, and after becoming an effi- cient workman followed his chosen calling in va- rious parts of the west, traveling over a num- ber of states and territories and finding employ- ment in Denver, San Francisco and other cities and towns.

In the spring of 1895 Mr. Stewart came to South Dakota and, in partnership with Harvey Goddard, purchased the Edgemont Express, a weekly paper which had been established a num- ber of years before under the name of the Dud- ley Reporter. This paper was originally started in a settlement across the river, known as D:d- ley, but later was moved to Edgemont, where it has since been published, being the oldest paper in the town, also one of the best edited and most influential local sheets in the county of Fall River. Mr. Stewart was identified with this pub- lication until October, 1897, when he disposed of his interests in the office to Mr. Goddard and the same month was appointed postmaster of Edgemont, which position he still holds. In 1899 he embarked in the sheep business on the Chey- enne river, and is now regarded as one of the leaders of this important industry in western Da- kota. He keeps a number of men employed to look after his extensive live-stock interests, owns large tracts of fine grazing land in various parts of the country and from this business alone de- rives a liberal income. In June, 1903, Mr. Stew- art and George Forbes organized the Citizens' Bank, of Edgemont, the former being made pres- ident and the latter cashier. The enterprise thus far has more than realized the high expecta- tions of the proprietors, the bank being one of the solid and popular monetary institutions of

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History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 131

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn Publication date: 1904 Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1138

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1138