Early History of Brown County, South Dakota, pages 126 - 161

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

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[Pxxx].



[P126]

ing machine into West Hanson Township and he was also an organizer of the 
Populist Party.

The St. John's Lutheran Church was organized in 1888. In 1911 they built a new 
church which was destroyed by fire in April, 1955. The present church was moved 
down from James and remodeled. The James Church, known as Trinity Lutheran, was 
organized in 1882, and was discontinued in April, 1955. The majority of its 
members joined the West Hanson Congregation.

The first officers of West Hanson Township were: supervisors, Arthur Dobberpuhl, 
C. F. Zoellner, and Arthur Newman; Clerk, Adolph Nack; treasurer, Gust Barth; 
and assessor, Walter Herron.

J. M. Herron, father of Grace Herron, kept a daily record from 1879 to 1899. In 
it are a good many items of interest. Not only was manual labor cheap in those 
good old days, but so also were babies and marriages. Mr. Herron, as Justice of 
the Peace, performed marriage ceremonies for $2.00 and Mrs. George Dickens, 
mother of Mrs. Deno Erdman, presided at the births of most of those early day 
babies at the tremendous price of $2.00 per baby, and acted as nurse for 
children and grown-ups for many years.

Another low-priced item was wheat which was sold in Groton in the year 1887 for 
46 cents a bushel.

[Photo: Mr. and Mrs. Fred Sueltz and family. Mr. and Mrs. August Sueltz (Anna 
Jaeschke). Both of these families were relatives of Mrs. Radke.]

[P127]

HENRY TOWNSHIP

A few homesteaders had filed on land north of Groton, and along the James River, 
when Charles E. Henry, after whom the township was eventually named, led the 
first large party of land seekers into this area. The group left Greenville, 
Montcalm County, Michigan on April 30, 1880, heading for Jamestown, Dakota 
Territory. After looking over the terrain around Jamestown, where they planned 
to file on homesteads, this party decided to look elsewhere in the James River 
Valley.

Coming south the group arrived in the Groton vicinity on May 30. The land just 
east of the James River was so rich and black that Henry said he was filing on 
land here. Several of his friends filed on homesteads also. Some of the group 
went to the Westport area, and then north, where they took homesteads. Mr. Henry 
built a shack at once, living in it that summer and then built a more 
substantial house in the fall. This early homesteader became the first 
postmaster in Groton when the office opened August 12, 1881.

Mr. and Mrs. William Bowles, homesteaded in Henry Township in March 1881 near 
Chedi Lake. Born in Scotland, the couple were married in Canada, later living in 
New York State, before coming here. The first twins born in Henry Township were 
Fred and Frank Bowles born to this pioneer couple, who lived in a sod house that 
first summer. William Bowles and wife came to Henry Township by train to Bristol 
and drove in a covered wagon from there. In the immigrant car were their four 
horses, machinery and household furniture. That first spring Mr. Bowles plowed 
and planted 18 acres of crop. He was able to buy lumber and build a wooden 
shanty in the fall from his wheat return.

The Holum brothers and Andrew Prestegaard were neighbors in Norway. They came to 
Minnesota in 1879, and two years later to Henry Township where they filed on 
homesteads. The Nels Holum and Andrew Prestegaard families came as far as 
Bristol which was the end of the railroad, and the rest of the way by covered 
wagon. Both men had prosperous farms on which their descendants still live.

[Photo: John Sieh and his wife, Josephine Sieh.]

John Sieh was another early pioneer who came here in 1881 with his wife, 
Josephine, from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. Mr. Sieh who was born in Hamburg, 
Germany, was a sailor, as a young lad, and learned five languages. So he was a 
great help to many homesteaders in filing their claims. The Sieh home was on the 
bank of Chedi Lake, an overflow of the James River. One summer during the 80's 
when the wheat crop failed, some of the settlers went to the Yukon in Alaska to 
mine gold, and Mr. Sieh was among them. He came back to Dakota with interesting 
accounts of the possible prosperity, but then was joined by more prospectors to 
Alaska, and later returned.

Another early settler here was Charles W. Kranhold from Hustisford, Wisconsin, 
who bought a "relinquishment" in April of 1882, south east of the present town 
of James. Mr. Kranhold, a carpenter in Wisconsin, had acquired enough money to 
buy lumber before coming to Dakota Territory. His lumber, yoke of oxen, cows, 
horses, farm equipment and furniture filled three immigrant cars. As soon as he 
acquired the land he built a house, and six weeks later brought his wife and 
children here. Lyman Amsden homesteaded just south of the Kranholds. It is 
interesting to note that the north half of the Earl Meredith home in Groton was 
the small house on the Amsden quarter that was moved to town.

Henry Johnson was another early settler in the township, and William Craig also 
took up land. Mr. Craig taught school at James eight years before buying a 
relinquishment in Riverside Township and with his wife and family moved there. 
Always interested in school, Mr. Craig was a school board member for many years.

Fred Kranhold arrived in Henry Township from Wisconsin, a year later than his 
brother, Charles, and homesteaded in the northern part of the township. He and 
his wife raised a large family. A daughter, Mrs. Charles Pray, lives in Groton.

In 1886 or 1887, Mrs. Henrietta Neuman from Juneau, Wisconsin, came to the 
Groton community and acquired land in Henry Township. Her son, Charles, bought 
the quarter and built the house in which Mr. and Mrs. Algot Johnson now live.

S. B. James and his father were early settlers. When the railroad was built from 
Groton to Aberdeen, the town of James was platted. No one remembers for certain, 
but the town which was quite a flourishing town in the early 1900's was probably 
named after J. D. James.

Two other German homesteaders here were August Wagener, who came in 1881 and 
Carl Wendell, Sr., who came a little later. Both men came from Minnesota 
Junction, Wisconsin. Mr. Wendell lived with Mr. and Mrs. Wagener nearly a mile 
away while he built his shanty and dug a well. Christmas Day of 1882 was a very 
mild day. Both men like to tell how they sat out doors on Christmas Day in their 
shirt sleeves. Peter Wennach who homesteaded just across the road from Fred 
Kranhold, but in Putney Township, was a good friend of

[P128]

these German neighbors. They liked to tell how when he was building his home and 
breaking his ten acres of sod, he slept at night in the wagon with a gun at his 
side. Mr. Wennach's bride lived at the Lietz home also in Putney Township while 
waiting for the new home.

[Photo: Town of James]

A family by the name of Petersen on the east bank of the James River is thought 
to have come in the early '80's but no definite information can be obtained 
about them. Also the Gottlieb Steller family.

This loam-rich township is still a prosperous community and hopes to continue to 
be so.

Philip Adler, born February 22, 1818, had come from Poppenlauer, Germany, with 
his wife and family in 1878, to settle in Wisconsin. He came to Dakota Territory 
in 1879, by way of Watertown, as he was interested in settling in the new land. 
He walked northwestward on the east side of the James River and stopped on the 
S. 1/2 of the N. W. 1/4 of Sec. 26 in dry Chedi Lake bed. There he made a sod 
shelter with sides of sod and the roof of small willow trees and branches cut 
down along the river. He packed and wove in long lake grass between the 
branches, then covered the top with more sod. He also dug a shallow well for 
drinking water. He went back in spring to Wisconsin to tell others of the rich 
land in Dakota. During the early summer of 1880 more settlers came to Henry 
Township, there also were some claim jumpers. The settlers soon learned to know 
their near neighbors and called on each other when in trouble. So when Adler 
found that someone had put a shanty on the other end of his quarter, he went to 
Carl Paepke, a fur trapper, who had settled in Gem and Henry Township. "Two 
can't have one claim," said Adler. Paepke said, "Come back tonight." So that 
night they took a team of horses, wrapped several chains around the shanty and 
pulled it a mile away. They never did see the man who tried to jump his claim. 
Adler paid his homestead in full at the land office in Aberdeen in 1883.

Philip's son, William, born November 5, 1864, had begged his parents to leave 
Germany as he didn't want to go to military academy; he wanted to be a pioneer. 
When he reached Dakota Territory he was 16 years old, tall and strong. His 
father broke up 20 acres of sod and struggled hard to provide for his wife and 
family. He oftten walked to Aberdeen or Columbia to bring home supplies strapped 
to his back.

Mary, the oldest daughter, was married to Gus Lorenz in Wisconsin. Two younger 
daughters, Lena (Mrs. Albert Schott), and Emma (Mrs. William Nultemeier) were 
still at home. Hardships for the family increased when Philip Adler died of 
pneumonia on August 22, 1884. He was the first settler to die in this area and 
lies buried in the Gem Township cemetery. This left William to take over and 
make a living for the mother and two younger sisters.

William went back to Wisconsin to work in a lumber camp as a lumber jack. After 
three winters he remained in Dakota and used his earnings to help pay for the 
new settlement. Sometimes his spare time was spent at knitting stockings and 
sox, and other articles made from the wool his mother carded and spun into yarn. 
He married Ottillie Daly, of Aberdeen, December, 1897, a daughter of pioneers. 
They raised a family of four boys and three girls. The youngest son, Clarence, 
and his wife Gladys (Herron) still reside there. Their son Ronald and his wife 
Shirley and their three children, Timothy, Mary and Philip V, live in a small 
house on the same farm. They are the 5th generation living on the original Adler 
homestead.

Philip Adler, and his son-in-law, Gustav Lorenz of Fondulac, Wisconsin were 
joined by Fritz Gerth and Ferdinand Paeth in 1880 to come by train to Milbank 
and from there they walked westward to the great valley of the James River 
looking for claims. They set out in a southeasterly direction from Adler's 
dugout, going for higher ground.

[P129]

[Photo: Land Patent issued to Phillip Adler by President Grover Cleveland in 
1886.]

John Sieh, another member of the party, established his claim on the S. E. 1/4 
of Sec. 24 and on the N. E. 1/4 of 25, Gustav on the S. W. 1/4 of Sec. 31, Fritz 
Gerth on the N. E. 1/4 of Sec. 36 and S. E. 1/4 of 25, Philip Adler on the S. E. 
1/4 of Sec. 35, and Ferdinand Paeth on the N. 1/2 of Sec. 3. These locations 
pleased the men greatly as they were all within a five mile area which would 
make it much easier to build their homes as they needed each others help. That 
winter the men all went back to Wisconsin. In 1881 they brought their families 
and possessions as far as Watertown by train. There they had filed their claims 
at the land office for Dakota Territory. They bought their supplies, lumber, and 
wagons and drove across country to make their homes. Some drove oxen, other 
horses and some walked beside the wagons.

Gustav Lorenz brought his wife, Mary, and young son William, to Dakota Territory 
in 1881. He had walked to Watertown and filed his claim there. He built his 
first home that year on the S. W. 1/4 of Sec. 31, hauling his lumber with ox 
team from Watertown. Gustav with his white beard and goatee could walk the 
prairie endlessly. His grandson, Glen, and family live on that homestead.

Carl Krahn, who came in 1883, from Germany with family of four children, had set 
up a claim shanty on the S. W. 1/4 of Sec. 35. After he acquired a joining 
quarter in Bath Township, he decided he would move the shanty to the center of 
the two quarters, on the Henry Township side. The neighboring settlers found the 
task far beyond their expectation. The pioneers all prepared for the hard 
winters in Dakota and had done a fine job of insulating the shacks. Krahn had 
spread heavy wet yellow clay mixed with straw between the studdings, which made 
it almost as heavy as brick. They finally succeeded in moving it after using all 
available horse and man power.

His neighbor to the north, Ludwig Schott, on the N. W. 1/4 of Sec. 35 was one of 
four brothers and the son of Hans Schott, of Minnesota, who had come to Dakota 
in search of land for his boys. Louie (Ludwig) enjoyed hunting and fishing, was 
a lover of fine horses, and always remained a bachelor.

Julius Stelter also stayed close to the James River and took claim on the N. E. 
1/4 of Sec. 35 in 1882. His first claim shanty was on the east side of the 
quarter. His father Christ Stelter came in 1883, also settled along the river to 
the northwest. He walked to Aberdeen to file his claim. When Julius broke his 
arm, it was Carl Paepke and Carl Krahn who put it in place and splinted it. It 
turned out to be a very good job of setting. Two of his children died during the 
early years. He provided many meals of fish for the family and made cheese in a 
large barrel. The family had frequent visits from the Indians also from along 
the river and Mrs. Stelter often gave them the food she had prepared for her own 
family, to keep the Indians peaceful. The Stelter family left Dakota in the late 
80's and went to Oklahoma, leaving his land to be cared for by his brother, 
Gottlieb. He returned with his family in 1912 and his grandson, Albert Tullis 
and family, live there and farm the old homestead.

[P130]

A large area in the river flat--all of section 23, the south 1/2 of Sec. 14, 160 
acres of the north of Sec. 26 and considerable acreage in Bath Township was 
owned by Robert and William Burton, and was called the Burton Ranch, as they 
were breeders of registered Durham cattle, chester white hogs and Percheron 
horses. It is now the K. O. Lee Ranch.

Heinrich Franz Weihrauch, was born in Sachen, Germany, June 3, 1848. He was 18 
years old when he came to America. He lived in Racine, Wisconsin. He was married 
to Emma Schroederin in 1873 and moved to LaCrosse. In 1883 he brought his wife 
and four children to Dakota, settled on a homestead to farm. His many fine 
horses were his great pride.

Fritz Gerth came to America with some friends when he was 9 years old. He came 
to Brown County from Oshkosh, Wisconsin in 1880. He got his lumber from Milbank 
where he had purchased a team of oxen. He built his claim shanty and married 
Mary Raemann, in Wisconsin, and brought her to Henry Township. The grandson, 
Dale McKiver and family, farm the Gerth homestead.

Albert Draeger, educated in Germany and was trained as a school teacher. He came 
to America, studied literature, and taught in Wisconsin and later at Watertown, 
Dakota, in 1879. The great land rush was on and when he saw so many pioneers 
take up claims he also went to the land office and filed on the north half of 
Section 6, in Henry Township. Later he sold his farm and went into business in 
James. His son, Charles, bought back the farm and still owns the place where he 
was born. When he was four years old, he froze his fingers one cold winter day 
when he ran after his dog without his mittens.

Heinrich Lehman, of Hustisford, Wisconsin, was another farmer to come to Dakota 
in 1880. He was tired of digging stumps there and thought the open plains had 
greater future in store. He brought his wife and seven of his eleven children in 
1883. They brought their possessions to Watertown, bought a plow and horses and 
left to find their new place. Travel was slow with the large family so they 
didn't get to the claim the night they planned. They stopped in a clump of trees 
one half mile south of Groton. As soon as they arrived at the settlement, some 
went right to plowing, while others started the shelter for the family. His son 
Emil, was then eleven years old. After some years in Dakota the parents and all 
but Emil and his brother John, went back to Wisconsin. The two boys batched for 
awhile and then John also left. Courage and perseverance were essential to 
pioneers, so Emil's sister came to keep house for him until he married. His 
grandson Henry Lehman and his wife Dorothy (Erdman) still live on that farm.

Christ Voight and Gustav Pasch came in a covered wagon from Ortonville, 
Minnesota. Voight took land on N. E. 1/4 of Sec. 33. He had three horses and a 
plow so he broke land for other settlers to make money to file his claim. They 
lived in a covered wagon the first summer. They returned to Ortonville and later 
Christ brought his wife and three children. Their family increased to 12 
children. In 1888 he established a store in James. His son, Carl Voight, became 
a carpenter and helped other pioneers erect the Lutheran Church there in 1886, 
also helped build many homes and other buildings for settlers in the area.

A house was built around the claim shack of Charles W. Kranhold. Mr. Edward 
Kranhold still lives in the home.

Mrs. Ed. Julson and Mrs. Flora Meredith also lived at the homestead. They were 
Kranhold's daughters.

Mr. and Mrs. David Wismer and daughter, Matie, William and Edward Moore, Mr. and 
Mrs. William Wood came from Ontario, Canada in 1884.

Other early settlers included William and Ed. Moore, William Wood, and Robert 
and William Burton.



GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCH OF JAMES - HENRY TOWNSHIP
by Mrs. Alfred Sueltz

Mission work by F. Pfotenhauer in Henry Township laid the foundation for Trinity 
Church, Missouri Synod of James, which was officially organized July 30, 1882. 
In 1883 the Rev. F. Hinck accepted the call as the first pastor and was 
succeeded on August 16, 1884 by Rev. C. C. Metz, who was installed as resident 
pastor, also to serve missions in Brown, Day, and Marshall Counties. A school 
house was erected on the hill on the west side of the James River on the south 
side of the S. 1/2 of Section 4 in Gem Township, where services were held when 
missionaries came through. A cemetery plot was also acquired there where members 
of the early pioneers were buried. They include Martin Knie, Carl Paepke, Aug. 
Sueltz, Fred Sueltz, A. Schott, W. Schott, Philip Adler, Wm. Adler, and Carl 
Krahn.

Later a school house and parsonage were built on the N. W. corner of the N. W. 
1/4 of Sec. 21 in Henry Township and another cemetery was established there. In 
1885 a church was built in the little town of James, known as the German 
Lutheran Church, as services were conducted in the German language.

Charter members in 1885 were Gustav Lorenz, William Adler, August Sueltz, Herman 
Paepke, Fredrick Sueltz, Adolph Elsner, Martin Knie, Leonhard Hilbert, Jim 
Schlick. Pioneer citizens of Dakota Territory of Henry, Bath, and Gem Townships 
drew up and published the Articles of Incorporation which was the St. Johannes 
Evangelical Lutheran Church, November 15, 1886. Its original place of business 
was at Bath in Brown County. This testimony was signed by Henry Jaeschke, 
Hermann Krier, Fredrick Sueltz, and Leonhard Hilbert, Rev. Fredrick Preu as 
pastor. It was notarized by Chas. Howard, Notary Public, Dakota Territory. 
Directors and trustees were sworn in July 8, 1889, and were Gustav Lorenz, 
Adolph Elsner, Martin Knie, Fredrick Sueltz, and William Adermann.

Other members and supporters were Henry Jaeschke, Herman Krier, Carl Paepke, 
Herman Paepke, Casper Rapp, Wilhelm Knie, Leonhard Hilbert, August Wurzel, 
William Aderman, Carl Krahn,

[P131]

Wm. Schott, H. Falk, Christ Voight, Heinrich Lehmann, F. W. Voight, Ferdinand 
Wockenfuss, August Voight, Ferdinand Paeth, Gustav Pasch, George Schornack, 
Julius Urban, Henrietta Neuman, Chas. Marquardt, August Krueger, Wm. Koepsel, 
Carl Voight, Albert Draeger, John Schornack, F. W. Voight, Otto Lehman, Ed. 
Pfeifer, Fritz Gerth, Otto Mavis, August Lier and others.

The first child baptized in this territorial church was Ernest Pasch, born 
September 10, 1882, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gustav Pasch. The building was moved to 
West Hanson Township in 1955, when the church there was destroyed by fire. 
Services are still conducted there at this writing and descendants of the 
pioneer families of Henry Township are among its members.

[Photo: Interior of the first territorial church in James and Henry Township.]

[Photo: Mr. and Mrs. George Zumm]

[Photo: Ferney, about 1900.]

[P132]

HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP
by Helen Bergh

This area was settled by several families who had come from Germany, stayed at 
Milbank for a time, and finally came out to Highland Township in the early 
1880's. Among those coming in 1881 were the Jacob Bugner's. Fred Bugner came in 
1882. A son, Fred Bugner, II, was born in 1885 and still lives in Aberdeen 
(1964). Others coming in 1882 were the Reinhold Angerhofers, Herman Angerhofers, 
and the John Angerhofers with their eight children: Dora, August, Pauline, 
Millie, Emma, Rudolph and Ernest. Emma, now Mrs. Schwante, remembers clearly 
their coming. The Jacob Shilmans, Ernest Bricks, Fred Bricks, Gottlieb Herings, 
and Max Herings were others who came the same year. Herman Brick, Fred's son was 
born in 1883. Still others who came in the early 1880's were Mr. and Mrs. John 
Peterson and their daughter Julia, Hans Peterson and August Peterson. Albert 
Dahme came in 1888.

By 1883 tiny shanties had mushroomed all over the prairies. Ravines were full of 
deep buffalo tracks, snail shells, and buffalo bones.

Mrs. Otto Ristau, a daughter of William Paepke who had come from Germany in 
1872, and to Highland Township in 1881 described their first sight of Aberdeen. 
Her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Paepke and their four children, Millie, Henry, 
Robert and Hulda, together with Mr. and Mrs. Emil Martin and family, had come 
from Wisconsin to Minnesota by covered wagon in 1880. The next year the lure of 
free land drew them and the Peter Martins to Aberdeen where they arrived in a 
rainstorm. There was no depot, so their cows, sheep and seeds had to be unloaded 
from the freight car onto the open prairie. Mr. Witte's shanty was standing and 
they all crowded in. They drove in a lumber wagon to their claims. Another 
daughter, now Mrs. Herman Brick was born in 1888. Still another daughter, Mrs. 
Bertha Lowitz now lives in Warner.

[Photo: St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church, erected in 1896.]

"These early pioneers made bread from wheat ground in a coffee mill. They ate 
white millet that was cooked like rice with raisins, milk and cinnamon and a 
little sugar, field peas, melons, beans, corn, turnips, rutabagas, pumpkins, and 
of course homemade cheese. Corn, melons and other large seeds were planted by 
chopping slits in the sod with an ax and dropping in the seed. Grain was sown 
broadcast from a bag made from a bedsheet and tied around a man's shoulders. It 
was harvested with a scythe and threshed by a horse-powered machine which took 
several men. Later the header was used and finally the steam outfits were used. 
One of the steam engines blew up and killed three men. Sometimes it took all the 
pillowcases to hold the grain. Yeast cakes were made with hops and cornmeal.

"Spinning wool, knitting socks for men and long stockings for women and 
children, and stripping goose feathers for feather beds occupied the winter 
evenings time. They used two feather beds, one to sleep on and one as a cover. 
All sewing was done by hand. Fuel was twisted prairie hay.

[Photo: St. John's Choir]

"Early church services were held in the homes and after school houses were built 
in both Highland and New Hope Townships in 1885, services were held there until 
their first church was built in 1896. Some of the early ministers were Rev. 
Hinck, Rev. Fischer and Rev. Ferber. They were home missionaries who served 
several charges. Another early minister was a Rev. Lebahn who stayed only a 
short time. Then a student came, stayed at the William Paepke home, and 
instructed the first confirmation class of eight boys and three girls in April, 
1889."

The only mail was an occasional letter from relatives after John Morrow built 
the store and post office in Rudolph.

[Photo: Early Highland Township School]

Mrs. Ristau told further about the first years: "My father, William Paepke was a 
blacksmith graduate from Germany and Uncle Peter Martin was a

[P133]

tailor. He lived just across the line in New Hope Township. Uncle Martin did all 
the tailoring for the men and boys over winter, doing all the sewing by hand as 
there was no sewing machine in the group. He even made caps for the boys. Father 
started a small blacksmith shop. A lot of them worked for the railroad at 
Rudolph and he always took them coffee and soup, usually pea soup which Mother 
cooked. The coffee was made from wheat and barley burned brown in the oven, but 
they were glad to get it. Father asked them to save all their worn out boots. He 
cut off the tops, sewed them together, and made bellows for his shop. All men 
and even small boys wore boots at that time, so they saved a lot for him. When 
Father got the bellows made he did all the blacksmith work for the neighbors. He 
got some tools from Mr. Witte's store. He did blacksmith work for thirty years 
besides farming.

[Photo: Wedding of August Brick and Augusta Kushman.]

"In 1884 Father made a large outdoor cellar with a wooden roof covered with sod 
and clay. There We kept our milk during the summer. Mother always made ten or 
eleven cheeses during the summer. For a cheese she used a washboiler full of 
sweet milk. There was no cream separator, so we let the milk stand and skimmed 
off the cream. The milk stood in crocks in the sun during the day and was 
brought in at night. The cheese had to be rubbed with salt every day and aged 
four or five weeks before it was ready to eat.

"In the winter the cellar was filled to the roof with turnips and rutabagas. 
Father had cut off a barrel and made an S-shaped very sharp iron to cut the 
rutabagas. The barrel held a bushel at a time and the vegetables were stomped 
small enough so the cows wouldn't choke.

"Father and Uncle Peter Martin made the children wooden shoes. They were made 
quite practical, shaped in both heel and toe parts. They made them last so they 
would fit each child's foot. When they got into a fight the shoes flew."

Other early settlers include Bernard and Robert Dobrick who arrived in 1886. A. 
Bergman in 1884, Henry Bettman in 1889, and the John Kushman family in 1885. Mr. 
Kushman had preached in southern Minnesota and after the family came to Highland 
Township he taught the Christian Day School. Still others who came were the 
Sollie, Schwab and Grote families.

Highland Township, much like New Hope Township still has second and third 
generation members of the first families. Both townships are crossed by Snake 
Creek.

[Photo: John Kushman and Charles Bartels breaking sod in Highland Township. Note 
the fourteen bottom plow.]

[P134]

LANSING TOWNSHIP
by Mrs. Wm. Mitchell

Cyrus M. Spurr's grandfather, Cyrus B. Spurr, came to Dakota Territory in May, 
1882. He was accompanied by two sons, Clarence and Mahlon.

He owned a blacksmith shop in Walnut Grove, Minnesota. He brought his blacksmith 
shop and rebuilt it on what is now the Cyrus M. Spurr farm, located one mile 
north of Houghton. The anvil and many of the other blacksmith tools are still in 
Cyrus Spurr's possession.

Columbia was the end of the railroad. These early settlers were looking for 
grassland, water and a possible townsite. They estimated Houghton to be where 
the Spurr farm buildings are now located.

Mr. Spurr built a creamery which was run by F. E. Smith. People for miles around 
brought milk to the creamery.

When Houghton was settled the creamery was moved to town. It was located west of 
the tracks, south of Trail No. 10. When the creamery was discontinued part of 
the building was made into a dwelling. The rest was moved a block east of the 
tracks on the north side. It became the hotel. It is now the residence of Mrs. 
Rose Bender.

Just a short distance east and north of the Spurr homestead was a building used 
as a stage stop. One room was well finished as living quarters for the man who 
was on duty. At that site a very tall pole was erected on which a lantern was 
hung at night.

C. M. Spurr, Cyrus' father, owned and operated the present store and post office 
from 1882 to 1913.

Joe Campbell, father of Robert Campbell, and banker at Frederick, operated one 
of the early lumber yards. Then he started the Houghton Bank, later run by 
Adolph Aarnec. This bank is no longer in operation. It was in Lansing Township 
since the south half of Houghton is in Shelby Township. It is not a corporated 
town.

Mrs. Helga Nygaard Tunby and Mrs. Toni Labrasa Caspers were early residents of 
Lansing Township.

For many years some of Ernie Pyle's relatives lived one mile east of Houghton in 
Lansing Township.

There were no cemeteries in Lansing Township and people were buried on the 
farms. A grave is still marked at the south end of a row of trees on the A. M. 
Mitchell Ranch. The name has been changed to Broadview Ranch, now owned by Wm. 
Dinger.

[Photo: Main Street, Houghton]

[P135]

LINCOLN TOWNSHIP
by Helen Bergh

The first settlers came to this area in 1880. They were Andrew Anderson who came 
from Wisconsin, and Vine Gage who came from Winona, Minnesota. Mr. Gage's two 
sons, Clark and Everett, and a daughter, Mrs. Bessie Harrington, still reside in 
Lincoln Township.

The year 1881 saw many more come. They included James Roundy, Fred Roundy, and 
Lewis Roundy who came from Minnesota in July. Owen Evans, Edward Chapman, and 
his son Edward, Jr., William Chapman, and Andrew Kindschi came to Aberdeen the 
same summer and to Lincoln Township somewhat later. Two sons were born to the 
Kindschis, Fred in 1886 and Henry in 1888. Fred Roundy's son Murray now lives 
close to the old homestead.

Andrew Fossum and his family came from Minnesota in 1882. His sons Albert, Carl, 
and Thor later became Aberdeen and Groton Dentists. His son George became an 
architect and planned a great many of Aberdeen's buildings and platted the 
ground of Northern State College. Another son, Andy, was a draftsman. In 1833, 
the William Struck family came from Champagne, Illinois. Mr. Struck died that 
fall from a skin infection aggravated by the use of sulphur and left his 
fourteen year old son to carry on. The next years were hard, for pioneering was 
a job for a grown man, but, in 1889, at the age of twenty, Lewis Struck 
homesteaded where his son, Lewis Struck, Jr. now lives.

The year 1884 brought the Marcus Lund family from Minneapolis. In 1885 Ben 
Maynard came from Massachusetts. The next year Anton Wagner came from Wisconsin. 
His son, Arthur still lives on the home place. Charles Eschbach came from 
Michigan. The year 1888 brought the John Gross family. It also brought William 
Maynard from Massachusetts. His son, William, still lives on the homestead. 
Hobart Roundy came in 1889. Other early pioneers included Dr. Swengle, an early 
day dentist; Lewis Gray, Hector Curry, Joseph Graham, Henry Dunkel, Martin 
McMann, Adolph and Richard Wagner, August and Herman Krier, and men by the name 
of Koch, Tonne, Lytle, and Hurlbert.

Lincoln Township was originally a part of Ordway Township but separated from it 
because of the great distance necessarily travelled to reach a polling place.

The winter of 1896-1897 brought unusually heavy snows. There was so much snow, 
that on April 7, four horses were needed to pull a bobsled filled with pioneers 
to Ordway to vote. In the bobsled were Lewis Gray, Owen Evans, William and Ben 
Maynard. After they had voted they petitioned County Commissioners Alley, 
Kronschnable, Bradner, Beckler and J. W. Miller, Clerk, to divide Ordway 
Township. George W. Jenkins represented the petitioners. The resulting ballot 
showed four votes in favor of division. The names Miller, Lincoln, Carson and 
Judson were suggested for the new township. The name, as drawn by lot was 
Lincoln.

[Photo: Threshing on the Melcher farm in Lincoln Township. Note the straw 
burning engine and the straw carrier on the threshing machine.]

One year later, on March 7, 1898, the first town-

[P136]

ship meeting was held and the area was divided into four road districts. After 
considerable discussion these men reached an agreement concerning the division 
of road scrapers etc. One week later, on March 14, the supervisors met at the 
Chapman schoolhouse to appoint Vine Gage to represent Lincoln Township in the 
division of town property between Lincoln and Ordway Townships. School was in 
session so the group adjourned to the Chapman home. Township officers were 
chosen, books were ordered, a three mill road tax was levied, and Mrs. Chapman 
was given 50 cents for her kindness in granting the use of her house for the 
purpose of carrying on township business.

On June 27, 1898, Martin McMann was appointed to meet with Andrew Bergh of 
Aberdeen Township to divide the township line for roadwork. In May, 1899, Ordway 
and Lincoln divided road work on the east, and Westport and Lincoln on the 
north. There were difficulties involved on the east side because of the river. 
Mr. S. G. Gooding agreed to give a permanent deed of the right of way to cross 
the river at the Dale Crossing, providing Lincoln and Ordway Townships would fix 
a bridge so his cattle could cross from one pasture to another. Lumber for the 
bridge cost $53.15, nails cost $2.10. Because of the streams crossing Ravinia 
and Lincoln Townships bridges were necessary on the west side, too. William 
Maynard collected a bill for 70 cents for bridge spikes. Lumber for the bridge 
cost $16.59. Another bill for nails was 16 cents.

Assessors had their troubles. One man was called before the township board for 
failing to list all his property. After much arguing, he was persuaded to list 
another dozen cows. Another man leaned too far in the other direction, he listed 
three more than he had.

The first elections were held in private homes. Township boards Were 
conservative as they had to be, for many people worked out their taxes on the 
road. In a few cases the boards had to demand proof that the work was actually 
done. Township records for the early years show consistent good management, and 
in many cases, a continuation of civic responsibility from father to son.

Vine Gage, well-known Lincoln Township farmer, came to Dakota in March, 1884, to 
farm his father's homestead, four miles north of Aberdeen. In 1890 he went to 
the Black Hills with his team and wagon, where he worked on the railroad, the 
Elkhorn Missouri Valley Line. Later that same year he returned to Minnesota with 
his team and wagon.

His first impression of Dakota was that he wouldn't have any part of it if it 
were given to him. When asked why he returned, he said, "Something like a magnet 
seemed to draw me back. It wasn't so cluttered up and crowded, and the 
opportunity looked good."

[Photo: Mr. Vine Gage]

On returning to South Dakota, with a load of immigrants in 1893, he first rented 
land to cut hay on and later homesteaded that same land, 160 acres six miles 
north of Aberdeen. It cost him $14 to file and he had to establish residence for 
six months. He could live on the land eight years without paying taxes, but had 
to prove-up at the end of that time. He was one of the last to take up land in 
Lincoln Township.

During his first years of homesteading, he lived in a two room shanty. One of 
the rooms was occupied by his team of horses. In 1895 he married Lexa Dell who 
was originally from Welland, Ontario, Canada. She was then living on her 
father's homestead just across the road from Mr. Gage, Sr.

After their marriage he moved the granary from his father's farm and made it 
into a three room house. Later he moved an old house in and attached it to the 
granary. This added two more rooms, and here their four children were born.

Crops were better than in Minnesota, but in the bad years of 1889-90 he 
harvested only 177 bushels of wheat and six bushels of oats. Times gradually 
grew better, but there were three years of bad times.

When recalling the winter of the big snow (1896-97) he said there was snow seven 
feet deep and drifts as high as 40 feet. They could walk or drive on top of the 
snow without sinking in. They had to carry water to the stock by going through 
the haymow door, walking over the drifts.

In 1921 he bought six head of registered Herefords. After that time he raised 
this number to 131 head of purebred, registered Herefords. He also raised hogs 
and sheep.

During his younger years he was active in the growth and development of the 
community and served on the township board for several years. The railroad 
siding of Gage, in Brown County, was named for him.

In the early 1900's he showed an active interest in the Union Sunday School, one 
time the largest Sunday School in Brown County. They had no organ, but he 
provided the music by playing the violin.

Mr. Gage's advice was, "To live long, work hard and live a good life."

[P137]

MERCIER TOWNSHIP
by Mrs. George Rogers and Henry Hanson

Mercier Township was named for Scott Brown Mercier, a bachelor attorney from New 
York State. He settled a claim just across the line (Richmond Road) that divides 
Mercier and Aberdeen Townships. Another nearby claim was taken by the Avery 
Brothers, also from New York. William Avery served as Justice of the Peace in 
1884.

Grandmother Larson, mother of Mrs. Susanna Bergh, did the washing and baking for 
these homesteaders and supplied them with milk. A man named Miller took a claim 
a little more than a mile northwest of Trail School. The first house was made of 
sod. The Steenson family settled just across the road. Svend Jensen homesteaded 
the land now owned by Henry Hanson.

The Ted Froelich home, a mile and a half east of Trail School was first settled 
by Alan Thorsrud who came on December 7, 1882. The Elmer Lowe farm, just east of 
it, was a homestead taken by Harvey L. Bayard in 1885. It has passed through 
several hands. The Sinnissippi Farm got its name from Mississippi River farms of 
the same name. It was first built up by Frank O. Lowden, later governor of 
Illinois.

Other early settlers included the Ivey and Joseph Magone families. Mr. Magone 
came to Mercier Township in 1882. About 1900 an incident occurred which showed 
the concern people felt for one another. Mrs. Magone was baking a birthday cake 
for their oldest son, George, when their house caught fire and burned to the 
ground. January is a poor time to pour a concrete foundation so the neighbors 
all came and helped build a new house on piles of stones.

L. N. Halleckson served as township clerk from 1896 until 1908. Another clerk, 
W. J. Walker, once stayed at a board meeting from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. It was 
expensive. Someone forgot to close the gate and his best horse got out, went to 
the granary, foundered on oats and died. In 1898 A. T. Ragan received $18.00 for 
assessing. The next year $140.00 was allowed for road work. The farmers worked 
out their road tax. Assessed valuations showed oxen listed at $35.00 each, 
horses at $50.00 to $80.00, and cattle at $20.00 to $35.00. Road overseers 
collected $1.50 per day. A man with team and wagon or plow collected $3.00 per 
day. Bridge planks were put down for $1.00. Oak posts were 13 cents each. If 
someone needed to borrow money the word mortgage was seldom used. The term, 
trust-deed was used instead.

A Mrs. Keuchle donated land on which the first school was built. One of the 
early teachers was Miss Flossie Webb. She, and her twin sister, Frantie, and 
brother, Roy, were born in a sod house just north of the overhead on Highway 12. 
They were the children of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Webb of Aberdeen Township.

Other people who came in the early years were the Tuff, Hans Peterson, and T. A. 
Hawkins families.

[Photo: Taken from the advertising section of a Racine newspaper of June 11, 
1870. This newspaper was found between the walls of the house on the Elmer Lowe 
farm.]

[P138]

NEW HOPE TOWNSHIP
by Helen Bergh

New Hope Township lies in the southwest corner of Brown County, is crossed by 
Snake Creek and contains an area approximately one mile long and a quarter mile 
wide known as Salt Lake. Like Highland Township, it was settled largely by 
people who came from Germany in the early 1880's. Most of them were of the 
Lutheran faith. A few, including H. F. Bruse came in 1881.

In May, 1882, Henry Heidenreicht and William Boekelheide came from Germany. Mr. 
Boekelheide bought a relinquishment. The two men set to work to build small 
houses and dig surface wells. The houses were banked to the roof with sod. 
Twisted prairie hay served as fuel. There was no money for mill cut windows and 
screens, and mosquitoes made sleep impossible, so an armful of damp hay was 
brought in and a smudge built. The excess smoke went out through a hole in the 
roof left for that purpose.

Many surface wells were located by using a "Y" shaped willow branch, or 
"divining rod", as it was called. Another supposed indication of water was the 
presence of ant hills.

These tasks being finished, Mr. Heidenreicht sent for his mother and sister to 
come from St. Louis to keep house for him. Their home became a stopping place 
for claim seekers traveling through. When the supply of bedding ran out the 
floor was covered with clean hay. The travelers were most thankful. That same 
year Mr. Heidenreicht paid $50.00 for his first cow. Many large herds of cattle 
were developed from such small beginnings. Other 1882 arrivals included Henry 
Papke. The next year Mr. Boekelheide traded his oxen for the first horses in 
that locality. They cost $150.00 and to make the deal he had to mortgage 
everything he owned, including the kitchen stove.

Coming in 1883 from Nebraska were William Bierman and William Elsing, where they 
had been working since they had come from Germany the previous year. Mr. 
Boekelheide's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carl B. Boekelheide and his brother Fred 
came, so did William Borchard, T. J. Shanley, and Mr. and Mrs. Frederich Dreier 
and their son John, who later married Ida Ristau, sister of Otto and Richard 
Ristau. Soon after this, a group of German immigrants came from Westphalia. They 
included Henry Elsing, Charles Bierman, and Fred Borchard. A few weeks later 
came Franz Remde, the John Smith's, Gustav Stager and August Schnittger. In 1884 
Henry Wiedebusch, father of Otto Wiedebusch, Mrs. Ferd Elsing and Mrs. William 
Heidenreicht came. He was a boy of seventeen. After working for other settlers 
he bought a relinquishment, returned to Germany, and brought his sister 
Wilhelmina back with him to keep house. Following the custom of the time, he 
again returned to his homeland in 1893 when he brought back his parents, his 
bride-to-be, brothers and sisters, Heinrich, Carl, Louise, Friedrich and 
Charlotte, Wilhelmina and Charlotte Aspelmeir, and Frederich Meyer. Other early 
settlers were the Reick, Tietz, Richert, Schilman, Kemp, Krause, Ryman and 
Neiger families.

In 1888 the famous blizzard and the end of a wet cycle came. The next few years 
were plagued by grasshoppers, drought, and continuous crop failures. As one good 
lady, now nearly ninety, said, "The fly-by-nights couldn't take it, but the 
German pioneers stuck it out". Food was sometimes scarce. Stories were told of 
people living on pancakes made only of flour and creek water.

Few claims were left but there were many relinquishments. Among those who bought 
them were William Kramer in 1889, Gottlieb, Henry, and Fred Bierman the same 
year, and also Henry Hoegermaier and W. F. Boekelheide. Fred Weidebusch came in 
1893. William Hazelhorst, after coming to Dakota in 1881, arrived in New Hope 
Township in 1896. Carl Weidebusch came in 1893.

[Photo: Mr. and Mrs. Otto Ristau, 1893]

Richard Ristau came to New Hope in 1884 and moved to Warner Township in 1898. 
Letters exchanged between him and his bride-to-be, and dated 1890, tell of 
Indian troubles which culminated in the killing of Sitting Bull and the 
subsequent scattering

[P139]

of his followers. The letters also tell of the journey on foot out to the Black 
Hills made by several of the young men of the community. These young men, as 
well as many others from the entire area took advantage of the slack season of 
the year and worked on the narrow-gauge railroad in the Black Hills west of 
Rapid City. The letters further discuss the importance of Rudolph as the end of 
the Chicago, Northwestern Railroad and a depot for unloading immigrant cars.

Summer brought little vacation to the young people. Church school, taught by the 
pastor began immediately and lasted until mid-July. The largest enrollment was 
sixty-five. Order was hard to maintain in the heat, but baseball games at 
recesses and noons helped to work off energy. Some pupils rode on horseback 
fourteen miles. Confirmation training took 400 hours, and prior to World War I 
was entirely in German.

The ties of a common background and religious faith have made this a closely-
knit community. As the years passed it became even more so as the families 
intermarried and second and third generations have grown to maturity.

[Photo: Launching The White Wings, Mansfield, 1894.]

[P140]

ORDWAY TOWNSHIP
by Annie E. Young

After the Civil War my father and mother moved to Lambeth, Ontario, Canada, 
where father engaged in the shoe and harness making trade. It was at Lambeth 
where the writer was born, youngest of the family up to that time. In 1880 
father decided to return to the States and to take up land in Dakota Territory. 
My oldest brother, Byron, accompanied father to Dakota while the rest of the 
family remained in Ontario. Being a veteran of the Civil War father was entitled 
to use three rights under the Homestead Law in filing on government land. He had 
a homestead right, a pre-emption right and a tree claim right. Each right 
entitled him to file on a quarter-section of land. In those days Watertown was 
the nearest point to the homestead. This was a distance of about 200 miles round 
trip. Mr. Isaac Cook came from Lambeth and filed on land the same time father 
came. They had been friends in Lambeth. Isaak Cook was a carpenter by trade and 
did much of the building done in Ordway Township in pioneer days. Later the land 
homesteaded by Mr. Cook came into possession of my father, and is owned now by 
the writer.

With the help of Isaac Cook, a pioneer contractor erected a two story building 
in the town of Ordway. The first floor was used as a general store, the second 
story became living quarters for the family when we arrived from Ontario on July 
19, 1881. The writer was then a year and a half old. We lived in the rooms over 
the store for three or four years then father decided to move to the homestead 
and develop it. The rooms over the store then became the first school room in 
Ordway. During this period boys and girls attended the district school until 
they were 18, 19 or 20 years old. The school room over the store soon became too 
small to accommodate the number of pupils. A new school house was built at the 
northwest edge of Ordway and that site still remains the location of the Ordway 
school although the third building now stands where the first one stood.

Father and one of my brothers established a harness business in Aberdeen to 
supply the demand for harnesses to the rapidly growing population of 
homesteaders and teamsters. But the homestead demanded more and more of his 
attention so the harness shop was disposed of and further development of the 
homestead became his business. He built up a herd of about 30 milk cows and he 
and mother sold milk and butter in large quantities. With the help of a 
neighbor, Mr. Appleford, who had been a cheese maker in Ontario, a substantial 
business in cheese making became a part of the labors on the homestead. But in 
the drought years of the early 90's, cattle raising became an uncertain business 
because of the extreme shortage of feed. In one of those parching years our men 
folks drove our herd to Manitoba, Canada to save them from starvation. But the 
conditions there were little better than in Dakota. In the fall they drove the 
herd back to the homestead.

[Photo: The Ashley family reunion on Thanksgiving Day, 1953, at the John Ashley 
home four miles west of Columbia. The original Ashleys came in 1881.]

Some of the pioneer families near Ordway, I can remember are: Rev. Phillips and 
family, Rev. William Wade and family, John Wade, who later became mayor of 
Aberdeen, Malon Bray, and his sisters Belle and Ella, the Cleveland family, the 
Applefords, the Smiths, the Daymind family, Clare Luce, an attorney, and family, 
the Dell family, the Sovereign family, the Lockers, the Kimballs, the Daileys, 
the McNearys, the Buckbees, the Gardners, the Ashleys, the Riblets, and the 
Garlands, Hamlin Garland, his father, mother, brother and sister. A Professor 
Cornwell, one of the first teachers, with his wife and two daughters lived on a 
homestead nearby. Other teachers of those years were Mr. Avery, J. H. Pond, 
Kitty and Ella Bray. The postmaster in Ordway was a Mr. Sherdin. Among that 
hardy band of pioneers were four young Norwegian boys from Minnesota, Ole 
Thorson, Andrew Johnson, Knute Carlson and Ole T. Midbust. These young men 
brought with them teams and wagons and found employment working on the grade of 
the Great Northern Railway in 1886, which was then being built into Aberdeen. 
These lads helped to grade the last five miles of the line into Aberdeen.

The Ordway community was not long without church facilities. My mother was one 
of the main movers in getting a church started. Father helped a great deal, too. 
His influence in the community was considerable because he was respected by all. 
He helped locate the site and helped with the actual building. A very nice small 
church was built and a Methodist minister of Dakota Territory became the first 
pastor. But a church was not enough. People wanted their children to have a 
college education and decided that they would build Ordway University and set 
out at once to do it by digging a basement on which to build the first building. 
But the Dakota Conference of the Methodist Church, which met at Mitchell in 
1884, voted to establish a university at Mitchell, Dakota Wesleyan University, 
instead.

During this early period, there were no game laws so game was taken at all 
seasons of the year. The James River and Sand Lake teemed with ducks

[P141]

and geese and on the prairies were quantities of prairie chicken. They were 
killed in large numbers. At a time set there seemed to be hundreds and hundreds 
to be dressed. In retrospect, the numbers must have seemed much larger than they 
really were.

The writer was married to John S. Young in 1901. Mr. Young was an Ohioan who had 
come west with others from his section of Ohio. Since his death in 1947, I have 
been living in Aberdeen.

In 1903, father, mother and two sisters moved to Coeur d'Alene, Idaho where two 
of my brothers had gone some years before. It was there my parents spent their 
last years.

As one looks back over the years this quotation comes to mind: "They came, they 
saw, they conquered!" How true that was of the old settlers! They knew they were 
coming to land unconquered. They had the will to conquer, they were unafraid. 
The Old Settlers stayed even though they were tempted to run.



THE METHODIST UNIVERSITY AT ORDWAY
(which was never built)
by Paul W. Kieser

"Brethern, if you take our school away from us, what will we do with the large 
basement which we have already dug?"

"Cut it up into sections and sell it for post holes!"

The above question was put to those attending the Fifth Dakota Mission 
Conference of the Methodist Church held at Mitchell in October, 1884. The man 
who asked it was Rev. O. A. Phillips, pastor of the Methodist Church at Aberdeen 
and the leader of the movement to locate a Methodist University at nearby 
Ordway, in Dakota Territory. The facetious reply came from a Methodist brother 
who favored Mitchell as the one and only site for the proposed Dakota 
University.

At the Dakota Conference held the previous year at Huron, it was decided to 
accept the propositions made by both Ordway and Mitchell and to support two 
Methodist institutions of higher learning. Now, at the Fifth Conference, there 
was talk of the Ordway proposition being dropped and the sole support of the 
Conference being given to the building of Dakota University at Mitchell.

The Dakota boom, in the five-year period beginning in 1879, had brought an 
influx of several hundred thousand homesteaders into this new region. Among them 
were a good many Methodists. State supported institutions of higher learning had 
been located, with a single exception, in the border counties. With the 
Milwaukee railroad extended westward through Mitchell to the Missouri River, and 
with the Northwestern through Huron to the river, the denominational people of 
the new territory were not slow to see their opportunity, and so, with one 
accord, they preempted the rich Jim (James) River Valley for the location of 
their colleges and universities. The Congregationalists put their two colleges 
at Yankton and Redfield. The Presbyterians located their school at Pierre, and 
later transferred it to Huron. The Free Methodists located their institution at 
Wessington Springs, and the Seventh Day Adventists erected their school on a 
hill three miles south of Redfield. This brings us to the Methodists and their 
plans.

Ordway had tried to secure the territorial capital--and failed. Then the Ordway 
folks attempted to secure a state supported institution of higher learning, but 
were unsuccessful. In 1883, they concentrated on securing a denominational 
institution and offered the Methodists what was to have been the capitol site. 
Their offer included an undivided half of 600 acres of land; 80 acres for 
campus; five town lots; 240 acres seven miles from the village; $50,000.00 to 
erect the first building, and a cabinet of natural history material valued at 
$10,000.00. The Conference voted to accept this offer, along with one quite 
similar from Mitchell. The university at Mitchell was to serve the southern 
portion of the territory and the one at Ordway the northern portion.

Now, in 1884, after a year had elapsed, Mitchell had a basement excavated, walls 
of the first building well under construction, and the cornerstone laid five 
weeks before the Conference session. Ordway's only showing was a hole dug in the 
ground, preparatory to starting the basement walls.

Because he knew that the debate between the Mitchell and Ordway factions was 
likely to become heated, Bishop Edward G. Andrews tactfully kept putting aside 
the report of the Educational Committee, hoping, no doubt, that the debaters 
would cool off somewhat before they got into action. The leaders of these two 
factions, however, were forceful men and they were anxious to open the simmering 
discussion. They were able men, fearless debaters, and some of them were 
experienced lawyers. Rev. Mr. Phillips of Aberdeen, leader of the Ordway 
faction, had been educated in the law, but had given it up to enter the 
ministry. Rev. A. R. Boggs was formerly a prosecuting attorney in Ohio. Rev. C. 
E. Hager also had a background as a lawyer.

At the Wednesday evening session a motion to make the report of the Committee on 
Education the order of the day for Friday at 10 o'clock prevailed. There was no 
use trying to stave off the impending battle any longer. Both sides were lining 
up for the verbal struggle.

At the appointed hour on Friday the committee report was read and the Conference 
proceeded to take it up item by item. The first and second paragraphs were 
amended and adopted. Paragraph Three was read and adopted. Then the Conference 
adjourned until 2 o'clock. When the afternoon session was called to order, a 
substitute for Paragraph Four of the report of the committee was offered by the 
Mitchell backers as the opening bombshell of the fight. The substitute paragraph 
read as follows: "Resolved: that it is the sense of this mission conference that 
we should adopt as our educational policy only one institution of learning of 
the higher grade."

This move of the Mitchell faction threw both consternation, and determination 
into the Ordway camp: It was debated, hot and heavy, through the remainder of 
the afternoon, on through the evening and late into the night. Finally a motion 
prevailed

[P142]

whereby the report and the substitute paragraph were referred back to the 
Committee on Education with instructions to state definitely what the offers 
from Ordway and Mitchell included, and that the time of fulfillment be extended 
one year from this date. The matter was jockeyed back and forth before the final 
action was taken. The motion to have only one institution of learning of the 
higher grade was lost and the Conference went on record as favoring the granting 
of one more year to the backers of both institutions an opportunity to make good 
on the promises made at Huron in 1883. A commission was also appointed to 
determine when the two towns sponsoring the schools had met their obligations, 
and to report to the next Conference.

At the 1885 Conference, held at Blunt, with Bishop Cyrus D. Foss in the chair, 
it was found that the drought conditions had made it difficult for the Mitchell 
folks to completely carry out their agreement. They were given an additional 
year to turn over to the Conference, debt free, two quarter sections together 
with the college building finished and furnished. With reference to Ordway, the 
Conference found that the proposition made in 1883 had not been fulfilled, and 
was still unfulfilled at the end of the additional year granted, and, "We do 
hereby disclaim all responsibility for the failure of the aforesaid enterprise, 
and that we here and now abandon all attempts to found a university at Ordway."

One story has it that the Ordway folks, besides making the excavations for the 
foundations of the university building, also set up a stone-making plant on the 
banks of the Elm River and actually started the school in a vacant store 
building and ran it a term or two with an enrollment of 30 students. The State 
Historical Department, however, is unable to find any facts about the school 
session alleged to have been held.

This was the final blow for the Ordway enthusiasts. The old spirit which had set 
out to build a town where it was apparently never designed that one of 
importance should be built was subdued and chastened. The little village that 
had so long hoped against hope, and lived upon what it expected to be and have, 
disintegrated and almost disappeared.

The 1886 Conference at Watertown, with Bishop Thomas Bowman presiding, finally 
accepted Dakota University at Mitchell and pledged its utmost endeavors to 
promote its prosperity. This report was adopted by a unanimous and rising vote, 
followed by singing "Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow."

This action gave the Dakota Conference legal title to Dakota University. Rev. 
Mr. Hartsough congratulated the Conference on the happy termination of the long-
drawn-out contest. The Ordway contingent fell into line; accepted the Mitchell 
institution as their own, and like Christian patriots, gave it their unstinted 
and abiding support.

Rev. O. A. Phillips, leader of the Ordway supporters, also proved himself a good 
loser and a prince of Christian gentlemen. From thence forward he gave the 
institution at Mitchell his wholehearted support. When he was forced to give up 
preaching, due to advanced age, he moved to Mitchell, built a large cement block 
home near the University, and after he died his widow deeded it to the school. 
Today it is known as Phillips Hall and is used as a students' residence. By his 
own request, Rev. Mr. Phillips was buried in Graceland Cemetery, near the school 
whose location he once so vigorously opposed. "His exemplary conduct showed 
Methodism at its best," comments the late O. W. Coursey in his book "A History 
of Dakota Wesleyan University for Fifty Years,"--fighting, forgiving, 
forgetting, bequeathing. It was God-likeness in full bloom."



EARLY DAYS AT ORDWAY
"BIGGEST LITTLE TOWN"
by Edwin C. Torrey

Ordway in those days was the biggest little town in the northwest. It was named 
for the Governor, a carpet-bagger sent out in the due process of political debt-
paying and who was destined to become the most unpopular executive the territory 
ever had. It was the terminus of a railroad, the center of a good farming 
community and soon became a candidate for the capital of an undivided Dakota.

Down in Illinois, Amos R. Beckwith and Louis G. Brandt had heard the call of the 
West. They were strangers to each other, but had been cast in somewhat similar 
molds and were ripe for any adventure which promised emoluments and spoils. The 
oppornuity of "putting something over" at Ordway looked good to them. Beckwith 
was a modern-day Wilkins Micawber. Like his prototype he was more often "in 
difficulties" than out of them. He had the true elasticity of a Micawber. One 
moment in the slough of despond, he could in the next outline a project that 
spelled his everlasting fortune, and then hum a tune with an air of real 
gentility. Always did he profess to believe that "something would turn up." He 
was certain that in Dakota, the land of opportunity for the boomer and the 
booster his foot would be upon its native heath.



BEGINNING OF THE END

Ordway began to slip in the fall of 1882 when the Northwestern railroad, which 
had made its terminus for two years in the town, extended to Columbia, six miles 
to the northwest. Columbia had a county seat in hand, rather than a capital in 
the bush, and it wanted a railroad. The townsite company procured the right-of-
way and built the grade from Columbia to Ordway and subsequently deeded all its 
right for a consideration of $1 to the Northwestern.

The extension would have been a crushing blow to anyone but the mercurial trio 
who had set out to make Ordway the capital and who reasoned that radiating lines 
of railways were necessary for every well regulated capital city. Beckwith, 
editor of the paper, was a builder of railways himself, and counted that day 
forever lost whose low descending sun saw no new competing line begun and 
completedon paper. The maps he widely circulated gave a popular impression that 
Ordway was a second Indianapolis--a railway center of first magnitude and a 
capital.



McKENZIE'S OPPORTUNITY

The bubble burst in 1883 when the capital com-

[P143]

mission, which spent the better part of a year in visiting rival towns and 
comparing bids and living on the top shelf, located the capital of an undivided 
territory at Bismarck in the northern half. Events crowd each other so closely 
in a new country that few remember the personnel of this commission or the towns 
in the race for the capital.

Alexander McKenzie is probably the best known of the nine. Two, B. F. Spalding, 
who was then the chief justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court and George A. 
Matthews of Brookings, South Dakota, had been members of congress. The chairman 
of the commission was Alexander Hughes, then of Elk Point. Other members were C. 
H. Myers of Redfield, M. D. Thomas of Vermillion, H. H. DeLong of Canton, Major 
J. M. Belding of Deadwood and Dr. Scott, the treasurer, then of Grand Forks. 
What is now South Dakota had six members of the commission, while North Dakota 
had but three. It seemed clear to everybody that the capital would not be 
located within 200 miles of the Northern Pacific Railway. To be sure, Alex 
McKenzie was on the board, but he was not so well known then and was supposed to 
control no more than his own vote.



TEN IN CAPITAL RACE

Towns which offered sites and were visited by the commission were Canton, 
Mitchell, Huron, Pierre, Frankfort, Redfield, Ordway, Fargo, Devils Lake and 
Bismarck. No offer was considered that was not made on official blanks and 
accompanied with a certified check for $25,000.00.

The commissioners had free special trains to visit all the towns and were 
banqueted in each and feted as veritable kings of men. The trains were stocked 
with the best that the marts of the world afforded, and everything was free to 
all on board. The members were accompanied by their wives, and the train went 
from southern to northern localities by way of Minneapolis and St. Paul. The 
boomers and promoters who hoped to profit by the location of the capital piled 
upon the train, and, as there was no law to keep them off, they remained and 
fared on equal terms with the commissioners.



A MEMOIR
by Anna C. Laurence

My earliest recollections were when my parents, Mr. and Mrs. Gus Johnson came 
from Winona, Minnesota to Dakota Territory in May, 1882, arriving at Ordway. I 
remember, so vividly the train moving slowly through the water west of Waubay, 
as the track was completely covered with water, due to the spring thaw. My 
childish curiosity was aroused by the white ripples of water. It kept me 
fascinated for a long time.

Ordway was a bustling frontier town. There was a hotel, blacksmith shop, a 
general store which was operated by R. H. Garland, who had two sons, Hamlin and 
Frank. A Mr. Farnham was the attorney. There were the usual saloons which follow 
the openings of new towns and territories.

My father did odd jobs, such as digging wells, carpentry and helping on farms 
which consisted of one quarter section of land--no two or three sections as of 
now.

In later years, we moved to the Garland homestead which is about one and one-
half miles north of Ordway. Here my twin sisters, Hilda and Ida, were born. We 
lived here for five years. One fall as we were threshing, Hamlin and Frank 
Garland walked out from Ordway to see the workings of a horse power threshing 
machine. I shall try to describe this. There was a huge gearing in the center 
with seven or eight poles extending out, wheel fashion. On each pole was a 
whiffle tree for each pair of horses. They walked in a circle. Around this 
gearing was a platform and here stood a driver with his whip to tag the lazy 
horse.

From this gearing was a shaft or revolving rod connected with the separator. 
This old fashioned separator had a tremendously long straw carrier which was 
doubled backwards when moved from place to place. This was the first and the 
only one of its kind I ever saw.

[Photo: Typical sod house of the Prairies, 1881.]

A short distance from the house was a one room sod shanty. The roof had fallen 
in. My brother, Charles, and I used to run around on the walls, jumping over the 
door and window openings. One day, Charles missed his jump and fell, breaking 
his right arm. Mother carried him to Ordway to have the doctor set his arm. That 
ended our squirrelish antics.

Our close neighbors were C. I. Locker and John Wade on the east, Mr. Tallman and 
Mr. Bray, west; Mr. Sovereign, southwest; and the H. H. Plummers, northwest. We 
stayed five years.

One fall, before leaving for Westport, a prairie fire from the northeast came 
sweeping toward our house. It was evening and it was quite spectacular and the 
following day, my brother, Charles, and I went over the burned ground. We found 
the charred body of a dog or a coyote.

On July 4, 1885, our father and mother took us to Columbia for the celebration. 
We rode in a lumber wagon, sitting on a board across the box just back of father 
and mother, who had the place of honor--the spring seat. We children were 
fascinated by the size of Columbia Lake which lapped its foamy

[P144]

waves on either side of a dirt road--there were three people drowned that day, 
in the lake.

[Photo: The John Locker farm, settled in 1881.It has been owned by R. M. Van 
Winkle since 1904.]

As I recall, Columbia had buildings on both sides of Broadway from the railroad 
on the south to the Congregational Church on the north. Flags and bunting were 
arranged along the main thorough fare and taken as a whole it was a successful 
celebration. To this day, Columbia has never had one like it.

When the court house records were moved to Aberdeen, Columbia started to 
dwindle. Business and firms went along for greater opportunities. Some win, some 
lose, and what Columbia lost, Aberdeen won. Columbia is situated in a good 
production area and had the potentialities of becoming a good agriculture 
center.

In the fall of 1887, father moved off the Garland homestead to a quarter section 
three miles southeast of Westport. Here he built a two room cottage, later he 
added a kitchen. He dug a surface well and was rewarded by striking good water. 
On this place, I saw the nicest golden, plump wheat I have ever seen. It weighed 
62 to 63 pounds per bushel and at that time, father received 360 per bushel. 
Hogs were $2.00 per cwt. Dad didn't go for the hog business however, sticking to 
raising wheat, oats, and flax.

We children had two miles to walk to school and never minded it. In the winter 
we stayed at home. We enjoyed our school and honored our teachers, no 
disturbances in school.

In January, 1888, on the twelfth, the day started so warm and balmy, but by noon 
the wind had changed and we had a terrible blizzard. Dad started to do his 
chores about 4 o'clock p.m.--a cow and three or four horses to feed. Mother 
wanted him to take the milk pail along, but he said "No". After he went out, 
mother took a pan of potato peelings for the cow and a pail and started out.

It is strange how one's life can be saved by a trifling incident. In this case 
it was a cat's meow. Mother got lost and was wandering about. She finally found 
a long drift and followed it. This drift led her to a hay stack near the barn 
where she dropped exhausted.

Soon, she heard the cat cry and she called "Gus, Gus". He finally located her. 
There were three other drifts, one from the barn, one from the well and one from 
the house. How providential, mother had retraced to the hay stack and the 
opportune moment of Dad going back just at that time.

When they came in, mother's face was covered with snow, cheeks frozen. The next 
day, we found her tracks where frozen potato peelings were scattered about. Dad 
then strung a wire, from the house to the barn, in case we'd have more real 
blizzards which we were spared.

We children had fun on this little farm, riding our horses and taking our cows, 
for eventually we had acquired a few head, to the Elm River a mile away for 
their drink, in case the well water was getting low.

We had our croquet court and the neighbor's children would be our Sunday guests. 
We enjoyed our simple farm life and child delinquency had never been heard of. 
The simple things seemed to be sufficient and we were happy.

I believe it was in the summer of 1899, we had no rain for six or seven weeks. 
People were getting discouraged. Finally a rain maker came to Aberdeen. One 
afternoon, a huge black cloud came up from the south. We were delighted but a 
few drops of rain were all we got at this time.

On the Fourth of July, we really got a real downpour, from real clouds. The rain 
maker was a topic of humorous, conversation for some time.

In July, 1936, Ordway and Community Club and W. P. A. Writer's Project sponsored 
a Memorial Dedication honoring Hamlin Garland. A huge boulder with an 
inscription was placed on the spot where the first house stood. Mr. Garland was 
not able to be present. All of us were so disappointed.

Notes added by Averil Ross--April 19, 1956:

Mrs. Laurence wrote her "Memoir" about 1948. She moved to Aberdeen in 1951 and 
lives at 512 Ninth Ave. S. E.

She was born in Eyota, Minnesota, August, 1879. Her brother was born in St. 
Charles, Minnesota. She was only 2 years and 8 months old when she came with her 
parents to Dakota Territory.

Mrs. Laurence's children are Mrs. J. Eccarius of Rapid City; Miss Della and 
William Reese who both work in the Labor Department in Washington D. C.; and 
Mrs. W. E. Smalley of Frederick. Mrs. Smalley was born after her father died. 
Her mother named her for her father adding an "e" to his name making the very 
pretty name Orene.

Mrs. Laurence has 10 grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren.

[P145]

OSCEOLA TOWNSHIP
by Meda (Senn) Wilmsen

Probably the first of memories of Osceola Township is the building of the Senn 
school house on the acre given to the school district by August Senn. Then the 
opening of that school in the spring of 1893 with Hugh MacClean as teacher. I 
was five and not old enough to attend regularly but I visited some afternoons. I 
remember the meager furnishings of that first school room, and that the length 
of the term was four months. The teachers in the order that I later had them 
were: Addie Fuller, Ellen Heagley, Emma Horning, Martha Horning, Clara Gerloff, 
Paul Gorder, Frederickke Gorder, Cora Davis, Miss Mary Springer (65 years old), 
Jay Drum and Floyd McCulloch.

Our neighbors during those years were the Herman Rosebrocks, an uncle to Fred 
Rosebrock and now on the same acres, the James Hamilton family, a half mile to 
the south, the John Way family, one mile to the south, the James Burroughs 
family on the present Ernest Burroughs' farm and two miles north, and Mr. and 
Mrs. Isaiah Bunker, across the road from the Burroughs. They were the father and 
mother of Mrs. Hamilton and Mrs. Burroughs and also grandparents of Dr. Bunker 
of Aberdeen and Ernest and I. M. Burroughs of Frederick. One of their sons, 
James Bunker, later of Ellendale, had married Ellen Way, a daughter of their 
neighbor John Way. The Bunkers had come from Vermont via Wisconsin and one of 
the outstanding family social events of about 1905 or 1906 was their Golden 
Wedding Anniversary at their new home in Ellendale, N. D. Two miles west of us a 
Civil War veteran and family of three boys and one girl had taken up a homestead 
and additional acres, Richard Krohn by name. Memories of early Memorial days 
include the marching of Krohn, James Redding and their Civil War buddies to the 
drum beats of Whitehouse, all in their blue uniforms.

Frederick, a growing town in various ways, had the first Methodist Church and 
Sunday School, for an every Sunday morning attraction. My first years there were 
with Mrs. George Winston in the Primary department, and all the rest of the 
years, after third grade through high school, were spent with Mrs. Burnham in a 
class of ten or more girls. Mrs. Burnham was a person who put first things 
first, and presented Sunday School lessons in the same fine way. C. W. Runge was 
the Sunday School superintendent all of the years that I attended the Methodist 
Sunday School.

[Photo: Settler's tar-papered homestead shack--1881.]

Frederick had many things to offer us living in

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the country in the 1890's and 1900's. An Uncle Tom's Cabin tent show, unusually 
good; another program, music this time by home talent, "Queen Esther" in which 
Mr. and Mrs. Ed. Pettingill played and sang leading parts, remembered now 
because of their good work in it. A fourth of July, when forty of us girls, from 
ten to twelve years old, were each a State of the Union and we sang "Columbia 
the Gem of the Ocean," but not in the bowery as planned. It rained, and the 
whole practiced program was given in the Opera House, a building on the present 
site of the Co-op Store. Mrs. Ed. Pettingil was again responsible for our 
number.

In connection with the Methodist Sunday School of that day, I should mention the 
Sunday School picnics held almost every June at the Log House with rowing boats 
and fishing on the Elm as the major attractions. At Christmas there was always 
the program by the children and young people. The one, still beautiful in 
memory, was a cantata, "The Filipino Baby" which Mayme Howell Fuller directed 
with several others' help. My little brother, Lester Senn, five then, was the 
Filipino baby, with a small solo part of his own. We drove to those winter 
practices in a bob sled over snow filled roads--the future black topped 281 
Highway. Those left of that Sunday School will remember a scarlet fever epidemic 
in 1899 when ranks were depleted. I missed Ellen Chase and little David 
Cuykendall There was no Sunday School the rest of that winter.

There were a few other major happenings. One not to be forgotten, was a 12 inch 
rain that fell in about the same number of hours. We were in school at the Senn 
school house and we went home at 4 p.m., barefoot with jeans and skirts rolled 
high And there was the winter of the "Big Snow" with ten foot drifts in all 
barnyards and house yards And tunnels shoveled for cattle and horses to get them 
to feed and water.

We watched the grade school in Frederick move from its first location on the 
north side of town to its present location, and two years of high school, and 
later three and four years. One of the earliest instructors of the school, was 
W. F. Eddy when it was at its present location. He had a few unique experiences 
with pupils.

One, Beryl Sykes, who had a pistol in his pant pocket, was asked for it by Mr. 
Eddy as the school was called to order and the gun went off as he handed it to 
Mr. Eddy, the bullet zinging through a blackboard.

Among the list of County Commissioners of Brown, there was one, Commissioner 
Senn, who played an important part in financing the lean years (hard times) for 
the first Finnish settlers of Savo Township. County Commissioner Senn ok'd the 
needed lists of groceries for these families over the summer until the crops 
planted were harvested and marketed. I remember some ox carts drawn by oxen of 
that day that came to our door.

How did the Senn's happen to come to Frederick, Dakota Territory? August Senn 
and C. W. Runge were classmates in the then Methodist College in Iowa. Through 
Mr. Runge's managing the Salzer Lumber Company, on the present Lumber Company's 
site, in 1882, and 1883, Mr. Senn came to Frederick and planned to take up a 
homestead. He worked for C. W. Runge while the farm house was put up on the 
homestead, which he had bought as a relinquishment from a Fargo lady who 
couldn't take "country life" of that day. In 1883, Mr. and Mrs. Senn were 
married in the Swiss settlement of Ashford, Wisconsin. Mrs. Senn took her trip 
alone by train to Frederick. Her husband had a car loaded with the household 
goods, a cow and horses, and machinery and came a couple of weeks before her. 
Mrs. Senn's part in the community was a very active one due to her capability in 
the sick room. She would have made as good a doctor as the two brothers in 
Wisconsin any day. As it was, she was a practical nurse of first class. In the 
1890's and 1900's she had experiences too, going and coming from sick rooms, one 
in particular was a ride on a " stone boat" one cold winter night when the side 
roads were blocked and they cut across the fields to save time and miles. I 
wonder if the family my mother helped that night will remember it.

Mr. John Way named Osceola Township. He was a man with a lot of vim and vigor, 
and very active in township affairs. When the first white child was born in 
Osceola he wanted to name her Osceola, but Mrs. Hamilton and the Senns named her 
Almeda Jennie Senn.

[P147]

PALMYRA TOWNSHIP
by Harold Strand

In 1879 four brothers came to America from Norway. They were the sons of Albert 
E. Strand of Valders. On the trip over they met two sisters and their brother, 
whose name was also Strand. The four brothers had some relatives at Boyd, 
Minnesota; they all decided to settle at Boyd.

In 1880 three of these Strand brothers, Syvert E., Engebert E., and Ivor came to 
Dakota Territory by train as far as Watertown, which was the end of the line. 
They purchased supplies and ox teams at Watertown and started off for the great 
northwest to a place in Dakota Territory, which is now on the North Dakota and 
South Dakota line.

They staked claims for homesteads and built sod houses, later that season they 
returned to Minnesota for the rest of their possessions and Syvert E., and 
Engebert E., married the two sisters. They returned to Dakota in 1882 and 
remained there permanently.

They loaded their immigrant car at Montevideo, Minnesota, and went as far as the 
train would take them. They arrived at Ellendale, Dakota Territory in May of 
1882. A prairie fire had blackened the area and a two day search was necessary 
to find feed for their livestock.

When the Strand brothers staked their claims the land had not been surveyed. The 
area was surveyed in 1881 and the E. S. Strand claim was located in three 
different sections and four quarters, two of these were in Dickey County and two 
in Brown County. He was therefore given permission to establish his land in one 
definite area. Since the buildings were in the N. W. 1/4 of section 1, in the 
area that is now Palmyra Township, in South Dakota, it was chosen to be their 
home.

Engebert's claim was also chosen to be in Brown County. They spent the rest of 
their lives here, but none of his family stayed in the area. The other brother, 
whose claim was located in Dickey County, later sold his interests and returned 
to Boyd, Minnesota, in 1887.

Several members of S. E. Strand's family still reside in the area. Henry, the 
first child born in this area, was also the first baptized into the Aurdal 
Lutheran Church in October, 1884. Although the church is located across the 
state line in North Dakota, it has served the majority of the people of Palmyra 
Township over the years. It was built in 1886 and has the original siding.

David lived just north of the school house until he retired and moved to 
Ellendale. Conrad lives east of the school. Mabel, who married Albert Ofstedal, 
lives about a half mile east of the present school, which is located in the S. 
W. corner of Section Two. William Strand lives on the original homestead and 
Cora, Mrs. Anton Mellang, lives one half mile east of the old "tree claim 
quarter".

In 1883 the Andres Ofstedal family homesteaded on the S. W. of 9. They had come 
from the Voss area of Norway. They raised a large family and in 1901 moved to 
the S. W. of 12, which their grandson, Raymond Ofstedal owns. Clara, Mrs. Lester 
Watkins, lives next to the state line near the Elm River. Albert lives in the N. 
E. of 11 and the rest of the family went to Canada many years ago and still live 
there. Of the original homesteaders these are the only descendants left in the 
township.

Tom Jacobson came to this area in 1892 and lived in N. E. of 8 for many years 
later living on S. E. of 7 until he retired and moved to Frederick. Later due to 
ill health he went to Minneapolis, Minnesota to live with his son Harry.

Tom Burheim came to America in 1880 and moved on to a farm in Section 15, which 
is presently owned and operated by his son Ordean. There are several of their 
children living in this township. They are Elmer, Lena, Martha and Doris (Mrs. 
Lewis Sundve).

There were many other living in the township in the early days but most of them 
left to go further West or returned to their native communities.

Some interesting accounts taken from early township records include: The first 
township Supervisors were E. L. Eastwood, William Leeman and C. D. Boom. The 
first school board members were Parker E. Sanborn, S. M. Huntington and J. K. 
Alter. They lived at the places now known as the Marvin Olson's in S. E. of 22, 
the former Fred Schense farm N. E. of 29, and Mildred Burheim's N. W. of 19.

The first school was a single wall building not sheeted or sided and located on 
Section 4, another similar building was located on section 28. The cost of these 
schools was $110 for materials, $25 for hauling lumber and construction. School 
opened on June 22, 1885, with Hattie Sherman teaching the Section 4 school and 
Annie Biglow in the Section 28 school. The term was for three months and the 
salary was $25 per month.

In 1888 the buildings were sheeted, sided, and painted. School was held for five 
months. In 1890 stoves were installed so that school could be held during the 
winter months. In 1897 school was held for seven months. In 1903, after 
considerable discussion it was decided to have eight month terms. It was not 
until the new school was built in S. W. of 2, in 1918, and after considerable 
wrangling it was decided to have nine months of school.

In civil township records it shows that in 1886, aid was given to a home in 
which there was illness not to exceed $12. In a special meeting in May of 1886 
the following is found--"Resolved--It has been found there is a law for the 
pulling of mustard. Such law to be enforced and that the supervisors 
individually be authorized to enforce it until the next annual meeting."

Feed and seed loans evidently aren't new as this resolution appears in a special 
meeting on March 26, 1895. The Board after due consideration of the petition in 
regard to the township furnishing seed grain, has decided that it was not for 
the best interest of the township to furnish seed grain.

The following family names of early settlers are found in township records: 
Bruce, Fjellman, Huntington, Wuellet, Shane, Boom, Larson, Leeman, Flatekval, 
Ofstedal, Southam, Halpin, McClure, Alter, Hanson, Johnson, Nelson, Strand, 
Suka, Baxter, Wilcox, Dappin, Bissebero, Winship, Young, Sty, Erickson, Lindsey, 
Jokela, Alekson, Stai, Scow, Halpin, Monger, Schoen, Fulton, John, Negel, Gaugh, 
and Burheim.

[P148]

PORTAGE TOWNSHIP
by Mrs. W. W. Scott and A. J. Bengtsson

Brown County had already been organized by the territorial legislature, when the 
first settlers came to the Hecla vicinity. Settlers were living in the south 
two-thirds of the county when August Jones secured land as a homestead in 1883 
from the United States government, and John Roos, doing likewise, two years 
later.

The townsite on which Hecla is located were these two homesteads, which their 
owners sold to the Western Town Lot Company in 1886. The town was platted in 
September of that year. The Dakota Central Railroad which became the Chicago and 
Northwestern, named the new little prairie town "Hecla" after a volcano in 
Iceland, though why, no one seems to remember. It was the extension of the 
railroad from Columbia to Oakes that provided the real impetus for building the 
town.

The nearest town was Columbia, where the railroad ended--25 miles away. All 
mail, groceries, fuel, medicines, hardware, lumber, implements, etc. were hauled 
from there by stage coach, team of horses, yoke of oxen, or on horse back.

A steamboat, "The Nettie Baldwin" carried freight and passengers on the James 
River. It was built by the father of Bob Wilson of Columbia in 1884. The boat's 
season began in April and ended in October when the river began to freeze over. 
When the river was high enough the boat went as far north as LaMoure, but its 
services were discontinued in 1886, when the railroad was extended.

Among those settlers coming early in 1883 and adjoining Hecla's site on the 
north were C. A. Bengtsson from Chicago, and Fred and Adolph Pfutzenreuter from 
Norway; from the east, Swanson from Sweden, Cramphen from Iowa, and the 
Sheldon's from Tampico, Illinois. West of Hecla the Minty family from Illinois, 
and the John Roos, Sr., also from Tampico, settled.

The following were early settlers in the Hecla community: Wm. Colestock, Clark 
Lamport, Hotchkiss family, Osher's, Jim North, Byron Graham, Morton, Firaman, 
John Doersch, Ed Lahman, James and Roy Kenny, Will Lahman, Clark Roberts, Bell, 
Kingkaid, Barnes, Barney, Jack Hall, Hollingstead, Jack Turner, Henry and Will 
Stabenow, O. T. Cooper, Herman Stabenow, John Morrow, Rudolph Gergiers, Henry 
Konning, Bernard Hubert, Foglesong, John Evereets, Christ Haas, Kelley, J. H. 
Varian, Backus, Vargetter, Longley, George Bigford, Hi Parsons, John Donovan, 
Pearson, D. Remington, Brooks, S. W. Art, Herman, O. W. Sheldon, J. H. Nailor, 
Mathias Monson, and Sam Zeller.

Pioneers were concerned with their children's education, just as we are eighty 
years later. So when the need for schools was felt, a school census was taken by 
William Colestock in 1885, and he found 100 pupils old enough to be in school.

Petitions for schools were made, and voted upon favorably, and one year later 
four one room schools were built. Lumber for the school houses was brought up on 
the "Nettie Baldwin" from Columbia, but the desks and the books were brought on 
the train from Aberdeen. Three of those first four teachers were Florence 
Hutchkiss, Kate Paddock, and Leora Jacques. Mrs. Mary Karten replaced Miss 
Jacques when she resigned, because there was no money to pay her. The name of 
the fourth teacher could not be recalled. The first school board consisted of W. 
T. Colestock, E. E. Remington, and J. R. Remington.

Children of school age in the little village attended the south rural school, 
known as the Booth School for a year, before a school house was built in Hecla. 
Actually the first school in town was held in the Joe Stone Hall with Wiley 
Winters, the first teacher, and his salary was $35 a month.

The first high school in Hecla was built in 1905.

The coming of the railroad meant everything to these early pioneers. Mail was 
gotten at Columbia, not oftener than once a month. Later, it came by stage coach 
to Lansing, and still later to the Clark store, and then the Township Hall by 
stage. With the railroad bringing the mail to Hecla the little community was 
connected with the outside world, also it was easier to procure supplies, and 
the extra produce could now be sold.

The railroad built the first restaurant here, the "Diamond E", and the first 
house was built by the Town Lot Company, for officials to live in while platting 
the town. A second house was put up by a man named Clark, who used part of the 
house as a store. Soon afterwards, Nick Lennertz built another store.

[Photo: The William Colestock farm about 1900.]

Another Mr. Clark (A. E.) was the first depot agent in Hecla. While holding down 
this job he

[P149]

went to Columbia and learned the banking business. In 1888, Clark opened the 
first bank here.

[Photo: Hecla Main Street looking east--1886.]

Mike Tormey was the first section foreman on the railroad here.

The first drug store was run by Fred Tyson, but a Mr. Cuykendall from Frederick 
erected the building. Fred Rock and Zimmers owned the town's first furniture 
store and wagon shop. J. J. and N. W. Stehly later bought the store.

Dr. Maxin arrived in Hecla when the town was but one year old. This first doctor 
lost only two cases out of 300, when typhoid fever epidemic broke out. Four 
livery teams were kept for the continual night and day driving of the doctor.

Two grain elevators were built in 1886. One elevator was built by the Stokes 
Milling Company, and the second by the Van Deuson Elevator Company. In only 
three years of farming, the settlers were raising enough wheat for commercial 
milling and for sale.

Mrs. Philip Herther and Cony Bradner opened the first boarding house in Hecla, 
and the first hardware store and implement business was run by Remington and 
Sheldon. A man named Michalis operated the first meat market, and Frank Rushlow, 
the first feed store. The first harness shop was owned by Jody Remington. Carl 
Starnecha started the first creamery, and later the building housed the "sauna", 
or Finnish bath.

The Winona Lumber Company established the first lumber shop with Don Hepp, 
manager.

L. Smith, first, and W. A. Lester later, edited the first newspaper. "The Hecla 
Times", in the town, though the printing was done by C. E. Baldwin at Columbia.

Olaf Bengtsson, born in 1884 was the first boy born at Hecla, and Mrs. Tony 
Zabrsa born in 1887 was the first girl.

Most of the original business places of Hecla have been destroyed by fire, 
catastrophes the town has endured several times. The fire of September 11, 1922 
destroyed four business places, and two weeks later five more stores were 
burned. In 1929, fire caused the Standard Oil Gas tanks to explode, but no 
buildings were burned, nor any persons injured. Still another fire in 1935 
destroyed more landmarks here. Always these places were rebuilt.

One of the Remington men owned the first threshing rig up here. It was a horse 
drawn affair, slow in comparison to the way grain is threshed today, but it got 
the work done. Neighbors made up the crew, and stayed with the operator until 
the threshing machine had made the rounds of all the settlers. Threshing began 
in 1884 here. Later straw burners were used, then the steam engine. A report Mr. 
Remington had of the year 1885 said: No. 1 hard wheat went 20 to 27 bushels per 
acre, and flax 7 to 12 bushels. This market report was taken from a Ludden 
newspaper in the same year: Wheat, No. 1 hard, 54 cents; Wheat, No. 2 hard, 490; 
Hard Coal (Ton), $13; Soft Coal (Ton), $10; Butter (Lb.), 30 cents; Potatoes 
(Bu.), 250.

The finer arts have always been noted in Hecla. There was the theatre, and as 
early as 1887 a band was organized. Another newspaper clipping states the Hecla 
Band played at a masquerade party Christmas Eve at Ludden in 1889. In 1888, a 
literary society was organized and fraternal, social and study clubs have 
followed.

If the first settlers were alive today, they would be proud of their little 
city.

[Photo: First Lumber Company--Winona, purchased by J. J. Stehly about 1888 or 
1890. It was located at the west end of Main Street, Hecla. The first Stehly 
home is just to the rear.]

[P150]

PUTNEY TOWNSHIP
by Mrs. Chris Jensen, William Hosley, Mrs. Augusta Kepke

The first post office in Brown County was located at Yorkville.

[Photo: The Yorkville Post Office--the first in Brown County.]

William York came to Dakota Territory in the spring of 1878 and settled on a 
claim on the James River. There was a ferry crossing at this point operated by 
the government of the United States.

Mr. York was the first settler in Riverside Township. This township was divided 
into Putney and Riverside in 1926.

The York family built a log house from the trees along the river. It consisted 
of a grocery store, a hotel and the United States Post Office.

[Photo: Letter over eighty years old, preserved by the Mather sisters, Margaret 
Mather Lamont and  Edith Mather Gannon.]

The first post office in Brown County was called Yorkville and it was located 
two and one-half miles south and two miles west of the present site of Putney. 
Hubbard E. Hosley assisted at the first post office during the winter of 1880-
81. He traveled about four miles on snow shoes in order to secure enough food 
for himself and his son, William, who was seven years old at that time.

The first white girl born in Brown County was born at Yorkville. She was Stella, 
the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Everson. Mrs. York was a Midwife and Stella 
Everson was born in one of the small rooms in the above picture.

Mr. York and his family moved to Groton and started the first hotel. It was 
later sold to T. B. Belding, then the York's moved to Devil's Lake in Dakota 
Territory.

[Photo: Bill of Lading issued to the Hosley and Fellows families listing the 
contents of their immigrant car.]

The above picture is a bill of lading, probably the only one of its kind in 
Brown County. The families that came to Putney Township in the spring of 1880 
came to Watertown in a box car, along with their furniture, livestock, and food 
which included evaporated milk, flour, coffee, tea, dried fruit and vegetables. 
Most of the livestock brought here from the Eastern States perished during the 
severe winter of 1880-81.

There was also a large supply of Bibles furnished by the American Bible Society, 
New York City. These Bibles were distributed by the Fellows and Hosley families. 
They also brought china, silver and

[P151]

other personal treasures which still remain in the community.

Watertown was the end of the railroad and a guide brought them to their claims. 
The very first thing that they did was to dig a well. Their homes were built of 
sod and the roofs were branches from the trees found at the James River.

The Archie McKinnon, Bessie McKinnon, Margaret McKinnon, W. E. Hosley, John 
Campbell , Abram Smith, Hubbard Hosley, Fred Fellows, Frederick Hosley, Frank 
Douglas, S. M. Gibbs, William Wood families came in 1880. Cade Cummins, Chas. 
Rasmussen, Fred Rasmussen, Bryon Hughes were early pioneers.

ln 1878 two young men, about twenty years of age came from Watertown, Wisconsin 
to Watertown, Dakota Territory. They walked over one hundred miles to the 
southeast part of Putney Township where they staked their claim, deciding that 
it was the best tillable land within the distance. They checked the depth of the 
black loom as they traveled northwest of Watertown, Dakota Territory. Each 
winter was spent in Wisconsin and not until 1882 did they bring their wives with 
them. They were Joe S. Schornack and Gustav Lietz.

[Photo: First school in Brown County, 1881, Riverside District No. 1.]

The first school in Brown County was located one-half mile west of Putney. Miss 
Rachael Smith, daughter of Abram Smith, taught the first term in District 1. The 
original building was later moved to Putney and was located north of the 
Community church.

Members of the first school were Elmer and Roy Rasmussen, William Hosley, 
Clinton Clark, Frank Dickerson, Fred Fellows, Mamie Campbell, Bessie McKinnon 
Jensen and Margaret McKinnon Honey.

The building was made of wood with, windows on both sides and an entry at the 
entrance where they kept their coats and overshoes. Slates were used instead of 
paper and the spell down was always practiced. Their books were difficult and 
one book which still remains in the community is dated 1883 and entitled "The 
Fifth Reader and Speaker" by Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor and Company; Publishers of 
New York and Chicago.

The children sat in double desks and there was a long recitation bench in front 
of the room, near the teacher's desk. There were many different ages attending 
the first school.

Miss Smith took up a claim one mile south of Putney and her father moved his 
shanty so that they could build on the line between the quarters, thus, they 
could both live in the same house and on their claims, too. Miss Smith married 
Frank W. Dewey and they returned to Michigan where they made their home.

Farming was the occupation of the Pioneers of Putney Township. They broke up the 
sod by using a walking plough pulled by oxen. Holes in which to plant corn were 
dug with a spade. The grain and corn acreage was small and they used the 
broadcasting method. They threshed the first grain by tramping on the grain with 
their feet, after it had been cut with a scythe.

[Photo: Horse-powered threshing machine. Note the hand fed separator. Also the 
straw conveyor rather than a blower on the rear of the separator.]

[P152]

The first threshing machine in Putney Township is pictured on the preceding 
page. This picture was taken in 1885. The reaper was also used to cut the grain 
and often this was owned by one person who traveled through the country doing 
custom reaping.

[Photo: McCormick Reaper, 1882. Note the windrows of grain waiting for men to 
gather into bundles for shocking.]

Putney was established after the building of the Great Northern Railway in 1886. 
It is located on the Campbell farm. The land for the site was donated by H. W. 
Campbell. It derived its name from Putney, Vermont.

[Photo: First Putney Store, built by Hardy Campbell in 1887.]

Hardy Campbell built the first store in 1887. In the same year a newspaper 
called the "Putney Messenger" was started. Later a hotel was erected, a "butcher 
shop" was owned by Mr. Shepard. During the 80's and 90's Putney had a drug store 
which was managed by Judd Clark and Fred Leach.

A second grocery store was built by Fred Flanders of Columbia, a feed mill was 
operated by John Bloom. Two elevators were erected. A church was built by the 
members of the community. A blacksmith shop and village hall were also a part of 
Putney before 1889.

Peter Wennack used the following means of transportation to bring his lumber 
from Watertown, Dakota Territory to the southwestern part of Putney Township. 
This was done in the year of 1880 and he slept under his wagon so no one would 
steal his lumber for his new home in Putney Township.

[Photo: Peter Wennack hauling lumber with oxen.]

[P153]

RAVINIA TOWNSHIP
by Helen Bergh

[Photo: Original homestead building on Miltenberger farm.]

Ravinia Township, which is situated along the Edmunds County line north and west 
of Richmond, is crisscrossed in several directions by a network of creeks and 
ravines. Most of these streams drain into Foot Creek and form Richmond Lake. 
These geographical features gave the township its name which was suggested by 
Mrs. J. S. Vetter, wife of one of the early settlers, and an early teacher.

Many of the first homesteaders came from Canada in 1882. One early pioneer was 
George Turner who came in 1882, and built a sod house on the west edge of the 
township. Traces of it still remain. Another was Henry Miller and his daughter 
Laura, who was an accomplished pianist.

Some who came a few years later included Casper Orth who came from Wisconsin to 
Aberdeen in 1888, filed on a homestead just north of Richmond Lake, was a tailor 
in Aberdeen, and played the clarinet in the Aberdeen band, which he helped 
organize. Frank Schaeffer emigrated with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jacob 
Schaeffer to Aberdeen Township in 1888, and then homesteaded in Ravinia 
Township. Their home was a sod shanty with very thick walls plastered with a 
solution made of two parts of yellow clay, one part of wood ashes and one part 
of salt. When this had dried it made an excellent base for whitewashing. This 
same mixture was used for making fire bricks for lining stone ovens or fire 
boxes in the cook stove.

Mr. and Mrs. John Dalin came from Sweden and homesteaded near the present 
Richmond Lake. Mrs. Dalin was a practical nurse who was on call night or day to 
act as a midwife, or to assist local doctors when extra help was needed.

Several Biegler families came from Russia and settled on adjoining farms crossed 
by a small stream known as Stony Run. One of them a deaf mute, settled with his 
family and in spite of his handicap raised his family, descendants of which are 
still in the Aberdeen area.

Much of the land in this area is too hilly for regular farming operations but 
makes excellent pastures.

The township was formally organized in 1888.

[Photo: A hayride on the prairie.]

[P154]

RICHLAND TOWNSHIP
Taken from the Frederick Free Press Jubilee Edition by Mrs. Martin Tveit

In the early days, Richland was part of Greenfield Township. The homesteaders 
came in 1881 and 1882, as they did in all Brown County, and they represented 
many nationalities. They came from many states--Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, 
Minnesota, Michigan and Massachusetts.

Among the early settlers were Mr. and Mrs. Amund O. Hamar who came from 
Minnesota in 1881 where they had been married. Both were born in Norway. Mr. 
Hamar had many tales to tell of his eleven weeks trip to the United States on a 
sailing vessel. Mr. and Mrs. James Christie left their children in Iowa, and 
came to Richland Township in the summer of 1881. The trip was made in a covered 
wagon. The couple dug a well, also, a cellar and did some "breaking", then 
returned to Iowa for the winter. In the spring of 1882 the family returned to 
their homestead. Mr. Christie was born in Scotland, and his wife in England.

Other homesteaders who arrived here in 1881 to make their homes were Mr. and 
Mrs. John (Ryg) Johnson and family from Iowa, Mr. and Mrs. Ole Nelson, Mr. and 
Mrs. Howell Morgans from Wisconsin and Mr. and Mrs. George Sumption and family, 
who always were interested in civic affairs and the progress of their community. 
The wife of John Sumption, son of George, was said to be carried into the 
community by "Negro Ben", one of the first negroes in Dakota who continued to 
live here.

Nearly all of the land was settled in 1882. Ami Durkee came that year from 
Michigan and also, "Buck" Johnson and family from Massachusetts. P. C. Gelling, 
who became Johnson's son-in-law, took up land in Richland. He was born in the 
Isle of Man, coming to Illinois at the age of six years. Gelling saw Abraham 
Lincoln a number of times, since he lived near Springfield.

Lars Tveit and wife Runghelde came to this area at this time, too. Their son, 
Iver Tveit walked from Waubay, where the railroad ended, to Richland Township. 
He took up land, and returned to Albert Lee, Minnesota where he was married. One 
year later, in 1883, the couple returned in an immigrant car shared by Nels 
Holum and Andrew Wangen which was unloaded at Westport. Nels Holum homesteaded 
in Henry Township. Also in that immigrant car that was shipped to Westport were 
John and Ingeborg Buene. One summer before, Buene walked with Iver Tveit to this 
place. While Buene and Tveit were getting started, they worked for Nels Holum. 
Many of the farmers sought work away from home, for extra money and some of the 
men went to the Red River Valley--a hundred miles away.

Other early comers to this community were Mr. and Mrs. Caspar Kronschnabel, Sr. 
of German descent. When Richland-Greenfield Township organized, Kronschnabel, 
Howell Morgans, and P. C. Gelling were the first supervisors and Walter 
Underhill was elected clerk. Mr. and Mrs. Fred Geranen, who raised. twelve 
children and spent all their lives here, were here in 1882, as were Ole and Anna 
Koam, and Reguel Backman, and Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Thye. Mr. Thye is a second 
resident who came from Norway in a sailing vessel. His son became a senator in 
Minnesota, also mentioned in the Brainard history. Early settlers, about whom no 
one remembers anything except their names were Mellanger, Newton's and Brandt's. 
Mr. and Mrs. Ole Holten settled here in 1884 and Mr. and Mrs. Charles 
Christianson in 1885. Guy and Wallace Abbott who came from Michigan were here in 
the early 80's.

Three school houses were built in 1884. They were known as the Backman school, 
the Christie and the Morgan school. Some of the early teachers were Floyd 
Parmeter, Mrs. Guy Abbott, Anna Kronschnabel, Caroline Kronschnabel, Edna Brown, 
Edna Davis, Cora Brown, Carrie and Sarah Redding, Gertrude and Norma Sykes, Leta 
Abbott and Clara Brown.

The Christie school later was known as the Sumption school, and it was used as a 
church by the pioneers. The Lutherans used the school house, and their homes for 
worship services, until 1904 when the group in the south part of Richland and 
the north part of Brainard built the Aurland Lutheran Church with Iver Tveit 
overseeing the building. The total cost of the materials was $850. The 
Methodists continued to use the school house for their services with the early 
ministers being the Reverends Lot, Brown, and Butterfield.

[Photo: Aurland Lutheran Church as it looks today. The cemetery is behind the 
church.]

The Norwegian Lutheran Church in Richland Township is a model of the Church in 
Aurland, Norway. The congregation was organized in 1885, four years after the 
first settlers came. The altar and pews were purchased by the ladies aid. The 
altar picture was donated by Einar Nygaard; the organ, altar ring and lamps by 
the (pige forining)

[P155]

junior ladies aid. The first pastor was Rev. Rogne and the last was Rev. 
Hjelmesth.

[Photo: Interior of Aurland Lutheran Church showing altar ring and picture.]

Due to circumstances beyond our control, services were discontinued in 1953. 
Most of the Norwegian families have intermarried and settled in various areas. 
There are very few of the original families left.

The monument was erected in 1961 in memory to the old settlers.

The Ladies Aid (descendants of the original families) is still functioning. We 
use our funds to keep the church in repair and painted. We also donate to the 
children's home and pastor's retirement and others. Our number is now down to 
nine. There are three great, great, great granddaughters of the original 
settlers in our Aid.

There were three eventful days in early pioneer life, namely Fourth of July, 
Christmas and the Ladies' Aid Picnic. Of course, there were the Sunday "get-
togethers". A fruit soup was often served at the meal. It was made of sago, 
prunes and raisins. The pioneers had to make their coffee by parching barley, 
and adding molasses and chicory. This mixture was baked and dried, then ground 
with a hand grinder.

On Christmas Eve, the usual lutefisk dinner was served. By the time Richland was 
settled, there were more Norwegians than any other nationality and Norwegians 
are very fond of lutefisk. Everyone brought dishes and silver, and somehow the 
whole crowd got into those small homes.

The homes of the pioneers were these 14' x 16' shanties found in all of Brown 
County. They were heated with a cast iron cookstove. It took one person in the 
winter time to stay by the stove, and twist hay to burn to keep warm. They lived 
for the most part on their own products. They hauled wheat to the mills at 
Columbia or Frederick to be ground into flour. The women carded and wove their 
own wool and knitted their socks and mittens, and did all their own sewing.

There were no roads, just paths from one claim shanty to another. Yet no one 
thought anything of a two or three mile walk. It was dangerous to be out at 
night in the winter time, for one could get lost easily, with no fence to guide 
you, and there was the danger of freezing.

Gathering of buffalo bones, that were sold to the sugar refineries, was quite an 
industry for a time. "Bone pickers" traveled through the country. Also traveling 
through were Indians with their long trail of horses in tow.

The Ole Holten's built a large barn with a big hayloft that was used for social 
activities for many years and no history of Richland Township would be complete 
without mentioning this.

Early pioneers went thru many hardships, but when all of one's neighbors are 
experiencing these same problems and troubles, they do not seem bad in 
retrospect. The settlers who "stuck it out" lived to better times and easier 
living, and the joy of seeing a community form.

[P156]

RIVERSIDE TOWNSHIP
by L. E. Falk

While the following sketch is not supported by documentation it may be accepted 
as historically accurate, the writer having personal knowledge of men and 
events.



THE NAME

A map published in 1884 shows the Riverside Township area as Richland. Available 
historical sources do not indicate when the name was changed to Riverside nor 
the reasons. It was a double township then and remained so until 1926 when a 
division was affected, the west half being named Putney. An educated guess 
indicates that the name was changed when the township was formally organized 
shortly after the settlement of the area.



SETTLEMENT IN 1881

Settlement of the township came with a great influx of homesteaders in 1881, 
nearly every claim being taken during the summer and fall of that year. The 
northwest corner of the township was settled by people of Swedish descent from 
Chisago County, Minnesota, their claims nearly all abutting each other. Thus 
came a new neighborhood of neighbors from Minnesota. Other homesteaders came 
from widely separated points from New York State to Michigan.

[Photo: Fred Olsen, early 1880's resident of Riverside Township.]



THE CHISAGO COUNTY, MINNESOTA GROUP

The Minnesota settlers included Samuel Swenson, Louis Johnson, Lot, Luther and 
Joseph Linn, Jonas, Charles and August Falk, Frank Anderson, John E. Hult, Peter 
Swensen and Frank G. Brooberg; Charles J. Kroon and Enoch Sandberg. Across the 
line in West Riverside were Alfred and August Abraham, and across the line in 
Claremont Township were Karl and John Green.

Other Riverside homesteaders adjoining the Minnesota group included Sven 
Hindstrand, Axel Hallberg, John Anderson, H. S. West, Ed Mather, Fred Rasmussen, 
Pat Ringrose, Sam Ritter, Clarence Chapin, R. A. Zimmerman, Forester H. Smith, 
F. T. Luce, Traphagen, Charles and H. C. Leake, T. B. Belding, Sam Willets, John 
H. Litts, Robert Dixon, Dan Newlon, Ole Belden and Joe Donovan.

The best known, if not the first school of the township, was the Johnson School 
or Riverside No. 4, as it was known officially. It was actually built on the 
Jonas A. Falk homestead on the N. E. corner of the N. E. 1/4 of Section 10. The 
original building was purchased by Richard Wehde and moved to his farm in the 
1920's when it was replaced by a modern structure. This in turn was sold in 1962 
and the plot reverted to the owner of the land.

Public notice came to the Johnson School when it was used as a place of worship 
by the Augustana Lutheran Congregation until 1899. The school also came to 
public notice as a place for Republican political rallies during the 1890's when 
prominent political figures and candidates appeared with the late John H. Litte 
as perennial moderator.



THE AUGUSTANA LUTHERAN CHURCH

[Photo: Augustana Lutheran Church]

The Augustana Lutheran Church was organized in the Riverside home of Lot A. 
Linn, July 25, 1884.

[P157]

Although the leadership of the congregation stemmed largely from Riverside for 
many years, ironically, when the church edifice was built in 1899 it was located 
in Claremont Township about threefourths of a mile from the Riverside boundary. 
The gift of a five acre building site by the late Karl Green decided the 
location.

The church edifice with a tower and spire was a miniature replica of the big 
Lutheran Church in Center City, Minnesota, the home church of a majority of the 
members.

An interesting reminiscence is the construction of a barn with a capacity for 50 
teams used by the church-goers. The structure was erected co-operatively at the 
same time as the church. By interesting coincidence it was razed by a tornado 
about the time that motor cars made it obsolete.

Extensive renovations and additions to the plant have been made through the 
years and the church, despite its almost total rural membership, is thriving 
with a membership that takes great pride in their religious home.

The structure is electric lighted, and it has a modern kitchen and social rooms, 
with modern toilet facilities having been installed in more recent years.



LANDMARKS

Two farm homes in Riverside have been landmarks for more than 50 years. The big 
two-story white residence erected by Forester H. Smith was the first two-story 
farm home in the township. It was said to have been built when the owner was 
expecting political preferment which apparently never came.

Another township landmark for many years was the first "modern" home built by 
Louis J. Johnson on his farm in 1882. It was two stories complete with running 
water, open plumbing and acetylene gas for lights and the kitchen range. It is 
now the home of his son, Richard Johnson.

[Photo: The Louis Johnson farm home was the center of many social gatherings for 
the pioneers. His family included Arthur, Clarence, Richard, Ruben, Bertha, 
Edith and Helen.]

[P158]

RONDELL TOWNSHIP
by Mrs. Harrison Slack

In the Aberdeen Journal published Oct. 16, 1922, there is an article, "State 
Historian Gives Talk Here." In the address that State Historian Doane Robinson 
gave to the D. A. R. and other club women is this paragraph: "In 1838 Major 
Joseph R. Brown built a trading post at Rondell, which continued for nearly a 
score of years and was known as Oakwood Post.  It was placed in charge of Pierre 
LeBlanc, an irascible fellow who was frequently in trouble with his associates. 
Catlin met him in St. Peter, Minnesota, in the summer of 1835 and predicted for 
him a bad end. The next winter was a severe one and Sissetons who resided about 
the post were at the point of starvation. An Indian, named thereafter, Ohdinape, 
visited the trading house and was picking some parched corn out of the cracks in 
the floor where it had fallen, when LeBlanc kicked him from the place. He 
returned and killed the ruffian trader. Ohdinape took the name from that time 
because literally it means "kicked out of his place". There is not much in the 
story save as an incident of the beginning of things in one of your towns and 
for that a tablet might be worthy."

The tablet has been erected on the site of the old trading post.

Francis Raundelle, a Frenchman, came to New Orleans. From there he proceeded up 
the Mississippi River to St. Louis, where he came into the employment of the 
American Fur Company. His company sent him up to Sioux City, then up the James 
River to Oakwood Post in Brown County, now Rondell-named after him. Minnie Slack 
McCaughey says his name was originally spelled Raundelle. He came here in 1842. 
A short time before this he had married a Sioux squaw. He built a log store 25' 
x 30', also a log hut. He spent nine years on this spot, trading with the 
Indians, and said these were the happiest days of his life. From here he went to 
Waubay where he established himself among the Sisseton Indians, who were able to 
furnish. him with plenty of furs. They soon became his people and he entered 
into their life wholeheartedly, exercising quite an influence among them. 
According to a custom among the Indians, any man was entitled to as many wives 
as he could support. Raundelle married not less than five Indian women. He was 
born in 1814 and died in 1896. He was buried in the cemetery of the Indian 
Church at Enemy Swim Lake and has many descendants among the Indians there.

The next white men in what is now Rondell Township were James Humphrey, a young 
man from Plainview, Minnesota, and John Noehl, a miller from Marshall, 
Minnesota, who were looking for water power for a mill. They traveled north up 
the James River as far as Chedi Lake, but by reason of the driver's refusal to 
take them farther, they turned back. At Marshall, Minnesota, on his return, 
Humphrey met the Slack family coming west in their two covered wagons, with the 
intentions of finding a good place to settle and make their future home. He 
joined them and influenced them to come to the James River Valley, which had so 
taken his fancy.

[Photo: Mr. and Mrs. James E. Humphrey]

The following article was taken from the "Aberdeen Democrat". It was a paper 
read by James E. Humphrey of Rondell at the meeting of the Old Settlers 
Association at Tacoma Park, July 2, 1904. It was headed, "Early Settlement of 
Southern Brown. Interesting Reminiscences of Pioneer Days on the Jim Graphically 
Told. When Red Men Yielded their Last Claim to Hunting Grounds on the River."

"I made a start on the 24th of April, 1878, from Plainview, Minnesota, in 
company with two others, for Dakota, after having received some information from 
an old neighbor by the name of William Sullivan, who drove a team for the 
government from Fort Wadsworth to Fort Pierre in the year 1855. He told us about 
the beautiful prairies and that where they crossed the Jim River there was quite 
a body of timber; so I had taken a map and located the place as being about 
where is now Brown and Spink County line, as near as I could judge. I reached 
the James River the fifth of May, 1878, about five o'clock p.m. with my partner 
and a party of three others from Marshall, Minnesota, at a point about east of 
Mellette, on the place taken afterwards by Thomas Farmer.

The next day we went north to Chedi Lake. On our way up we saw, just above the 
mouth of Mud Creek, about sixty lodges of the Drifting Goose band of Indians. 
They came out to see where we were going, but did not molest us. We camped the 
sixth

[P159]

at Chedi Lake and the next day our party started back to Marshall, Minnesota. 
When I arrived there I met Henry H. Slack and family and induced them to return 
with us to the Jim River, telling them what a fine country it looked to be. So 
after a number of days we were all landed at the old camping ground on the river 
east of Mellette, about the 24th of May, 1878.

[Photo: Mr. and Mrs. Henry H. Slack]

While we were eating supper we saw in the distance down the river, four 
horsemen. They had seen our camp and came in, two white men and two Indians. The 
whites were Charles B. Foster and Robert Love, who owned a store at Waubay and 
were trading with the Indians. They said they were very hungry and wanted to 
know if they could get some supper, as they had nothing to eat since morning, 
the Indians' dog having taken their dinner. Afterwards Mr. Foster told me the 
Indians got the dinner. The next day we moved north about eighteen miles, and 
Mr. Slack made up his mind to locate at a spot which proved afterwards to be on 
section 13-121-63, Brown County.

We found that the land was not surveyed on the west side of the river so we 
staked out what we wanted and made improvements thereon.

In about two weeks the Indians came up and told us they could not have us there, 
that they owned the land and we must go. Mr. Slack tried to buy the land and the 
chief wanted $10,000 for the land and $40,000 for the timber we had cut. So we 
were all bankrupt at once. Robert Love, who Was with us, told Mr. Slack that 
they could all go to the trading post and stay there until the trouble was over. 
On the morning of the 7th of June, 1878, we left for Waubay. We had quite a time 
recrossing the log raft that we had crossed with about two weeks before. We had 
to pass near the Indian lodges. to cross Mud Creek. The Indians covered the 
prairie for more than a mile. They came with ropes to get a cow, but Mr. Slack 
said they could not have one, as they would not sell the land when he wanted to 
buy it.

At Mud Creek, Mr. Love talked with the Indians about selling one of the girls. 
He asked them how many ponies they would give. They said ten. Mr. Love told them 
that he wanted forty ponies. The' Indians said they did not have so many ponies 
to spare, but the girls were worth it, that the white girls were pretty nice.

[Photo: Minnie and Sophia Slack]

After reaching Waubay we entered a complaint against the Indians to the 
commanding officer at Fort Sisseton for ordering us to leave the Jim River, and 
he said he would send it where it would take effect, which he must have done, as 
the Indians were removed to their reservation in September, and the land was 
surveyed on the west side of the river.

Benoni Slack and I returned to Plainview, Minnesota, in July to harvest. Benoni 
returned to Waubay in October and I in December.

I arrived at Mr. Warner's, west of Lake Kampeska about 22 miles, on the 6th day 
of December. The next morning I took a heavy load, a compass and saleratus 
biscuits which I could not eat at noon but kept them, fearing I might get lost 
on the prairies. I started to travel the 35 miles north with six inches of snow 
on the ground. I made Waubay at dusk but avoided Foster and Love's store, not 
wanting to let them know that I was in the country as I believed they had put up 
a job on me to beat me out of the Armadale timber.

I stayed at Mr. Slack's until the 29th of December, when Reese, Love, Benoni 
Slack, and I started for the Armadale timber on the Jim. We arrived there the 
31st day of December, 1878, and camped in Drifting Goose's house, after being on 
the road three days and camping out two nights in the snow in an A tent.

Benoni and I soon moved ten miles north to the

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old claim staked out by Henry H. Slack and camped nine days in a tent while we 
dug a hole in the side of the bank and logged it up making a warm dugout. Then 
we put in the winter at hunting and trapping. We had six deer and antelope hung 
up in the trees at one time, and furs, consisting of beaver, mink, fox, and 
other skins, which brought us a little money in the spring.

[Photo: Brown County's first General Store, built and operated at Rondell by 
James Humphrey from 1879 to 1915.]

In April, 1879, Mr. Slack started from Waubay with his family for the river. In 
the Coteaux east of the river they met some men who had been scared from 
Armadale by Indians, as they supposed. The fact was, the boys had a nice claim 
there on which they would locate anyone they thought they could scare, and after 
getting their money would dress up like Indians and scare them away. A good many 
never returned, much to the detriment of settling up the country. Benoni Slack 
told his father that if there was any real trouble Jim would meet them and give 
warning. So they came on over and settled again on the old claim. They were the 
first family to settle. in the southern part of Brown County and I believe they 
were the first in the county.

I built a log cabin on my claim in April, 1879. I started a small store in 
November, 1879, and made application for a post office, the commission of which 
I received in April, 1880, and held for twenty years. I sent in the name of 
Empire City for the post office and the postmaster general rejected it and 
requested me to send in another name.

A little incident reminded me of Francis Raundelle who had a trading post where 
is now Rondell. I had met him at his house in Waubay. I remember once I asked 
him if he had a wife. He replied that in his time he had married fourteen Indian 
maidens, but that he had not one left. I took his name and Americanizing it, 
sent it in plain Rondell. The postmaster general accepted it, and later when our 
township was organized, I requested that by all means it be called Rondell and 
it was done accordingly. In the spring of 1879, three townships were taken out 
of market for an Indian reservation, one that is the west half of Rondell and 
two lying in Spink County, but they came into market again in July, 1880."

Henry H. Slack and his wife Sophia, and family, together with Jim Humphrey, all 
from Plainview, Minnesota, arrived in what is now Rondell Township on May 25, 
1878. They came by way of Kampeska, Bailey's Ash Gulch, and what was later 
called Armadale. They had their supper that evening by the river. While they 
were making camp for the night there, four horsemen rode up. They proved to be 
Bob Love and Charley Foster from Waubay, out scouting around the country trying 
to find a new trading post location. With them were two Armadale Indians with 
whom they were trying to deal. These four men camped with the Slacks that night. 
Later, Love and Foster did move their trading post from Waubay to Armadale, or 
Foster City as it was then called. This was the Slack's first meeting with Bob 
Love--Indian trader and interpreter at Waubay. He played a considerable part in 
the history of Rondell Township.

The two Indians claimed for their tribe all the land as far as six miles north 
of Armadale. So next day Slack and Humphrey traveled far enough north to be well 
out of their territory, to a spot up the river where they determined to make 
their home. When the land was subsequently surveyed, it was on Sec. 13, Twp. 
121, Range 63. This spot was selected because of the timber. The children of 
this pioneer household were Benoni, 22 years; Margaret, 18; Sophie, 16; Henry 
14; and Minnie 12. They went to work immediately to build a log house on the top 
of the west river bank with Jim Humphrey and Bob Love helping them, they got it 
up six logs high, when Drifting Goose, whose Indian name was Magabobada, 
appeared on the scene and told them they must leave without delay. He said his 
heart was bad and the land belonged to him. This first warning went unheeded but 
when he and his braves came again about two weeks later and named the date when 
they should leave, they decided to take Bob Love's advice and go, temporarily. 
On this second visit Drifting Goose and his braves kept

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whetting their long knives as they sat on their ponies, and kept saying over and 
over, "Kill-ee-ca-nek". The young folks were standing around among them, not 
realizing their danger. Years afterward Chief Drifting Goose and his tribe were 
invited back to Armadale as a feature of a 4th of July celebration -the first 
held there. Minnie Slack went up to the old chief that day and asked if he 
remembered her, that she was "Haska", this being her Indian name, meaning "the 
tall one". He remembered only the family. To get back to the story--

The next morning by 10 o'clock, June 6, their wagons were again loaded and the 
two cows tied behind ready to leave for Waubay. While they were crossing the 
river there by the house, Bob Love and Benoni Slack noticed about thirty mounted 
Indians on their way to the house on the west side of the river. When the 
Indians saw the Slacks had already started they turned back toward Armadale. 
When the Slacks got across the river three men from Columbia--Clare Johnson, 
Nate Johnson and Will Young--were on the east bank. These men tried to persuade 
the Slacks to come and settle at Columbia, as they were anxious to retain all 
the white settlers. That was the first meeting of Clare Johnson and Phi Slack. 
Two years later they were married.

To get to Waubay, the Slacks had to get on the dim wagon trail after crossing 
Mud Creek about two miles east of Armadale. The thirty Indians intercepted them 
there. They rode their ponies furiously, yelled, and spread out fan-wise to 
surround the wagons. Their object was to stampede the party with the hope of 
getting the cows. In fact they had demanded the cows in payment for the logs 
used in building the cabin.

One of the wagons got stuck in the mud while crossing the creek. While the 
Slacks unloaded and piled things on the bank, got the wagons and stock through 
the ford and then reloaded, all under cover of Jim Humphrey's rifle, Bob Love, 
who talked the Sioux language, tried to trade the Slack girls for forty ponies 
each, to gain time. The Indians would offer only eighteen ponies for Margaret. 
During this the young bucks sat on the bank and laughed to see the white men 
work.

From there on the white men left the trail for greater safety, camped that night 
without fire, light or noise. They lived nearly a year at Waubay. During this 
time they became acquainted with Francis Raundelle, the old fur trader. The men 
went to Minnesota for work during harvest. When they returned Benoni Slack and 
Humphrey decided to come back to the James River to spend the winter so as to be 
on deck when the valley was opened up for settlement in the spring. They packed 
what bare necessities they could on their ponies and started. They arrived New 
Year's Day, 1879, at the unfinished log house they had left the spring before. 
Instead of finishing it they lived ten days in a tent while they made a dugout 
in the west river bank. Game was abundant and their larder was soon stocked with 
venison. Trapping was good and furs yielded quite a revenue. The Indians hunted 
along the river but did not disturb them. Later they found a cache of Indian 
corn. The Indians used to dig holes in the ground, large at the bottom and small 
at the top, build fires in them until they were hard and dry, put shelled corn 
in them, then cover and bake the ground. The corn would keep for years. The boys 
thought they were entitled to the corn, as they found a great deal of yellow 
corn in it. They had planted two or three acres of yellow corn the spring 
before, and Indian corn was always white. They made hominy which with the 
antelope meat was their main diet.

One morning they stepped outside their dugout door. An Indian stood there with 
his gun pointed at them. The boys were just starting out to hunt and had their 
guns in their hands. They told him to put his down and as they were two against 
one, he did so. At this time, Indians who for some reason had been banished from 
their tribe were only too ready to get a white man's scalp to take to their 
chief so they would be taken back into the tribe.

The boys had needles, thread and knives, but no scissors. They could patch their 
clothes pretty well, but when their hair got too long they had no way to cut it. 
Finally they laid their heads on a hard piece of wood and haggled the hair off 
with their sharp knives. They kept busy and happy hunting, trapping, and cutting 
logs with which to finish the house. That winter they, the Johnsons, and William 
Young were the only white people in the county.

The spring of '79 the James River Valley was opened for settlement. In April, 
Ezra Tiffany, Wife, and three children, Albert, Hattie, Minnie, John MacDonald, 
the Slacks and children all came from Waubay to take claims. While coming 
through the Coteau Hills they met a Norwegian named Hurlburt hurrying to Fort 
Sisseton after soldiers. He said the Indians at Armadale had gone on the warpath 
and were massacreing the new settlers. When they came to the edge of the hills 
where they could look out over the valley they saw people riding here and there. 
They thought they must be Indians. They were really white men picking out their 
claims. Not knowing this, however, the men sent the women back with one wagon 
while they came on with the other one. On arriving they learned that it wasn't 
as bad as Hurlburt had said, although there had been some trouble at Armadale. 
At noon the next day two companies of soldiers arrived from Fort Sisseton. The 
army officers and chiefs counciled all summer, more or less, and finally agreed 
that the Indians should receive a certain amount of money and move to the Crow 
Creek Agency. This they did.

At this time every section corner had a hardwood stake with the number, range, 
and township cut on it. The section corner stakes served as guide posts for the 
settlers when traveling long distances. Then, too, everyone had a compass in 
those days. At many of these stakes were piles of buffalo skulls, bones, and 
horns. The horns were soon picked up, polished and sold to easterners or sold 
with the bones to eastern sugar refineries for $20.00 a ton.

As the land was opened up for settlement many came to locate. Covered wagons 
crossed the prairie daily and sod shanties went up. Those already settled called 
on their new neighbors, got acquainted, and made them welcome. Most of the 
houses were made of sod with dirt floors and roofs. Some were very cozy and 
homelike inside.

The earliest religious services were conducted in