Hyde County, SD History - Books .....Chapter 13 Holabird 1908
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Book Title: History Of Hyde County

CHAPTER XIII
HOLABIRD

    The town of Holabird now consists of a single store kept by George Elfrink
and a restaurant and stopping place kept by Frank Elfrink, also a lumber yard by
the Atlas Lumber Co. run by Ray Stevens. The town in the early eighties
consisted of several business houses and quite a number of residences. T. H.
Maguire had a hardware store, T. W. Howey a drug store, Falde & Murphy a general
store, also one kept by C. W. Grassmuck, John Reynolds a blacksmith shop, and
William Morrison a saloon. Harry Byer run a lumber yard for J. H. Queal and Co.,
also A. W. Graham had a lumberyard. There was a railroad station there, with an
agent and telegraph operator, and Geo. Hirsch at one time had a shoe shop where
he did cobbling. L. Noggle was an agent for the railroad company there for
awhile. The resident portion of the town was principally on the Perkins
addition, and consisted of houses occupied by R. E. Murphy, C. B. Dingley and
his son, Levi, and family, Seth Slawson and family, Chris Lexan and family, Mr.
Lake and family. The Lake property was afterwards purchased by W. B. Hamlin, who
with his family occupied it for a few years. James R. Smith, who was a resident
there at that time, still lives there, and raised his family there. Mr. Smith's
residence stands alone, while all of the other houses were long since moved
away. The only house near is that of Del Smith, a son of J. R., who lives in a
house he moved from Highmore. Mr. Smith is a down east Yankee from the state of
Maine, also is his wife, and this will be easily discovered by a stranger when
he sits down to their table to relish as good cooking as will be found anywhere,
and if he finds there a pot of baked beans and is from Boston, he will think for
a moment that he is back to that hub of the universe. Mr. Smith is a substantial
citizen, and has acquired a competence. His son Charles, whose portrait is on
page 86 is a prosperous contractor in Wyoming, Del lives at Holabird and is
engaged in farming, James with his famity on a farm near Holabird, his daughter
married Arthur Graham, who resides in Shelby, Michigan. C. W. Grassmuck died
this year in May at Minneapolis, Chris Lexan died in Pierre not long since, the
result of an accident; T. W. Howey is at Carthage, S. D., he married a daughter
of Charley Morton and was afterwards in Highmore running a drugstore. Mr.
Morrison is in Chicago, a prosperous photographer, and Mr. Noggle resides at
Sioux Falls. Mr. Byer died several years ago, also Mr. Dingley and his son,
Levi. Mr. Lake died some time since in this state; his son, Arthur, is a
prosperous business man in Gettysburg, S. D. and we think another son, Grover
C., died in the Philippine war, a soldier there. We do not know the location of
the others of the Holabird contingent except that R. E. Murphy, who was
afterwards in business at Highmore, is now in the land business at Fort Pierre,
S. D. and Mr. Falde is at St. Paul in some business there. While Holabird was in
its prosperous days and before the commencement of its decline, there was much
social enjoyment, and a feeling of fellowship. The school house in Holabird, a
large two story building, was built in 1883, and is still there. In this
building once a week in the winter time they had a lyceum, consisting of a
variety of exercises, and it was largely attended, for people came in from the
country and the house was always crowded. They had a paper read each evening,
machine poetry, so called, a debate and most excellent singing, and now and then
a lecture. On Sundays there was preaching in the school house, generally of the
Methodist faith. Sometimes the boys would celebrate some special occasion, and
if any system of irrigation was necessary to loosen their tongues or enliven
their action, the Morrison saloon was near by, and but few were backward in
seeking that element of inspiration. We remember once on St. Patricks day, when
quite an aggregation, composed of the village inhabitants and some from the
country, procured strips of green from a piece of castaway billiard cloth, this
tied to billiard cues and other sticks, formed a pro cession, whose enthusiasm
and irregular foot step would have amused the admirers of the patron Saint had
they looked upon the scene. But there was no rowdyism, no profanity and no
noise, it was a genuine exhibition of loyalty and love for the day and in honor
of the name.

    There was once talk of a Christian College there. Rev. Black made an effort
to secure land for that purpose, but it did not materialize.

    There was a hotel building built by C. E. Parish, who died in North Dakota
in 1887; of good size and two stories, which was kept open in the days of
Holabird prosperity; at one time kept by Nat. Cross and later on by J. R. Smith,
both of whom were good landlords. The building still stands there, wasting away
in process of decay, and for want of care. It is owned by some wealthy man in
the east who demands an exhorbitant price for it, and seems to take some special
delight in keeping the unsightly structure on exhibition, and prefers its
gradual ruin rather than accept the price at its fair value.

    At an early day in Holabird some fellow whose name we have forgotten, was
employed to dig a well on the townsite. After he was down quite a number of
feet, the soil caved in on him and rescue was impossible in time to save his
life. He was taken out but died soon after. He was buried somewhere near the
town-site. After a touching ceremony, although no relatives or friends were
present, he was laid away by the hands of strangers to him. The cyclone, which
came to Holabird in Jury, 1885, is mentioned elsewhere.

    A paper was published there for awhile by A. B. Vines. It had limited
patronage, but it enabled the publisher to procure grub enough to keep alive,
for he did the cooking himself. It was called the Holabird Advocate.

    But Holabird, Phoenix like, will arize from its ashes. One thing largely in
its favor is its excellent water on the north, where is quite a rise in the
ground, and the water is good and in quite an abundance. The future settlement
of the country tributary to it will demand a town there of several hundred
inhabitants, and that settlement will soon be made, and when Holabird makes
another start it will be permanent, "Not for a day but for all time."

    At one time the store there was kept by Jonathan S. Harris, whose portrait
appears on page 71. We first met Mr. Harris in 1882 in the stage coach on its
way from Mitchell to Huron. He was bound for Hyde county. Soon after he located
on a quarter section about two miles east of Holabird, now owned and occupied by
Wm. O. Lawson. He built a comfortable house and its distinguishing character
from ordinary shacks, was, it was substantially built and painted white. After
his habitation was completed his family came. Mr. Harris was the only Register
of Deeds under the Ordway organization, and later on under the legal
organization was County Judge, and for several years was Justice of the Peace.
He was in business at Holabird for eight years, and in 1900 moved to California,
where his wife died soon afterwards. He now resides at Pacific Grove,
California, where he and son, Charles, are in business.

    William O. Lawson, who seems to be identified with Holabird, lives on a farm
near there. He came there at an early day, went through the hard times and is
now well off. Mr. Lawson is a good citizen, he minds his own business and is
thoroughly honest. There is not money enough in the state to induce him to
betray a trust, or to do a dishonest act.

    Some local poet at an early day tackled the task of writing  an enigma on
Holabird and produced the following:

"My first is ever sacred sweet.
   And is the kind that prophets were. 
My second plumed, in tender feet.
   On flying wings above us soar.
My whole a town too dead to skin,
   Its palmy days now nearly o'er. 
The town where Edgcomb made it roar.

    The first postmaster in Holabird was John Falde, then Geo. Bartlett, he
followed by Quincy Stark, J. S. Harris was the next then E. C. Calkins, then G.
W. Elfrink, the present postmaster.

    The county seat contest, mentioned in the Highmore chapter, was in 1884, the
vote taken on election day of that year, November 4. Holabird did not go out of
existence by reason of that defeat. It was forced out of existence because so
many of the settlers around it left the county, as is generally the case in
newly settled countries, for it is first a rushing in, then something in the way
of adversity, and failure of crops turns the tide and out they go, until there
comes a permanent settlement when everything is righted as it is here now.
Quincy Stark and his father, George Stark, were early settlers in Holabird.
Quincy married Miss May Dibble, sister to A. A. Dibble, who was also an early
settler. Mr. Dibble was a man very much respected. He died there in the early
eighties and was buried at Highmore with Masonic honors. Quincy Stark had the
Holabird store for awhile and his customers always found him pleasant to deal
with and strictly honest. He now resides in Minnesota.

    John Falde, then with a junior to his name, was a Scandanavion, well
educated and a very intelligent and companionable fellow. He resided in St.
Paul, Minn., the last we heard from him.

    Nels Jacobson was in Holabird a while, but left us at an early day. He came
here with Mr. Falde from Canton, S. D., returned there and was elected Register
of Deeds in Turner County.

    In 1883 the writer built a residence on his claim which was the quarter
section upon which is now the Holabird townsite. The building, then only in
form, was 16x24, a story and a half high, and the builder not being a carpenter
and having had no experience along that line, the structure was not as accurate
or systematic in its architecture as was the historic temple which was erected
by Solomon. It was not made as strong as it should have been in the ends,
lacking a few upright pieces, but still it was put together in a fashion, though
with much waste of lumber. Some time about the middle of July of that year,
1883, two young men drove up with a covered wagon, unhitched and picketed out
their horses. Towards night an angry looking black cloud appeared in the
northwest, vivid with lightning and reverberating with loud thunder. The two
young strangers thought we had better go in to the cellar for protection, which
we soon did when there came a dead calm, which is ominous just preceding a bad
storm, and then the storm burst upon us. Its first blast sent the building over
to the south about two feet, but we thought it had gone entirely. After we had
been in the cellar about fifteen minutes there came a pounding at the door,
which was answered by one of us getting up out of the cellar and opening the
door, which let in Mr. Falde and Mr. Jacobson, accompanied by two friends who
were visiting them from Canton. Mr. Falde's claim was north of Holabird a short
distance, and these parties were in his shack when the storm struck them. They
were baking bread in a red hot stove and the first blast of the storm overturned
the shack, and finally landed it on the roof and as no one was injured it became
a laughable incident, for Mr. Falde said it was a mixture of "bread, Norwegians,
furniture, bedding and a heated stove, but after all it was really a serious and
danerous matter at the time. After the storm had subsided we all lay down up
stairs on what blankets we had, but in about an hour the wind came up again in a
fury from an opposite direction and again we all went into the cellar, but did
not long remain as the wind soon let up, but it straightened the house up, which
afterwards was securely braced.

    Col. E. P. Farr has landed interests adjoining the Holabird townsite,
resided there for awhile and has always been interested in the success of
Holabird. He was in the civil war with official rank, and now resides at Pierre,
is engaged in the banking business and is treasurer of Hughes county. His wife
is prominent in social circles and both of them are of New England birth, coming
here from the State of Vermont.

    R. E. Murphy was an early Holabird resident and was in business there in the
palmy days of the town, and after its decline was in business at Highmore. He
has since been in the employ of the government at Fort Thompson and now in the
real estate business at Fort Pierre. Bob, as he was familiarly called, seemed to
be a favorite of everybody, and as a member of the Board of County Commissioners
performed his duties intelligently, with good judgment and with strict -honesty.
His wife is an excellent woman.  Their first child was born in Holabird and on
another page will be seen a portrait of the family group.

    W. M. Morrison was an early Holabird business man, who was there during most
of the Holabird experiences, and during the decline of the town returned to his
former home at Chicago, where he is a prominent photographer. He is remembered
by the early residents there as a public spirited citizen and a jovial
companionable fellow. The building previously mentioned as one erected by the
writer was after that episode abandoned by its occupants. One night R. E. Murphy
and Will Morrison were sleeping quietly, and no doubt with pleasant dreams, in
the upper half story part of the building when they were awakened suddenly by
peals of thunder and flashes of lightning, and just at their awakening by a
sudden gust of wind which had a roaring sound. There seemed to be no time for
parley or even an exchange of words. They both at the same time made a dive
through a hole in the upper floor, which took them through the lower room and
then through a hole in the first floor and landed them in the cellar. Such an
experience ninety-nine times out of a hundred would have been fatal and they did
it only in a dozed condition, but they landed in such a way that they suffered
no injury, but their vocabulary opened up after they landed and had they not
been youngsters with moral training and Sunday School proclivities no doubt
their profanity would have been awful. Charley Morrison, brother of Will, lived
near Holabird, where he died a few years ago. His family are well remembered by
early settlers and particularly a step son, Eber Smith, who was a bright,
progressive boy. He went to the Pacific coast in the early eighties and is now
part owner of a line of steamers, and as captain of one of them sails out of
Seattle.

    I. L. Noggle, station agent there, was a favorite, was always agreeable and
accommodating, and afterwards was stationed-at Highmore. He is now residing at
Sioux Falls and is proprietor of several outfits of entertainment, which the
youngsters call "merry-go-round." His father also was there and with them, also
his aged mother, who was past ninety years of age, physically helpless, but
mentally bright and with much intelligence and good memory.

    Kinney Hornberger was an early settler at Holabird. An honest industrious
fellow whom everybody liked He left there when the town declined and now resides
in the State of Washington.

    Holabird will redeem itself sometime in the future.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

HISTORY OF HYDE COUNTY 
SOUTH DAKOTA
FROM ITS ORGANIZATION TO THE PRESENT TIME
BY JOHN B. PERKINS
1908


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