History: History of Doon 1868-1992; Lyon County, Iowa ****************************************************** USGENWEB ARCHIVES PROJECT NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ ****************************************************** The USGenWeb Archives provide genealogical and historical data to the general public without fee or charge of any kind. It is intended that this material not be used in a commercial manner. All submissions become part of the permanent collection. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Roseanna Zehner December, 2002 ______________________________________________________ NOTE: For more information on Lyon County, Iowa Please visit the Lyon County, IAGenWeb page at http://iagenweb.org/lyon/ ______________________________________________________ INDEX of files The Legend of Maple Grove Doon Federated Women's Club Post Office in 1871 Memories of Doon in the 1930's Other Memories Rich Ricke--Doon's Music Man Chautaqua Fire was the Cry Doon Diamond Days The Old Swimmin' Hole Press Editor of 1872 tells of Prairie trip to Beloit Indians Here Ralph Novelist Frederick F. Manfred Crooks in Early Day County Seat White Man Felled by Indian's Arrow C. Ross and "The Big Store" -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Legend of Maple Grove Written by Diane De Wit When settlers came to Garfield township in the 1880's they were welcomed by flowing waves of bluegrass sprinkled with wild flowers and the perfume of red clover. But as the land passed from the state of Iowa to the Des Moines River Valley Railroad and on to hearty settlers, the prairie grass, tall as a horse, was soon broken by wood framed houses and new barns. Trees were scarce. Saplings clustered along the Rock River and its lazy tributaries, which ran like fingers through the virgin grassland. Homesteaders needed to bring in timber from as far as Sioux City in order to build their houses. Most planted a good stand of trees as protection from relentless northwest winds. Michael P. Fox came to Garfield Township in 1888 and purchased a quarter section of undeveloped land for twelve dollars an acre. In 1890 he put up a wood frame house and protected it with a five-acre grove of young maple trees. Fox, an Irishman from Dubuque County, Iowa, married a Kansas girl in 1895, and worked hard to make his farm one of the most fertile and valuable in Garfield Township. He rented an additional 160 acres and began to raise cattle, hogs, chickens and a few Perchon horses. Across the road from the Foxs' maple-grove, stood the neighborhood schoolhouse. All the Fox children, Paul, Regina, Homer 'Pinkie', Ross and Francis, attended there. In the early 1900's the school was the center of social activities. Garfield Township was proud of their nine public schools, and the Fox school, or Maple Grove School, as it was sometimes called, was no exception. Many of its social events were held across the road in the Fox's maple-grove. As the years went by and Mike Fox's grove matured, it became a popular place for picnics and outings. It was a natural choice for the schools special occasions, especially graduation. Graduations were an all day event back in 1911. At 10 o'clock a.m. the graduates with their families and friends, marched to Maple Grove for its third annual graduation ceremonies and program. Before the honored five took their places, on a gaily decorated stage, they entertained the guests. Alvina and Emma Bruening sang "Summers Time," Royce Weatherly did a declamation called 'Graduation,' Rachel Lawrence gave the class history. Then the class, who had chosen for their motto 'Ever Forward', and their colors as Nile green and pink, received their diplomas from the President of the Board of Education, Michael Fox. After the graduates gave a yell of triumph they listened to the address given by Superintendent, A.M. De Yoe, the State Superintendent of public instruction. De Yoe urged Garfield residents to upgrade their schools and provide the same quality of education as their city counterparts. He also attacked the habits of some teachers of driving to school, arriving late and dismissing early for the purpose of spending more time at home. After this rousing speech the high school girls did a patriotic drill and everyone was dismissed for a meal, and baseball games. The Doon Band furnished music all day. Garfield Township was also known for their annual picnics. Many of these were also held in Maple Grove. The day was well planned with both educational and recreational events. In 1915, Kate Logan came all the way from Iowa State University to speak at the Garfield picnic. Despite the fact that Miss Logan suffered from a severe cold, she managed to speak for one and one-half hour on the necessity of improving rural schools. She also managed to stress the importance of teaching girls how to cook and clean a house. There was always a variety of music on picnic day. School children sang favorites like 'We Throw a Kiss to Papa.' Others performed recitations, even parasol drills. The Doon Orchestra, Doon Cornet Band, the Garfield Glee Club was also on hand to perform. There always was lots of food, and local ladies brought their best dishes in covered baskets. After the meal, children anticipated organized games under the shady maple trees. Tag, sack races, tug of wars, potato races and foot races were popular. There was always a prize for the winners. No picnic was complete without a ball game, which was scheduled against a neighboring town. Victory was always sweet, especially in 1915 when Garfield beat Rock Valley 10 to 2. Plays often ended the day's activities. For fifteen or twenty five cents, Garfield neighbors and friends saw productions like 'Mrs. Briggs of the Poultry Yard' or 'Milkmaid's Convention'. Sometimes actors were members of the Agricultural Club or W.C.T.U. of Doon and Garfield area. The productions were held in a large brown tent, which by 1916, featured electric lights. The proceeds (as much as $48.50 in 1915), went to benefit the City of Doon, and to purchase seats for next years baseball fans. "We do things out in Garfield," the residents boasted. Those were memorable times out in Fox's Maple Grove. Picnic day meant leaving the more strenuous care of life behind and spending a carefree day with neighbors and friends. Life was too short to miss the fun under the shade of the maple trees. One century later, most of Maple Grove is gone. For reasons lost in history, the maples were removed and tilled fields took their places. Only seven trees remain. They are large and sprawling. Most are scarred with broken limbs and fallen branches. The wind rustles through their majestic branches on warm summer days. One can almost hear the sounds of laughter, school children playing tag and the crack of a bat drifting through the trees. Seven maples, are all that's left, to give testimony to the legend of Maple Grove. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Doon Federated Women's Club by Dee Keegan On November 6, 1929, sixteen civic-minded Doon women met to discuss the formation of a Federated Women's Club. The decision was made to organize, and the following officers were elected—President, Mrs. Chris Nelson; Vice President, Mrs. Herman Bunge; Recording Secretary, Mrs. George Keith; Corresponding Secretary, Mrs. John Hooven, and Treasurer, Mrs. James Suddaby. According to the constitution drafted by the group in 1929, the objective of the club would be ‘to study the needs of the community and to support such projects as will further its interests in beautifying our city, and in its upliftment, culturally and morally. On May 17, 1930, the club was able to open the Doon Public Library with 584 donated books. One year later the industrious group obtained a quit claim to some vacant lots in Doon, and with the help of the town council the present town park came into being. Throughout the years the ladies held fundraisers, which they used for trees, shrubs and flowers. Many organizations have come and gone since Doon's incorporation, but the Doon Women's Club, now in its sixty-third year in Doon, remains as strong as ever. The library and park continue to be projects. The club was also instrumental in getting the former Town Hall built and its kitchen equipped, as well as the tennis court and skating rink. Popular annual projects include story hour at the library, the May Breakfast for area ladies, and the Christmas lighting contest. Club members were active during the Diamond Jubilee celebration in 1967, particularly in the writing and directing of the pageant, and are doing the same in 1992 for the Centennial celebration. The club has eighteen members and the 1990-1992 officers are—President, Carline Schroeder; Vice President, Carol Hoppe; Secretary, Dee Keegan, and treasurer, Grace Surma. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post Office in 1871 Thanks to the national archives, accurate information is available on Dixon's postal history. The first post office was located in the very NW corner of Section 36 of Doon Township. This is the site east across the road from the town dump, where the farmhouse of Frank Vanden Brink now sets. It was Henry D. Rice (Doon's father), who filed for a post office here on April 20, 1871. At this time Doon was not a village and could claim no number of residents. The nearest post office was Irene, Iowa, located in Section 34 of Sioux Township, Sioux County (located 3 miles west and 2 miles south of what is now Rock Valley.) On July 4, 1871, postal service was started here. The original post office remained on the site until 1879 when it was moved to the present site of Doon's main street. (The beginning of Doon was in the south part of town.) The roll of postmaster (in order) were, Henry Rice; Elisha Hogue; Milton Jeffries; Sarah Rice; James Hone (Howe); Frank Ferris; Miss Mary Kitterman; Geo. Luff; Lewis Vanderwerker; Dana Case; George W. Bowers; John Case; Wm. Kaufman; John Umstattd; Jacob Eilers; Charles F. Fitzgerald; Martin D. Swenning; Ralph Ray; A. C. Ross; T.J. Rothweller; W.L. Lehman; Doris Anderson. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Memories of Doon in the 1930's Written by Howard Lawrence Although Doon was a very small town (population 567) in the late 1930's it never the less played an important part in our lives. The following are some of the main things that stand out in my memory as I look back on those days; First of all that old two-story wooden frame schoolhouse that stood across the street from the Anderson residence. Bud and I enrolled in the high school as respectively ninth and tenth graders. The high school classrooms were upstairs and the grade school downstairs. Mr. Fred Griner was principal and maintained good discipline despite his small stature. Other teachers were, Bill Myers, coach and history teacher, Miss Tatum, who taught music. Mr. Griner taught math and physics in addition to his administrative duties. The study hall on the south end also served as a classroom and assembly. Since enrollment in the high school was very small almost everyone was involved in the activities. Bud and I sang in a mixed quartet with Margaret Scholten and Ethelene Bennett, were in the school plays, played on the basketball and six man football team. Others on the six-man football team were; Charles Iwen, Spec Anderson, "Hank" Levering, and Lawrence DeBondt. Although we were usually on the short end of the score we all enjoyed participating in both sports. I remember Alvord was always tough in basketball and a good team could put a town on the map. I'll never forget that one year in the late 30's the Diagonal (population 500) basketball team won the state tournament against much larger high schools and instantly became famous. The town hall situated where the firehouse is now was a beehive of activity. Basketball games-school plays ("Here Comes Charley") American Legion dances, basket socials and talent shows all took place in this cracker-box of a building. Basketball was a real adventure in this hall because there was almost no room along the sidelines for in bounding the ball, there was a stove in the corner, which had to be avoided, and the ceiling was quite low so you had to shoot low-arched shots. When we went to Rock Rapids to play in county tournaments their floor seemed like a huge amphitheatre. In one talent show I remember Bud played a trombone solo-Lawrence DeBondt sang "Boo Hoo" and I nervously played a trumpet solo. The music for the dances was often provided by "Rich Ricke and His Cornshellers" of which Bud and I were members-and a good time was had by all. Saturday night in Doon-what memories that brings to mind! This was the opportunity for farmers and their families to unwind from a hard week's work. The young bucks roamed the sidewalks eyeing the girls and often gathered at the pool hall for a game of "Snooker" or "Crazy Eight." Another favorite spot was the Corner Restaurant operated by Wally Fie and his wife. They always struck me as being quite debonair and were quite popular with the kids. The Hollanders got their kicks out of circling the block in their Model A Fords and generally making a nuisance of themselves and sometimes the town marshal had to assert what little authority he had to try to quiet things down. Some people would gather around the band stand in the park to hear the weekly concert by the Doon band-Bud Dewey, Speck Anderson, Joyce (Ray) Lawrence, myself and some others played in the band. One favorite of the audience was "Sliding Sam" featuring the trombones. A store that was quite interesting to me was Ross' General Store on the corner where the bank now stands. It had everything in it from dry goods to rock candy, a typical old-fashioned general store. It was kind of fun to just wander around and look at things. We certainly didn't have much money to buy anything. The Congregational Church was a very important part of our life in those days. On Sundays it certainly saw a lot of activity. We attended church service regularly. Went to Sunday School class, sang in the choir and in the evening attended the Pilgrim Fellowship meetings where we had a religion-oriented meeting followed by games like "Post Office", "Spin the Bottle" and "Musical Chairs." Talk about fun! Well, anyway it was a good place for boys and girls to meet and many a romance developed there. The church was much more of a drawing card for young people then because it didn't have to compete with TV and all the other distractions of today. I remember Memorial Day as it was observed then in Doon. Veterans of WWI, including my dad, dressed up in their uniforms and paraded up Main Street toting their rifles and marching more or less in step. Some of them were good enough with a rifle to perform a complicated drill and of course they honored the dead with a volley of three shots, fired almost in unison. I'll never forget "Slim" Lehman delivering mail in his model A Ford. He prided himself on always getting through with the mail no matter how deep the snow along his RFD route, which included our farm. His Ford had good clearance, which kept his car from getting hung up. My high school graduation ceremony took place in the Christian Reformed Church at the south end of town. It was not a very stupendous affair as there were only ten in the graduation class. They were; Henry Levering, Margarite Scholten, Ethelene Bennett, Warren (Speck) Anderson, Henry Stalinga, Mildred Witt, Marie Kolthoff, Charles Iwen and Peter Van Den Oever. The Dutch showed their good will and willingness to cooperate in letting us use their church for this occasion. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- OTHER MEMORIES Kersbergens (or was it Roy Ricke's) garage where the guys would sometimes gather to engage in a little boxing. Floyd Niehaus was always trying to get us to "put up your dukes." The Drier boys, Lloyd and Harold; Harold was a quiet and likeable guy and had a good build. Lloyd often put on an air of courtesy and when asked a question would often try to buy some time by asking, "Beg Pardon?" The sand pit south of Doon served as the swimming pool for many. It was quite deep in places and you had to be careful not to get a cramp in the cool water. The Rohweller place at the East end of Main Street. While our parents visited (Don, Gordon, Carroll and Charlotte) we kids played "Run Sheep Run" and other games. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rich Ricke, Doon's Music Man Written by Galen Lawrence Rich Ricke, self-taught musician, was born in Williams, Iowa in the year 1901 and ended his musical career at the age of 64 years. He lived to the age of 68 and contributed to Doon's Diamond Jubilee celebration in 1967. Rich was both a performing artist and composer. His early years were involved with dance band engagements and he was both pianist and promoter for the early group called "The Korn Kings." My brother Howard Lawrence and myself played with Rich in his engagements in the 1930's. The pay was very meager but the fun of playing made up for the poor wages. Before the 30's Rich played with other groups and was a contemporary of Lawrence Welk, who played in many of the same old halls in which Rich entertained. One of Rich's favorite antics was to play most of the musical number without ever looking at the piano or music. In later years Maestro Ricke turned to composing and wrote songs by the dozens. Some of the more famous ones were, "You Tickle Me Pink," (which was a number performed by Ike and Dorothy Smook in the 75th jubilee), "Legionaires on Parade," and "Universal Draft." He also wrote music for the Congregational Church choir and his numbers were occasionally performed. Rich was a daily visitor down and around town. His usual greeting was a brief "Yousah" and when visiting he often would open the door first and then knock. He made daily visits to the coffee shop and always poured his coffee into the saucer and when properly cooled would drink it with a noticeable "slurp." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Chautaqua Written by Diane De Wit Cultural events in Doon between 1910 and 1916 centered around the Chautaqua. Chautaqua, an old Indian word, was an educational and recreational event, which lasted several days. Doon offered the finest. Hundreds of visitors came from miles around to hear stimulating lectures and see celebrated musicians and actors perform. The programs, which lasted most of a week, prompted a spirit of celebration. The midsummer Chautaqua demanded preparation. Local merchants encouraged their patrons to purchase new clothing. The Bonnie Doon Hotel offered comfortable accomodations to out-of-town guests. Banners were made, streamers hung. Pennants and flags were displayed to urge everyone to participate in the festivities. Advertisements cited the advantages of Chautaqua. The entertainers were guaranteed to be clean and wholesome. No suggestive utterances or immoral jests would be made. The influence, the ads boasted, were all in the right direction. With the promises of inspiration and quality entertainment, many flocked to see the shows. For $2.00 the cost of four bushes of corn, patrons could enjoy all ten assemblies. Audiences were charmed by singing orchestras, and gifted violinists. Inspirational speakers from Denver and Omaha spoke eloquently on topics like "Society's Share in Crime." There were impersonators and novelty shows from as far away as New York and London. At a 1913 show, a native of India gave an oral travelogue about the "pagoda land." Chautaqua promoters promised to help audiences enjoy life as well as make them wiser and happier. In the early 1900's it was a way for Doon farmers and merchants to sample big-city extravaganzas on their own main street. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------ FIRE WAS THE CRY! A windy dry day in the thirties when fire threatened the whole town. Nature and mechanical failure conspired Wednesday, May 16, 1934 to produce a disastrous Doon fire. The definite cause of the blaze was unknown but speculation fixed the blame on a faulty belt slipping on its drive pulley. The resulting friction produced sparks which ignited the surrounding dust particles. Six fire companies were called to the scene from Rock Rapids, Sioux Center, and Hull, Rock Valley, Alvord and Inwood. They assisted the Doon firemen in containing the fire. This was a heroic effort considering there was an extremely strong southwesterly wind. It was blowing the flames and embers directly toward the part of Doon from its origin in the Farmer's Elevator Company. Besides the elevator, which was a total loss, many other homes and businesses were damaged or destroyed. Among these were Schoeneman Brothers Coal and Cement Sheds, the old livery barn owned by First National Bank, tools and truck belonging to Aardema Brothers, OK Cafe building, the Doon Auto Company Annex, Penning and Scholten Insurance and Real Estate Office, and the roofs of Henry Ver Maas home, Woodman Hall, and C.F. Krueger garage. For a while it was feared that the whole town might go and school was dismissed accordingly. As in the case of many a crisis the citizens of Doon and neighboring towns rose to the occasion and a more tragic disaster was avoided. Few injuries were reported resulting from the hectic day and Marshall Harm Kolthoff stayed at his post at the city well to make sure of the water supply. The American Legion members and the Doon Firemen kept vigil through the following night to prevent the start of any new fires. At appropriate times lunch was served by members of the Mayflower Guild of the Congregational Church. Doon could be proud of its citizens and thankful of its helpful neighbors and its fine city well. In the weeks following most of the victims who had property losses announced their plans to rebuild. However, Mr. Albert Hauk, the former owner, reversed his decision about rebuilding the Doon Elevator and moved to a farm he purchased near Correctionville, Iowa. This left the way clear for some interested outside party and by December of the same year Quaker Oats Company had moved the St. Paul and Omaha (J.H. Peavy) Elevator to the burned out site. T.W. Young built the elevator in 1879, when Doon became the southern terminal of the new railroad. Power for the moving operation was furnished by a team of mules. The elevator at Lakewood was torn down and the lumber used to help rebuild the old elevator. Doon had survived another trying ordeal with few permanent scars and although struggling, managed to stay on its feet. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- DOON DIAMOND DAYS by Dee Keegan 1967 was the year the town of Doon was officially seventy-five years old. A central committee selected Eugene Schroeder, Mayor of Doon, to serve as chairman of the two-day celebration of this event, to be held July 27-28, to be known as "Doon Diamond Days." One of the earliest goals of the central committee was to involve as many area people as possible in this celebration to further the bond of community togetherness. Committees were organized and regular meetings were held at the old town hall on the main street of Doon. On January 19 a kick-off banquet was held in Doon school gym. Nearly 900 persons were served a catered turkey dinner, with adult tickets costing $1.75. Area ladies attended in Jubilee attire and about 50 of the men present were already sporting a 19-day-old beard. Popular features in the Doon Press during the jubilee year included the "Brothers of the Brush" photos of Doon's bearded gents and "Doon's Darling Damsels" in their long dresses and sunbonnets. By March 1 beard growing was mandatory, unless a $5.00 shaving permit was purchased. The promotion committee sold jubilee buttons, pins, bumper stickers, men's vests, bow ties, derbies and ornate ladies' brooches. The Doon Press kept readers abreast of committee proc4eedings with a weekly column entitled, "Jubilee Fever." Doon's resident composer, Rich Ricke, was at work early in the year, composing an original song for the celebration. Joyce Lawrence and Carine Schroeder spent some seven months researching and writing a pageant, subsequently titled, "Ah, I Remeber It Well." The bulk of the background material was obtained from old Press files. Old council proceedings were reviewed and numerous interviews with old-timers and former residents were held. Many fund-raisers were held during the year, with all profits direct4d to the Jubilee fund. There were soup suppers, pancake breakfasts, alumni basketball games and bake sales. A 'hit' appearing at many of the fundraisers was the newly formed Doon Barbershop Octet, featuring Ted Stientjes, Dick Keizer, Galen Lawrence, W.C. 'Speck' Anderson, Louis Kopsas, Buzz Haas, Bill Niemeyer and Ivan Krull, with Audrey Cuperus as pianist. Some activities were just for fun-no business and no fund raising. These included a community potluck picnic in June, with everyone urged to come in jubilee duds, and a rip-roaring Saturday night 'piano bust-up' featuring a team of area farmers pitted against the local businessmen. Galen Lawrence and Harold Aardema wrote and compiled a sixty page history of Doon, entitled "Through the Years with Bonnie Doon" which sold for $1.00. The historical pageant was presented to sell-out crowds on four nights. An estimated 10,000 people were present for the two evening parades. Approximately $6500 profit was derived from all sources connected with the jubilee. It was decided that all funds from the Doon Diamond Days be transferred to the Doon Civic Improvement Corporation to be used toward the construction of a new community hall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Old Swimmin' Hole By Galen Lawrence Doon never really had the financial means or population to justify building a municipal swimming pool. The two Rock Rivers and Mud Creek didn't help the problem much as they were too muddy or uninviting most of the time. In the thirties and forties, though, Doon's young and old had a special place called the swimmin' pit. It was located south of Doon just inside the Sioux County line. It was probably dredged in the days when Doon supplied sand and gravel to a large area. Day or night you would find someone enjoying its cool waters. Maybe a skinny dipper or two or some tired farm hands cooling off after a hot day in the harvest sun. But mostly it was the kids transported by their faithful and watchful mothers who enjoyed nature's gift to the water lovers. I remember my mother-in-law Alice Ray taking their Buick with kids inside and out and in the rumble seat, heading for the pit on a hot summer's day. There were several near drownings as the pit was quite deep and very cold just below the surface, but the good times far outweighed any scary moments. Its usefulness as a swimming pool diminished in later years and it now a source of irrigation water for a nearby farm. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Press Editor of 1872 tells of Prairie Trip to Beloit It was a late September day in the year 1872 that the editor of the Doon Press made an over the prairie visit to the village of Beloit. These were the earliest years of Lyon County history. The county had only been established four years earlier. Population was sparce. The village of Doon had only two dwellings and one home. Pioneer farmers were few and far between. Editor H.R. Coleman gives this account of his visit and the experience of crossing the trackless prairie. It is taken from the second issue of the Press, dated September 27, 1872. Last week we paid a short visit to this prosperous and interesting little burg, now the largest and best town in Lyon County. Beloit is situated on a fine, level tract of land in the Southwest corner of the county. The Big Sioux river here, winds away to the west from the bluffs that extend across the west end of the County and forms as a beautiful valley, containing about 1,800 acres, as one will see anywhere in the Northwest. The town is laid out on the banks of the river and runs back about half way across the valley and is near the center north and south. The bluffs, to the east, rises rather precipitately to the height of about 100 feet but not so abruptly that a team might be driven up them most anywhere. In the direction of Canton the surface of the country rises to high, rolling prairie, that is, it does not seem at all bluffy as it does to the south and east. We regard the location of Beloit as among the finest situation for a town that we ever saw. At present, there is one flouring mill, a sawmill, one blacksmith shop, an agricultural implement warehouse, one good business block, one hardware store, and several residences at Beloit. The mill is a fine frame structure two stories and a half high, and is 34x44 on the ground; it is new and has only been in operation about eight months. It has three run of stone, and all the requisite machinery and fixtures of a complete and first class mill, and its capacity for grinding is over 300 bushels of grain per day. The mill is managed by a competent miller and turns out flour that gives a good satisfaction as any mill in the State. The sawmill is a rough frame structure on the north side of the flouring mill and is now kept in operation but little of the time. The motive power of two mills is derived from five turbine water wheels. The milldam is constructed of logs and brush and high enough to give eleven feet of "head." This mill property is owned by Mr. J.A. Carpenter, and is valued at $16,000. The principal store in the place is the "Pioneer Store," which was established by Messrs, Goetz and Thorson in April 1871. These gentlemen have gradually worked up a good trade and are now doing a good business. They keep an excellent stock of dry goods, groceries and provisions, constantly on hand, which they are selling at very low prices. These gentlemen have their respective offices of County Auditor and County Recorder in the back part of the store room, where they keep the various book of the County belonging to their offices, and which require their attention a considerable portion of the time. They also transact a general real estate business, and are agents for the Cunard and Inman lines of ocean streamers. Mr. H.T. Helgerson has just completed two new buildings, one which he uses for his agricultural implement warehouse, and the other is for a dwelling house. During the past season Mr. Helgerson done an excellent business, far beyond his expectations, and is confident that he can increase it the coming season. He is agent for two of the best reapers made, The Buckeye and Kirby, besides various other farm implements. Mr. Bradley has been keeping a general dry good and grocery store in the same building with Goetz and Thorson, but is now closing out his business at Beloit with the intention of moving to Rock Rapids. This will leave a clear field to Goetz and Thorson unless other parties see fit to start up a business in Mr. Bradley's place. The hardware store is kept by Mr. Michael Nelson, who has a fair stock of goods and keeps a good tin shop in connection and makes the tinware that he sells. On our return from Beloit we were so fortunate as to secure a seat with Mr. Gilbert who is doing business for Boge & Co., of Sioux City, in the light open rig that he drives through the country. Leaving Beloit about 10 o'clock we drove out past the farm and homestead of Mr. H.T. Helgerson, which is situated partly in the valley and partly among the bluffs, and but for the commandment "that we shall not covet," or to that effect, we should wish belonged to us instead of him. Passing up one of the deep gullies in which the road lies, for some distance we finally came out on a beautiful tract of high rolling prairie, which continues the whole distance from the time we leave the Big Sioux Bluffs till the time we strike Rock River valley a distance of about sixteen miles. Roads are an intricate puzzle to us, and we made sorry work of piloting Gilbert over to Doon, for we managed to lose the road, by taking a wrong one and traveled a considerable distance out of our way. After making numerous inquiries, we finally got on the County line road one mile west of Mr. A.J. Warren's Sioux and Lyon County farms; which are the best farms that we saw on the route, simply because he has the "stamps" to put improvements through as fast needed. Leaving the County line road at Warren's we struck across the prairie to the North until we came to the direct road that leads to the forks of the Rock, which we followed up directly east for about six miles, when we came to the top of a high ridge that gave us a fine view of Rock River valley; which as a prairie scene, we are stout to "maintain" beats anything in the Great Northwest. Far ahead to the north, the valley lay stretched out before us; the hills on either side gently slope toward the river, which winds through the valley, its banks skirted with timber which looked fresh and green and made a pleasing contrast with the adjacent hills that had already been touched by the mellow hues and tints of early autumn. Here we stopped for a moment, Gilbert took a good look at the beautiful valley, and ejaculated, "it's nice it beats all I ever saw!" then whipped up the horses, and in fifteen minutes we alighted at H.D. Rice's-at home. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- INDIANS HERE High on the west hill overlooking Bonnie Doon is the burial site of Indians. These were the Mound Builders, and it can only be guessed at how far back in pre-White Man history these aboriginals lived here. As you view the hill looking west down Main Street you see a line fence on the crest of the hill that several mounds may still be faintly seen. Years of cultivation has all but removed them, however. The earliest printed reference to the burial mounds was by S.H. Hyde in his pamphlet of 1872, ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Reprinted from Ink Spots Doon Press By Harold Aardema When the roster of Doon's grand old characters is put down there will be Ralph. He is gone, gone these many years, but the memory of him lingers. Ralph is special in my memory. He was our own Westside character. I can only remember him as an old man, old Ralph. I can see him now in mind's eye, walking by on a summer day. He did not dress like the beautiful people. He wore a red handkerchief under his cap to safeguard his neck against the mosquitoes. He was forever puffing on his pipe, the lid on a penny box of matches slipped over the fire bowl as a chimney. The pipe seemed to propel him, like a little locomotive. Slightly bowed, he plowed into the chore of getting home for he was then in his late years. Home to Ralph was his jungle two blocks north of the lumberyard. He loved nature, like in trees and shrubs, and he let her have her wild way. Over the years his domain became a tangle of brush and forest. In late spring lilacs, honeysuckle and peonies blossomed and there were beds of iris. A narrow beaten path ended at his shack. It was a scene like out of a dream. Few were welcomed into his dwelling. Ralph was a private person. He was friend of the family so I received that special accord which included an occasional visit inside the shack. The shack was a single room maybe 12 x 12 feet, with an earthen floor, constructed of scrap lumber and allowing the light of day through one small window to the east. A lean-to was built to the west for things saved and stored. The shack was furnished with a small table, a single chair, a small potbelly stove for heating and cooking. He slept on a bedroll on the floor. There was a cupboard of sorts and that was all. All, except for the stacks of newspapers for Ralph loved to read and save newspapers. He had no electricity, no running water. When the sun was high in the sky in summer he lived mostly out of doors. He cooked on a crude fireplace. He slept on a bedspring on a bedroll six feet off the ground, suspended between trees. It was his firm belief that four hours of sleep in the open equaled the regenerative power of eight in bed in the stale indoors. There high among the trees in his bedspring hammock he slept for as many months as he could, except when it stormed. There in his "island jungle on the Westside of Doon town. Ralph kept a big garden. It included such delights as asparagus and strawberries and the Aardema table was enriched with both. I rarely dig into a mess of asparagus without thinking kindly of this old man who provided us this prize among the greens. Ralph was not rich. He had no "slips of paper from the bank;" but then his needs were few and simple. He was both a simple and a complicated man. I knew him in my childhood and teens and then lost him in later years. I suspect he was a deeper man than most thought. He was once married and sired and reared children, I was told, but that part of his life I did not know. I sense there was an untold story in Old Ralph. He was an enigma, like one of his worn sayings hinted, "Never mind." I would like to put flesh on his bones and life back into him and to have that special visit we might have but never had. Ralph… ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Novelist Frederick F. Manfred Recalls good Memories in Doon in the Twenties and the Thirties Doon is the magic place for me. It is the town of my childhood as well as my young manhood. I need only to come over the brow of the hill and a host of recollections come flooding to my mind. When I used to drive the horse and buggy to school in town I saw it often in the pink morning light so that the church steeples and the water tower would gleam like the pink turrets of some fabled castle. I loved going to school and always hurried toward those pink spires. Doon is the town where we used to wait on Saturday nights for the train from the north to come in with packages from the mail order houses in the Twin Cities. It is the place where we played baseball, where we met at church on Sundays, where on still other Saturday nights I and a buddy would divide a quart of ice cream between us. Memories inexhaustible--and I shall no doubt be mining the aura and the magic of them all the rest of my life in my books. I've skated on both the Big Rock and the Little Rock; I've swum in all the swimming holes around, including the ice-cold sandpit south of town. I've raided watermelon patches when just a lad; I've gone on long hikes, through the back country pastures and "wild lands", I've cut my name on a boulder north of town; I've gone slumming down the various lover's lanes. I've learned such manhood as I have in the good old town; going to school on horseback when it was thirty below; picking corn on cold wet freezing mornings, scooping out the road for miles, thawing out a frozen car, pitching straw onto a rack from an old strawbutt in freezing driving snow, fixing my old tin lizzie with some bailing wire and fresh water for the radiator. I was born on a farm near Doon and I hope to be buried in the cemetery near Doon. It's my true hometown. I've come to like my adopted home too, Luverne, but Doon I cannot escape because I spent my first years there. Frederick Manfred ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Early County Scandal Within six months after Lyon County was officially founded the county was in court over county and school debts. So fierce for spoils was the board of supervisors, and others profiting from the frauds including a drunken district judge, that efforts to compel honest county government failed. One favorite fraud was to issue warrants on bridges that were either never built or were flimsy, worthless structure-the board pocketing the money. There was the "swampland proposition," and the enormous kickbacks from persons selling good to the county. Within three years, (1872 to 1875) $55,000 of judgment bonds were issued under a statute then in force. The plunder of the county was not stopped until the influx of new settlers brought about a new order of things. Hundreds of cases followed and the last was decided about 1900. Some cases were taken to the U.S. Supreme court. Some judgments were favorable to the county but in the end the good people of Lyon County paid dearly for the fraudulent indebtedness that at one time peaked to $167,000. The Independent School District of Doon was involved also in a graft in the early years that left the honest settlers with a case in the court that ended in the U.S. Supreme court years later. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- White Man Felled By Indian's Arrow The tale which most excites our sympathy is that of three young men from Massachusetts-Roy McGregor, Thomas Lockhart and George Clark. As they were possessed of education, talent, and noble ambition, the tragic fate of two of this company is sad indeed. It must have been in the summer of 1862 that this party resolved to spend the winter in a hunting tour in this part of the West. Reaching the Rock River valley in October, and being elated with the prospect here for a successful winter's hunt, they built a cabin on an island in the river, at the forks of the Little Rock, West Branch and Rock River. Here they passed the autumn in rare sport, taking an abundance of game. But their happiness was not to continue long unbroken. One morning, after snow had covered the ground, while McGregor and Lockhart were attending to their beaver traps, a short distance above the "Lone Cottonwood," on the bank of the Little Rock, opposite the present residence of Jessie Monk, they saw a drove of elk bounding down the valley. Seizing their rifles and firing simultaneously they brought down a large buck. They were preparing to carry the venison to camp when they were suddenly attacked by a band of Santee Sioux from Minnesota, who had been following the elk. The Indians first fired upon them with bows and arrows, from which McGregor received a shot in the side, and then charged upon them with unearthly yells. McGregor and Lockhart returned the fire from their rifles, and then retreated a short distance down the river under cover of the overhanging bluffs on the south bank of the stream. Here the superiority of their breech loaders, and the advantage of their position, enabled them to keep the Indians at bay. As soon as possible, Lockhart extracted the arrow from poor McGregor's wound, and inquired if he was much hurt. He answered briskly, "Oh no," but soon began sinking and died a few hours. When night came on, Lockhart escaped under cover of darkness and the thick underbrush, and joined Clark at their camp. They feared to move for several days, but finally returned to the scene of their encounter with the Indians, but could find no traces of poor McGregor. Notwithstanding the shock produced by the loss of their companion, Lockhart and Clark decided to remain and contest with the savages the right to hunt on these grounds. They were not, however, molested again, and continued there hunting with great success until spring. Their cabin was fitted up with much taste, being lined on the inside with wolf skins, and became a favorite resort for hunters throughout this region. The two companions had barely recovered from the gloom caused by the death of McGregor when another calamity befell them more crushing, if possible, than his tragic death. The island upon which the cabin stood was very low; but as the river was also low at the time of building it, they had no thought of a flood. Early in March the weather became warm, the snow melted, and as the river began to rise, Lockhart and Clark felt some uneasiness lest the water should come into their cabin. A heavy rain came on, and the river continued to rise until as they had prepared to retire one evening, they found the water up to within a few inches of the door. Yet they concluded to wait until morning before making preparations to move. During the night the ice broke up, with the floating timber gorged the river above the head island, almost completely damming it. Behind this gorge the water continued to rise until it had covered the river bottom to great depth. Lockhart and Clark had arisen and begun to prepare their breakfast when this gorge broke, and the flood came down upon the island and cabin with terrific force. Hearing the rushing of water and breaking of the timber, they ran out of the cabin just as the water came down upon them. Lockhart seized hold of a tree and succeeded in climbing out of the way of the flood. Clark jumped into the river and swam for the east bank. He succeeded in crossing the stream, and grasping some overhanging boughs, turned his head and exclaimed: "Tom, I'm all right," when the flood came upon him, and, overwhelmed in the torrent, he sank to rise no more. Lockhart remained in the tree for several hours, when, by means of some floating logs, he reached the high bank and made his escape. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- C. Ross and "The Big Store" By Galen Lawrence Cornelius Ross immigrated from Germany at the age of 14 and worked for a short while in the T.S. Martin Department Store in Sioux City. He established his first store in Doon at age 23, in 1901. Later in 1903 he built "The Big Store." It was constructed of three walls of solid brick and a stone front, built with pink granite blocks quarried near Luverne, Minnesota. These were transported to Doon on the Bonnie Doon railroad. The store had a complete line of dry goods and was advertised in the early newspapers with a complete front page advertisement. He was in friendly competition with Kahl's "little store" and between them the town was well supplied with groceries and clothing. C. Ross operated the store until his passing in 1939 and son Henry operated the business during the 1940's. The building now stands lonely and unkempt beside the Valley State Bank.