Jerauld County, SD History .....Chap 18, 19; Part 2 ************************************************ 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, 11:39 pm Chapter 18. The first month of the year 1886 was one of intense cold. The average temperature was seven degrees below zero. The first frost of the preceding autumn had come on the morning of the first of September and been followed by cold weather during November, though December had been mild. February, 1886, was also a month of zero weather, but on the 10th of March it turned warm and spring weather came on rapidly. Seeding was done early and the rains were frequent and copious. Crop prospects were never better than during the months of May and June. Ducks were nesting in the numerous lakes and ponds scattered over the county. On the morning of the 4th of July the wind changed to a little west of south and by noon was blowing a gale. Through the afternoon and all night the wind continued, gradually becoming warmer. On the morning of the 5th the air was filled with particles of dust that gave it a brownish appearance, and by noon the wind was coming in gusts of air hot as the blasts from a furnace. People who went out of doors protected their faces from the heat and often turned from the wind to recover their breath. The air was heated to suffocation. Women and children found refuge from the hot air in basements and storm cellars. No one had even experienced anything like it before. By the night of the 2nd day of the storm all vegetation had turned yellow and was becoming crisp and brittle as though dried and baked in a hot oven. The storm of hot winds lasted three days. When it was over the crops were dead, and almost white. None would yield enough of grain to pay the cost of harvest. The simoon had been as destructive as the locusts that a few years before had devastated western Iowa and Minnesota and eastern Kansas and Nebraska. The prarie grass had while standing been turned into uncut hay. The water in the lakes and ponds had disappeared leaving the beds dry and dusty. Those three days of hot winds were a veritable calamity to the settlers. The crops upon which they had depended were utterly destroyed. It became necessary to borrow money to tide them over until another harvest. The money could be obtained only at the small private banks, of which there were one or two in every village. When they applied for loans the people were astounded to find that they must give a chattel mortgage upon property many times the value of the loan, and must pay interest at the rate of from three to six per cent a month. In addition to that the money lender had a right to take the property at any time he "deemed himself insecure." From the effects of the storm of hot air the settlers would have recovered could they have borrowed money .at a reasonable rate of interest, but from the effect of the loans, at the interest rate they had to pay, recovery was impossible. Some men there were who did a legitimate banking business, but their capital was limited. The unscrupulous men who charged the exorbitant rates of interest did more to impoverish and dishearten the early settlers than all the climatic conditions combined. These were the men who intensified the hard times that for years hung like the black pall of dispair over the prairies of Dakota. In the summer of 1886 a cemetery association was organized at Alpena and a burial place selected and purchased southeast of the village. This plat is now owned and cared for by the I. O. O. F. of Alpena. A mail route between Wessington Springs and Alpena was established in the summer of 1886 with W. S. Corothers as carrier. A change of postmasters occurred in Alpena in 1886. Mr. W. L. Arnold taking the post office in place of D. F. Royer. Rev. Geo. F. Bilber was appointed by the conference to the Alpena M. E. Church. Oct. 18th. 1886, but failed to fill the appoinment. The church was supplied by Rev. J. G. Campbell until the appointment of W. S. Underwood Oct. 19th the following year, who remained until 1889. The ministers who have succeeded Mr. Underwood to the present time have been: N. P. Steves—Oct. 19, 1887 to Oct. 11. 1888; (served with Mr. Underwood, supplying the country appointments). Thos. Carson—Oct. 1889 to Oct. 1890. T. H. Hendricks—Oct. 1890 to Oct. 1893. J. D. Allison—Oct. 1893 to Oct. 1895. H. S. Coon—Oct. 14, 1895 to Oct. 1898. R. H. Stokes—Oct. 15, 1898 to Oct. 1900. W. B. Stewart—Oct. 17, 1900 to Oct. 18, 1902. Jas. T. Gurney-—Oct. 5, 1902 to Oct. 18, 1903. Pierce O. Bunt—Oct. 18. 1903 to Oct. 21, 1907. John Kaye—Oct. 21, 1907. Rev. Wm. Paganhart, who had been preaching for the church at Waterbury during the year ending October 23rd, 1886, was transferred by the conference to the church at Wessington Springs for the year ending Oct. 19, 1887. The ministers of the M. E. Church at Wessington Springs since Mr. Paganhart, have been: Charles Vessey, Oct. 1887 to Oct. 1890; Joseph Elgon Norvell. Oct. 1890 to _____; J. Wesley Stokesbury, Oct. 1895 to April 1896; J. N. Smith, April 1896 to Oct. 1896; James Clullow, Oct. 1896 to Oct. 1897; S. H. Chappell, Oct. 1897 to Oct. 1899; G. D. Brown. Oct. 1899 to Oct. 1904; J. E. Crowther, Oct. 1904 to Oct. 1906; and J. M. Tibbets. Oct. 1906 to present time. The second pool and billiard hall in Alpena was run by Thos. Baldwin, in a building erected by him in 1886, until the summer of 1887. Mr. Baldwin then went to Minneapolis, where he still lives. In 1890 Geo. H. Arne went into mercantile business in this building and remained here until he moved out in 1894 taking his stock with him. In 1894 J. R. Milliken bought a stock of goods of J. H. Vessey at Wessington Springs and moved it to the room vacated by Arne. About a year later Milliken sold his stock to H. A. Miller, of Chery township, who moved it back to Wessington Springs. The next occupant of this building was C. C. Isenbuth, of Huron, in 1896. He sold to Franzwa in 1902. Franzwa enlarged the store room, raised the roof, making the building a story and a half high, and placed in front of it the first cement walk laid in the town. A year later Franzwa sold his stock to A. N. Louder, who conducted the business until 1905, when he sold to Messrs. Miles & Hunter. Mr. Franzwa repurchased the stock and building in 1906, and built an addition onto the east side of the store room. The building is now occupied by Mr. Schamber, son of a former state treasurer. On November 1st, 1886, Mrs. Barber and Miss Litchfield sold the hotel in Alpena to Ray Barber, who remained as proprietor until May 29, 1894. Mrs. Barber and Miss Litchfield then took charge of it again and retained control until Sept. 1st, 1901. It was then sold to Chas. Miller, who run it about a year and sold to J. T. Fleming. A year later Mr. Miller again took the hotel, but in March, 1903, sold it to Mrs. A. B. Smith. February 1st. 1905, Mrs. Smith sold the property to W. W. Hillis. In the spring of 1908 Hillis sold it to Mrs. Niested of Huron. In the spring of 1886. Wm. Voss sold his interest in the lumber yard at Alpena to Chas. R. and D. S. Manwarning. They conducted the business during the next ten years and on Aug. 21st, 1898, sold the property to J. D. Chamberlain. In 1901, F. D. Anderson, the present owner, purchased it from Mr. Chamberlain. The first bank in Alpena was a private concern managed by D. F. Royer, who did the business at a counter behind the usual screen in the back end of the front room of his drug store. This was in 1886. In the fall of this year W. L. Arnold gave up mercantile business in Alpena and sold his stock to J. R. Milliken, retaining the position of postmaster. It was at the northwest corner of Main and 2nd Streets. Milliken kept the store until the next year and then sold the stock to Roth Bros., of Wessington Springs. They continued the business until 1888 in that room and then went into the new I. O. O. F. building across the street. The Arnold lot and building was purchased by the Presbyterian church organization in 1892 and used by them for a meeting house for nine years. In 1904 J. R. Milliken and J. D. Chamberlain kept a general store in this building, but in the spring of 1885 sold a part of their stock of goods to J. H. Creighton of Wessington Springs, and the balance to Mrs. L. W. Castleman, who continues the business at the present time. The Jerauld County Agricultural Society had a meeting on the 2nd day of January, 1886, at which they reelected Mr. B. G. Cummings, president, and R. Vandervene, vice-president, H. J. Wallace, secretary, and W. J. Williams, treasurer. On January 2Oth a brass band was organized in Wessington Springs. A. E. Turrill, leader. The other members of the band were Al Sturgis. drum major, Jake Rosenthall. Augustin La Point, G. R. Bateman, W. I. Bateman, Ed Campbell, Bert Campbell, Omar Schryock, Chas. Schryock. Tommy Schryock, Geo. Wicks, Ed Andrew and Will B. McDonald. Several changes were made in the management of the newspapers of the county during 1886. D. F. Royer became the owner of the Jerauld Co. Journal, McDonald and Bateman sold the Wessington Springs Herald to T. L. Blank on the 5th of February. O. P. Hull became owner of the Waterbury Messenger, successor to the Waterbury News. N. J. Dunham became editor of the Jerauld County Journal April 1st. B. B. Blosser, who had been a compositor on the Woonsocket Times for several years, bought the True Republican Dec. 10, 1886, and for several years made it the leading paper of the county. At Waterbury the general store of C. L. Austin closed on Dec. 15, 1886. About the same time T. H. Null moved his law office to Wessington Springs from Waterbury. During the same month Delos Klink and F. G. Vessey bought the implement business from Vessey Bros., Ransom & Co. On June 10th, 1886, L. N. Loomis rented to Jake Rosenthal lot 22 in block 4, Alpena, at $5.00 per month for use as a meat market, lease to take effect June 15th. This was the first market of the kind in the town. Since Rosenthal the meat market business in Alpena has been controlled in succession by Ed. Hinchliff, J. J. Hillis, Geo. Marsten & J. Venables, John Woods (who put up the building since used as a market), Andrew Mercer and his son Robert, W. H. McMillan & John Chamberlain, W. H. McMillan, L. W. Castleman, L. W. Castleman & C. C. Rohr, C. C. Rohr, and F. Mann, who took possession March 25, 1908. In 1886 a masonic lodge was organized at Wessington Springs. The number of the lodge was 87 and the name "Frontier." The charter was granted June 10th. The charter members were: Chas. W. McDonald, W. M. Cleveland T. Hall, S. W. W. J. Williams, J. W. J. E. Sullivan, Treasurer. E. G. Williams, Secretary. I. H. French, S. D. J. T. Ferguson, J. D. A. S. Seals, Tyler. M. A. Shaw. E. V. Miles. The first new member of the masonic lodge at Wessington Springs was O. E. Williams. The present membership numbers 42. Chapter 19. Jefferson Sickler took the oath of office as a county commissioners on the 4th day of January, 1887. Following the precedent set by preceding commissioners the outgoing board settled with the county treasurer, before Mr. Sickler was sworn in. Ever since then the settlement has been made by the new board. The new board was organized by the election of Mr. L. G. Wilson as chairman. Mr. Johnston, the outgoing superintendent, had received $1514.75 as fees and salary during the two years of his term, certainly not a large compensation, but the new board on the 5th of January reduced the salary of that office to $100 yer year. The True Republican was made the official paper of the county on condition that the paper should publish the minutes of the board and all notices of board meetings free of charge. The legislature then in session passed a law requiring the appointment of three official papers, and on the 5th of April the Jerauld County Journal at Alpena and The Jerauld County Messenger, at Waterbury, were also made official papers, without the aforesaid conditions. In January 1887 several townships moved for civil township organization. The petition in all but one (Blaine), were granted and elections called for February 1st in Franklin, Marlar, Alpena, Crow, Anina, Chery and Viola. The petition from Blaine township was denied because a remonstrance containing more names than were attached to the petition was filed before the board had acted on the petition. On the day that the petitions were granted the board ordered that all civil township names and boundaries should be the same as the school townships. The county clerk's salary was increased to $400 per year. About the first of April, 1887. the county treasurer desired to resign his office and asked the different members of the board to agree to appoint C. E. Thayer in his place. The commissioners refused and Mr. Williams did not resign. A petition was filed with the county board on the 4th day of April asking them to consent to a change in the place of trial in the Solomon case. After some hesitancy they granted the petition on assurance that the change would obviate the necessity of having a term of court in Jerauld county that year. April 5th the board declared mustard, Canada thistles and cockle burs to be noxious weeds. A petition signed by 471 voters was laid before the commissioners on July 7th asking that the question of "local option" be submited to the people at the next November election which was granted. A territorial law required that the matter of division of the territory be also submitted. On July 9th, 1887, H. M. Rice resigned his office of Probate Judge and C. E. Hackett was appointed to the vacancy. Mr. Hackett resigned his position as a county Justice and on the 14th Richard Dalton, of Blaine township, was appointed to that place. The time had now come for the semi-annual settlement with the treasurer, but the treasurer did not appear. It soon became known that W. J. Williams had absconded. The commissioners took possession of the office. They found in the safe $189.74. The deputy treasurer, Mary Williams, sister of the treasurer, gave the board checks for the amount in the local bank, which was $415.00. The shortage was estimated at about $4,500. When the excitement incident to this affair had abated a little the commissioners declared the office of treasurer vacant and each member of the board proposed a candidate. Mr. Knudtson nominated J. M. Wheeler, of Blaine township, Mr. Sickler proposed H. A. Peirce, of Harmony township, while the chairman brought forward the name of H. J. Wallace, of Chery. This occurred on the 9th of July. At the next meeting, July 12th, the board elected Mr. Wallace county treasurer to succeed Williams. On July 13th the board published a statement showing the financial condition of the county. The public debt above the amount due from unpaid taxes, etc., was $10,153.27. On the 19th of July Mr. Wallace resigned his position as county surveyor and B. R. Shimp was appointed to the vacancy. The tax levy was made as follows on the 5th of September: County school 2 mills. County bridge 1 mill, county road 1 mill, sinking fund 4 mills and county general 6 mills. The territorial tax in 1887 was three and six-tenths mills and in Jerauld County one mill extra on cattle, horses and mules to pay for animals killed by the state veterinarian. A petition to increase the number of members of the board from three to five, signed by 137 voters was filed Sept. 6th, but was denied because of it not having a sufficient number of signers. The Agricultural society, at a meeting held January 4th, 1887, elected L. N. Loomis president and H. A. Miller secretary. At this time the society was about $90 in debt. To raise money with which to pay off its obligations the plan was proposed and adopted to have a public ball at the court house on Feb. 22nd. The move met with popular favor and $41 was secured for that purpose. On July 23rd the fair dates were fixed at Sept. 21, 22 and 23. The result was a successful exhibit, the society closing the year out of debt, and about ten dollars in the treasury. Several changes were made in the newspaper work of the county in 1887. The first was the purchase of the Waterbury Home-News from M. B. McNeil, in January by O. P. Hull, who changed the name of the paper to "Jerauld County Messenger." In October Mr. Hull bought the Buffalo County Sentinel, and about the middle of December he bought W. R. Pooley's Crow Lake Homesteader. Both papers were consolidated with the Messenger. April 1st, N. J, Dunham rented the Jerauld County Journal for one year. The real estate firm of Hudson & Heart at Waterbury dissolved partnership in March, 1887. Mr. Hudson retiring from the business. Among the churches, of course, some changes were made in the pastorates. The M. E. Conference in October appointed Rev. Chas. Vessey to Wessington Springs, W. H. Underwood to Alpena. and D. P. Olin to Waterbury. At the latter place C. V. Martin had been employed by the people to preach for six months, commencing in March. The County S. S. Association held its meeting at Wessington Springs, June 10. May 15th a Sunday School was organized at school house No. 3 in Pleasant township, with C. D. Coley. Supt. The Weslyan Methodists held their last quarterly meeting for that conference year in a large tabernacle erected at Lyndale, Sept. 17th and 18th. In Media township a union Sunday school was formed at the school house in district No. 2, Mr. A. S. Beals, Supt. Quarterly meeting services of the German M. E. Church were held at the Nesmith school house, May 29. 1887. A union Sabbath school was held at Dale Center also during the summer of 1887. The people of Viola and Anina townships observed Arbor Day in 1887, by planting trees and laying out walks in Union cemetery. I have been unable to obtain the roll of the G. A. R. Post at Waterbury, but it is probable that at this time it contained the following members: A. E. White, H. Merwin, W. A. Rex, E. S. Waterbury, Geo. N. Price. J. M. Corbin, H. M. Rice, H. Herring, H. A. Jones, D. F. Jones, Henry Fogarty, James Long, A. S. Fordham, H. Herman, R. S. Russell, T. J. Hunt and Flavins Curtis. A creamery had been established in Woonsocket and the managers were anxious to secure the trade of Jerauld county. In May of 1887 an arrangement was made with Mr. A. B. Smart to gather cream from the county north, west and south of the Springs, and deliver it to the creamery wagon, which would come to Wessington Springs for it. This was continued through the summer and fall, the cream checks being cashed at the local stores. It was so successful that a move began Oct. 29th to establish an institution of that kind in Wessington Springs. In April, 1887, the Woodburn Hotel changed hands and Mr. A. B. Easter became proprietor. He continued in charge of it until about the 25th of Sept., when Geo. N. Price, of Waterbury, purchased the property and on Oct. 3rd, 1887, moved in and became resident of the county seat. About two weeks later Mr. Price rented the livery barn in Wessington Springs owned by E. B. Orr. The Wessington Springs-Woonsocket stage line had been purchased by Mr. Price, Aug. i6th, and A. G. Eberhart put on that line as driver. A new stage wagon with a canvas cover was provided and traveling over that line was made as comfortable as possible,—a long and tedious ride at the best. He was at this time owner of the Woonsocket line, the Crow Lake line, which became a daily line June 1st, the Miller line and Belford line. Rolla Cady drove the mail to Miller, Gehial Barnum to Crow Lake and Will Moss was on the Belford line. This was undoubtedly the severest winter, especially for stage drivers in the history of the county, yet Price was as reliable with his mail lines as was the famous Ben Halliday with his pony express. Storms were frequent in November and December, blocking the trains and obstructing the mails on all railroads. On October 1st the mail route between Alpena and Wessington Springs was discontinued. The first "special delivery" letter to arrive at the Wesington Springs P. O. came on Monday, Oct. 3, 1887. It was addressed to C. W. McDonald, clerk of courts, and was delivered by Postmaster Barrett. At Alpena, on June 8, 1887, L. N. Loomis rented Lot 2, Block 7, to F. W. Whitney at $75 per year for use as a post office, lease to take effect July 1st, at which time Mr. Whitney succeeded W. L. Arnold as postmaster. In the same year Geo. Brooks took Frank Wheelihan's place in the depot at Alpena. Since then the station agents at Alpena have been: M. Mellette, Renshaw, A. Amundson, C. G. Boom and Mr. Buechler. In the same year that Whitney took the Alpena post office J. A. Crawford, who with his blacksmith shop had been "holding down his claim," the SW of 3 in Dale township, for several months, moved his shop and his residence back to town again. In the summer of 1887, J. T. Johnston sold his Alpena grain warehouse to McMichael, who made an elevator of it in 1901. Soon after selling his warehouse Johnston became interested in baseball. He took charge of the team at Alpena and arranged for a game with the Woonsocket nine at Wessington Springs, during the fair week in September. An immense crowd gathered to see the game and cheered itself hoarse when the Alpena boys won the game. Some business changes were made in Wessington Springs. In the forepart of February Allan Ransom and J. H. Vessey, the founders of the business, drew out of the company, Vessey Bros., Ransom & Co. Ransom left the county, but Vessey took charge of the Crow Lake store as manager on a salary. In the last week in April, Mr. Blosser moved the True Republican office into the Drake building, Mr. Drake having moved to Faulkton. Mr. E. H. Ford put a chair in the front room of his building on the south side of Main street, and during two days each week run a barber shop. Geo. Bickford, of Woonsocket, opened a meat market in Wessington Springs Aug. 8, 1887, but on the eighteenth of the same month sold out to Geo. R. Bateman and E. L. Hinchliff. It may not be generally known, yet it is a fact that Jerauld and Aurora counties in 1887 had a railroad company, all their own. Mr. Heintz of White Lake, was president, J. R. Milliken, of Alpena, was treasurer and T. H. Null, of Wessington Springs was secretary. The name of the road was "The Duluth, Huron and Pacific." The plan of the road was to connect with the Great Northern at Huron and cross the Missouri at Wheeler, in Charles Mix county. The building of the Great Northern into Huron started the C. M. & St. P. in the construction of a line south through Faulk, Hand, Jerauld and Aurora counties to connect with a line extending from Tripp in Hutchinson county to Armour in Douglas county. The contract for grading the line through Pleasant and Harmony townships was let to the Murray Bros., and the settlers thought their days of waiting for railroad facilities were over. The Great Northern built their line to Huron and stopped. The C. M. & St. P. built their line to Orient, in Hand county, and stopped. For twenty-two years those railroad companies have been watching each other, and the settlers have been watching them. On July 26, 1887, a gun club was organized at Wessington Springs with A. M. Mathias, president, and B. B. Blosser, secretary. The object was sport and enforcement of the game laws. Several contests were had with sportsmen from Alpena and Waterbury, but no one was prosecuted for violating the law. The new superintendent of schools began early in his term to organize the teachers of the county for professional work. In February, 1887, township institute work started in Pleasant township to which Media and Harmony were united for that purpose. They were continued once a month till the close of the school year. With the beginning of the next school year the work was revived and much enthusiasm put into the meetings which were held on the 3rd Saturday of each month. At the Trollope school house an institute began on the 19th of November for the teachers of Logan, Crow, Pleasant and Crow Lake townships. The next Saturday, Nov. 26th, the teachers of Viola, Anina, Media, and Wessington Springs were brought together for institute work at the Nesmith school house in Viola. Dec. 3rd an institute began at Dale Center school house for Alpena, Dale and Chery townships. At the northwest school house of Blaine township a similar meeting was arranged on Dec. 17th for Franklin and Blaine. On the 24th of October, a county teachers institute was opened at the court house in Wessington Springs with J. W. Harden as inctructor. Twenty-nine teachers were in attendance. The list follows: Mesdames Anna Tryon, C. A. Dunham, R. A. Gregory, Misses Mary Williams, Minnie Stanley, Nellie Jacobs, Ella Hewitt, Kate McLean, Addie Powell, May Hunt, Ella Allyn, Anna Peterson, Sarah Fish, Jennie Holcomb, Jeanette Richardson and Messrs. Fred Luke, J. A. Ford. T. L. White, B. R. Shimp, A. J. Miller, John R. Francis, W. L. Holden, John F. Wicks, John Holmes, A. H. Elliott, Chas. Beach, Geo. O. Williams, Fred Fisher, and N. E. Williams. On the evening of the first day of the institute a reception was given the teachers by the people of Wessington Springs. It was arranged by Mr. Binford and it was a very pleasant affair. The year 1887 was a year of abundant harvest. Some authentic reports were made of yields that were astonishing. There is a strip of country along the east part of Alpena township that has never suffered loss either from fire, or storm. In this favored region Chas. Bechtold raised a field of wheat that year that was threshed by Ferguson and Monroe, who produced their books to show that the yield was forty-three bushels per acre. 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/gms103chap1819.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/sdfiles/ File size: 26.7 Kb