Jerauld County, SD History .....Chap 15; Part Two ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 28, 2005, 11:31 pm Chapter 15. After the excitement engendered by the political campaign of 1884 had subsided, affairs went on toward the development of the county along many lines. In the latter part of December, 1884, Judge A. J. Edgerton of the 2nd judical district, of which Jerauld was a part, made an order attaching" that county to Aurora for judicial purposes. The season of 1884, like the preceding one, was propitious. There was no frost in the county until October 6th, and all crops were secured in excellent condition. A few losses had been occassioned by fires, which will be mentioned in a chapter devoted to that subject exclusively. The result of the vote on the location of the county seat, of course put an end to all hope of making a town at Lyndale. Within a few weeks after the vote was taken Mr. McNamara took the Jerauld County News back to Wessington Springs and opened a printing office in a building that had been erected for him about where the fire house now stands. A few months later the building in which the paper had been printed at Lyndale was sold to E. L. Smith, who moved it, also, to Wessington Springs and placed it on Blowers addition to that town. C. E. Thayer was appointed deputy treasurer on the 2Qth day of November, 1884, by W. J. Williams. Mr. Thayer qualified three days later. In 1885 the winter set in on the 6th day of January, and continued very cold until about March 15th, when it "broke," and the settlers began their spring work. During the month of February. 1885, E. H. Ford had a notion store in his building on the south side of Main St. in Wessington Springs. In March, 1885, Vessey Bros., Ransom & Co. built a machinery warehouse on the northwest corner of Main and 2nd Streets. It stood until Vessey Bros, built the new store in 1903. During the same month (March) L. N. Loomis began hauling lumber for a residence on College Ave. in Smart's Addition to Wessington Springs, and R. S. Vessey began excavating for his house in the county seat. About the 1st of April, John Chapman moved his blacksmith tools from his farm on section 17—107—64, into a new shop just completed by L. H. Tarble. About the same time the teacher and pupils in District No. 1 of Wessington Springs township, set out twenty-eight trees furnished them by Mr. Tofflemier, and Mr. L. G. Wilson of Viola, offered a tree to each pupil in the township if they would plant it where they expected to attend school. In the second week in June a culvert was put in the ravine on Main St. between 3rd and 4th Streets. A small bridge had already been put across the ravine in the block east, but while these crossings were good enough for the summer, the ice in winter for several years closed the passage and formed a slippery mound tht rendered the road almost impassable during the cold weather. On June 18th, 1885, Vessey Bros., Ransom & Co. began digging the cellar for a new store building on the southwest corner of Main and 2nd streets. A few days later Mr. Marlenee began work on the building, which the firm occupied Sept. 1, 1885. August 2Oth of that year two young men came to Wessington Springs from New Lisbon, Wis., to look over the situation with a view to locating. They were so well pleased with the prospect that they immediately purchased the stock of the N. D. Wilder store and a week later the advertisement of Roth Bros, appeared in the local papers. The county commissioners on July 24th let to W. S. Scofield the contract for grading the road located by the county over the hills west of town, going on the north side of the draw west of the big spring. The contract price for the work was $198.00 and Mr. Scofield agreed to put in the culvert provided for in the arrangement with Mr. McDonald, for $25.00. The work was completed in the forepart of September. On Sept. 13th the road overseer of Wessington Springs township began the first work on the Main street of the village. During the summer a census of the county was taken, which gave the county a population of 2,103 and Wessington Springs township 345. A young man named James Waters came up from Sioux City in the forepart of October, 1885, and opened a pool hall in the Housel & Arnold building, which had been recently vacated by Vessev Bros., Ransom & Co. This building stood on the south side of Main St. where Shull's drug store now stands. In November, 1885, Thomas Drake put up the building on the north side of Main St. in Wessington Springs, now occupied by Ausman and Wallace. About the same time Mrs. Spears moved the office part of what she afterwards named the Willard Hotel, from the lot south of Roth's store, where it was built, to the ground upon which it now stands. In December of that year. J. H. Woodburn and F. M. Brown formed a partnership to do blacksmithing and woodwork in a shop west of 2nd street and north of Main street in Wessington Springs. At Crow Lake Mr. Lodge dissolved his partnership relation with Mr. Derrick and formed business relations with Chas. Ferguson. This continued until June 3rd, 1885, when the firm sold out to J. T. Glasham, who conducted the store for many years. About the same time the people of Crow Lake and vicinity petitioned the county commissioners to put a public highway around the lake. The petition was dismissed. In May of that year Mrs. Allyn and Mr. Lodge employed T. L. Blank to survey and plat the townsite of Crow Lake, on some land owned by them at the southwest corner of the lake. At Lyndale H. A. Robinson, having finished his building, put in a stock of groceries in February, 1885. and kept up the business until later in the year he sold to W. A. Pound. At Alpena a number of business changes were made in the year 1885. Ray Barber engaged in livery business, using the barn that stood back of the hotel. A lady named Harris purchased the building formerly occupied by R. Davenport as a restaurant, and continued the business. J. T. Johnston, County Supt., built the third grain warehouse and continued to do grain business in it until he sold to McMichael in 1887. This warehouse was changed to an elevator in 1901. On the 10th day of December occurred one of the most important events in the social and business life of Alpena. This was the organization of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The charter members of the lodge were seven in number: Daniel F. Royer, Wilmot W. Hillis, Charles Davis, Leopold Dietz, John C. Zimmerman, W. W. Huxtable and Andrew Westdahl. There were thirteen initials at the first meeting of the lodge, viz.: W. T. Hay., Ray Barber. L. J. Pratt. F. W. Whitney, C. R. Manwarning, J. R. Milliken, E. J. Makemson, W. A. Linn. L. H. McCarger, R. Davenport, L. J. McWilliams, Lewis Fenstemaker, and Frank Adams. Of the men present at that meeting only Ray Barber and W. W. Hillis remain in the town. The lodge now has a membership of 72, while the Rebekah lodge has nearly 100 members. About the first of January, 1885, L. N. Loomis, being compelled to spend most of his time in the registers office at Wessington Springs, W. L. Davis again took charge of the Jerauld County Journal, and continued to manage the paper until Mr. Loomis rented the Journal office, paper and all, to L. H. McCarger, July 25th. 1885. The year 1884 had seen the town of Sulphur Springs gradually grow smaller by the removal of one building after another until with the close of the year but one remained,—the hotel was occupied by the family of R. A. Wheeler. The night of January 1st, 1885, was a pleasant one and mild for that time of the year. Sometime in the night a fire broke out in the hotel and the next morning but a heap of smouldering embers market the spot where the last Sulphur Springs land mark had disappeared. The churches of the county had more trouble during the year 1885 than other institutions. At Alpena, L. C. Burch, the conference appointee for reasons best known to himself and the church left his charge in March and was succeeded by Rev. W. H. Hoadley, who remained until the close of the conference year. On Oct. -3th, Rev. J. Trewartha was placed at Alpena and Wessington Springs by the conference and proved satisfactory to the people and the church. At Wessington Springs the year was welcomed at a watch meeting in the M. E. Church. At this meeting as the clock indicated the hour of midnight, Mr. C. W. McDonald arose and in a ten minutes talk delivered an address that has seldom, if ever, been equaled in the county. W. D. Luther, appointed by the conference in October, 1884, to succeed Mr. Campbell, was asked before spring to resign the charge and seek some other place. Luther was succeeded by L. F. Daniels, who was confirmed as pastor July 16th, 1885, put shortly after resigned. He was followed by Mr. W. H. Jordan, who supplied the place until Mr. Trewartha came at the beginning of the conference year in October. The church at Waterbury had lost their church building, but the public school house afforded them ample accommodation. They were fortunate, however, in receiving Rev. Paganhart as the appointee from the conference. At the residence of C. G. Smith on the NE of 35 in Harmony, the Friends began holding religious services and Sunday School February 1st, 1885. A few days later Mrs. C. G. Smith began teaching a private school at her home, which was attended by her daughter Ora and by Walter and Marion Grieve. About the same time Mrs. S. B. Knowlton began a school at the home of her father, Lewis Nordyke on the SW of 17 in Harmony township, which was attended by her brother Charley Nordyke, her daughters, Gertie and Ollie Knowlton, and Anna Titus. April 11th, 1885, the Friends began holding meetings in the Grieve school house in Harmony township. Mrs. S. F. Huntley, of Harmony township, was recorded in the Friend's Church as a minister of that denomination, July 10th, 1885. In 1885, from the house of Mr. Huntley, on the SE of Sec. 33—108 —66, eighty- one residences could be counted. The first township teachers institutes in the county were held in Chery and Pleasant townships in February, 1885. Those in Chery were called by C. W. Hill, director, and those in Pleasant by G. W. Trollope, township school clerk. The new board of county commissioners, J. E. Sullivan, L. G. Wilson and H. D. Fisher took the oath of office January 5th, 1885, and Mr. Fisher was made chairman. January 6th, 1885, the treasurer's bond was fixed at $20,000. The next day the Jerauld County News was made official paper of the county. January 15th the county clerk's (register of deeds) salary was increased to $300 per year and County Supt. to $250. On the same day R. S. Vessey and Joseph O'Brien were reappointed members of the county brand committee. The board made Dr. E. L. Turner and R. M. Magee members of the board of insanity, the probate judge, H. M. Rice, being the other member by virtue of his office. On April 28th, 1885, the townsite company and Hiram Blowers offered the county four blocks of lots if the commissioners would locate the court house on the hill, where it now stands. The offer was accepted. There is nothing to indicate that this was in any manner a substitute for the "combined proposition" about which so much had been said during the year 1884. But little, aside from the routine work of the county, was done by the commissioners in the year of 1885. On July 10th the board requested Judge Edgerton to make Jerauld county a judicial subdivision. The request was granted on the 24th of the same month and the order detaching Jerauld from Aurora county was entered in the court records by clerk McDonald, Aug. 4th, 1885. August 26th the board requested Mr. Samuel Marlenee to prepare plans for a court house and vault, and instructed the clerk to advertise for bids for building the same, the bids to be opened the first Monday in September. On the 7th of Sept. the tax levy was made as follows: County general fund, 6 mills; bridge fund, 2 mills; road fund, 2 mills; and county school fund, 2 mills. The territorial levy for that year was three and seven tenths mills. The bids for building the court house being opened on the day appointed, the contract was let to Sam Marlenee. The plan called for a building 32x40 ft., two stories high. The vault to be of double walls, 8x6 ft., inside measure. The structure was to cost not to exceed $2,000, of which the county agreed to pay $1,750 and certain persons in Wessington Springs $250. The contract required the completion of the structure by the 15th of Nov., 1885. On Sept. 2nd Wm. Brinner began building the foundation for the court house and on the evening of Nov. 12th a dedicatory ball in the court room celebrated the finishing of the work. The dance at the new court room on the 12th of Nov., 1885, was a notable occasion. People were in attendance from all parts of the county. The committees were as follows: Arrangements—L. N. Loomis, Theo. Roth, of Wessington Springs, L. H. McCarger, of Alpena, Sam Marlenee of Waterbury, J. E. Sullivan, of Lyndale. Invitation—R. J. Hughs, Crow Lake; Chas. R. Manwareing, Alpena; Geo. Corkings, Woonsocket Spring; and Chas. Hopkins of Waterbury. Reception—C. E. Thayer, J. T. Johnston and Wm. Mundie. Floor Managers—G. N. Price, C. E. Hackett, W. J. Williams and Allan Ransom. The commissioners about the 10th of December ordered a steel cell that, when put together in the county jail, should cost not to exceed $1,025. The building formerly used as the office of the register of deeds, was moved on to the hill near the court house and in it the steel cell was placed. At the close of the year 1885 the county treasurer and register of deeds, issued a statement of warrants issued and taxes collected since the organization of the county. The statement was as follows: 1884, warrants issued $6.539.17 1885, warrants issued $6,819.96 Total $13,359.13 1884 and 1885, taxes collected $4,271.27 1884 and 1885, taxes due $5,478.73 Total $10,200.00 Warrants in excess of resources $3,159.13 On the 6th day of November, 1885, Mr. James A. McDonald drove his steam threshing machine engine up the grade over the Wessington Hills about 11:30 A. M.. and when he reached the top of the hill beyond the grade he stopped and opened wide the whistle. It was the first note of its kind ever heard west of the foot hills in Jerauld county. The story of Jerauld county business houses will not be complete without at least mention of Ed Leon, oldest traveling salesmen for Shenkberg Co., Martin Jaquemai, salesman for Hornick, Hess & Moore, wholesale druggists since 1887, and Geo. Rew, for Knapp & Spencer, a wholesale hardware firm, all of Sioux City. During near to a quarter of a century they have travelled over the prairies of Jerauld county, in heat and in cold; in sunshine, and in storm; by livery team, by stage coach and by railroad train; always a good word for the county, a pleasant smile and a cheering word for their customers, these men of the grip have been through all that time a force for the development and welfare of the territory over which their work carried them. With the exception of the Austin failure at Waterbury, in 1887, when Leon's house lost between three and four hundred dollars, these men have not sent in a bad order, nor their firms lost a penny in the county. Late in the autumn of 1884, a move was set on foot at Woonsocket, as an incident of the Sanborn county county-seat fight to get an act passed by the legislature that should meet at Bismarck in January, 1885, dividing Jerauld county, and attaching its three eastern townships to Sanborn, and to compensate Jerauld county for its loss of territory, the scheme comprehended the annexation of Buffalo county to Jerauld. The move aroused quick and furious antagonism in both Jerauld and Buffalo counties. A meeting was held at Alpena in January, attended by men from all parts of Jerauld county, and Mr. O. G. Woodruff, of Alpena, was sent to Bismark to lobby against the bill. The move failed and the county boundaries were not disturbed. A meeting for the purpose of organizing a farmers' alliance was called by a notice published in the county papers Feby. 13th, 1885. The call was signed by Mr. C. W. Hill, of Chery township. An organization was perfected, having an alliance in each township with a central county council. For several years this society was of immense assistance to the farmers of the county in selling produce and in obtaining supplies. At this time I have been unable to get any trace of the records of this organization. The stock holders of the Jerauld County Fair Association met at Wessington Springs, January 6th, 1885, and elected, B. G. Cummings, president; H. E. Merwin, vice-president; Allan Ransom, secretary, and S. H. Melcher, treasurer. The board of directors was composed of Richard Vanderveen, J. M. Corbin, O. G. Woodruff, H. Blowers, W. R. Day. M. W. Nesmith, M. W. Young, H. A. Miller, E. S. Waterbury, W. J. Williams and W. T. Hay. The executive committee was composed of C. W. Hill, J. F. Ford, L. N. Loomis, W. I. Bateman and H. W. Lowder. The legislature that adjourned in the fore part of March, 1885, by an apportionment act made the eighth council and representative district to consist of Jerauld, Sanborn and Beadle counties. Before the 1885 session of the territorial legislature had adjourned it was apparent that another effort was to be made to divide the territory and induce congress to admit South Dakota into the union. Provision was made for a constitutional convention and $20,000 appropriated out of the territorial treasury to defray the expenses there of. In Jerauld county the statehood movement of 1885 was taken seriously by the politicians of both parties. The county was accorded two delegates in the constitutional convention which was called to meet at Sioux Falls in September. A county convention was called for June 2Oth and S. F. Huntley, of Harmony township and Albert Gunderson of Wessington Springs nominated to represent Jerauld county. Two days later C. W. Hill announced himself an independent candidate for the position of delegate to the constitutional convention. In his announcement Mr. Hill declared for the "initiative" in legislation, in the same form in which it was adopted into the state constitution in 1897. He also advocated the pure food law as it passed congress twenty-one years later. The election of delegates occurred June 3Oth, Mr. Huntley received 237, Mr. Gunderson 181 and Mr. Hill 54 votes. At no time in the history of the county has temperance work been carried on more energetically than during the few months prior to the special election of November, 1885. The experience of 1883 led the prohibitionists to determined and systematic work all over the proposed state. From the beginning they had the campaign in Jerauld county well in hand and practically controlled the election. The result was not as decisive as was anticipated because of the small vote polled. This time both prohibition and minority representation were submitted to the people to be voted on with the constitution. By the middle of October a full set of state legislative and judicial candidates had been nominated. For the purpose of this election Jerauld and Aurora counties were placed together as a senatorial district, while Jerauld stood alone as a representative district. A senatorial convention held at Plankinton, October 26th, nominated E. V. Milles, of Jerauld Co. as the Republican candidate for senator. For representative, S. F. Huntley, of Harmony township, was nominated at a convention held in Wessington Springs, Oct. 17th. At the same time O. G. Woodruff, of Alpena was nominated for county judge. The Democratic party of the proposed state refused to have anything to do with the election for state and county officers under the statehood movement. Yet Mr. J. W. Harden of Franklin township became a democratic candidate for the legislature and M. C. Ayers announced himself a candidate for county judge. Anticipating that prohibition would be submitted to the people of the proposed state the temperance workers became active early in the season. On July 4th, 1885, the band of hope, a childrens temperance organization, had a membership of fifty-one in the county. The work of extending this society was carried on by Mrs. Nettie C. Hall, president of the county W. C. T. U. July 17th, forty-five members of the band of hope met at the school section east of Wessington Springs and were taken to Woonsocket for a pleasant day with the organization there. Meetings of the county W. C. T. U. were held at different parts of the county. One meeting was held at Waterbury, another at Alpena and one at Wessington Springs. July 26th a band of hope was organized at Dale center school house, another at school house No. 4 in Chery, on Aug. 2nd. A Sunday School was organized at the Nelson school house in Anina township, July 5th, with A. Hodgson Supt., E. Moon, Ass't. Supt., and Ida Kellogg Sec. and Treas. In the same township a W. C. T. U. Society was formed in the latter part of October with Mrs. A. D. Cady president. In Viola township a W. C. T. U. was organized in October. Mrs. Susan Smith, president. A Band of Hope was organized in W'cssington Springs. July 5th, under the superintendency of the Pioneer W. C. T. U. Mr. John Kugler was engaged to make twenty wooden guns and thirty wands for the children and to drill them in certain movements. The members of the band were supplied with caps and the society had two flags that they carried on all gala occasions. During the County Fair exhibition in September the members of the W. R. C. and the Pioneer W. C. T. U. maintained a "temperance home" on the fair grounds. On the 20th of September the W. C. T. U. celebrated the centennial of temperance work in America. At Alpena a local W. C. T. U. was organized July 22. Mrs. Daniel Kint, president; Mrs. R. Davenport, vice president: Mrs. Wm. Arne, secretary: and Mrs. C. D. Worral, treasurer. August 16th was a notable day because of the large crowd that gathered to witness the dedication of the M. E. Church building. In Harmony township a W. C. T. U. was formed early in April. On the Sabbath evening preceding election day a temperance concert was held at the M. E. Church, which was announced to be "free and no collection." Election day came and Pioneer W. C. T. U. established a booth near the polls where hot coffee and lunch were served free to all who would eat. .In the county the vote polled was light. The constitution was elected by 563 to 41. Prohibition carried by 326 to 302, but was defeated in the following townships: Alpena—38 to 24. Franklin—42 to 28. Blaine—57 to 13. Dale—11 to 9. Viola—20 to 15. Logan—24 to 6. Marlar—21 to 11. Prohibition carried the proposed state by 15,552 to 15,218. Minority representation was defeated in the county by 401 to 185, but carried in the following townships: Blaine—39 to 29. Viola—16 to 15. Chery—12 to 9. Harmony—17 to 8. For capital Pierre carried Jeraulcl county by a vote of 494 to 188. In the townships the vote for Pierre and Huron stood as follows: Pierre. Huron. Wessington Springs 50 12 Alpena 2 64 Franklin 36 31 Blaine 38 37 Dale 3 16 Viola 32 1 Anina 42 2 Media 31 1 Chery 15 9 Harmony 25 00 Pleasant 41 1 Crow Lake 33 1 Marlar 32 00 Crow 50 00 Logan 16 13 In the county the vote for A. C. Mellette, the republican nominee for governor was 517 to 7 for F. M. Ziebach, the democratic candidate. Robert Bollard, of Scotland, republican candidate for attorney general, carried the county by 518 votes. For Judges of the Supreme Court the vote in the county was as follows: Dighton Corson, 518; A. G. Killam, 519; and John E. Bennett, 518. That is all of the state officers who were elected when the state was admitted in 1889. C. H. Dillon, of Mitchell, was elected Judge of the Circuit Court, but was not a candidate in 1889. The vote for legislative and county officers was as follows: State Senator—E. V. Miles. Republican, 495; Daniel Webster, Democrat, (of Aurora) 73. County Judge—O. G. Woodruff, 381; M. C. Ayers, 261. Representatives—S. F. Huntley, 405; J. W. Harden, 232. A natural phenomenon occurred in the late summer and early autumn of 1885. Up to that time every lake of a few acres in extent had been dotted all over with cone shaped dwellings of muskrats. In August of that year, though there was abundance of water in the lakes and ponds, the little animals began to emigrate. They left the lakes and for weeks were scattered over the dry land, evidently leaving the country. Before the cold weather arrived they were gone and for fifteen years these fur-bearing animals were absent from the county. Additional Comments: From "A History of Jerauld County; From the Earliest Settlement to January 15, 1909" by N. J. Dunham File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/sd/jerauld/history/other/gms100chap15pa.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/sdfiles/ File size: 26.6 Kb