Wells County ND Archives History .....A Sketch Of Sykeston 
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Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 July 20, 2008, 4:43 am

A SKETCH OF SYKESTON.
BY RICHARD SYKES.

  In 1881 I purchased from the Northern Pacific Railroad company about 25,000
acres in what was then known as Gingras county, Territory of Dakota. Shortly
after the purchase the name of the county, which then included townships 145 to
150, ranges 67 to 73, was changed to Wells in honor of a member of the
territorial legislature, namely, the Hon. E. P. Wells, at that time and still a
banker at Jamestown, and now head of the firm of Wells & Dickey Co. of
Minneapolis and Jamestown.

  Shortly after my purchase the Carrington and Casey Land Co. made a large
purchase of lands in what was then known as Foster county. This purchase was in
townships 145 and 146, ranges 65 and 66.

  In the spring of 1882 I began to break up part of my purchase. At that time
there were no branches of the Northern Pacific railroad north of the main line,
consequently I made Jamestown my headquarters, from which my provisions were
hauled to my ranch on section 21, township 146, range 68. During 1882 and 1883,
by the use of oxen, I broke up three thousand acres in township 146, ranges 68,
69 and 70, and I may add that several of the early settlers in Wells and Foster
counties were those who helped to turn over the prairie sod for me. Some of them
have managed, to become wealthy, and others have succeeded fairly well, others
have sought fresh fields and pastures new. I may mention amongst others numerous
members of the Lloyd family, the Van Meters, Mrs. Frank Harper, James O'Neill
and son Thomas, Peter Zink, Griffith Lewis, Dan Chambers, Robert Griffith, John
Middleton, Moses Martin, John Marchand, Geo. Yokell, Will Reed, Seymour and
Walter Lee, Thomas Harding and his large family, Richard Wikey, his three sons
and a daughter (now Mrs. Heron), the Matthews family, Joseph Sheard and his
brothers, Henry, John and Allen. Moreover H. B. Chess and wife, D. J. Davis, the
St. Jacque brothers. Plin Woodward, Zeph Varnum, G. S. Perrott, now professor at
the University of North Dakota, R. Price, Robert Schultz and A. G. Covell were
amongst those whom I recollect as early settlers in or about Sykeston. Also a
large colony of Sanfords, attracted by my improvements, selected Wells county
for their home. In 1882 and 1883 I had a partner, Mr. .Walter J. Hughes, who
assisted me as farm manager, but in 1881 when I made my purchase there was only
one settler in the whole of what is now Wells county and the western half of
Foster county. This was John Potter, better known as Jack Potter, who had a
homestead on section 24, township 145, range G8, amongst the oak trees on the
Hawk's Nest.

  When in 1883 the Northern Pacific built the Jamestown & Northern branch they
followed what was then known as the Sykes and Hughes trail as far as section 19,
township 146, range 66, on which the town of Carrington was built.

  Now I am going to give you some historical news which may be interesting. I
have already mentioned that the eastern boundary of Wells county in 1882
included range 64. The Carrington and Casey Land company, owning section 19,
township 146, range 66, through which the survey of the Jamestown & Northern
branch ran, were naturally wistful for a townsite, more especially because it
was understood that from that point the extension would run both north and west.
Accordingly, during my absence the Carrington and Casey Land company pursuaded
the legislature of the territory, which then sat at Yankton, to pass an act
extending the limits of Foster county for twelve miles westward, thus taking
twelve townships from Wells county. On my return to the territory I retained the
late John Nickeus, himself a land owner in Wells county, with a view to
recovering for Wells county half of what she had lost. In this I succeeded,
though at a considerable expense, and in spite of the opposition of the
Carrington interest, thus winning back the six eastern townships in range 68
which are still a part of our county.

  Some of the buildings erected at Sykeston in 1883 still remain notably the
Monarch elevator, Wikey's store and the old red barn on the borders of the lake
at the top of Main street. A bull buffalo was shot on the west side of township
146, range 68, and expired on section 13, township 146, range 69, the townsite
of Sykeston. Possibly in commemoration of this event the town of Sykeston might
have been called Buffalo had the name not already been appropriated. I am
informed that Ewen Grant aimed the bullet which decided the buffalo's fate.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

COLLECTIONS OF THE State Historical Society OF NORTH DAKOTA
VOL. I

BEING FIRST ANNUAL REPORT OF THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF NORTH DAKOTA TO THE
GOVERNOR OF NORTH DAKOTA FOR YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1906.

BISMARCK, N. D.
TRIBUNE, STATE PRINTERS AND BINDERS 
1906


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