Jerauld County, SD History .....Chap 28, 29; Part 2 
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Chapter 28.

   Early in January, 1889, B. B. Blosser, editor and publisher of the True 
Republican began planning for a spelling contest to be participated in by all 
the public schools of the county, the prize to be a set of Alden’s Encyclopedia 
for the winning school. A committee of arragenment was appointed composed of 
Mrs. N. J. Dunham, Mrs. C. V. Martin, Miss Kate McLean, B. R. Shimp, J. F. 
Wicks, N. E. Williams, and E. C. Nordyke, with B. B. Blosser and Supt. Binford.

   The interest of the schools at once became great. Each township could be 
represented by a class of four students made up from all the schools of the 
township, the classes to be selected at township contests to be held on the 2nd 
day of March. The township contests were conducted by educators from outside the 
township. The appointments were as follows:

Alpena—F. B. Phillips, of Dale.
Dale—Mrs. N. J. Dunham, of Alpena.
Chery—E. F. Harmston, of Dale.
Harmony—B. R. Shimp, of Pleasant.
Marlar—Mrs. C. V. Martin, of Crow.
Pleasant—F. K. Luke, of Pleasant.
Media—N. E. Williams, of Anina.
Wessington Springs—E. C. Nordyke, of Wessington Springs.
Franklin—J. F. Wicks, of Logan.
Blaine—Jesse Morse, of Viola.
Anina—Miss Ida Nesmith, of Viola.
Crow Lake—Supt. Binford, of Pleasant.
Logan—Mrs. E. G. Will, of Logan.

   The county contest occurred on the 9th day of March and was participated in 
by twelve townships represented by the following classes:

   Alpena—Abbie Whitney, James Worrall, R. W. Tennery and Edgar Beadell.

   Dale—James Tracy, Daniel Tracy, Lora Gregory and Rosa Youngs.

   Chery—Grace Lanning, Clarence Lanning, Mary Miller, and Charles Miller.

   Harmony—Anna Titus, Ernest Huntley, Rena Butterfield and Charles Weeks.

   Marlar—Rebecca Ruan, Laura Ruan, Grace Ruan and Cora Corbin.

   Pleasant—Sarah Elmore, Mabel Holdridge, Mary Marlenee and Rolla Lynn.

   Media—Manly Voorhees, Clara Yoorhees, Harry Young and Louis Beels.

   Wessington Springs—Edward K. Starkey, Paulina Mihawk, Sever Starkey and Abe 
Divick.

   Franklin—W. N. Zink, H. E. Whiffin. Mata McCaul and Ira Posey.

   Viola—Howard Phillips, Susie Phillips, Wesley Paganhart and Myrtie Moss.

   Anina—Geo. Stevens, Tommy Day, Harry Nelson and Samuel Nelson.

   Logan—Lewis Pfaff, J. J. Riegal, Lewis H. Waterbury and Anna Hannebuth.

   Forty-eight in all.

   Blaine, Crow and Crow Lake townships were not represented.

   Supt. Binford pronounced 100 words from the first fifty pages of McGuffey's 
Speller. The words were written by the contestants, with the following results 
in words missed:

   Alpena 2, Anina 3, Franklin 4, Harmony 9, Pleasant 11, Logan 16, Yiola 25, 
Dale 40, Marlar 40, Media 47, Chery 69, and Wessington Springs 75.

   Alpena had won the prize.

   In an oral contest that followed the prize was won by Miss Anna Hannebuth, of 
Logan township.

   On April 2nd prairie fires raged in all parts of the territory, accompanied 
by an electric wind storm of great violence. The loss in Jerauld county was 
estimated at $100.000. Particulars will be given more fully in a chapter to be 
devoted to prairie fires.

   In business matters but few changes were made during the year and but few new 
enterprises started.

   The territorial farmers Alliance established a warehouse at Wessington 
Springs to handle farm supplies. This institution began doing business in 
February, with W. N. Hill as manager.

   In the same month Mr. L. G. Wilson, of Viola township called the attention of 
the farmers to the large number of silk cocoons that were hanging from the 
branches of small trees throughout the county and requested, through the 
newspapers, that a quantity be gathered and brought to him, at Wessington 
Springs. A barrel of them was soon at his disposal and he shipped them to Paris 
to be tested as to their value. They were found to be of good quality, but could 
never afterward be found in sufficient quantities to pay for the work of 
gathering them.

   On October 1st G. N. Price took charge of the Wessington Springs-Waterbury 
stage line, which gave him control of all the mail, routes of the county.

   In January, 1889, Ed Hinchliff opened a meat market in Alpena and continued 
the business until the following July.

   In March Ray Barber sold the hardware business in Alpena to Grant McLean, who 
continued it about a year and then sold to F. B. Phillips. In 1894 Phillips sold 
the business to D. H. Wood. In June, 1900, he sold to Grant Anderson, who is 
still in charge.

   In the forepart of January, 1889, Isaac Pearce succeeded F. W. Whitney in the 
Alpena post office.

   During the same month Roth Bros, opened The Security Bank in their store at 
Alpena.

   In March following W. F. Cass started an art studio in Alpena.

   The latter part of July D. F. Royer repurchased the Journal from Lacy F. 
Schaefer.

   At Waterbury no changes of importance occurred in 1889 until the forepart of 
November, when C. M. Hopkins rented his hotel to Wm. Toaz.

   J. H. Vessey moved from Crow Lake to Wessington Springs about the middle of 
January, 1889, and the next month bought the mercantile business of Albert & 
Vessey.

   In February, 1889, Mrs. Albert Gunderson opened an abstract office in the 
rear room of the old Herald building.

   R. S. Vessey and C. E. Nordyke formed a partnership to do real estate 
business at Wessington Springs and opened their office in the building erected 
by W. J. Williams on the lot owned by H. Bakewell, of Plankinton. The 
partnership continued until Oct. 1st.

   D. W. Clink and F. G. Vessey closed up their farm implement business in 
March, leaving the field open to the Farmers' Aliance Co.

   A restaurant was opened by Mrs. Francis Smith in the forepart of April, in a 
building put up by Dr. Turner on a lot west of Thayer's bank.

   One of the buildings erected in Wessington Springs in 1889, was a stone bath 
house in July, by A. C. Thompson, on the east side of the creek opposite his 
barn. The barn is now owned by Mrs. Eva Whitney, but the bath house soon fell to 
ruins.

   Charles E. Thayer, who in five years had amassed a fortune in the banking 
business in Wessington Springs, sold his institution to Charles W. Lane, who 
took charge of the bank Oct. 1st, 1889.

   About the middle of November, 1889, Wm. Skinner and C. W. Pettis started a 
meat market on the south side of Main street, near where Shull's Drug Store now 
stands.

   In religious matters the only events of importance in the county in 1889 were 
the first Free Methodist camp meeting, which began June 12th and lasted one 
week, in the grove by the big spring, and the county Sunday School convention 
which was held May 23rd.

   At Crow Lake Mrs. Allyn's vacant store building was used during the summer 
for church and Sunday school purposes.

   On May 15th, 1889, an Epworth League was organized in connection with the M. 
E. church at Wessington Springs.

   Along educational lines the most important event of the year was the 
organization of a lecture association by R. S. Vessey, G. R. Bateman and Prof. 
J. K. Freeland. Mr. Vessey was made the president of the society and Mr. 
Freeland secretary. The society is still alive. During the years of its 
existence it has brought to the county literary men, lecturers and statesmen of 
world wide reputation. Among them have been Joseph Cook, the eminent Boston 
divine, Roswell G. Horr, Michigan's greatest congressman, Joseph Littell, Col. 
Sanford, Maj. Copeland, besides many other scientists and scholars from all 
parts of the nation.

   In July, 1889, Dr. C. S. Burr, of the Wessington Springs Townsite Company 
donated to the Seminary ten lots in the town. A few days later Samuel Marlenee 
was employed to build the superstructure on the walls of the Seminary, and the 
work was done in August of that year, the building being veneered with brick. It 
was in the chapel room of the new building that the entertainments provided by 
the lecture course were held.

   Another educational enterprise led by the Pioneer W. C. T. U. was a series of 
meetings held in every township in the county to study the proposed Sioux Falls 
constitution for the new state.

   The fourth annual teachers' institute was held Oct. 28th to Nov. 8th 
inclusive, with Prof. Enos as conductor.

   In the line of amusements in 1889, one of the notable events was a sham 
inaugural in Odd Fellows Hall at Alpena, which was attended by fun-loving people 
from Woonsocket, Wessington Springs and all parts of the county.

   On what was then known as the White tree claim, adjoining Alpena on the 
south, was established a race track in the summer of 1889. Ray Barber was 
secretary of the association. All the records of this society were destroyed in 
a fire that occurred in the Journal office a few years later.

   The crop prospects in 1889 were good until the 13th of June, when the whole 
country was visited by a destructive hot wind that blew from the southwest 
several days. Added to this was the decline in the market price of all kinds of 
farm products. In September the Chicago price of wheat was 80 cents per bushel; 
corn, 32c; oats, 19c; butter, 12c per lb.; eggs> 17c per doezn. In Sioux city 
hogs were sold at $3.82 per cwt., fat cattle $2.65 to $2.75, stockers $1.85 to 
$2.35.

   And people were paying from three to seven per cent a month on notes secured 
by chattel mortgages.


Chapter 29.

   The proceedings of the county commissioners in the year 1889 contains but 
little of interest.

   R. J. Eastman became a member of the board on January 7th and Mr. Sickler was 
made chairman.

   On the same day F. W. Whitney took possession of the office of register of 
deeds, and two days later the official bond of Pat McDonald as sheriff was 
approved.

   On February 5th a resolution was adopted by the board fixing the price of 
auctioneers' license at $10 per year.

   As a result of the prairie fires that had devastated the county on April 2nd. 
the county board on April 15th resolved to furnish lumber to the amount of 1,000 
feet to people who had suffered loss by fire and 25 bushels of seed grain to 
those who could not procure it otherwise.

   On May 21st the board decided to abandon the section line road between 
sections 24 and 25 in Franklin township and for $75 purchased of Mr. McDowall a 
right of way over his land through what is known as "the pony hills."

   The treasurer's report, made the forepart of July, 1889, showed that during 
the year ending June 30th the county had paid for pauper support $96.20, and for 
temporary relief of the poor $193.64.

   The county tax levy made Sept. 2nd was, county general fund, 6 mills; sinking 
fund, 3 mills; road and bridge, 1 mill. The territorial levy was, general fund, 
3.3 mills; bond interest, 1/2 mill; and stock indemnity, 1/2 mill.

   The act known as the Omnibus Bill, which enabled South Dakota to prepare for 
statehood passed congress on the 14th day of February, 1889, and on the 22nd was 
approved and signed by President Cleveland. That year became an era of 
conventions. Politics of many different brands became the pastime of "all sorts 
and conditions of men."

   A convention at Wessington Springs, January 12th, elected E. V. Miles, C. H. 
Stephens, J. M. Spears and R. W. Probert delegates to a statehood convention to 
be held at Huron on the 16th.

   A mass temperance convention was held at the county seat on March 28th to 
prepare for the statehood campaign which was now on.

   Jerauld, Buffalo and Hand counties were made the 11th district for 
representation in the constitutional convention which had been called to meet in 
Sioux Falls on July 4th, 1889, and were entitled to two delegates, to be elected 
on the 14th of May.

   The Republican district convention to nominate a delegate to the 
constitutional convention was called to meet at St. Lawrence, in Hand county on 
May 7th.

   The republican county convention to send delegates to the St. Lawrence 
convention was held at Wessington Springs, May 4th, and S. F. Huntley, of 
Harmony township received an indorsement for the position of delegate to the 
Sioux Falls convention. The convention voted that he should select his own 
delegates, and he named T. L. Blank. E. V. Miles, J. F. Wicks, E. S. Waterbury, 
A. I. Churchill and O. G. Moodruff, and C. G. Hartley, of Hand county.

   Mr. Huntley and C. G. Hartley, of Hand county, were nominated at the St. 
Lawrence convention and at the election May 14th they were elected delegates to 
the state constitutional convention.

   The opposing Democratic candidates were Jefferson Sickler, of Harmony 
township, and Mr. Anderson, of Hand county. There are no records of the 
conventions at which these gentlemen were nominated.

   No change was made in the election precincts for the May election, but for 
that to be held on Oct. 1st each township was made a precinct by itself, and 
that rule has been followed ever since.

   In the constitutional convention Mr. Huntley was a member of the 
apportionment committee and chairman of the committee on expenses of the 
convention. On his recommendation Jerauld and Buffalo counties were made one 
senatorial district.

   On July 20th the Republican county committee called two county conventions—
one for Aug. 17th to select four delegates to the state convention to be held at 
Huron and four delegates to the judicial convention to be held at Mitchell, the 
other to be held Sept. 7th to put in nomination a county ticket and select 
delegates to the disrict legislative convention.

   On July 26th R. S. Vessey announced his candidacy for the legislature on the 
Republican ticket.

   At the convention held Aug. 17th I. N. Rich was chairman and E. F. Harmston 
secretary. Delegates were selected to both the state and judicial conventions, 
those to the latter being instructed to support the candidacy of A. Converse for 
Judge of the circuit court.

   A mass convention was held Aug. 19th to discuss plans for getting aid in the 
county for the construction on the Huron, Chamberlain & Black Hills railroad. It 
was decided to ask the townships through which it was proposed to build the road 
to vote a tax. Accordingly a petition from Dale, Wessington Springs, Media, Crow 
Lake and Logan townships was laid before the county commissioners on Sept. 12th 
asking that the matter of voting a tax in aid of the road be submitted to the 
people of those townships at an early date. The board granted the request and 
called the election for Oct. 1st, the day set for the statehood election. The 
promoters of the project at once put in the field a party of surveyors, 
consisting of:

   E. F. Harmston, chief engineer; T. L. Blank, transit man; A. H. West, 
leveler; J. A. Calhoun, topographer: W. W. Hillis, rodman; Chas. Haskins, head 
chain; Thos. Day, hind chain: C. Thompson, axman; Chas. Whiffin, back flag; J. 
J. Doctor, cook; and M. E. Harmstan, teamster.

   At the election the tax was voted down in all the townships but Dale.

   On the same day a meeting was held to take measures to put Wessington Springs 
in the race for state capitol. Five thousand acres of land were pledged, and C. 
E. Thayer elected a delegate to meet representatives of other cities at 
Aberdeen. That was the end of it.

   At the Republican convention on Sept. 7th S. F. Huntley was indorsed for 
state senator, by acclamation. On the 36th formal ballot V. I. Converse was 
nominated for the legislature. A. I. Churchill was made the nominee for county 
Judge.

   The Republican district senatorial convention was held in the Hopkins house 
at Waterbury on Sept. 12th and Mr. Huntley was nominated unanimously.

   Two days previously. Sept. 10, the Democrats had held a county convention at 
Wessington Springs at which Jefferson Sickler, of Harmony township, was 
nominated for the legislature and J. R. Francis for county judge. No candidate 
for state senator was named.

   At a meeting of the county commissioners on July I3th the county was 
redistricted for the election of members of the board, as follows:

1st District—Alpena, Franklin, Blaine and Dale.
2nd District—Chery, Wessington Springs, Viola, Anina and Media.
3rd District—The west six townships.

   A convention for the nomination of a commissioner for the 3rd district was 
held at Waterbury Sept. 21st and Mr. Henry Herring of Crow township made the 
nominee.

   As in all former elections, the W. C. T. U. organizations of the county kept 
careful watch over the temperance sentiment. The constitutional convention had 
submitted to the people of the new state the matter of voting prohibition into 
the constitution. At the head of the county organization was Mrs. E. V. Miles, 
of Wessington Springs township, a lady of strong executive ability, and with her 
were Mrs. Nettie C. Hall, Mrs. J. M. Spears, Mrs. T. L. Blank, Mrs. F. T. 
Tofflemier, and several others, all determined, earnest women, who knew no such 
thing as fatigue in their efforts to hold Jerauld county in the temperance 
column. But behind them all, guiding, counseling, working, was Mrs. A. B. Smart, 
the founder of the Pioneer W. C. T. U.

   Old Unions were reorganized and other temperance societies formed. Meetings 
were held everywhere that an audience could be gathered.

   At Alpena a lodge of I. O. G. T. was formed May 3rd with John Teasdale, chief 
templar, Mrs. N. J. Dunham, vice-templar. Rev. H. H. Underwood, chaplain, L. F. 
Schaefer, recording secretary, Ray Barber, financial secretary, Maggie Worrall, 
treasurer. The lodge had 21 members.

   Demorest Medal contests were held at which children spoke temperance pieces.

   The election occured on the first day of October, with the following results:

For the Constitution, 895.
Against the Consitution, 17.

For Prohibition, 598.
Against Prohibition, 315.

For Minority representation, 282.
Against Minority representation, 586.

Mitchell for capital, 54.
Huron for capital, 290.
Pierre for capital, 588.
Sioux Falls for capital, ____.
Watertown for capital, 3.
Wessington Springs for capital, 2.
Chamberlain for capital, 5.

State Senator—S. F. Huntley, 785.

Representative—V. I. Converse, 500; J. Sickler, 427.

County Judge—A. I. Churchill.
County Commissioner—H. Herring.

   On Nov. 2nd, 1889, at 3:40 p. m. at the city of Washington, President 
Harrison attached his name to the proclamation declaring South Dakota a member 
of the Union of States.



Additional Comments:
From "A History of Jerauld County; From the Earliest Settlement to January 15,
1909" by N. J. Dunham

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