USA > South Dakota > History of southeastern Dakota, its settlement and growth, geological and physical features--countries, cities, towns and villages--incidents of pioneer life--biographical sketches of the pioneers and business men, with a brief outline history of the territory in general > Part 23
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Yankton is in every respect a beautiful city-both from its ad- v antageous and picturesque location, and from the substantial character of its public, private and business buildings. The amount of business, wholesale and retail, which is transacted in Yankton, would be incredible in any other locality than the Great North- west, population and the disadvantages peculiar to a new country being taken into consideration. The business men of Yankton, taken as a class, are live, energetic and responsible gentlemen, who
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have both the capacity, the means and the will, to make the most of present opportunities. The reader may confidently rely upon it -if there is aught to be known of the future from the substantial indications of the present-that in the years to come, few cities will command greater attention, achieve greater prosperity, or exert a wider influence upon the commercial world about them, than the Capital of the future Empire of the Northwest.
ADDITIONS TO THE CITY OF YANKTON.
The following are the plats, or additions, which make up the city of Yankton:
1-Yankton. 2-Witherspoon's Yankton. 3-Lower Yank- ton. 4-Central Yankton. 5-West Yankton. 6-North Yank- ton. 7-East Yankton. 8-B. C. Fowler's Addition. 9 -- H. C. Ash's Addition. 10-John Noble's Addition. 11-Glazier's Ad- dition. 12-Presho's Addition. 13-B. C. Ash's Addition. 14- English's Addition. 15-Collamer's Addition. 16-Wetmore & Stewart's Addition. 17-Hoffman's Addition. 18-W. A. Bur- leigh's Addition. 19-C. & S. Eiseman's First Addition. 20-C. & S. Eiseman's Second Addition. 21-Thompson & Hanson's Ad- dition. 22-Reinhold's Addition. 23-Julia A. Presho's Addition. 24-W. B. Valentine's Addition. 25-S. C. Fargo's Sub-division. 26-Extension of Lower Yankton by J. R. Hanson & Co., and W. W. Brookings. 27-J. D. Sears' Addition. 28 .- Picotte & Han- son's Sub-division of part of Lower Yankton.
OFFICIAL DIRECTORY.
Mayor-J. R. Sanborn. Clerk-E. T. White. Treasurer-William Blatt. Justice of the Peace-G. W. Roberts.
Marshal-William Reinhardt.
Police-P. C. Conway. Surreyor-E. D. Palmer.
Physician-J. M. Miller. Weighmaster-H. W. Pike.
Aldermen-J. L. Foskett, Chairman; Dr. D. F. Etter, W. M. Powers, C. J. B. Harris, Patrick Brennan, Joseph Bader, Jacob Max, Zina Richey.
Board of Education-First District-William P. Dewey, J. C. McVay. See- ond District-Josiah R. Sanborn, G. W. Kingsbury. Third District-Newton Edmunds, Bartlett Tripp. Fourth District-Joseph Ward, H. F. Livingston. Secretary-William M. Bristoll. Treasurer-William Blatt.
Judge of District Court-P. C. Shannon.
Clerk of District Court-A. J. Faulk.
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YANKTON.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
Attorneys-C. J. B. Harris, Dewey & French, Tripp & Boyles, S. H. Gruber, Geo. H. Hand, I. E. West, Campbell & Smith, Phil. K. Faulk, Gamble Bros., E. L. Fletcher, Oliver Shannon, N. J. Cramer, E. T. White.
Real Estate-G. W. Roberts, G. P. Hayward & Co., E. L. Fletcher, M. M. Matthieson, C. J. B. Harris.
Physicians-J. M. Miller, D. F. Etter, James Buchanan, James McGregor, Geo. W. Vanderhule, J. B. Vanvelsor, V. Sebiakinross.
Banks-First National Bank, Mckinney & Scougal, Edmunds & Wynn.
Dentists-W. H. H. Brown, H. D. Dodge.
Druggists-Mills & Purdy, Eugene Webber, E. M. Coates, G. W. Vander- hule, Geo. Taman, Peter Neff.
Dry Goods-L. D. Palmer, Chas. Eiseman, Jacob Max, N. Anderson, Chris- tian Steinbach.
Clothing-Harry Katz, John O. Bates.
Tailors-Hacker & Grebe, R. G. Grady.
Boots & Shoes-I. Piles, John J. Duffack, Jno. A. Weeks, Jacob Max, Chris- tian Steinbach.
Wholesale Grocers-Bramble, Miner & Co.
Grocers -- Jacob Max, A. W. Lavender, Win. Blatt, H. W. Pike, Christian Steinbach, J. L. Norris, Albert Zimlicka, Walter H. Carr, O. P. Hage. N. An- derson, T. F. Marshall, Dan. McDevitt, Samuel Vance.
Carpenter Shops-Osborn Evenson, Pratt & Goodwin, Fred. Burgi, A. Dil- linger, G. Burgi, John Thornton, W. F. Lauman, T. Moore.
Meat Markets-Wyman & Ward, Mike Brennan, Patrick Brennan, Maxwell & Lingo.
Hides and Leather-Peir & Luebke.
Wholesale Liquors-Adler & Ohlman, J. Hirshtein, J. E. Bruel.
Wholesale Cigars and Tobaccos-Adler & Ohlman, F. Hirshtein, Bramble, Miner & Co., J. E. Bruce.
Queensware-Marshall & Odiorne, O. P. Hage.
Newspapers-Press and Dakotaian, Daily and Weekly, Bowen & Kingsbury, Proprietors. Dakota Herald, Taylor & Sargent, Proprietors. Frie Presse, G. A. Wetter, Proprietor.
Book Bindery-Bowen & Kingsbury.
Hardware-Geo. E. Hawley, Wynn & Buckwalter, E. E. Richey, Shroeder & Bates, J. C. Morman, Orth & Huber.
Furniture-J. R. Sanborn & Son.
Agricultural Implements -- Gardner Bros., Wynn & Buckwalter, Wilcox & Williams, J. L. Foskett.
Gunsmiths-Geo. Wagner, H. B. White.
Lirery -- Louis H. Eliot, Peter Steffen, Wm. M. Powers.
Millinery -- C. A. Lyons & Co., E. J. Coggins, Mrs. E. J. Morrow.
Hair Dresser-Mrs. Pray.
Photographers -- S. J. Morrow; De Long & Son.
Saloons-Geo. Brown, J. F. Evans, John Larton, Albert Zemlicka, Jacob Branch. Lev. Biermeyer, Fred. Lerch, M. Demendes, J. H. Balmat, Wallbaum & Becker, Frank Schepperheyn.
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HISTORY OF SOUTHEASTERN DAKOTA.
Harness amd Saddlery-J. M. Fogarty, John Novotney, D. B. Cooley.
Confectionery, Etc-H. A. Schoregge & Son, Walter H. Carr, H. W. Pike, Jenkinson Bros.
Books and Stationery-Postoffice News Company, A. W. Howard, proprietor; Mills & Purdy.
Hotels-Jencks Hotel, Jencks & Son; Merchants Hotel; Smithsonian, II. H. Smith; Germania House, Wallbaum & Baker; Bradley Ilouse, J. C. Curtis; Central Hotel, John Jacobs; Madison House, Fred Kincie; Eagle House, Au- gustus Kountz; Minnesota Hotel, Joseph Bolder; American House, N. Morgan; Pacific Hotel, George Wagner; Chicago House, Charles Brotherson; Farmers' Home, Leo Beermeyer; Custer House, Chas. Long; Skandinavisk Hotel, Ole Cook.
Steamboat Lines-Coulson Line, S. B. Coulson, Manager; J. C. McVay, Secretary and Treasurer. Peck Line, A. C. Aiker, Manager.
Wagon Making and Blacksmithing-Tyler & Nissen. Carr & Sanderson.
Painting-Semple & Munroe, William Tobin, John Bramsen.
Architects-John Thornton, A. E. Cobby, W. L. Daw.
Lumber-E. P. Wilcox, St. Croix Lumber Co .; Michigan and Chicago Lum- ber Co .- J. D. Hoskin, Proprietor.
Foundry-J. J. Campbell, Martin I. Anderson.
Jewelers-H. G. Cark, J. P. Redaelli, John Otto, C. Wedell.
Flouring Mill-Excelsior Mill Company, Bramble, Miner & Co., Proprietors. Mill Furnisher-Samuel Kaucher.
Auctioneer-L. M. Kee.
Butter and Eggs-Smith and Farr.
Music-Mrs. M. M. Sullivan, Mrs. Whitney.
Sewing Machines-F. Hammond, C. A. Lyons & Co., Orth & Huber. Farriers-Stockwell & Buchanan.
THE FLOOD AT YANKTON.
The following facts concerning the great flood at Yankton in the spring of 1881, are taken from the Dakota Herald's series of graphic accounts, which were subsequently printed in pamphlet form:
[Dakota Herald, April 2d.]
For years people have listened to tales of high water in the Mis- souri River, told by Indians and " oldest inhabitants;" listened generally with incredulity, and sometimes with open mockery. Since 1862, the spring breakup has never been attended with any disaster, save in isolated cases, and it is not to be wondered at that the settlers on the bottoms had been lulled into a false sense of se- curity, and regarded the stories handed down in regard to the great inundations of past years as the mere vaporings of chronic exag- gerations. But it has been a terrible awakening; the worst stories of the past have been far surpassed by the horrors of the actual present. For ten days the Missouri River Valley for hundreds of miles has been covered with a seething torrent of water and ice. Whole towns have been absolutely obliterated, many lives have been lost, property incalculable has been swept away, and hundreds of people, but yesterday in comparative affluence, are to-day little else but beggars. It is utterly useless to attempt to describe it as it is, but following will be found a clear, concise and careful state- ment of the facts so far as the Herald has been able 'to collect them. News is as yet painfully wanting, but we trust that the horror of the full revelation will not be any considerably greater than that which now weighs down our people:
THE BREAKUP.
The river at this point, long watched with fear and trembling, at four o'clock, Sunday afternoon, with scarcely a preliminary sign, burst its icy covering, and in a few moments the whole channel was one solid mass of heaving, groaning, grinding cakes of ice. tossed and tumbled into every conceivable shape by the resistless current.
As the ice broke up the river rose with almost incredible rapidity, and in a few moments was nearly bank-full. The steamer West- ern, lying just below the ways, was the first victim of the ice. An immense cake was hurled against her side, near the stern, making
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a hole nearly twenty feet long, through which the water rushed with terrible swiftness, and in spite of the efforts of a large corps of pumpmen, she soon filled and sank. The water began to sub- side about five o'clock and the people breathed easier, thinking that the worst was over However, the upward movement soon com- menced again, and continued all day Monday, the whole bed of the river being constantly filled with moving ice. Monday afternoon word was received that the whole Jim River Bottom below the city was overflowed from bluff to bluff, something never before known. This report was quickly succeeded by another to the effect that many families living in that section were completely cut off from escape and in need of assistance. Tuesday morning several boats were sent out from the city, which succeeded in rescuing several families. Others were left and an account of their fate will be found below.
Many of our citizens, on Tuesday, took occasion to visit the bluffs at Major Hanson's place, and the view there presented was truly grand. not to say terrible. As far as the eye could reach was an unbroken volume of water, moving steadily along, bearing on its bosom huge cakes of ice, and dotted here and there by half-sub- merged farm-houses, whose inmates had fled to the hills for safety. Where the mighty current swept across the railroad track the rails were twisted and dragged long distances by the ice, while telegraph poles, fence posts and small trees were snapped in two like tallow candles. Cattle and horses were floundering and struggling in the flood, every cake of ice was freighted with a passenger list of small animals, while here and there a small skiff, manned with rescu- ers from Yankton, paddled about from house to house, seeking after straggling persons who had been caught by the water. It was a spectacle long to be remembered, and one that a man might well pray to never behold again.
THE GORGE.
Tuesday evening at five o'clock the ice which had been sweep- ing by the city all day, suddenly formed a gorge a few miles below the city, which held firm all night, meanwhile extending itself far up the river toward Springfield. A deathly stillness hung over the bosom of the river as if in omen of the awful burst of seeming rage that was to follow. Men watched with anxious eyes, fearing the worst. Suddenly, Wednesday morning at 11:30 o'clock a shudder ran through the vast body of the gorge, where great hillocks of
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THE FLOOD AT YANKTON.
ice were piled in solid layers rods high. The waters gave a mighty roar like some blood-thirsty giant awaking from troubled sleep, and with a sudden jerk the whole tremendous mass began to rear, and crash, and tumble. as if it knew of its awful power for destruction and was giving way to pranks of diabolical glee. As the millions upon millions of tons of icy matter moved off down the river, the water began to creep up the banks.
Up, up it came, faster and faster, until it could fairly be seen to crawl up the ascent. Huge cakes of ice went hurtling against the sides of the steamers along the ways, crushing great holes in their hulls, snapping immense hawsers, and precipitating the Black Hills, Helena and Butte into one common jumble. Still it rose, poured over the railroad track, hurling the little ferry boat, Livingston, clear across it, and even carrying the gigantic Nellie Peck and Peninah far up on the bank. It now appeared to rest a moment, and then with a resistless force and a mighty swell, on it came again. From the bottling works, down along the river front to where the water had come out the day before, the torrent poured into the lower part of the city, actually seeming to have a fall of from six inches to a foot directly out of the river. Then ensued a scene that our pencil is inadequate to describe. People ran hither and thither in wild excitement. Household goods were hastily thrown into wagons and removed to places of safety. Shouting, swearing men. weeping women and children, pawing, frightened horses. all combined with the roaring, rushing waves to form a pic- ture to delight the heart of the monarch of Pandemonium. As the waters rose higher and higher, skiffs, yawls and other small craft, began to shoot through the streetsi n lien of the vehicles. Furniture, clothing and babies were handed out of the windows and ferried to high ground. Out-houses and movable truck danced around on the surface. . Hogs and chickens squealed and squawked and swam an l flew to places of safety. The first to move to what they consid- ered safe ground were chased by the exultant waves and forced to again "move on." All through the lower part of the city-every- where in fact below the bench-roared an angry, surging torrent of yellow water, from one to six feet in depth, literally covered with the debris incident to a great fload. all banging, smashing and rolling about in one common medley. Looking south and east it was a solid river twenty miles wide. rolling, a very besom of de- struction, cutting a swath of havoc and ruin which cannot be com-
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HISTORY OF SOUTHEASTERN DAKOTA.
puted. Down the channel of the river swept hay-stacks, water- tanks. live animals and the fragments of fences, houses, &c., which had been swept from God knows where up the river. Far over on the Nebraska bottoms could be seen clusters of cattle on every knoll and as the water rose inch by inch, and the ice swept over and crush- ed them between its ponderons fragments, the struggles of the poor animals could be plainly seen. Great trees struck by the jagged chunks, whipped and shook as though jarred by a heavy wind, and finally would be eut clean off and tumbled into the seething hell of waters which roared about them. Here and there appeared the roof of a house, and alas ! in too many instances, that roof held human beings, clinging to it in a desperate effort to save themselves from a watery grave. Women, and strong men, too, turned away from the awful sight, and refused to look upon it. No man ever wants to see the like again.
THE DESTRUCTION OF GREEN ISLAND.
It had been apprehended for weeks past that Green Island, just across the river from Yankton, would suffer in case of high water, and many of the inhabitants had made preparations for it by re- moving their household goods and stock to high ground. But nobody was prepared for the awful catastrophe which came on Wednesday. and in a few hours swept from existence a busy little town of 150 people, together it is feared with several of its resi- dents. On Tuesday, it was apparent from this shore that the town was entirely surrounded by water, and the few people left in it could be seen busily engaged in removing stock to a high knoll just back of the village, there being some determined spirits who were evidently resolved to stay till the last. Attempts were made to communicate with them, but unavailingly. When the gorge broke on Wednesday, those who were watching Green Island soon discovered that the ice was being forced around in the rear of the town from above, and it was not long until it was encompassed on every side by strong and wide currents, across which no living thing could attempt a passage without certain death staring them in the face. A thrill of horror ran through the spectators on this shore, and from that time until the final collapse, every eye was rivited as if by an awful fascination upon the doomed village. Higher and higher crept the environing torrents, and nearer and nearer swept the horrible masses of ice. At last it could be seen
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by aid of glasses that the water covered the entire town. Borne on the hissing, gurgling breakers, the ice commeneed to thunder through the streets and against the houses. The madden el strug- gles of the cattle and horses as they floundered about in the icy bil- lows could be plainly witnessed, but they were soon swept away. The water rose until it appeared as if little but the upper sto- ries of the buildings was unsubmerged, and at last the village church, a handsome structure with a tall spire, unable to longer withstand the ponderous blows of the huge floes, was seen to leave its foundations, turn half way round, and then float gracefully off with the current. Its course was destinetly visible until the top of its spire disappeared behind a strip of timber about a mile from the town, where it went to pieces. Shortly after another building floated away, and then followed in quick succession five or six others, including the large hotel and school house. On the roofs of several, persons could be distinguished. but as the buildings were caught in the maelstrom of ice and water and twisted and tum- bled about, the tenants were seen one by one to lose their hold and drop into the waves until not one remained. No words can de- ยท seribe the horror of that terrible sight, as witnessed by thousands of awe-filled eyes fron Yankton's house-tops. In two hours from the time the first mass of ice crashed into the village, not a house was left standing, save one store, which being protected by large trees, and lined with brick, still stands, though battered and erush- ed into a shapeless hovel. The mind of the most imaginative writer of fiction that ever lived never pictured a destruction more swift, more complete, or more dreadful.
The foregoing is a brief and imperfeet description of the floods of Wednesday, as they appeared from this point.
THE STEAMBOATS.
The damage done to steamboats on all the lines with head- quarters at Yankton is almost incalculable. Every boat at or in the vicinity of Yankton is damaged terribly. The Western is en- tirely gone-torn into kindling wood. The Butte is broken square in two in the middle, and is considered a total loss. The Helena is twisted like an auger, and jammed full of holes. It is doubtful whether she can be made serviceable again this season. The Black Hills, of the three boats on the ways, is the least damaged, but even she is badly racked and crushed. The Peninah and Nellie Peck were driven high and dry on the bank, where they now lie
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in a badly shattered condition. The Yankton ferry-boat. Living- stone was driven clear across the railroad track. where she now lies. It will require an enormous expenditure to get all of these boats repaired and into the channel again. Old steamboat- men say that in all their experience on the river, they have never known so disastrous a series of losses.
The people of Yankton never exhibited themselves in a better light than during the terrible experiences of the past week. Every one, so far as our knowledge extends, has exerted himself to re- lieve the sufferings of the inundated population, and on Wednes- day night every house in the upper portion of the city was placed at the disposal of the people fleeing from the waters. Food. cloth- ing and fire were furnished for all, and we believe that there were no cases of actual physical suffering.
It was a weird and picturesque scene that was presented on the river front Thursday morning, and one might imagine that he was gazing at one of the imaginary pictures drawn by Jules Verne in his "Field of Ice." The cold wind had frozen the gigantic piles of ice which had gorged on the shore the day previous, solid, and a thousand fastastic shapes and pinnacles were presented. The great boats were sheathed in an icy armour, and the strange manner in which they were strewn about, added to the novelty of the sight. The oldest inhabitant even was silent, and privately acknowledged that he had never seen anything to equal it.
[The Dakota Herald, April 9th. ] THE GREAT GORGE.
Terrible as was the inundation described in last week's Herald, it pales before the horrors of the one which has deluged the face of the earth, for four hundred miles up and down the Missouri River during the past week. While more actual loss of life and property may have resulted from the terrible suddenness of the first onslaught of the turbid tide, in the heighth reached by the water and in the awful body of ice born on its current the second and latest rise completely overshadows the former. The spectacle as furnished the sight-seers from Sunday evening until Wednes- day morning was one constant panorama of continually changing scenes of interest, all blended into a phantasmagoria of awful sub-
ICHhaltau
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limity and grandeur by the knowledge of the tremendous destruc- tion of property and life that all felt must be taking place, when- ever such life and property were located on the valley lands drained by the monstrous and merciless river. Briefly described, the man- ner of the coming of the last rise was as follows: As stated last week, after the great rise of Wednesday the 30th ult., which in- undated lower Yankton and the Jim River bottoms, and swept the town of Green Island out of existence in a few hours, the river fell rapidly back into its banks. Thursday, Friday and Saturday, it remained with but little change, although constantly filled with floating ice, sometimes in greater quantities than others. On Sun- day morning, however, it commenced to rise rapidly, owing to the gathering of the ice a few miles below the city. The water con- tinned to come steadily up all day, the gorge meanwhile extending itself up the river with amazing swiftness. Towards evening peo- ple living in the lower part of the city, who had moved back after the falling of the first rise, again began to move out, and that their fears were well grounded, was proven on Monday morning, when the waters again covered all that portion of the city below the bench. All day Monday the gorge held firm, with the excep- tion of intervals for a moment or two, when it would groan and heave and move a few rods down the stream, only to become sta- tionary again. The water rose steadily all the time, and the press- ure brought to bear on the gorge must have been incalculable. When the tremendous mass would move down the river, on one of its semi-occasional jerks, great masses of ice weighing many tons, would be forced high in the air and borne along until finally they would be overridden by a piece yet larger than themselves and again forced under. The large trees, a foot or more in diameter, which stood on the side of the bank on the point just above the city, were submerged by the rising torrent and finally cut smooth off and dragged under as if in the tentacles of one of the mighty devil fishes described by Hugo. The whole Green Island bottom opposite the city was again being ground beneath the mighty mill- stones of ice, heaving and rolling about as if seeking fresh prey on that devastated spot. This was the only place where the ice moved continually on Monday. The gorge continued all night Monday and all day Tuesday, with but little change of its features. All this time the streets were literally alive with people. At last, on Tuesday evening at + o'clock the mighty wall of ice suddenly
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gathered itself for a last assault, and then with a resounding roar gave way and went tumbling down in one mighty avalanche of de- struction, awful to gaze upon and grand beyond description in its resistless progress. The water fairly leaped up, and in a few mo- ments had reached its highest altitude since the beginning of the flood-41 feet above low water mark. Below town the current swept straight out across the bottom, the gorge having not yet broken five miles below the city. The same scenes were enacted as on the Wednesday previous. The water rushed through the lower part of the city like a mill-race. Solid cakes of clear, blue ice, three feet thick and of vast circumference, were carried along with amazing swiftness. All that saved the entire lower part of the city from destruction, was the fact that the huge bank of ice formed on this side during the first gorge, and left there by the receding waters, held firm and prevented the immense body of ice in the channel from rushing Yanktonwards. As it was, the lower Goverment warehouse was entirely destroyed, the small one just below the ways, ditto, while the middle one is but little better than a total loss. E. P. Wilcox's mammoth stock of lumber was en- tirely lost with the exception of a small quantity in the sheds on the west side, which stood the flood. A huge floe struck the cor- ner of Tom Stewart's house, literally tearing the entire end out of it. Nearly every house in the district bounded by Capitol street on the west, and Third street on the north, is scarred and battered, and many of them damaged considerably. Many small barns and sheds were carried off bodily.
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