Early History of Brown County, South Dakota, pages 1 - 30

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Copyright 1970 by Brown County Territorial Pioneers, Aberdeen, S.D.

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[Pxxx].



[P1]

               EARLY HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY
                A LITERATURE OF THE PEOPLE
         BY TERRITORIAL PIONEERS AND DESCENDANTS



[P2]

     Brown County Territorial Pioneer Committee
Mrs. J. E. Kelly			President
Mrs. W. W. Bassett			Vice President
Miss Matilda Gage			Secretary
Mr. Walter Hickenbotham			Assistant Secretary
Mr. Chas. W. Jones			Treasurer
Mrs. Hazelle Black			Chairman
Miss Helen Bergh			Assistant Chairman

Mrs. Walter Kepke			Mrs. Lawson Clark
Mrs. A. J. Radke			Mrs. Alfred Sueltz
Mr. Reese Mathieu			Mr. Chas. Draeger
Mrs. Robert Burckhard



[P3]

You seemd a simple folk; yet in your breast
   Dwelt noble aims, that have your children's
Children blest. God-fearing homes, and schools you
   Placed, with modest churches here and there,
Upon the virgin prairie's trackless waste . . .
   That commonwealth you dreamed, and fought to build,
Has far surpassed your vision; your highest
   Hopes fulfilled. This living monument,
So true, with grateful hearts, brave Pioneers,
   We dedicate to you!
                          Charlotte Louise Bertlesen



[P4]

[TOWNSHIP MAP]



[P5]

Dedicated to . . .

Adeline Crowley Kelly

[Photo: Adeline Crowley Kelly]

In writing the History of Brown County before the turn of the century, the 
Committee found Mrs. Kelly a fund of knowledge. Her prodigious memory of 
happenings, people and events has been invaluable and all this is so necessary 
in gathering, material for an accurate history.

A few words about this remarkable woman will give all readers an idea of what 
her contribution has been not only of Aberdeen but the County as well.

She was born February 18, 1881 in Madison, Wisconsin and came to Columbia, 
Dakota Territory, June 6, 1883. She attended Public Schools until the 8th grade. 
She was graduated in 1894. She and her brother, Edward, left that fall for 
Minneapolis to enter So. High. She stayed two years and returned in 1896 and 
started to teach in the county schools. This splendid job of instructing our 
children both rural and urban she remained in until 1903 when she married Mr. 
Joe E. Kelly and came to Aberdeen to live. Being intensely interested in the 
History of Brown County she kept in touch even at that early date with the 
Pioneers of the County.

Mrs. Kelly has always been civic minded--when the Aberdeen local Y.W.C.A. was 
founded she was on the first Board. In 1908 Aberdeen needed an organization to 
look after unfortunate girls so three of our Pioneer women, Mrs. Kelly, Mrs. P. 
M. Ringrose and Mrs. H. C. Jewett, Sr., offered their services to the city and a 
committee was formed with these women as the nucleus. They assisted the girls in 
finding work, placed their babies for adoption and many of these girls are now 
fine women in their own homes in the County. Mrs. Kelly has been a member of 
Sacred Heart Church for over sixty years and from 1920 until the present year 
she has superintended all the work at Sacred Heart Cemetery and improved every 
spot in this prairie burying place, herself.

In 1940 a movement was started by a few interested Pioneers, encouraged by Mrs. 
Kelly, to form an organization of all Pioneers who had lived in Brown County 
before November 2, 1889, the year the territory became a state. The response was 
tremendous and cards and letters poured in from every state in the union 
requesting membership. The enthusiasm has grown with the years and while death 
has taken many of our original Pioneers, Mrs. Kelly has spent hers writing to 
their families.  The appreciation of those left was most apparent by the large 
number who attended the Statehood Luncheon this centennial year December 2, 1963 
at the Alonzo Ward Hotel. There were 150 people to be exact.

Mrs. Kelly has given unselfish devotion to the editings of this history, going 
over all the data collected and attending all the weekly meetings of the 
committee.

We each and every one owe her a debt of gratitude--May her memory be bright in 
our hearts for many, many years to come.

Mrs. Angela Jewett Bassett
Miss Matilda Gage
Mr. Charles W. Jones
Miss Helen Bergh
Mrs. Hazel Black
Mrs. Clara Strohmeier Clark
Mrs. Carol Willson Burckhard
Mr. Walter Hickenbotham
Mrs. Jessie Kepke

[P6]

Preface

The Brown County Territorial Association was organized under the leadership of 
Mrs. J. E. Kelly on June 30, 1949. This was the culmination of several years of 
effort. The purpose was to found a permanent society to preserve the early 
history of the county, collect relics which are fast disappearing, and record 
memories of events before they are lost forever. Another objective of the 
association has been largely accomplished, namely, the marking of places of 
historical interest such as the sites of the first crossing of the James River, 
the first post office, first school house, where the first white child was born, 
where Sam Brown began his ride, and where the Indian trading posts were located.

Brown County is a land of beautiful sunrises and twilight sunsets. It was 
settled by a greater representation of old world backgrounds and heritages than 
most counties. The early residents also included people from all parts of the 
United States and every walk of life. They brought their culture with them.

The preparation of this book has several purposes. We hope to preserve 
historical facts for descendants and friends of the pioneers for future 
generations. We hope to foster an appreciation of the contributions the pioneers 
made in developing an almost treeless, wild prairie into the plentiful and 
beautiful land we have today. We want the present and future generations to know 
of the privations and hardships the early settlers endured in their struggles, 
to learn of their courageous faith in better times to come and to appreciate the 
desire of these people to ensure better lives for their children.

The book committee wishes to thank all of the many people who have given so 
generously of their time and assisted so greatly in assembling material for this 
history of our county.

If, by chance, anyone has been overlooked, it is because information has not 
been obtainable.

Helen J. Bergh
Mrs. Clara Strohmeier Clark

[P7]

HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY
by Geo. B. Daly, as printed in the Brown County Atlas

THE FIRST SETTLEMENT

In mid-August of 1877, the broad expanse of what is now Brown County could have 
been seen lying under the hot sun, in the full glory of midsummer, but without 
the home of a human being anywhere on its face. The bison was gone: the grass 
grew in the trails that converged to their old watering places: their bones were 
everywhere, bleaching in the abandoned pastures that awaited the herds of 
another era just at hand.

Journeying northeast along the old government trail that led from Ft. Pierre to 
Ft. Sisseton came a little party of homeseekers, the first to enter Brown 
County. They had left the Missouri River August the seventh, 1877 and traveling 
slowly, one wagon being drawn by oxen and one by mules, they were about two 
weeks on the road. The party consisted of Clarence D. Johnson, William Young and 
his sister, Hattie, who later became Mrs. Gruenwald, and a man named Reynolds. 
They had been on the Missouri River some years in the wood business, and were 
well-seasoned frontiersmen. Clare Johnson had served a term in the regular army 
at western outposts from '66 to '69.

This old military road, the only kind of thoroughfares yet in the valley, 
approached the Jim below the county line, then ran north until the fording 
place, where is now the York bridge, was reached. Here the party left the trail, 
keeping on the west side until they reached the point where the 6th standard 
parallel crosses the river. Here they drove their claim stakes, established 
their homes and the new era was begun.

Before their rights grew cold they had completed three comfortable log cabins on 
the high bank. Clare Johnson went back to the Missouri, where he spent the 
winter freighting, and the rest remained. The winter was an open one and passed 
without incident to the first residents of the county. In the spring, April 
being half gone, they were surprised one morning to see two men approach the 
east bank of the river. On going down and talking with them they found that they 
hailed from Blue Earth Minnesota, and were Ole and John Everson. They had left 
Ben Everson and William Hawes down the river about a day's journey and were 
trying to find Sand Lake upon which they understood there was a large body of 
timber. They 'Went on north but returned toward night reporting only little 
brush on an island they could not reach. They concluded to go back and bring the 
rest of the party up and locate claims on the east side somewhat farther down. 
They came up accordingly, driving their covered wagon, in which, among other 
necessary articles, they carried a plow and two fiddles. They drove two yoke of 
oxen. After looking about some they took the claims which the Eversons still 
occupy (1905). Nathan H. Johnson next came over from Ft. Bennett, where he had 
been employed the previous year, and took the claim on the east side which he 
still occupies.

SOUTHERN BROWN COUNTY OCCUPIED

The next invasion of the county was from the south, on the 6th day of May, 1878, 
when James Humphrey, from Plainview, Minnesota, with a few men from Marshall 
came up as far as Chedi Lake. The men from Marshall were prospecting for water 
power along the Jim, but must have become discouraged, as they took the home 
trail the next morning. Humphrey went back with them, not caring to stay alone. 
At Marshall on his return, he met Henry H. Slack. Jim Humphrey told them of the 
winding river and groves in the Jim Valley that waited the first comer to claim 
them for his own. This soon resulted in the party being underway making all 
possible speed for the promised land, reaching the place where they located May 
25. They were not permitted to remain in undisturbed possession of their new 
homes, for before two weeks had passed, before a log house could be erected to 
shelter the family, a band of the followers of Drifting Goose came and gave 
emphatic notice that they owned the land and would not permit them to remain. 
The family went to Waubay lake where Foster and Love had a trading post and 
remained there until the following spring. That fall the Indians were ordered 
back to the reservation.

WINTER OF '78 and '79

James E. Humphrey and Benoni Slack who had spent the summer and fall back in 
Minnesota, grew anxious, fearing someone might jump their claims, and concluded 
not to wait until spring. They came over from Waubay and arrived on the Jim the 
31st of December. They lived ten days in a tent until they constructed a dugout 
in the bank on the Slack farm. They, the Johnsons and William Young, were the 
only people in the county that winter. The Eversons and W. B. York, who had come 
out in the fall had gone back to bring their families.

SPRING AND SUMMER OF '79
 
Wm. B. York and family were the first arrivals in the spring of '79, Ed Harnoise 
and Lester Blackman coming with them. They got in soon after the 15th of April 
coming by Kampeska. Not many days elapsed before Ole and Ben Everson and their 
families also arrived. The fact should be noted here that Ole Everson, early 
that year built the first frame house in the county. John Everson did not arrive 
until June when he came bringing a bride and a herd of 120 cattle. Wm. Hawes 
arrived still later bringing with him a bride and infant daughter, now Mrs. 
Chas. Dickerson of Riverside.

STOCK RANCHES UP THE ELM

During the early summer of '79 settlement was made up on the Elm river. The 
father of Mrs. Jas. Allison, a resident of Minnesota, was an old trapper who had 
spent some time on the Elm, and his account of the beautiful little stream 
flowing thru

[P8]

groves of fine grazing land so enthused his son-in-law that the latter 
determined to go there and engage in the stock business. Finally a wealthy 
friend named Cobb, furnished him stock on shares. Sometime in May Allison 
arrived at York ford with 400 cattle and a like number of sheep. In due time Jim 
Allison was at home on the upper Elm with his herds grazing contentedly on the 
hills of the region that bears his name. In July he had neighbors, another ranch 
being established not far from him by Hilger and Dole, who brought in 120 
cattle. They were young men of wealthy families in the east, the senior member 
of the firm was said to be a German count. They were high livers, made frequent 
trips to Ft. Sisseton to get drafts cashed and have a time, not seeming to take 
cattle raising very seriously.

COLUMBIA STARTED

On the 15th day of June there arrived at the spot where Columbia now stands, a 
number of wagons loaded with lumber and supplies. The party was under the 
leadership of Byron M. Smith of Minneapolis. He had brought two carloads of 
material overland from Breckenridge with oxen. Here at the junction of the Elm 
and the Jim he had scripped one of the most beautiful townsites in the valley. 
He and his halfbreed Sioux partner, named Bottineau, whose name is borne by a 
North Dakota county, had ransacked the whole territory for valuable sites upon 
which to file Sioux scrip, which they dealt in extensively, in anticipation of 
the rush of settlers soon to set in. They had figured on a water power here 
below the mouth of the Elm, and Smith was very much chagrined to find some men 
from Spencer, Iowa already on the ground, having preempted the right and begun 
construction of a dam. While Smith's men put up the store building, he parleyed 
with the Iowa men, finally buying them off for $1,700. This first town in the 
county was named Richmond, but when later application was made for a postoffice 
the name had to be given up and Columbia substituted. John R. James and Don 
McKenzie, two young men from Minneapolis came along to take charge of the store.

THE SURVEY

During the summer of '79 the survey of the southern part of the county, 
including town 125 was completed by Thos. F. Marshall, now a congressman from 
North Dakota. When the Johnsons and the Eversons came in there was nothing to go 
by but the correction lines or standard parallels which had been run.

THE FIRST BORN

Sometime in the latter part of June, 1879 two families settled on the river just 
east of Columbia. They came with oxen and some dozen cows each. One was Andrew 
Anderson and a numerous family and the other was John Linboe and his young wife 
to whom he had been married the previous winter. They had ridden behind oxen all 
the way from Renville County, Minnesota. Here in their dugout by the river, the 
following November, their first child was born. This child was James C. Lindboe, 
now of Aberdeen. At the home of W. B. York, the following spring the first girl 
was born in the county.

THE FIRST PUBLIC MEETING

It was on July 4, 1879, at Johnson's grove that the first gathering of settlers 
occurred. All the settlers in the county except the stock men up the Elm came. 
There was no reading of the declaration or speech-making, but it was said there 
was plenty to eat and drink. There were baseball games throughout the afternoon, 
and the sound of violins with feet keeping time to them floated out over the Jim 
all night long. John Everson and Lester Blackman were the pioneer fiddlers.

POSTOFFICES ESTABLISHED

Watertown had been the nearest post office until the fall of '79 when the 
starline from Firesteel to Jamestown was established, and Columbia and Yorkville 
were made post offices. But few trips were made before winter compelled a 
discontinuance of the service until early spring of '80. James E. Humphrey, 
having opened a little store on his claim, made application for the post office, 
but his commission did not arrive until April, 1880, when the office was 
established under the name Rondell.

COUNTY ORGANIZED

Early in the summer of 1880 a move was made for the organization of the county 
by the settlers at Columbia. A petition was sent to George H. Hand, secretary of 
the territory, acting governor, praying for the appointment of John D. Lavin, 
Hardy W. Campbell and Clarence D. Johnson. This petition was not granted owing 
to the fact that two mentioned for commissioners had not been in the territory 
nine months. The names of Don R. McKenzie and John R. James were then 
substituted, and they were accordingly appointed. It was on Tuesday, the 14th of 
September that these appointees met and organized the county, appointing the 
following officers:

County Clerk			John D. Lavin
Sheriff				A. G. Warren
Assessor			Henry H. Slack
Judge of Probate		Geo. B. Daly
County Treasurer		Marion Douglas
Surveyor			John R. James
Coroner				Dr. S. O. Bassett
Supt. of Schools		A. J. Allen
Justices of the Peace		Marion Pierce,
				John Campbell, A. H. Dayton,
				and James T. Tollman
Constables			Henry C. Howland,
				Nathan H. Johnson, Wm. Wilkenson
				and Benoni Slack

Columbia was made the county seat.

THE RUSH OF 1880

Early in the spring of 1880 settlers began in earnest and Columbia was the 
objective point. The first party to arrive was late in March, coming with Wm. 
Townsend, a member of the Columbia Townsite Company, from Lapeer County, 
Michigan. They took land southwest of town, south of the Elm, with exception of 
John Helmka, who finally located near Bath where he still lives (1905) and H. D. 
McGregor,

[P9]

who located north of town. Chas. E. Baldwin, veteran newspaper man of the 
county, joined this party at Chicago and came with them. The next party came 
from Flint, Michigan, arriving in the county April 1st. With this party was John 
D. Lavin, another stockholder in the townsite, also John C. Daly, and the 
writer, who brought into the county the first copy of the laws of the territory 
seen here. This party all located east of town. The next party got to Columbia 
April 12th, coming by way of Jamestown. They were R. W. Jones, later school 
superintendent of the county, Thomas J. Owens, Ed Perry and Morris Jones. In a 
short time Morgan E. Jones, Robert Owen and others followed. They were the 
advance arrivals of the numerous body of Welsh, who came from Wisconsin, 
settling up one of the best townships in the county, giving it the ancient name 
of the land of their forefathers. (Cambria Township)

On the 18th of April came by far the most numerous contingent, hailing from 
Greenville, Montcalm County, Michigan, which county and the neighboring one of 
Ionia, certainly contributed their full share to the settlement of the east part 
of the county. In this party were N. M. Cole, Frank Elliott, Archie McKinnon, F. 
D. Adams, Charles E. Henry, the Fargoes, the Quiggles, the Ashleys, Tollmans and 
others. It was on June 26th that Father Robt. W. Haire arrived from Flint, 
Michigan. A few days later Thomas Murphy, Amos and Elias Haire also arrived, all 
locating east of Columbia. Later came Thos. O'Sullivan and John Flynn all of 
Flint. That summer the sod church was built on Fr. Haire's claim.

EARLY ABERDEEN

In the spring and early summer of 1880 there was much speculation among people 
coming into the county as to where the proposed lines of the Milwaukee Railroad, 
one up the valley and the other across it, would intersect. Some were of the 
opinion that the road from the east would cross the river as far down as 
Slack's, while others believed the company wanted to cross at Columbia but the 
townsite company had imposed unreasonable conditions. However all agreed that 
the future metropolis of the valley would likely be where these lines could make 
a junction. The townsite man of the Milwaukee finally disclosed the location of 
the future city, on the 4th of June when he scripped the south west quarter of 
13-123-64. The Northwestern line had been surveyed and the townsites of Ordway 
and Rudolph had been scripped. It looked as if Mr. Prior, locating his town 
about midway between the above places calculated on letting the rival road also 
contribute to the greatness of the future town. Before that day only two filings 
had been made anywhere in that vicinity. They were John Zimmerman's filing on 
tree claim now in Hagerty & Lloyd's addition and that of Gustav Merton on the 
quarter in which the Wolverton addition is located, made on May 28th. On the day 
Prior located the town Andrew Melgaard filed on two quarters, on one of which 
Northern State College now is; and John Zimmerman and Christ Sidow each filed on 
a quarter. On the following day, the fifth, Fred C. Merten and Frank Webb filed 
on their land.

THE FIRST MERCHANTS

On the 20th of June Thomas A. Boyden arrived with a small stock of merchandise 
from Watertown and the firm of Rice Bros. & Boyden opened up for trade where the 
graders were at work at the place south of town where the North-Western and the 
Milwaukee grades were to cross each other. This was the temporary point of 
activity, and it was known throughout the county as Grand Junction. Lew Bowman, 
the first lawyer and land locater had established himself here. All that summer 
and fall the scripped site of the city of the future a mile further north lay 
undisturbed: not only untennanted but nameless. Even that fall when 13 votes 
were polled for it for county seat, it had to be described section 13 and 24. 
Late that fall Rice Bros. & Boyden moved their store up to the site, locating 
where Third Avenue west crosses the railroad track. Here a little cluster of 
shacks and tents were gathered and here a few people put in a hard winter. Lew 
Bowman was there: Julius Bonneau was there through the winter in a tent with a 
barrel of whiskey on tap. A man named Peters was there with his wife who became 
a widow before spring, her husband having died when the winter was nearly ended. 
They shoveled away the deep snow on the west side of the grade and there was 
held the first funeral in Aberdeen.

THE FIRST ELECTION

In the fall of '80 on Nov. 2nd, the first general election occurred in the 
county. It was an event looked forward to with much concern for the outcome, as 
a bitter county seat fight was brewing.

The county commissioners, being all Columbia men, provided that there should be 
but one poling place in the county, and that at Howlands hotel in Columbia. The 
three judges of election, N. M. Cole, Archie McKinnon and Lew Bowman were 
appointed to represent the three commissioners districts. Two tickets with a 
full list of nominees were placed in the field. Each party had sent out to 
Watertown and had them printed. One was called "Brown County People's Ticket", 
and carried the name of Columbia for county seat. The other was headed 
"Independent Ticket" and had a blank following the words section, town and range 
so that the description of the site could be written in, as Columbia and Ordway 
were the only places voted for that had been named. Feeling was bitter on both 
sides, each charging the other with attempting to secure the county seat with 
fraud. Guns were in evidence a number of times, and that blood was not shed was 
accounted for by the fact that there was no whiskey to be had. The sentiment was 
against Columbia which town would have been defeated if the opposition could 
have united. That there was a full vote out is shown by the fact that the 
assessor the following summer found that males over 21 years in the county then 
fell 71 short of the total vote polled at this election.

VOTES CAST IN 1880

The fact that there is no existing record of the vote cast at that election is 
the writers warrant for giving the vote in detail in this sketch:

[P10]

For County Seat:
Columbia------------------------------------- 83
Section 17-123-62 (Bath) -------------------- 82
Section 13 and 24-123-64 (Aberdeen) --------- 13
Ordway -------------------------------------- 11

For County Commissioner, 1st District:
Clarence Johnson, People's ----------------- 110
Jas. T. Tollman ----------------------------- 82

For County Commissioner, 2nd District:
Hardy W. Campbell, People's ----------------- 96
Wm. B. York, Independent -------------------- 93

For County Commissioner, 3rd District:
Jas. E. Humphrey, People's ------------------ 89
Lew H. Bowman, Independent ------------------ 79

For Register of Deeds:
Don McKenzie, People's ---------------------- 98
O. B. Corpron, Independent ------------------ 57

For Sheriff:
Alex G. Warren, People's -------------------- 98
Amos Haire, Independent --------------------- 57

For Probate Judge:
Marion Douglas, People's -------------------- 86
Jas. Barnes, Jr., Independent --------------- 99

For County Treasurer:
Nathaniel M. Cole, People's ----------------- 60
Thos. A. Boyden, Independent --------------- 119

For Assessor:
Ben Everson, People's ----------------------- 88
Chas. E. Henry, Independent ---------------- 101

For Coroner:
Dr. S. O. Basset --------------- on both tickets

For County Surveyor:
John R. James ------------------ on both tickets

For Superintendent of Schools:
Ambrose J. Allen, People's ------------------ 83
John S. Regan, Independent ----------------- 100

A HARD WINTER

The people who spent the winter of '80 and '81 in Brown County had an experience 
which will never be forgotten by those who underwent its hardships. The mild and 
open weather that prevailed most of the time up to Feb. 1st, led people to 
believe that the shortening stores of provision and fuel need cause no serious 
concern, as the spring was not far off when supplies and money could be secured. 
So, when, during the first days of February, the snow began to pile up in almost 
impassible drifts all over the prairie, to remain for months, the cruel gravity 
of the situation became almost unbearable. Desperate trips to the river with 
oxen hitched to wagons that could scarcely be pulled thru the trackless snow had 
to be made for wood to prevent families from freezing to death. Food supply in 
every house ran so low that seed grain and even grain intended for the stock had 
to be ground in coffee mills to supply the only food that some could secure. 
Some had no grain but fortunately had beans raised the previous summer on sod, 
which, boiled without pork, constituted the sole food of the family for weeks. 
The deep snow that cut off outside brought within the reach of the settlers an 
unexpected source of food. The antelopes that had been so numerous on the 
prairie were driven by the storms to the river bottoms for food and shelter. 
These little creatures, so swift on the bare ground were helpless in the deep 
snow, and falling easy victims to settlers guns were soon exterminated. Some 
families secured so many of them they salted them down for summer meat.

DEATH IN THE SNOW

Settlers who came to Dakota all came with a rather excessive fear of the 
blizzard, and were as a rule, inclined to be over cautious in exposing 
themselves. The death of a mail carrier in a storm near Ft. Sisseton early in 
the winter, doubtless deterred many from venturesome trips that winter. Never 
the less, the winter secured one victim before its ice and snow and cruel winds 
yielded to the advance of spring, never welcomed more gladly than that spring. 
John S. Regan, who had spent the winter on his claim east of Bath, started on 
the Keith of February, on foot to make his way to Watertown, and thence to the 
home of his folks in Iowa. Weeks after, his body was found in a sitting posture 
just south of the claim of A. J. Allen, now the Ashford place in Rondell.

HIGH WATER

The spring of '81 was late, the snow staying on until May, and when it left 
sloughs and streams were almost impassable by reason of high water. The big 
slough, which the previous year was dry as the upland prairie, became a vast 
lake. Mud Creek and the Jim became serious barriers to keep back the hundreds of 
settlers anxious to reoccupy claims, or get in early to secure choice locations. 
The townsites at the junction of the Milwaukee grades, where the much vaunted 
city was to rise into being that very summer, presented a very disheartening 
aspect to those who reached it that spring. The friends of the rival towns were 
in great glee over the town in the frog pond.

ABERDEEN'S LOTS FOR SALE

S. H. Jumper who came May 24th brought the plat of the new city and, as the 
agent of H. C. Prior, put the lots of the Original Plat on sale. This plat had 
been seen in Watertown during the winter and several lots sold there. R. S. 
Ellis through a friend of his had bought the first lot sold on the plat, the one 
on the corner where the Commercial Club now stands, where he built his sod 
hotel. The Rice boys and Tom Boydon bought the other lots on the corner of First 
avenue and Second (now Lincoln) street. An incident occurred at this time that 
has historic interest. Main street at this time was most uninviting by reason of 
the surface water that would

[P11]

not drain off. The slough that lies west of the Milwaukee depot had a branch 
that cut across Main Street near Second Avenue reaching south east as far as 
where the Gottschalk theatre now stands. The lots on Main Street, 25 ft. front, 
were offered for $150 for corner lots and $125 for inside ones. The lots on 
Second (Lincoln) Street were 50 ft. wide somewhat drier, and sold for $80. A 
concerted movement was started to get all looking for business sites to buy over 
on second, each one agreeing to build back 12 feet and thus make it a business 
street and wider than Main. This arrangement was working nicely, the Fishbeins, 
R. A. Mills, Stowell and Schuler and others buying over there, when the scheme 
was suddenly nipped by Mr. Jumper, who got a team and drove east until he got to 
the wires and telegraphed Prior to withdraw lots on second street from the 
market. Then the lot owners on second had to, hustle over and get locations on 
Main Street.

THE FIRST ASSESSMENT

The first listing of taxable property in this county was made by W. N. Jackson, 
county assessor, and returned July 6, 1881. He found three stocks of merchandise 
which had been in the county the previous May. The stock of John D. Lavin of 
Columbia was listed at $1000; that of Rice Bros. and Boyden, Aberdeen at $450; 
and Jas. E. Humphreys at Rondell at $30. There were 181 head of horses and mules 
in the county and 379 head of cattle, mostly oxen. Fortunately the assessor 
enumerated the population. His returns showed males over 21 years, 126; females 
over 21 years, 72; males under 21 years, 31; females under 21 years, 58; the 
total population being reported as 347. The most numerous family was that of Wm. 
Cassells, Aberdeen, 4 boys and 5 girls under 21 years. The next was Frank 
Elliott's, Columbia, five boys and three girls.

THE FIRST SCHOOL

The first school taught in the county was taught in one of the good school 
houses of the county which still does duty as a school house in the village of 
Putney (1905). When Miss Rachel Smith in early September of 1881, called the 
first school in Brown County to order in it, it stood a half mile west of where 
Putney now is. The names she wrote in her register were Will and Lill Hosley, 
Fred Fellows, Alva and Clara Cummins, Will and Marie Campbell, Bessie and Maggie 
McKinnon.

WHERE FILINGS WERE MADE

The first settlers in the county were obliged to make their entries on land in 
the Fargo land office, but early in '80 the Watertown land district including 
Brown County was opened. 'A bill was passed in March '82 creating the Aberdeen 
land district, and the land office was opened in August that year, with B. E. 
Hutchins, receiver, and S. W. Duncomb, register. The latter, dying during his 
term of office, was succeeded by Chas. T. McCoy. L. A. Burk and N. H. Hassis 
democrats, succeeded them. On the election of Harrison, J. Q. A. Braden and C. 
J. C. McLeod were appointed. When Cleveland came in again Major C. Boyd Barret 
and F. N. Hopkins came in. J. S. Vetter and Frank Brown were appointed by 
McKinley and Mr. Vetter was reappointed to serve the late M. H. Kelley whose 
death opened the way to John E. Adams, recently appointed.

THE HARD TIMES PERIOD

The disaster of frequent crop failures during the latter eighties left many 
farmers in the county, especially in the north and west parts, in very 
straightened financial circumstances. Dry seasons came with frequency, and some 
years, after ample rain fell had made crops most promising, suddenly the hot 
winds came to blight them. Mortgages came due and people were unable to pay even 
the interest. Debt upon debt. accumulated and hundreds gave up the fight and 
fled the country. People who remained and fought it out endured many hardships. 
Many went to the pasture for fuel, furtively at first, until the common custom 
of burning "cow chips" was openly adopted in a spirit of grim humor. The winters 
following these lean years were especially dreaded. Flour and clothing were 
donated by people outside the state in response to appeals made for help to the 
most needy. Much coal was contributed by the county commissioners. The railroads 
carried corn in free that it might be sold at a low price to farmers who had 
raised no horse feed. In the springs of '90 and '91 the county commissioners 
furnished many farmers with seed wheat. In the newspapers foreclosure notices 
were nearly as numerous as final proof notices had been in the early years of 
settlement. Some years when fair crops were raised wheat sold for as low as 37 
cents. Taxes could not be paid and the county had to borrow money. The 
population of the county fell off seriously. No sadder story could be told than 
the history of those days. But the tide has turned. Dairying and stock raising 
have made many hard-up old timers prosperous. The all wheat period has happily 
been passed.

STRIFE FOR COUNTY SEAT

From the earliest settlement of the county until 1890 the desire to retain or 
secure the county seat was the fruitful source of untold plotting in Brown 
County. To remove the county seat required a twothirds vote, and the plotters at 
Aberdeen exercised much ingenuity in getting around that provision. No 
territorial legislature met after this county was organized but that they were 
on hand with a new scheme. The first bill providing a possible way to get a 
county seat at Aberdeen was considered a sure thing as it gave Groton and 
Frederick also a chance to have a courthouse, and it was thought these towns 
making a common cause with Aberdeen could win over Columbia, but they recovered 
without the former. The proposition was to make a tier of towns on the west and 
on the east into the territory which they prepared to divide into four counties, 
the northeast to be Brown County with Columbia the county seat. Each proposed 
county would have been square with sixteen townships. When submitted to a vote 
the farmers all over the county and the Columbia people buried it ignominiously. 
The next proposition was to divide the county equally, Brown to be the north 
half and Aberdeen the county seat of the south half; this proposition was 
defeated also. Finally in 1887 a bill was passed providing that a majority vote 
in the case of Brown County

[P12]

would be sufficient to remove the county seat. With all haste the question was 
put to a vote and on July 27, 1887, the county commissioners, canvassing the 
vote and finding Aberdeen had received 2,744 votes and Columbia 1,661, 
straightway declared Aberdeen the county seat. Columbia contested the validity 
of the election and won in the supreme court. During the course of litigation 
two years and three months elapsed the time during which Aberdeen held the 
county seat before it was ordered back to Columbia, November 13, 1889. The next 
time the matter was cinched by a clause in the constitution of the new state 
providing that where a county seat had been located by less than a majority 
vote, a majority vote could move it. Under this provision the question was again 
submitted at the general election in 1890 and the vote was overwhelmingly in 
favor of Aberdeen, thus settling the vexing question.

BROWN COUNTY IN THE SPANISH-AMERICAN WAR

Mention can very properly be made of Brown County's response to the call of the 
president for trained soldiers during the Spanish-American War. One company of 
the regiment furnished by South Dakota was recruited in Aberdeen and vicinity. 
On May second, Company F left home under the command of Chas. A. Howard. The 
lieutenants were C. L. Breckway and Palmer D. Sheldon. Fred G. Huntington was 
first sergeant, but on promotion of Captain Howard, became second lieutenant. 
The company made a splendid record in the Philippines and furnished some 
officers for other companies in the regiment. Privates H. A. Pratt, J. Royden 
Kelley and Fred H. Barks became lieutenants. The company returned in October, 
1899 and passed in review with the regiment before President McKinley who met 
them in Aberdeen.

[Photo: First Courth House in Brown County, located at Columbia. Later this 
building was used as a school.]

[P13]

THE LAY OF THE LAND

by Mrs. Walter W. Kepke

"As far as the eye can see, the land we are surveying is flat as a barn floor 
and tall grass covers a black soil that is 8 to 12 inches thick. There are no 
trees except along the James River. What a land for breaking plows!"

So wrote a man in the 1870's who was surveying land in Dakota Territory for the 
government. Word of this level fertile land was spreading eastward, about the 
time the government opened up this area for homesteading. Also, at this time 
land values in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois and nearby states were 
rising. Farm land was bringing $15 to $20 per acre. An almost prohibitive price 
in 1875 to 1885. And men who love the soil, and wished to own a spot of their 
own, turn to where the land is more easily obtainable. Dakota Territory of which 
Brown County is a part contained some of this land secured without too much 
money or effort.

There were three ways to secure land in Dakota Territory. "A quarter", or 160 
acres of land, could be gotten by a person if he filed on it at the nearest land 
office. (Watertown was the nearest place in Brown County.) Then the man, or 
woman, was required to build a house, suitable for human habitation, dig a well, 
and break up ten acres of land on which to plant grain. When he had lived on the 
land for five years, he could get a "patent" or deed to it. This homestead, as 
it was called, was the easiest way to obtain land since no money was required by 
the government. A second way to get 160 acres was to establish a ten acre grove 
of trees. The trees would be planted and cultivated, and when they were growing 
well, a patent for the land could be had. This land was called a "tree claim".

A third way a settler could get land in Dakota Territory was to file on the land 
at Watertown; live on it for six months, and then pay the government $1.25 per 
acre for it. A patent was issued for this land and this transaction was known as 
a "pre-emption". Most of the early settlers tried to get three quarters of land-
-480 acres--first, by homesteading, then by getting a patent for a tree claim, 
and lastly, by filing on land as a pre-emption.

Settling of the West began about fifteen years after the Civil War, and the 
government showed its appreciation to the soldiers who fought in the war by 
giving them special privileges in getting land in Dakota Territory.

Not all of the original homesteaders became permanent settlers, though the 
majority stayed by their land. Those who stayed built homes for themselves, and 
also a community like the one they left in the East. A few of the homesteaders 
lived on their land only long enough to "prove up". When they got their deed, 
they obtained a loan on the land, with no idea of paying up. But these were few.

Let us review briefly the history of Brown County of South Dakota. This land was 
part of the Louisiana Purchase that extended from the Mississippi River to the 
Rocky Mountains. It now belonged to France, but Spain earlier had possessed the 
land because of their early explorers. When the French began to build fur 
trading posts in Canada and in "Louisiana," this large tract of land west of 
colonial United States, the government became aware of the possibility of France 
settling the country. Thomas Jefferson, then the United States president sent 
James Madison, his minister to France, to talk to Napoleon about the land. Their 
meeting resulted in our country buying the whole tract for $15,000,000; which 
amounted to 4 1/2 cents per acre. The government need fear the French no longer, 
and the land we live on in Brown County became a part of our great country.

The government sent two men, Lewis and Clark, to explore this land in 1803-4. 
Since these men and their party stayed close to the Missouri River, it is 
doubtful if Lewis and Clark, or any of their scouts, set foot on any part of 
Brown County. Early day fur traders and travelers, whoever they were, must have 
followed the James River into the area. The Colin Campbell Trading Post was 
established on the Elm River near Frederick in 1828. Another trading post was 
opened up a little later farther south on the James River. At these posts a few 
staple articles were traded for furs. Even the Indians to the East knew of these 
posts and brought furs, beaver skins, particularly, and occasionally a buffalo 
hide, and traded them for the white man's goods.

The earliest settlers did not come until 1878. That year the Slack family 
settled near Rondell, the Clair Johnson and Everson group near what is now 
Columbia, and George F. Schornack and Gustave Lietz, northwest of the city of 
Groton. William York who is mention in several of the township histories, 
settled on the James River in the fall of 1878. His shack, a little bigger than 
most of the early houses, served not only as his home, but as a store, 
postoffice and hotel. Mrs. York was a practical nurse and midwife. The first 
white child Stella Everson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Everson, born in Brown 
County was born at the York home. The home became known as Yorkville.

The government surveyors did not begin their labors in Dakota Territory until 
the late 1870's. It was in 1879 that the territorial legislature divided the 
area into counties and named this county Brown. According to records at Pierre, 
and to Doane Robinson, state historian, the name came from a legislator named 
Brown, from Bon Homme County. Some history books credit the name to Sam Brown, a 
celebrated scout and Indian fighter in Dakota Territory, who later became an 
Indian agent in the district of Ft. Sisseton. Many unusual and brave stories are 
told about him.

At the time the first settlers came here the only Indians most of the 
homesteaders saw were those who lived in small groups along the James River, and 
those who came to the river crossings, one crossing was at Yorkville and another 
at Rondell. Yet the white men were deathly afraid of the In-

[P14]

dians. Stories of the uprising and Indian Massacre in Minnesota in 1862, when 
800 whites were killed, were fresh in their minds. Following the Massacre, 
though, the Sioux Indians were undefeated, they were more peaceful. The Sisseton 
and Wahpeton tribes did not join in the hostilities of the Sioux. However, an 
outpost, to be known as Fort Sisseton was established on Kettle's Lake in 1864 
by the Wisconsin Volunteers. It was built to control the Indians, but for years 
to come any report or rumor of an Indian outbreak terrified the settlers. In 
1884 there was a persistent rumor of an uprising. Some of the settlers even sent 
their wives and children back to Minnesota or Wisconsin until the scare was 
over.

These early homesteaders coming in 1878-79-80 landed at Watertown. It was not 
until March, 1881 that the railroad reached Bristol, and three months later, 
Aberdeen. The next spring, from early May until late summer, every train had 
from one to six immigrant cars. Loaded in a car was the homesteader himself, a 
team of horses, a yoke of oxen, a cow or two, a breaking plow, a few hand tools 
such as spades, hoes, forks, hammers, wrenches, etc., and household goods. Women 
and children, if they came along at this time, rode in the passenger coach of 
the mixed train.

Also a part of the immigrant car was a lumber wagon, a self-explanatory name. 
When loaded, a canvas top was put over the contents, and it became a covered 
wagon. The new settlers set out over the trails, in this fashion, to find their 
land. Guiding them were only surveyor's corner stones, or posts, bearing 
inscriptions of township, range, and section, and with the horses or oxen picked 
their way along until they found their land.

Naturally, the earliest newcomers to the county took up land near the James 
River. Here were trees to be cut in logs for their homes, and here also was 
precious water. Some of the settlers away from the river hauled their lumber 
from Watertown until towns were built, and lumber yards, as they were called, 
were established.

Until machinery, to dig artesian wells, was available, a few years later, 
surface wells were dug for water on the homesteads away from the river. Some 
were dug by hand with spades, some with post hole diggers. The circle or square 
well had to be curbed with boards to keep the well from caving in. Water was 
drawn up in buckets. Windlass arrangements were built to make the job easier. 
Pioneers were not concerned with the purity of the water, as we are today.

For fuel for cooking and heating, many things were used, until coal was sold in 
the towns, and the settlers had grain to sell for money to buy the coal. Wood 
was used where obtainable, grass and hay were tied in bunches and burned, and 
many settlers gathered and used buffalo and cow chips for fuel. The struggle to 
get fuel in these early years seems terrible to us with our ease in cooking and 
heating. But when everyone was going through the same experience, the pioneers 
did not complain. Instead they looked forward to the day when the land would be 
theirs and there would be better times.

As the white man pushed the Indian westward, so the Indians drove the buffalo 
still farther west. Early homesteaders saw few buffaloes, or bison, as they 
should be called, when they came to Brown County. But there were evidences of 
the animals being here. The above mentioned buffalo "chips" were often found, 
and the bones of the buffalo were in many places. The bones, used in the 
refining of sugar, were a source of extra income for the settlers. There are 
also buffalo "wallows" still to be found in the county. Wallows are low places 
in the land with some water in them, where the buffalo could stand in to get 
relief from stinging insects. There were antelope, prairie chickens, quail and 
rabbits, besides fish in the James River that the settlers could use for fresh 
meat.

There is little resemblance today (1963) with the looks of Brown County as it 
was in the early eighties. Prosperous farms are everywhere; not only the groves 
of trees begun on the "tree claims" are in evidence, but the shelterbelts, and 
privately planted trees flourish. Most of the grass grown in the county now is 
not the tall prairie grass found by the pioneers, but tame grass, and there are 
not too many acres of that.

The early settlers brought hope, vision and hard work, and applied them 
generously to develop a new area. We salute them!

[P15]

THE ACQUISITION OF LAND

by Mrs. Clara Strobmier Clark

(The material for this was taken from Doan Robinson's Encyclopedia of South 
Dakota, 1st Edition--1925, Will A. Beach Publishing Company, Sioux Falls, South 
Dakota.)

Under the laws of South Dakota a homestead may consist of land inside of town 
plats of not more than one acre with one dwelling house and appurtenant 
buildings. Outside of a platted town it may be 160 acres in one tract or several 
contiguous tracts. It is liable only for the purchase price and the taxes, 
unless voluntarily encumbered by the owners. A conveyance requires the execution 
of both husband and wife. The proceeds of the sale of a homestead are exempt 
from execution while restrained as such and may be invested in another homestead 
(Code 449-69). Settlers sometimes sold their rights to their land before they 
finished proving up. This could be done only at the land office after the 
improvements were made, and was known as relinquishment.

The U. S. Homestead Act became law at midnight on the morning of Jan. 1, 1863. 
The first homestead entry in the U. S. was made by Mahlon Gore at the U. S. Land 
Office at Vermillion, at the striking of the clock of the hour when the laws 
became effective.

There were three general methods by which settlers could obtain title to 
government lands in territorial day: by pre-emption, by which the purchaser was 
entitled to purchase land after six months settlement upon it, the price being 
$1.25 per acre; by homestead, through which he obtained patent to his quarter 
section of land at the end of five years during which time he had to build a 
house, dig a well, break ten acres, fence a specified amount, and actual 
residence upon it; and by timber culture entry which required him to plant and 
successfully cultivate ten acres of timber upon his quarter section.

In the days of the great boom of the late eighties, many undertook and succeeded 
in availing themselves of all these rights, going into an area of public domain, 
the claimant would file a pre-emption and settle upon it, at the same time 
filing a timber entry upon an adjacent quarter section. At the end of six months 
he paid for his pre-emption and at once filed a homestead claim upon another 
quarter. Frequently he was able to secure all three quarters contiguously. 
Chiefly, the government's title to all of South Dakota was eliminated through 
these processes. Another means of acquiring land was through Squatters' Rights. 
Settlers could go to the land office and get a permit, to graze stock on 
government land. They had to put up a length of fence and some kind of a 
shelter. After using the land for a time they could claim it. Others settled on 
land before the government survey and claimed it through squatters' rights. This 
was a crooked way some people acquired title to large tracts of land.

Indians were issued certificates known as Sioux Script which were exchangeable 
for government land or commodities at the government agency store. Unscrupulous 
people cheated the Indians out of their script, in some cases for as little as a 
drink of liquor, and used it to obtain more land.

For the convenience of settlers, the first land office where filings and final 
proof could be made was at Vermillion. Subsequently it was moved to Yankton. 
Soon after a land office was opened at Sioux Falls and a little later one at 
Springfield. For the Brown County area the first office was at Fargo, then at 
Watertown, and finally one was opened at Aberdeen. The Aberdeen office was 
located where the Municipal Building now stands. Offices were set up at Huron, 
Pierre, Chamberlain, Rapid City, Lemmon, Timber Lake, and Belle Fourche. The 
Sioux Falls office was moved to Mitchell and ultimately to Gregory where the 
Chamberlain office was consolidated with it. As the titles to the lands were 
perfected, all of the offices east of the Missouri, together with the Gregory 
and Timber Lake offices were consolidated with the Pierre office. At this date 
(1925) there remains only the Pierre office in which the business and records of 
all the other offices are concentrated.

(This material was taken from "The Sod House Frontier," 1954-1890, by Everett 
Dick, 1954, Johnson Publishing Company, Lincoln, Nebraska.)

When the northwest came into its own with the election of Abraham Lincoln in 
1860, free land was assured. The Homestead Bill became a law May 20, 1862. It 
provided that any person who was the head of a family, or who had arrived at the 
age of twentyone years, and was a citizen of the U.S.A., or who had never "borne 
arms against the government or given aid or comfort to its enemies" was entitled 
to 160 acres of land in certain areas, or eighty acres if taken in more 
favorable locations. For example, only eighty acres would be taken within a 
railroad grant. A fee of $18.00 was charged for each 160 acres; $14.00 was paid 
on making application and the balance when final proof was made. From the date 
of the first application, usually called filing, six month was allowed to make 
improvements. On or before the expiration of that time, the homesteader had to 
be on the land and begin improvements. He was further required to make it his 
permanent residence for five years from the date of his first papers. Any time 
after that date the homesteader could take out his final papers, provided, 
however, that he did it within seven and one-half years after filing. This final 
process consisted of giving evidence that the conditions had been fulfilled. If 
the evidence was satisfactory, a patent was granted on the testimony of two 
witnesses. This last formality was called "proving up".

Later legislation made certain exceptions in the case of soldiers, but only 
minor changes in the policy. One such change allowed war veterans to apply their 
service time in the army to the residence time required for proving up on a 
homestead. Another amendment allowed an ex-soldier of the Civil War who had 
served nine months to take 160 acres of land within the limits of a railroad 
grant whereas all others could take only eighty acres. The first homestead in 
the U. S. under the Homestead Law was taken by Daniel Freeman on Jan. 1, 1863 
near Beatrice, Nebraska. Freeman, a Civil War soldier, was on furlough and had 
to rejoin his regiment, consequently, the other claimants allowed him to file 
first.

[P16]

JUDICIAL HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY

by Van Buren Perry

The Judicial History of the land now embraced within Brown County is 
interesting.

Originally it was subject only to whatever justice might result from the force 
of arms or from the tribal councils of the Indians. Then came the claims of 
white men to this area, and with each such claim there went the technical 
assertion of a judicial forum and a legal system.

This area was claimed by France in April, 1682. It was ceded to Spain by the 
Pact of Paris in 1763, and was ceded by Spain back to France in 1800. Presumably 
courts sitting in Paris and Madrid at one time would have claimed jurisdiction 
of any disputes arising in this country between white men, had there been white 
men invoking such jurisdiction. Since the French were the first to colonize the 
Northwest Territory, it is possible that under their sovereignty there may have 
existed some military or civil court at New Orleans or Saint Louis which once 
had technical jurisdiction over this area.

In 1803 this territory was ceded to the United States by the Louisiana Purchase. 
Dakota Territory was organized by the Act of Congress of March 2, 1861. Prior to 
that time the need for judicial machinery was largely if not entirely 
theoretical, for the federal government to acquire peaceable possession by 
treaty from the Indian tribes. What may roughly be described as the western half 
of this county was ceded to the government by the Indians by the Treaty of 
Laramie, negotiated in 1868 and 1869; and the eastern half was ceded in 1873.

From the date of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, it seems that the land within 
what is now Brown County was part of Missouri, although Volume 1 of the 
Historial Society Reports indicates that we were attached to Indiana shortly 
after the Louisiana Purchase. It also appears that this area was detached from 
Indiana and was attached to the State of Michigan, where it remained until 1836, 
when Michigan assumed its present boundaries and was admitted to statehood. This 
area then became a part of Wisconsin for two years, but in 1838 we were 
transferred by Act of Congress and attached to the State of Iowa and remained 
under its jurisdiction until 1849, when we were again transferred and attached 
to the State of Minnesota. The west river country was attached to Nebraska. 
Evidently Minnesota did not relish the responsibility, for she relinquished the 
western area and in 1858, when Minnesota was admitted to statehood, its western 
boundary was established where it now is and this area was pushed out into the 
cold. For about three years thereafter we were an orphan, attached to no state 
or territory and under no jurisdiction whatever. During this time we were known 
only as "The Land of the Dakota."

By the Act of Congress approved March 2, 1861, providing a temporary government 
for the Territory of Dakota, comprising all of North Dakota, South Dakota, 
Montana, and 5 parts of Wyoming and Idaho. We lost Montana, Wyoming and Idaho in 
1863. In 1864 Wyoming was given back to us. It was provided that the judicial 
power of the Territory should be vested in a Supreme Court, District Courts, 
Probate Courts and Justices of the Peace; the Supreme Court to consist of a 
Chief Justice and two associates. The Territory was divided into three judicial 
districts, and it was provided that one of the Justices of the Supreme Court 
should hold a term of District Court in each district at such time and place as 
might be provided by law. As occasion might require, the three justices, sitting 
together, were to meet and act as a Supreme Court and pass upon appeals taken 
from judgments within the several districts. The Supreme Court judges were to be 
appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate, and to hold office for 
four years. The Governor was empowered to define the judicial districts and 
assign the judges thereto when appointed, and the judges were required to 
maintain their places of residence within their respective districts. The 
Governor was empowered to appoint the times and places for holding of court in 
the districts, but the legislature, when convened, was authorized to alter the 
jurisdiction, assign the judges and designate the times and places of holding 
court.

The first Chief Justice appointed was Philemon Bliss, and the Associate Justices 
were George P. Williston and Joseph L. Williams.

Brown County was created by Section 15, Chapter 12 of the Session Laws of 1879. 
The same legislature provided that it should be within the Second Judicial 
District, and that the District Court, when exercising the powers appertaining 
to the District and Circuit Courts of the United States, should sit at Yankton 
on the first Tuesdays of April and November. The Second District embraced most 
of the eastern half of what is now South Dakota, lying east of the Missouri. In 
1881 the legislature authorized the judge of the District Court to create 
subdivisions of the District.

In 1882 Alonzo J. Edgerton became Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and trial 
judge of the Second District. The first entry that appears in the minutes of the 
court of this county occurs on February 8, 1883, when Judge Edgerton made an 
order that the counties of Brown, Edmunds and McPherson be a subdivision of the 
Second Judicial District, and that the District Court for said subdivision 
should be held at the county seat of Brown County at such time as the court may 
appoint.

The first term of court in this county was held at Columbia March 14, 1883, 
Judge Edgerton presiding. It appears that the only business transacted was the 
naturalization and admission to citizenship of one Alfred Wilson, and admission 
of one Clarence E. Grimm as a practicing lawyer.

The next session of court was held pursuant to order of Judge Edgerton, issued 
at Yankton on January 24, 1884 and the term, designated an "additional special 
term" was held on January 25, 1884. At this hearing the following persons were 
admitted to practice among others: E. T. Taubman, J. H. Perry and John E. Adams.

[P17]

The first general term was held at Columbia commencing October 20, 1884. This 
was the first general term there being both a grand and petit jury. Judge Seward 
Smith presided. The order for the term was dated from his then residence at "Old 
Ashton", Spink County.

At the opening of the term Albert W. Campbell was admitted to practice, and 
later in the term S. H. Cranmer. The term adjourned on November 26, 1884, having 
lasted more than a month. After the preliminary call of the calendar 
approximately 50 demurrers and motions testing pleadings were argued, occupying 
the first four days. Five and Ten Dollar terms were usually imposed upon the 
unsuccessful party. Great technicality was evidently required. After many cases 
had been eliminated by calendar motions, there remained 43 civil jury cases, 15 
court cases and a large number of criminal cases. Nearly all cases were tried 
and evidently hotly contested. There were also a number of naturalizations and 
default divorces, foreclosures and the like.

The first jury case tried was a suit to replevin a yoke of oxen valued at 
$152.00.

Among the first of the indictments returned by the grand jury were presentments 
against one Molly whose true name was unknown, and also against one Blanche 
whose true name was likewise unknown. I assume that the first names of these 
defendants were not unknown to sundry buckaroos of the day as the defendants 
were charged with the promiscuous and unlicensed sale of intoxicating liquors. 
Although Molly entered a plea of guilty the court nevertheless ordered the case 
dismissed, and an equally generous jury found Blanche not guilty.

It is interesting to note that a number of the civil suits involved the James 
River Navigation Company which then furnished regular steamboat freight and 
passenger service from the Port of Columbia to the Ports of Oakes, LaMoure and 
Jamestown.

The grand jury severely condemned the then existing jail, finding that nearly 
all persons who have been held or attempted to be held therein had escaped 
therefrom. The recommended the construction of a new jail, but no jail building 
was ever constructed in the county until the present building was constructed 
more than 35 years ago at a total cost of $7450.00.

The next general term of court was held in July, 1885, Judge Seward Smith 
presiding, at which 60 jury cases appear to have been set for trial.

The next jury term was held January 20, 1886, Judge L. K. Church presiding. It 
will be remembered that Judge Church later became Territorial Governor. Again 
there was a heavy calendar with a large number of demurrers and motions testing 
the pleadings.

The grand jury, after returning many indictments, addressed a resolution to the 
Board of County Commissioners declaring that a great proportion of the 
disbursements of county funds in court expenses could be traced to the liquor 
traffic and recommended that such traffic be suppressed, and requested the 
Commissioners to issue no more licenses "and thus save to the citizens of this 
county a large amount of taxes, misery and crime." The jury returned indictments 
in about a dozen cases of violation of the liquor and gambling laws and a number 
of aggravated assaults.

At this term or before, C. N. Harris was admitted to practice, but I do not find 
the date in [t]he minutes.
 
During 1886 and 1887 Judge Church and Judge Spencer held a number of regular and 
special terms of court at which much business was dispatched.

By the Act of March 3, 1885, Congress had increased the number of Justices of 
the Supreme Court from 3 to 6, and 6 trial districts had been created, this 
county being placed in the 5th.

On October 17, 1888, Louis W. Crofoot was appointed an Associate Justice of the 
Supreme Court and was assigned as trial judge of the 7th District. Judge Crofoot 
held a term lasting from October 26, 1888 until March 18, 1889, nearly five 
months.

The following year the Territory was divided and admitted to statehood and in 
the first election, A. W. Campbell was elected Judge. This marked the separation 
of the trial and Supreme Court judgeships. The Court of 1889 froze the salaries 
of Judges.

There have been many able and distinguished jurists upon the Bench of this 
Circuit.

Judge Campbell served from 1889 to 1901 and was succeeded by Judge J. H. McCoy 
who served from 1902 until 1908. Judge Frank McNulty served from 1909 to 1913. 
Judge Thomas L. Bouck served from 1914 until he was stricken on the Bench 
conducting a term of Court at Aberdeen. He died March 1, 1919 and Judge Frank 
Anderson was appointed to succeed him, serving from 1919 to 1921 when he was 
appointed to fill a vacancy in the Supreme Court. The vacancy left by Judge 
Anderson was filled by the appointment of Judge B. A. Walton. The following 
election returned Judge Walton, to the Bench, and upon his retirement to private 
practice in February, 1923, Judge Robert D. Gardner was appointed and served 
until December, 1930.

As a result of the increasing amount of Judicial work an additional judgeship 
was authorized in 1926. Judge J. J. Batterton was appointed as the additional 
Judge, serving from 1926 to 1928. Judge Howard Babcock succeeded Judge Batterton 
in 1926, and Judge Van Buren Perry succeeded Judge Gardner in 1931. judge Harold 
King succeeded Judge Babcock.

Judge James D. Elliott, who served with great distinction upon the United States 
District Bench for many years, was one of the prominent and active lawyers in 
this county. The Bar of this county has included many eminent lawyers who never 
sought judicial position, but who have neverthless rendered great service in 
legal lines. James M. Brown served as a member of the Commission which made the 
recodification of 1903, and the late G. N. Williamson served upon the Commission 
which produced the Code of 1919.

This county always has been and is today well supplied with a competent and 
reliable Bar.

[P18]

THE NETTIE BALDWIN

(This account compiled from the History of Ludden--written by Mrs. F. M. 
Folsom.) (Loaned by Groves Baldwin, Ludden, North Dakota, to his friend--R. E. 
Huffman of Aberdeen, South Dakota.)

The Steamboat, the Nettie Baldwin, went up the James river from Columbia to 
LaMoure, North Dakota on Thursday, April 17, 1884 and navigation was opened for 
the second season.

The Steamer left Columbia at 9 a.m. and arrived at Port Emma (later Ludden, 
Dakota Territory) at 3 p.m. for its regular schedule.

The freight rates were: Lumber $3.00 per M.; Coal $3.00 per ton; Mdse. 15¢ to 
25¢ per 100 pounds; Passengers $1.50, round trip $2.50.

On June 5, 1884, the Nettie Baldwin left Port Emma, at 10 o'clock in the 
morning, with an excursion party on board, bound for an outing at Columbia, the 
far famed city situated in the banner county of Dakota and the seat of 
government for Brown County.

The party consisted of Mrs. B. A. Raleigh, Mrs, T. T. Crandall, Mrs. Charles 
Walker, Mrs. W. S. Booth. The Misses Squire, Jennie Williams, Anna Coukrite, 
Jennie Graham, Cora Divendorf, William E. Ellis, T. T. Crandall, J. M. Horning, 
Franklin Squires, W. C. Calhoun, Thomas S. Smith, Charles F. McDonald, E. J. 
Scott, J. F. Couch, Dr. Bassett, Robert Walker, Warren Jeu Devine, Mr. Mallory 
from Port Emma, and Mrs. Burrington, Miss Lily Groves and Fred Sinclair from 
Eaton.

These comprised the party of excursionists who sailed upon the bosom of the deep 
river, the James, for two days of unalloyed pleasure.

The scenery along the banks of the river was not very interesting, except for 
the many fine farms and houses, until they reached Sand Lake, a lovely sheet of 
water, four miles long and two miles wide, skirted by trees of various sizes 
from the undergrowth of willows to trees twenty feet in height.

Sand Lake is one of the loveliest spots in Dakota and will probably become a 
famous summer resort. Upon the west bank the town of Pectoria is already platted 
for town lots.

On the trip down the river, ice cream, cake and sandwiches were served for the 
sum of 25 cents.

After a steamboat ride of sixty miles upon the winding Jim, the party embarked 
at Columbia, where they were courteously received by a committee of citizens 
headed by George M. Lyon, on hand to meet his many Pioneer friends from Port 
Emma.

The party was taken to the Grand Hotel where Captain Pontine of the Nettie 
Baldwin had made arrangements with the Columbia committee for many special 
courtesies for the visitors.

A dancing party was given in the Jackson and Savage fine new hall.

The efforts of the Columbia people to entertain the visitors were much 
appreciated and many pleasant friendships were formed.

Lemonade and cake were served on the return trip. Thanks were extended to 
Captain Pontine for a most enjoyable and very unique outing.

[P19]

THE PRAIRIE

(From the diary of Adene Williams (1883))
Reviewed by Mrs. Clara Strohmeier Clark

Left home on Tuesday evening for what so far has proved a unique experience. To 
begin with at 3 o'clock a.m. there was a fearful jar which awakened every one in 
the sleeper, and on peeping out of the curtain, it was not at all re-assuring to 
see a vivid light which seemed almost a blaze at the end of the car. But, as it 
proved, there had been nothing worse than a broken down engine which had no 
worse effect than delaying us five hours in reaching Chicago, which however, 
made us lose just thirty six hours time before we reached Columbia.

I, however, took advantage of the delay to go to the office of the Chicago and 
Northwestern to get my ticket extended, not knowing how things might terminate. 
Then I went around to the stores and bought some thermometers, heedless of the 
fact that "they'll be lower by and by." Then I had my dinner and a very good 
one, too, with strawberries and cream for dessert. Then I walked over to 
Lakeview Park--so called--wandered around there aimlessly for a few minutes when 
I heard a voice cry, "All Aboard" and saw a little excursion steamer just ready 
to start for the long wooden pier a little way out in the lake. So with my duck 
like fondness for water, I got on. Found it exceedingly pleasant and interviewed 
a fisherman or two, promenaded the length of the "crib" and back and then took 
the next boat for land as by this time it was getting quite late. I took my way 
depot wards, being pretty exhausted, I stretched out on a lounge in the ladies 
room, and, in spite of the flies, was soon asleep.

The train left at 8:45. In the morning I made acquaintance of a bright young 
lady who, with her sister, had spent nine months in Europe, part of the time 
they had traveled alone. We had breakfast together and came back through the 
immigrant car--such a crowd! At Winona, Minnesota my friend left and the 
sleeping car was taken off the train there too. We went as far as Huron, Dakota, 
where we had another eight hour wait. By this time I had become well acquainted 
with a Mrs. S. who was also bound for Columbia. Mrs. S. had many troubles both 
domestic as well as personal, a bright jolly little person with a fifteen month 
old baby, a darling baby. We finally reached Columbia on Friday evening, having 
been three whole days on the way, just a third again as long as we should have 
been. I was not at all tired, having been more so previously on a 100 mile 
journey.

We had supper at once, and were pleasantly surprised by Mrs. Caldwell coming to 
the dining room and visiting with us while we were eating. Columbia is the 
terminus of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad. Columbia is not a year old 
and has 250 buildings several of which have stores in which one can shop quite 
nicely if necessary, two large hotels and even a restaurant. All of the houses 
for strangers are continually filled, so much so, that one wonders where so many 
people come from and thinks with Mrs. Carlysle, "Strange, upon my honor!"

The first question one person asks another is where are you from? Wandering into 
a store, I was greeted by the proprietor with the usual question. Upon receiving 
my reply, he said, "Why I am from Ohio, too. We like to see Ohio people get out 
here." We then shook hands and were sworn brothers. Everyone here talks 
business, the ladies equal with the gentlemen and there is a sort of hail good 
fellowship existing between them which is rather pleasant than otherwise, 
particularly as the men do not lose their gallantry in hailing one as a man and 
brother from a business standpoint.

It was somewhat amusing to see the ladies who having come to meet their 
husbands, stranded at the hotel, with said husbands out on the prairie perhaps 
20 miles away and no way to reach them or even send word to them. One poor lady 
from Maine, evidently unused to travel and the ways of the wicked world, waited 
a week which must have seemed an eternity to her as she seemed to be provided 
with nothing in the way of reading or sewing. She was beginning to get 
desperate, and threatened to leave for home again the next day, but on that day 
he came and they drove away triumphantly behind a team of mules.

Always in the ladies parlor, was the same question asked, "And what brought you 
here?" "Oh, I don't know," answered one lady, "I came to the end of the railroad 
and had to stop. Then I bought a couple of lots and put up a house and store. My 
store rents for $400 a year and I shall have 2 rooms to spare which will bring 
me $100 more." "Well," sair Mrs. No. 2 rocking herself furiously back and forth 
in a way that struck me as odd. "You will be making 25 per cent at least on your 
investment." But Mrs. No. 2, a wealthy widow, who unlike the lady from Maine, 
was used to both travel and the ways of the wicked world being asked in her 
turn, "And what brought you here?" replied somewhat with the wisdom of the 
serpent "Oh! a number of things," which left her questioner no wiser than 
before.

On Monday we arose at six o'clock, expecting the boat, the "Nettie Baldwin" to 
start that morning at 8:00 o'clock, but finally they said that it would not go 
until 10:00 a.m., then not until 12:00 noon, and at last, the wind increasing, 
that they would not be able to go at all that day as the wind would blow them 
ashore.

In the morning Mrs. S. and I started for the lake to fish, but really the wind 
was so strong that it almost blew us back and certainly blew us out of the 
notion of going. In the afternoon Mrs. C. invited me into her little sitting 
room and showed me her Japanese quilt, many of the blocks hand painted, think of 
it! In a new country and even a new town!

After we had gone into the parlor a young lady came in from the prairies with 
her father and brother, they had taken up 7 claims all together. All of the talk 
is claims and shanties. They don't pretend to call them anything else. She said, 
"Don't you think that the man working for Cora killed himself in her shanty, she 
says that she will never step inside of it again." She and I had a tete-a-tete 
conversation just before the supper.

They had left a pleasant home, sold nearly all of their furniture and came out 
to speculate as everyone else had. She said, "Our dining room table wouldn't go 
into the house, and the castor got

[P20]

broken, and when company comes I am so ashamed. But when I see how much more 
comfortable we are than so many others are who have come out here, I am ashamed 
to complain. But don't you get lonely?" "Oh, no, I can't say I do. Minerva and I 
are kept busy with the housework and then I have my fancy work with me and I 
manage to keep too busy to get blue or lonely, and then I write to all of the 
girls and get letters from them." Then she talked of her convent days until Mrs. 
C. came for her to go to supper. Would I go down with them? But I declined with 
thanks as Mr. and Mrs. S. always came for me. After supper we went up beyond the 
"Mill Dam" to fish. Had very good success and when the carriage came back for 
us, we went home feeling quite triumphant. Mrs. C. and I then went to see about 
the boat and were told that it would go without fail on Tuesday. I had been 
quite anxious to see Miller and Wells. The trip up the James River was decidedly 
amusing, when I reached the boat at 8 in the morning the captain came and took 
my bag, in the way of boats in older places. Quite an old wonderful jolly 
gentleman was standing there to see us off and as I was looking at him from the 
dock said, "Seems good to see a steam boat out here. It reminds one of the 
'Albany Steamers'." Bye and bye the load was on and they prepared to shove off. 
The old gentleman, in the meantime nodding and smiling at me at each stage of 
the proceedings.

In the meantime a party of 4 or 5 gentlemen had gathered on the shore to see 
someone on the boat off. They all bantered the gentlemen on the boat, "Don't 
stand on one side of the boat like that, get in the middle. Don't you see you 
are tipping it over, here help push, etc. I'm not a deck hand, etc." Finally 
they got up the steam and the boat was under way. But not so fast! It refused to 
leave the shore more than two or three feet. Then they used a long iron rod as a 
lever and tried to push it out as they would a little row boat, still in vain. 
Finally the captain and all the crew had to get off and push, those on shore 
still bantering. But finally we were really off and the old gentleman waved his 
hand to me and made me feel as if I had left home.

The wind was not only strong but cold, and I went into the little cabin to get 
my shawl and waterproof while a gentleman near me, who looked like a Spaniard, 
drew his storm coat around his--what shall I say?--legs, upon my honor! By now 
we were all inside the small cabin.

By and by Miss _____ proposed going on the hurricane deck, for our little 
steamer had all of the fixins of a larger one. So all of the passengers agreed, 
and there we laughed and joked and did all of the silly things that people do in 
a very high state of spirits.

As we approached a landing, Senator L. said "That's a horrible place," Miss 
_____ looked a little queer and Mr. L. added, "Does anybody here get off there?" 
And Miss _____ said, meekly, "Yes sir I do!" "Well I really beg your pardon, I 
don't mean to says its a horrible place, only the last time I came down we ran 
aground here, and I had to push my daylights out to help get the boat off 
again."

The explanation was accepted, the boat made a landing, the plank was thrown out 
and Mr. L. assisted her to the shore and a gentleman came out from the little 
shanty which constituted the "Village", and took her bag. By now it was lunch 
time, I had not thought to bring any, said I in dismay! Mr. L. said, "The waiter 
put me up a lunch this morning, if you will permit me to go get it I shall be 
delighted to share it with you." During the tete-a-tete lunch, he told me about 
his wife (a Townsend girl) an elegant little lady, at least I think so, and his 
one son Burke Lyons, showed me their photos etc. Then proceeded to tell me all 
about his wealth, his hunting trips, etc., his happy domestic life, culture, 
political honors, etc. Then he explained about his chronic poor health, 
neuralgia and what not. Finally he went below deck finding both the sun and wind 
too strong for him. The boat glided lazily along the narrow stream until we came 
to the lake which really deserved its name. The boat had to stop from time to 
time to clear the grasses and moss from the machinery and wheel.

The next place to land was Eaton, and Mr. L. prepared to land. In the meantime 
we counted the inhabitants of Eaton, there were 7 dogs, 5 or 6 children, two 
ladies and one man. We went on and soon we were at our destination. It had taken 
me seven days to get to my destination.

The Nettie Baldwin was a small boat, 65 feet long and 18 feet wide, had a deck 
and cabin where one could get in for shelter from the sun and wind and rain.

The Nettie Baldwin was named for the wife of Major M. R. Baldwin of Minneapolis, 
Minnesota. It was the only steam boat which carried freight on the James River 
from Columbia, Brown County Territory to La Moure, Dakota Territory.

Built by Captain Wilson in 1881, Mr. Wilson was the father of Robert and 
Elizabeth Connell.
The first trip to La Moure was in May 1882. The boat was enlarged to measure 80 
feet long by 20 feet wide in 1885. The Nettie Baldwin made its last trip up the 
river June 19, 1886. The captain of the Nettie Baldwin was a man by the name of 
Captain Pontine.

On November 8, 1879 in the County of Stutsman, Dakota Territory, the articles of 
ownership and use of the boat were incorporated by the stockholders of the 
Dakota or James and Elm River Navigation Improvement and Transportation Company 
of Dakota Territory. This meeting was held at the office of M. S. James in 
Minneapolis, Minnesota. Stockholders present in addition to Mr. James included 
Mr. W. M. Baldwin and John W. Bingham.

Another steam boat on the James River was named "The Wanderer." The last 
steamboat making "pleasure runs" between Oakes, North Dakota and LaMoure as late 
as 1914. Captain A. W. Alexanderson of Tacoma Park was its builder and skipper.

[P21]

COLUMBIA TOWNSHIP

REMINISCENCES OF EARLY COLUMBIA TOWNSHIP

by T. M. Elliott

[Photo: Town Plat of Columbia in 1883.]

The first white settlers in Columbia Township were Clarence Johnson, Bill and 
Hattie Young who arrived in August, 1877. In the spring of 1878, Ole, Ben, and 
John Everson, Nate Johnson and some other settled along the east bank of the 
James River and by 1880 settlers were arriving in greater numbers, including 
George B. Daly, John Daly, Francis Elliott, the McGregor family, Satterlee's, 
Tom Murphy, Flanders, Brewsters, Kanalys, and let us not forget the missionary 
work of Father Haire. In those days it was necessary to make a 110 mile trip 
(each way) to Watertown, South Dakota for flour and other food supplies and 
these trips were made by ox teams or horses if you had them. Mail was delivered 
from Jamestown, North Dakota.

[Photo: Clare Johnson and Nathan Johnson]

There must have been lots of buffaloes slightly before this 1880 settlement five 
miles north of Columbia as the bank of the "Jim" river there was covered with 
buffalo bones and horns that could be polished to a high luster and amongst the 
bones occasionally arrowheads, evidence that they had been killed by Indians. 
The first fifty cents the writer ever earned was made by heaping up these bones 
in piles where they were carted off in wagons. Not bad pay for a kid of seven in 
the "80's".

[Photo: Mrs. Hattie Young Gruenwald, second from right, the first white woman 
who came in 1878. Her husband, Gus Gruenwald at right.]

Also showing a phase of the eternal triangle is

[P22]

the recollection of a squaw carrying a papoose stopping over night in our long 
sod house. She was from a Devil's Lake, North Dakota reservation, armed with a 
butcher knife, and in pursuit of her boy friend who had eloped with another 
squaw and going to another reservation near Yankton, South Dakota, a mere "trek" 
of 500 miles or more arid carrying the baby on her back.

Tom Marshall, later U. S. Senator from North Dakota, surveyed Columbia Township 
in the early "80's" and his camp is remembered, about five miles north of the 
town of Columbia.

[Photo: First house in Brown County built in 1878 by Clare Johnson.]

The site of the town of Columbia in Columbia Township was selected because of 
its picturesque environment, situated at the confluence of the James and Elm 
rivers and the then beautiful Lake Columbia. The river was dammed and a flour 
mill established by Friel or William Townsend.

Early business enterprises were the J. D. Lavin grocery and general store, 
Pardee grocery (no credit but he would loan the customer money to pay for their 
groceries), W. A. Burrington men's furnishings, Musser and Bittman general 
store, Andy Stone meat market, the four story Grand Hotel, several saloons, and 
old timers insist that at one time there were seven drug stores and eleven 
hotels, possibly an exaggeration. Also Frank McCaw had a jewelry store as did 
Charlie Holcomb. Adene Williams had a "novelty" store, Ed McCoy and William 
Gilfoy each in machinery business, J. H. Jackson hardware store, William 
Schliebe and a Mr. Foy, blacksmiths, and John Caskin, groceries and general 
merchandise.

[Photo: C. W. Atkins home in Columbia built in 1882 and now owned by Mrs. H. H. 
Hoover.]

Other eminent early citizens of Columbia were Charles B. Peck, John R. James, D. 
C. McKenzie, Sam Waters, Harry Hoover, Lyman Turner, Ashmun Loomis, C. E. Corry, 
Charles Baker, H. C. Sessions, William Davidson, (last five were bankers), J. 
Howard Taylor and Dr. Taylor and Dr. Smith, S. P. Comstock, father of Mrs. Sara 
Sidow, Aberdeen, Dennis Crowley, early day lumber and coal dealer, father of 
Mrs. J. E. Kelly, President of Brown County Historical Society, and D. C. 
McKenzie who built the first building in Columbia.

[Photo: J. H. Taylor, first druggist in Columbia.]

Early lawyers included Charles W. Atkins, Isaiah Hunsberger, Pollock Taylor, 
"Judge" Wells, and others.

Columbia's record as county seat of Brown County is something like "on again, 
off again, on again, gone again". It seems that Columbia got the most votes at 
the first election for county seat and then Aberdeen got it away by some means 
after which the court rebuked Aberdeen for its "overzealousness" and restored it 
to Columbia. This writer remembers with great pleasure the triumphant return of 
the county records in horse drawn wagons, this being the second "on again" for 
Columbia. After Aberdeen got it away the second time, Columbia supporters 
settled back in apathetic resignation and refused to prosecute.

During the time Columbia did have the county seat, excitement was stirred up by 
a jail delivery one Sunday morning when Sheriff Charlie Meredith brought 
breakfast to the prisoners and was slugged and five prisoners escaped and fled 
north along the river bottoms, through the tall reeds and rushes but were 
recaptured about six miles from town.

When Columbia had the county seat, the fair grounds and race track were located 
north and east of the city limits.

For diversion in early days there was a rollerskating rink, well patronized, 
excursions as far north as Ludden, North Dakota on the Nettie Baldwin and Fanny 
Peck steamboats, toboggan slides, skating and iceboating on the lake, baseball 
in the summer.

The Columbia "Sentinel", an early day paper, was published by C. E. Baldwin, 
assisted by Frank Elliott, Jr., in the mechanical department. Another early day 
newspaper published when Ordway was aspiring to be the capitol of Dakota 
Territory was the Ordway "Times" edited by Ezra Elliott.

The Grand Hotel, rated to be one of the best hotels west of Minneapolis in those 
days, housed a saloon, a jewelry store, and other business enterprises. After 
various vicissitudes it was finally torn

[P23]

down and rebuilt in Redfield, South Dakota where it is now occupied as the 
Eastern Star Home.

[Photo: The Grand Hotel, built in 1883.]

The James Block, another large office building, was occupied by early 
professional men and also by the Columbia Business College conducted by a 
Professor Hildebrandt. This building was torn down and sold for $700.00, less 
than the glass in the windows cost and transported to Oakes, North Dakota, the 
first floor occupied by stores, and the second as an opera house.

Early County Superintendents of Schools were: C. J. C. McLeod, Reuben Jones, W. 
W. Shaff er and others. Mr. and Mrs. Shaffer taught in the Columbia school and 
after her death in 1889 he left here and later entered the school system of 
Newark, New Jersey, where he eventually rose to be city superintendent of 
schools in Newark, certainly a meteoric advance from Columbia. Many others 
typical of the high class of citizens in early Columbia history rose to 
positions of eminence in the business world, one being Charles A. Baker, broker, 
Washington, D. C., and a few did very well for themselves in Aberdeen and 
elsewhere.

The first bank in Columbia was razed in 1964 and thus another land mark 
disappeared.

THE DIARY OF BEN, JOHN & OLE EVERSON AND WILL HAWS (A BROTHER-IN-LAW)
by Ole Everson

Thursday, March 21, 1878:
Cloudy in the morning, but cleared up about ten o'clock. From Meditio we started 
towards Iberia where we got about evening, after getting lost once or twice and 
roads heavy. We got some eggs at Iberia and camped about one mile west of the 
town.

Friday, March 22, 1878:
Weather clear and pleasant. We traveled on the old government road from Iberia 
to Lamberton along the big cottonwood. Not much settled along the road. Passed 
through Lenewart and another busted up town. Stopped the nite six miles from 
Lamberton on the cottonwood and in the evening I discovered I had lost my watch 
and supposed that I had lost it where we camped for dinner or where, I was 
following the river looking for ducks ten miles back. The next morning it was 
very nice moonlight so I started back and looked every place I had been the day 
before but did not find it and when I got back to camp the boys were gone and I 
had to walk to Lamberton where I got my breakfast after walking about thirty two 
miles. I took the train for Marshall. This was Saturday, March 23, 1878.

Saturday, March 23, 1878:
Weather clear and pleasant. John found my watch. I had lost it the evening 
before feeding the cattle. After I got back from looking for my watch, I took 
the train at Lamberton for Marshall. I passed the boys a little east of town and 
waved my hat at them, and they saw me and knew I was ahead of them. Got to 
Marshall about eleven o'clock and it seemed like home to me after camping.

Monday, March 25, 1878:
Weather clear and pleasant. Filed my tools in the forenoon and made a clothes 
real for Mr. Whitney. After noon I fixed John Hunter's desk or secretary.

Tuesday, March 26, 1878:
Weather clear and pleasant. We built a barn for Mr. Smith.

Wednesday, March 27, 1878:
Windy and cold. Did nothing for the day but filed a saw and started to make a 
corner bracket.

Thursday, March 28, 1878:
Weather pleasant. I made a window frame for John Hunter and made some frames and 
got out
some Cornish for Mr. Bank.

Friday, March 29, 1878:
Weather clear and pleasant. Worked on Mr. Banks house and an awful job it was.

Saturday, March 30, 1878:
Snowed in the morning until nine o'clock and was cold and raw the rest of the 
day. Done nothing all day.

Sunday, March 31, 1878:
Weather clear and pleasant. Went to the Congregational church and Sunday School 
in the forenoon and to something at the Methodist church in the evening.

Monday, April 1, 1878:
Clear but cold. Moved the old shop from the street to the right corner of Mr. 
Gables lot.

Tuesday, April 2, 1878:
Weather clear and pleasant. Done nothing all day but lounge around the town.

Thursday, April 11, 1878:
Weather clear and pleasant after the storm but we did not think it prudent to 
start as the snow was deep and we thought that we had better rest until the next 
day. We were wandering around the lake during the day trying to catch some fish 
but were out of luck, but Ben shot a white brant. There were brants by the 
thousand but wild. We had three visitors in the afternoon. They had camped 
somewhere before the storm but there tent had blowed down and they went over to 
Mr. Lonegays and stayed during the storm. Will and I went to visit
Jewels during the day and found them in a worse condition by far than we were. 
Their cattle were completely gone during the storm and he was living in a shanty 
and it was leaking all over from the

[P24]

snow melting on the top of it. We found him the most surly and disagreeable man 
that I ever met or had anything to do with so did not stay long. We let our oxen 
loose in the morning and they got away from us in the afternoon. We had quite a 
run after them and found them about two miles west of our camp.

Friday, April 12, 1878:
Weather clear and pleasant. I got a fish the first thing in the morning. After 
getting our breakfast and packing up we drove up to Mr. Jewels about a mile and 
a half, where we got 300 pounds of hay for $3.00. He directed us on the road. We 
took our wood along with us from Lake Kampeska. The road was rough and rolling 
all the way the first day until night. We traveled about six miles northwest and 
then struck straight west of the hills. Northwest of Lake Kampeska was full of 
alkaline. lakes and at one where we stopped for dinner, the water was strong and 
bitter. We named it Horseshoe Island Lake on account of its shape. We helped Mr. 
Wagner through two snow banks and broke our chains, then left him. We saw two 
jack rabbits in the afternoon and I shot one. It was the biggest rabbit I ever 
saw. We camped for the night on some lakes we called came station lakes about 20 
miles west of Lake Kampeska where we found plenty of dry wood and water. I think 
the land was good around the lakes with timber enough firewood for a family or 
two.

Saturday, April 13, 1878:
 It snowed a little in the morning and we found the roads heavy on account of 
the snow that fell while we were at Lake Kampeska. It quit snowing about ten 
o'clock in the morning but was blowing the rest of the day. The land and soil 
seemed good for about thirteen miles when it got broken and rough again. When we 
got to a lake we thought could be half way from Lake Kampeska to the James, we 
named it Halfway Lake and then we drove for about twelve miles through hills and 
rough country where we saw the first antelope. We tried to get a shot at them 
but found them wild to get at and did not get a chance at them. We drove on 
until dark expecting to find some suitable place to camp but had to camp in the 
hills for the night.

Sunday, April 14, 1878:
We found an east wind in the morning and cloudy, and it was so all day. About 
eight o'clock we got through the hills and struck the valley of the James river 
but did not know it then. In fact, we had a very slim idea of the river and we 
drove all day west and were greatly puzzled about the land, although we thought 
it good land. Ben and Will said that if the land was a good on the river they 
would take land. It seemed perfectly level and only broken now and then. The 
land north was the same as when we struck the level. We looked in vain for some 
good place to camp on the level. We could not even find a hill to break the 
wind. Saw some antelope during the day and found the ironwork of a buggy. The 
wood of it was burned.

Monday, April 15, 1878:
Weather cold and raw with an east wind. It was my turn to drive the team this 
morning and the boys walked a little ahead. We got to the river about twelve 
o'clock and we drove into the first grove that we came to and it was the first 
time that Ben was in good spirits since we started for the James. After a hasty 
dinner, John and Ben took their guns and went down the river. Will and I stayed 
in camp and did some baking. Will made some biscuits. John and Ben went about 
three miles south and then returned. We had a thunderstorm in the evening with a 
shower of rain, but we were in a dense grove and did not mind it. We stayed 
where we first struck the river until the next morning, all as happy as been and 
well pleased and full of expectation.

Tuesday, April 16, 1878:
Weather clear and pleasant. We broke up our camp and started up the river north. 
We were told there was a large lake with about 700 acres of timber and we were 
going to head for that. There were nice groves all along the river and land that 
could not be best, right up to it. About noon, we got to an Indian village and 
were quite surprised for we did not expect any such thing. I think that we all 
had a queer feeling, although I don't think any of us were afraid. We kept right 
on until we got to a creek that looked bad and we were afraid to try it, but an 
Indian came down and showed us where to cross. We got across without getting 
stuck and then drove up to the village and all the Indians gathered around us. 
It made us feel quite queer for the first time and we kept good care of our 
guns, but very soon got over it. They were quite displeased to see our breaking 
plow, for they knew we were looking for land and they were afraid we would 
encroach on them. They blatted for quite a while around our plow. None of them 
could speak the English language. One motioned toward the sun that it was dinner 
time and we drove over onto the banks of the river and went to getting our 
dinner. They all gathered in a ring around us and one of them saw the violins in 
the wagon and the boys had to play for them. One of the Indians had his face 
painted in stripes. I expect it was war paint.

After the meal was over, they commenced to go back to their tents and we 
prepared to resume our journey. Just as we were leaving the camp, a blanket fell 
off the wagon and we did not notice it, but the Indians commenced to make 
motions and showed us the blanket. One of them went along to show us the road 
and to beg. We gave him some flour and he carried it in his blanket, a greasy 
old looking thing, and we gave him some money as he was the one that showed us 
where to cross the creek. He went back and another one took us as he wanted some 
butter. He had a good hickory shirt that he wanted to trade off, but we did not 
understand him and supposed that he wanted to carry it in his shirt or the shirt 
he had with him. When we offered him some, he shook his head and we decided it 
was not butter he wanted, but he wanted more, but as we did not understand him, 
we put the butter back and he went through the greatest motions that I ever did 
see to get us to understand what he wanted. He went along with us until almost 
night then went back. We went down on the river to camp for the
night. It was very pretty land and some good timber where we camped.

[P25]

Wednesday, April 17, 1878:
It rained some during the night and in the morning. John and I started about 
north and left Will and Ben with the wagons. Our intentions were to find Sand 
Lake which we thought must not be far distant. We took our guns and some 
biscuits in our pockets and started about ten o'clock in the morning and 
traveled until about one in the afternoon, when we got to a large swamp on the 
river and away north we could see timber and we started for it. When we got 
there it was a bend of the river and about three miles to the north seemed to be 
some heavy timber and we supposed it was the Lake and made for it. We got to it 
about sun down and in a shower of rain. We were quite wet when we got there and 
cold and you might expect we were delighted to find a nice shanty with a fire 
place and lots of wood and we also found some piles of logs thrown together and 
they had been cut by whites. As we had no ax to cut wood, we got long poles and 
as the fire place was opposite the door, we put one end of them in the fire and 
kept pulling them along as they burned.

The land and the lay of it was first rate. We supposed that the lake was a 
little ways ahead and we would go to it in the morning and then return to camp 
and the wagons. We laid down on some poles for the night as the floor was damp 
and everything wet outside after the rain.

Thursday, April 18, 1878:
Weather pleasant with showers in the afternoon. We started north early in the 
morning and about one thirty we were in sight of some huts and supposed they 
were Indian, but getting nearer, they looked more civilized and we found they 
were across the river. Seeing a man we hailed him and found there were four 
whites living there. They told us it was twelve miles up to the lake and no 
timber but we might go up and see for ourselves. We went on until we got to the 
lake but found nothing there so turned back and stopped with the boys for the 
night. We had antelope meat for dinner and it was splendid eating. We found them 
very pleasant boys. They had come over from the Missouri River in August and had 
wintered there. They were bound to have us settle there. Ben Arnold took me 
around in the evening and showed me some land.

Friday, April 19, 1878:
Weather warmer with a south wind. We left the settlers in the morning to go back 
to the wagons. I caught a fish on the way and roasted it.

PRAIRIE PIONEERS
by Madge T. Harris

It was in the spring of 1883 when my parents decided to move to Dakota 
Territory. My father's two brothers and a sister decided to go too and take up a 
claim. The people in the east had heard glowing accounts of the far west and 
there was a general movement to the west about this time.

My father and his two brothers left in late spring for Dakota while mother, my 
brother, and I left for Hackensack, N. J. to visit her relatives before leaving 
for the West. I was just six years old and my brother 4 1/2 years old.

[Photo: Mrs. Madge Taylor Harris]

This gave the Taylor men time to take up land and build the four shanties before 
we arrived. After our visit in New Jersey we came back to our Michigan home in 
Almont to say "good bye" to all the relatives and friends there before going 
west. They all seemed to think that it was a very risky move, especially 
mother's folks in New Jersey. They said we would all be murdered by the Indians 
or frozen to death in the dreadful winters out there. Mother had the true 
pioneer spirit though and was more than ready to go.

I remember the long train trip. We went through S. Paul and on to Aberdeen where 
father met us and from there north to Ellendale. The Taylors had taken up their 
claims not far from Ellendale, about eight miles south of Ellendale. The four 
quarters joining so that the shanties were built near together on the inside 
corner of each quarter of land.

We arrived there in August on the hot prairie, long grass all around us waving 
like a sea in the wind. Each house or prairie shanty as they were called 
consisted of one large room 18 by 20 feet. I remember the pleasant smell of the 
new pine lumber of which they were built. They were simply furnished. The 
carpenters who had helped build them had made beds, tables, chairs, cupboards 
and benches. We were just to live there nine months until they could prove up on 
their claims and they had to plow a certain number of acres.

The men were busy all Fall, first building a dugout barn for the oxen, then 
cutting hay for the winter food for the oxen. Soon there were three or four long 
stacks of hay around which brother and I played.

In October they began plowing their land and sodding the shanties as a 
protection against the cold winter of which they had been warned.

One of the men would drive to town once a week with the wagon drawn by two oxen 
for our groceries and coal for the cook stoves. Each shanty had a large old 
fashioned cook stove which was our only heat in the winter. It was a long 
tiresome trip to Ellendale with oxen. They would start early in the morning and 
get back in time for supper.

When they were plowing the mice were thick. They would scurry from the upturned 
sod.

New settlers were moving in all the time from the midwest and east, and taking 
up claims but they were all located three or four miles from us. One young man, 
who had spent one winter on the prairie and didn't want to spend another there, 
de-

[P26]

cided to go east for the winter and he asked father if he would keep his horse 
for him until spring for the use of it, which father was very glad to do. No he 
could go to Ellendale on horse back quicker than with the oxen. He would bring 
our groceries back in a large flour sack swung across the saddle in front of 
him. Brother and I would eagerly watch for his return as he always brought us 
each a long red striped stick of peppermint candy. Mr. Dean was the name of the 
horse and we always called the horse Daisy Dean.

Just before Christmas they made a trip to town to get more coal and groceries. 
They left early in the morning before daylight and didn't get back until dark. 
It was always great fun to look over the things that they had bought but this 
time there were some packages not for inspection but were quietly laid away on a 
high shelf. There was also a Christmas box from Hackensack, N. J. which was put 
away too until Christmas.

On Christmas morning I awoke early in my trundle bed to see if Santa Claus had 
been there and in the dusk of the early morning I could see my stocking hanging 
on the rafter where brother and I had hung our stockings Christmas Eve, and I 
could see a doll's head sticking out of my stocking. My brother's stocking had a 
toy sticking out of it. I didn't get up for we were told not to get up until the 
fire had been started. A low fire was kept all night but in the morning it had 
to be shaken down and the drafts opened and fresh coal put on and in no time the 
room was warm. We eagerly emptied those stockings and underneath the toy and 
doll there were candies, nuts and an orange. That doll was just what I had been 
hoping Santa would bring me. She had a china head and was all dressed in a blue 
ruffled dress. I named her "Shoo Fly". I don't know why unless it was that in 
the early fall we had so many flies around and mother was always saying "Shoo 
Fly".

Late in February we were invited over to our nearest neighbors (the Faucetts) 
for dinner. We traveled the three or four miles there in our sleigh. They had 
small children and brother and I played out in the snow with them, sliding down 
hills in their sled. The snow was melting day times and freezing at night so the 
hill was very slippery and we went scooting down at a rapid rate. That was the 
first we had played with other children since we left the East. The only thing 
that I remember about the dinner was that the children (six in all) had to wait 
for the second table and that we had dried apple pie. After all that coasting 
out in the invigorating air we were as hungry as bears.

At last Spring came, warm winds. They called them Chinook winds. They melted the 
snow rapidly and water was dripping from the roofs and mud everywhere. The oxen 
had been sold to another homesteader and Mr. Dean had returned from the East and 
taken his horse Daisy Dean to his homestead.

Father and his brother, who was a doctor had gone on to Columbia where they had 
bought a drugstore in that thriving town. We were getting ready to move there. 
Our furniture had come on from Michigan and was stored in Columbia.

One sunny windy day father came driving up from Columbia in a livery rig to take 
us to Columbia. And we said "good bye" to the little sod shanty and all its 
furniture of rude manufacture and started on the way to our new home. The 
weather was cold and mother had wrapped and bundled brother and me up in the 
back seat of the topless rig. As we were driving along at good speed a small boy 
about 10 years old came running out to the road from a homestead. Father stopped 
to see what he wanted and all he wanted to know was whether those were two 
babies in the back seat. We children felt quite insulted.

Columbia was located on the James River said to be the longest unnavigable river 
in the world. A large flouring mill had been built in 1882 south of town on the 
river. The dam which was built for this mill formed Columbia Lake. The mill had 
a capacity of 250 barrels a day.

[Photo: Flour Mill on the James River.]

[Photo: Petition for a fish way in the Mill dam on the James River.]

[P27]

The river was just back of our house about a block or so. My brother and I would 
often run down to the boat landing when we heard the whistle to watch them 
unload. The two days would be there to load and carry any cargo that might be 
there. Often the boat would have excursions on a Sunday up to points north. We 
would watch as the boat sailed off, the railing lined with passengers, and the 
large water wheel at the back tossing up water.

[Photo: Taylor Drug Store with Captain George Pontine, skipper of the Nettie 
Baldwin standing third from the left.]

The Northwestern Ry. had built as far north as Columbia. A large round house was 
built and the train would turn around and go back to Aberdeen the next day. 
Traveling men coming to Columbia had to stop overnight and hire a livery rig to 
go north the next day. That made flourishing business for the hotel and livery 
stables.

There were four churches in town the Congregational, the Baptist, Methodist and 
Catholic. One on each street and the Catholic on the hill near the school house.

A pioneer desiring free land searched out his 160 acre plot and secured it by 
posting a "straddlebrig" adjacent to the quarter section marker. Some filed 
ahead of the government surveyor. Three laths nailed together in a tripod form 
and placed on the site of the claim served as a marker. It straddled the quarter 
section line thus the name. These flimsy signs served notice to others that the 
land had been claimed. The system often led to fraud, "claim jumping" and on 
rare occasions a tragic final judgement upon man's inhumanity to man.

We would often fish from the deck of the old steamer Nettie Baldwin.

The first bridge built in Brown County over the James River was about one half 
mile south east of Columbia.

And in 1885 a large roller skate building was put up and roller skating became a 
favorite pastime. It was run by Hans Gilbertson. They had roller skates of all 
sizes for rent and there were seats all along the side for spectators to watch 
the skaters. Evening was the popular time for skating and the large building was 
well lighted with kerosene lights. Mother and I would frequently go down to 
watch the skaters in the evening. There was always music and some of the skaters 
became fancy skaters. There were a lot of falls too among beginners. I never 
tried roller skating but the place was crowded every evening.

As Aberdeen grew the rivalry for the county seat became worse. At one time they 
came up from Aberdeen at night, entered the Court House and carried all the 
county records to Aberdeen. The fight was on for several years and Aberdeen 
finally won out and became the county seat. This took many people to Aberdeen, 
the railroad town and county seat. More than fifteen large houses were moved to 
Aberdeen.

The Chicago Northwestern Railroad had extended beyond Columbia to towns north so 
that now traveling salesmen after completing their business in Columbia would 
travel on north, which caused a slump in the hotel and livery business.

Many people moved to Aberdeen and Columbia began going down.

There were several years of crop failures and the big flour mill had shut down 
and the mill dam had gone out and with it Columbia Lake. The Nettie Baldwin now 
abandoned was at anchor on the James River just below our place--parts of it 
were disappearing but we still stood on its deck to fish.

[Photo: A June 1897 camping party, including Clare Johnson's son and the Atkins 
boys.]

In October and November we would see flocks of

[P28]

geese flying south. A hunter named Mr. Laton had a little house boat on the 
river where he lived the year round. He use to skin the ducks and geese and tan 
the skins and sell them to the women. There was quite a fad at that time for 
ladies turbans made from geese feathers or duck feathers. My mother had a soft 
goose feather turbin. The town dressmakers would make these feathered skins into 
turbans. Our town had two or three dressmakers and they were kept busy. In those 
days you couldn't buy ready made dresses in stores. You would select your 
material and if you couldn't make a dress you would take it to a dressmaker to 
have it made from the pattern you would choose from the Delineator or some other 
fashion magazine. I can remember standing while a dressmaker fitted me and being 
so fidgity because I wanted to get out to play and it seemed as though she would 
never get through, sticking a pin here and clipping there. Some women went out 
sewing by the day and one time we had a Mrs. Gleason come for a week to sew for 
us. She was a jolly woman and talked all the time she wasn't running the sewing 
machine.

[Photo: First County Commissioners and County Officers, 1883.]

DALY CORNER
Taken From Our Family (Daly-Sullivan)

In 1880, John Daly and his four sons, George, John, Edward and Austin went with 
J. D. Lavin to Watertown, Dakota Territory, which was then the end of the 
railroad. There they bought a team and light wagon, and drove to Columbia. 
George filed on his pre-emption claim two miles east of Columbia, but in order 
to get a tract large enough so that they could all have their farms adjoining, 
they had to go two miles north and seven miles east of Columbia where they 
located.

In order to file on the land, they drove overland to Jamestown, the nearest 
point on the Northern Pacific Railroad, and took the train to Fargo, the land 
office for the district. They filed on the land on April 9, 1880.

The J. C. Daly family donated the land for the school which is named the Daly 
Corner School.

The Thomas Sullivan family from Flint, Michigan, homesteaded south of Daly 
Corner.

The descendants of the original Dalys still live on these original farms.

[Photo: The Daly Corner School built in 1882. Teacherage at the right.]

[P29]

ABERDEEN TOWNSHIP

by Helen J. Bergh

The first settlers came to Aberdeen Township about the year 1880. William Hedley 
was one of
these. He drove from Lucknow, Canada, bringing lumber with him for a house. He 
went back to
Canada in the fall and returned with his family the spring of 1881, settling in 
the northwest part of the township. Another early family was the Kressin 
Andersen's. A grandson, Kristian T. Andersen tells of their coming.

"Kressin Andersen journeyed to the United States, we understand, on the last 
sailing ship to carry a full cargo of Norwegian immigrants to the New World, 
earning part, or all, of the passage for himself and family by serving as ship 
carpenter during the voyage.

Leaving Kristiansand, Norway in the fall, they had a stormy trip, taking about 
nine weeks to make Montreal, Canada, thence to Chicago, and out to Clinton, 
Wisconsin, where they resided for approximately three years, and where Grandma 
Andersen died, and is buried. While there, he worked as a carpenter and 
cabinetmaker.

When some individuals from the Clinton community returned with reports of 
abundant lands in the Dakotas, he determined to locate there. It is an 
interesting detail to note that he built a wagon gear from Wisconsin White Oak, 
the iron work being put on by the blacksmith in Clinton.

In 1880, he, together with his five children, loaded on the Milwaukee Railroad 
and journeyed to the end of the rails, which was Bristol, South Dakota. The 
train was made up almost entirely of immigrants, and, when they unloaded, 
another one of the new settlers, whose name we have lost, had a yoke of oxen and 
a Democrat Wagon. Grandfather had three horses and a heavy wagon. The other man 
had already located his claim, so Grandfather loaned him the heavy wagon to haul 
his goods to his homestead. Grandfather, in turn, hitched up his horses to the 
Democrat Wagon, and drove northwest to look for land.

Locating the homestead which is now part of Gordon Bergh's farmland, driving 
thence to file on the land at the Government Land Office, which, then was 
located in Watertown. Then, back to Bristol, where he reclaimed his heavy wagon, 
loaded up his gear, and drove to the new home, passing the railroad grading 
crews, which, by that time, were working west of Groton.

A sister and her husband, Mr. and Mrs. Soren Olson, had located near what became 
Tacoma Park, S. D., so a stop was made there on the journey.

It is interesting to know that the only tree they found after leaving the James 
River, was a willow tree growing at the base of a tall bank in the curve of 
Foote Creek, about a half-mile north of where they put their claim shack.

Mr. Anderson, at the time of settling in Brown County was a widower with five 
children, and, apparently forty-six years of age. Besides farming, he worked at 
the carpenter trade, being employed in some old-time structures, the original 
building of the Aberdeen Milling Co., Zion Lutheran Church, and a number of 
other buildings.

Andrew, the eldest son, sold his tree claim and removed to Chicago, in about 
1890, where he became a partner in a firm manufacturing office furniture, 
associated with a man by the name of Petersen.

Christian, the third son was an apprentice to D. G. Gallett, to learn jewelry 
and watchmaking. Sometime during the 1890's, he went out to establish a business 
of his own in Cripple Creek, Colorado. Apparently the victim of foul play in 
that gold rush town, he was never heard of again.

Annette, the daughter, married Charles Kreier, and moved to Poinette, Wisconsin.

Emil remained a bachelor, dying in Poinette, Wisconsin about 1944.

Soren, the youngest son, married Marie Engen, living in Brown County all his 
life, and died in Aberdeen in June of 1932."

Verna Merten, still living on her father's original claim, which comprises much 
of the southeast part of Aberdeen, tells of her father's coming.

"In the spring of 1880 John J. Zimmerman, his brother-in-law, Win. F. Sidow, 
both of St. Charles, Minn., and Gustav Merten, of Lomira, Wisc., went to 
Watertown, Dakota Territory, to look over the land offered at the U. S. 
Government Land Office, where they were given instructions as to how to reach 
the area later organized as Brown County. When they came to what became Aberdeen 
Twp. they each chose a quarter of land as a claim. Their mode of travel had been 
by walking, both ways, from Watertown to Aberdeen. Their trail was that of 
buffalo and deer and occasionally they would need to retrace their steps because 
they would have followed a trail ending as a "salt lick". It was the month of 
March, no snow, beautiful weather, prairie grass tall and thick. They found at 
Aberdeen only three tents, presumably those of the surveyors. By October of the 
same year the tents were gone but there were three shacks in their place.

Because of the deep snow many of the settlers found they were not able to go to 
Watertown for supplies, and some nearly starved--1880-81. Mr. Henry Slack was 
one of the earliest of settlers in the Rondell area. When he was an aged man he 
asked to ride with someone who was coming to Aberdeen on business, so that he 
could stop to see his early day acquaintance, Gustav Merten. On seeing him and 
with tears streaming from his eye's Mr. Slack's exclamation was, "Well, Gus, 
it's a lot different than it used to be, those were hard days!"

Jacob Britzius used to have a sod house on his

[P30]

claim southeast of Aberdeen, and the Wm. Sidow children used to like to go over 
there to spend an afternoon or evening. They used to recount the news that had 
come their way, spend some time singing, hear stories of the older folk's 
childhood, pop corn, and if fortunate have a chance to eat an apple, or maybe 
melt maple sugar to eat with a spoon or with bread. Their beverage was probably 
parched wheat, or of the less desirable barley which was somewhat bitter. The 
parched grain was ground fresh each day and was parched or roasted only in small 
quantities. The grain was cleaned by blowing, washed, dried, then a small 
quantity was put in a hot frying pan in which a little butter had been melted. 
The grain was then stirred constantly until nicely browned. Grinding was done in 
a coffee mill, every family had one.

A flour grinding mill was started at Columbia, there was another one at 
Redfield. One could take sacks of wheat, have it ground and sifted for flour, 
middlings and bran, as desired, and pay for this in cash, or the grinding could 
be done on shares. Sometimes the coarsely ground grain was used for a cooked 
breakfast food. Later Aberdeen had a mill also.

Jacob Britzius took title to a quarter section of land in May, 1881. He made the 
trip by walking from Watertown, where the government land office was, with two 
other men. They wanted a hot meal so stopped early near Rondell. Suddenly there 
was a great noise, and they saw Indians across the James River. The Indians made 
a fire, roasted meat, which the hungry men could smell. The horses were hobbled, 
tents were pitched, all with much noise. The men decided to go to bed, early, 
set watch of three hours each, get started early before the Indians could detect 
them. The first watchman woke up after midnight, saw the other two asleep, 
determined to do his watch until morning. When they awoke the sun was high, each 
looked surprised at the other, then across the River to their unwelcome campers, 
but the Indians, like the Arabs, had taken their tents and as silently stolen 
away. The men heard not a sound. It was Drifting Goose and followers.

If there were not chickens enough to carry the family through the year one could 
shoot a prairie chicken or two. There were no game laws nor conservation 
practices except that of the tree claim.

Antelope were sometimes available by good rifle shot, some of the meat was used 
fresh and the rest was pickled or brined, as were pigs and corned as beef, 
sometimes smoked to keep it further.

Occasionally there was a family of bison that wandered away from the larger herd 
and some of the settlers were able to get fresh meat and a fur coat or robe.

During the winter of the big snow, 1880-1881, there were three bachelor settlers 
who finally found it too difficult to twist grass enough to keep three stoves 
hot, so they moved their food supplies to one place where they spent the winter. 
By spring they had left only some flour, syrup and grain to grind for coffee. 
They put their sense of good humor to use by thinking they were having a change 
of menu every meal because they ate bread, syrup and coffee for one meal, then 
had a change next mealtime by having syrup, bread and coffee, the third meal was 
of coffee, syrup and bread.

It was difficult to have fresh fowl on the table so one time the wild geese were 
flying at night. The moon was bright and there was much honking. Hoping that he 
could bring down a bird Gustav Merten took his gun, aimed it into the noisiest 
spot overhead, fired, waited, but nothing happened. There had been disturbance 
among the flying geese. Next morning about 50 feet from the house was a goose. 
Not knowing what brought it there the goose was dressed, found to have been 
shot, so the family ate it.

There were built by the U. S. Government two brick powder houses, one on either 
side of the bridge across the Moccasin Creek, east of Aberdeen, on the section 
line between Sec. 18 and Sec. 19, T 123, R 63. The powder house west of the 
Creek was on the north side of the road and the building east of the Creek was 
on the south side of the bridge. There was kept a supply of powder and shot so 
that the settlers could go there for supplies to make their own shells in case 
the Indians became troublesome. While Drifting Goose was moving along the James 
River and making life miserable for the white people a scout was sent out from 
Fort Sisseton and all settlers were ordered to the Fort. Supplies of powder were 
distributed in case needed on the way. Many had loaded their wagons with food, 
bedding and precious small objects when another scout was sent out that contact 
had been made and await further orders, but the trouble for the time being was 
over.

On May 23, 1883, Mrs. Julius Hasse and her daughter, Emilie Luke, arrived by 
C&NW Ry. at Rudolph, Dakota Territory. On May 24, 1883, Julius Hasse and his two 
sons, George and Otto, arrived with a car of household goods, two horses, a cow, 
some farm implements. There was no snow, the grass was waving 4 ft. tall, the 
sun shone brightly. At St. Charles, Minn., the snow had been 4 ft. deep. They 
were met at Rudolph by Dillman G. Luke, Mrs. Hasse's son, who had come to Dakota 
the previous year, settling in Gem Twp. where the Hasse family also established 
their home.

1881 saw a tremendous influx of homesteaders, particularly after the railroad 
got as far as Aberdeen. Many came by ox team or with horses. Gunder Larson and 
his family came from Drammen, Norway, in May with his son Leonard staying at 
Groton and working on the railroad. His youngest daughter, Susanna, later Mrs. 
A. H. Bergh, resided on the original homestead west of Wylie Park until her 
death in 1962. Following is her account of their coming. "Agents working in 
Drammen, Norway, advertised Dakota Territory as Utopia. My father, Gunder 
Larson, was impressed with the tales of gold and the beauties of the far-off 
land. In April of 1881, I found myself on a combination sail and steamship. As 
the "KATE" left the shores of Norway, we Larsons--seven in all--began wondering 
about our new life. Three weeks later we immigrants were herded off to Castle 
Garden, New York.