Eastern Pennington County Memories  -- Creighton, part 2


	This information is from "Eastern Pennington County Memories", 
	published by The American Legion Auxilliary, Carrol McDonald Unit, 
	Wall, South Dakota and is uploaded with their kind permission. 
	Pages 438-453

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net, 1999. 

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The Odyssey of the Crouch Family

by Abe Crouch

	Monday, August 29, 1910 was a busy day at the farm near Carnavon, Iowa, as 
at 1:30 P. M. we were leaving on the Chicago Northwestern train for our new home 
in Dakota. This part of Iowa was getting crowded, families were growing up, 
there wasn't enough room for the new generation; the only logical answer was to 
go west to the last frontier in the country where there was free land. There was 
no time to lose.

	Moving was nothing new in our family. As a young man, my father, A. W. 
Crouch, had tried farming near Glen Elder, Kansas in 1878. However, two years of 
drouth and grasshoppers had been too much for him (we believed this was good 
training for South Dakota), so in 1880 he made his way to the Cripple Creek 
country of Colorado. He worked at mining and railway construction, helping to 
bring the first railroad in to Leadville, Colorado; until he made a big enough 
"stake" to purchase some 220 acres of railroad land in the Carnavon vicinity on 
his return.

	My mother, Mary L. Crouch, nee Wiseman, grew up near Prairie du Chien, 
Wisconsin, and it was at about this time that she came to Iowa to teach school. 
Her first school was some 10 miles from Carnavon, and here she met my father. 
Tradition has it that they became acquainted at a quilting party at the home of 
one of my aunts. In 1885 they married, and took up residence at the recently 
purchased farm.

	There were nine children in the family; Elsie, Lloyd, Emmons, Ed, Logan, 
Albert, myself, George and Frank. (All of us, by the way, with the exception of 
father, George and Frank, taught school at some time in South Dakota). Some of 
the older members of the family did not spend too much time in Dakota; Lloyd, 
Emmons, Ed and Logan served in World War I, but returned to the ranch when their 
service was completed.

	When the Rosebud Country was opened up in 1908, my father made the trip to 
Dallas to draw for land in the lottery at the Federal Land Office there; 
however, he drew a blank, there being 28 applicants for every quarter section of 
land. Incidently, I have often wondered where our residence would have been had 
he been successful. There was still vacant land in the Creighton vicinity; this 
had been part of the Great Sioux Reservation opened for homesteading January 1, 
1891, but not settled to any extent until after the Milwaukee and Northwestern 
Railroads had been built across the state to Rapid City. Father had filed on a 
claim 4 1/2 miles northeast of Creighton early in 1909, built a house and barn, 
and contracted to have 30 acres of sod broken up and planted to corn.

	Now to go back to August 29, 1910. Our emigrant car had been loaded with 
household goods, farm implements and a few horses and cows, and had left two 
days before with Lloyd and Logan in charge and to care for the livestock. Our 
train passed the emigrant car on a siding at Highmore on the way out, although 
we were not aware of it at the time. Father, Mother, George, Frank and myself 
made the trip, leaving Carnavon at 1: 30 P.M. and arriving at Wall at 4:30 P. M. 
the next day. At that time, Wall looked much like a desert town, the temperature 
was in the high nineties, the scanty vegetation was dry and brown, and a hot 
dry, dusty wind was blowing from the South (a forerunner of things to come). 
Water was a very scarce commodity in Wall, none of it being wasted on shrubs or 
grass. We picked up our luggage and started for the Hotel Babcock, but before we 
arrived at the hotel, we met a Mrs. Pratt, one of our neighbors from Iowa who 
was living in Wall at the time. She invited us to her house to wait for our 
emigrant car, which came two days later. Wall at that time was a busy place; the 
two livery barns doing a land office business, livery rigs to which half-broken 
bronchos were hitched were coming and going from the north country; while 
freighters, many with four or six horse teams pulling wagons with trailers were 
leaving for the Faith country as the railroad had not as yet been built into 
that community.

	Several days later, with the assistance of our neighbors, we loaded 
several wagons, and early one morning we started for the homestead. Noon found 
us at Springer Draw, about 11 miles north of Wall where we ate our lunch. This 
was a favorite stopping place as a fine spring was located a few hundred feet 
from the main road. We arrived at the homestead in the afternoon, early enough 
to get the cook stove unloaded in time to prepare supper, which was eaten in 
picnic style.

	We were busy all fall building fences, corrals, and putting up sheds. We 
also built a sod chicken house for our poultry which was a great comfort to the 
neighborhood coyotes; they used it as a sort of cafeteria, digging holes in the 
sod walls and helping themselves to a fine chicken dinner whenever they wanted a 
change of fare.

	We also took time to get acquainted with our neighbors. What a fantastic 
country it was, after living in the old, staid, strait-laced and conservative 
community in Iowa! It was like moving to a new planet. Our neighbors were 
cattlemen, cowpunchers (not the drug store type), sheep men, sheep herders, and 
honyockers (homesteaders); all very fine neighbors. No one locked their doors, 
you were always welcome at whatever hour you called, invited in and fed 
(sometimes on your own beef). In case you rode into a cow camp at meal time and 
found no one around, you went in, prepared your meal and washed the dishes. If 
you stayed all night, it was customary to chop some firewood, carry in water, 
and sweep up before going on your way. It might be weeks before you met your 
host and thanked him for, his hospitality. We traded help with our neighbors; 
many exciting days were spent working cattle, branding, threshing and 
butchering.

	Branding was quite an occasion, a good sized group being necessary as no 
one in the country had any branding chutes at the time. The herd was driven into 
the corral, or held close by; branding irons were heated in an open fire; the 
cattle to be branded were roped, dragged near the fire, thrown, held down, 
branded, and ear marked. A good roper with his horse could keep two crews busy. 
The older men usually kept up the branding fire, did the branding and roping, 
while the young fellows did the throwing.

	Our post office was Pleasant View, located some eight miles northeast of 
Creighton and one and a half miles east of Deep Creek. Melvin Brooks was 
postmaster at the time. The post office was set up in a lean-to at the front of 
the house. Before the exodus of the homesteaders in 1911, as many as 30 people 
could be seen there on mail days, waiting for their mail. Pleasant View was 
discontinued in 1912. O'Neill then became our post office for several years, 
with Lafayette O'Neill being the postmaster. He also operated a stage stop and 
ran a general store, until this post office, too, was discontinued in the year 
1915. After that we got our mail at Creighton. R. J. Haddock was postmaster 
there; he also bought cream and operated a general store. Mail came out from 
Wall three times a week. In 1910 Sam Jones had the mail contract for the route 
and drove the mail stage. The stage, at that time, was three-seated with a 
canvas top, was furnished with side curtains in case of inclement weather, and 
had a canvas boot for mail and luggage. It was considered just about tops in 
transportation at the time. The stage left Wall about 7: 00 A. M. Mondays, 
Wednesdays, and Fridays carrying mail and passengers, arriving at Creighton at 
10:30 A. M., leaving a half hour later for 'O'Neill, three miles south-east. 
Here the stage stopped for noon., on both the out-going and return trips. While 
the mail was being sorted, a fresh team was hitched on, mules generally being 
used on the Pedro end of the trip. The driver and passengers ate lunch, this 
would sometimes be a large group, as in early days the stage was often loaded to 
capacity. After lunch there was time to make a few purchases at the store, the 
driver buying enough cigars to last him as far as Pedro. The next stop was at 
Pleasant View, seven miles northeast, arriving there at 2:00 P. M. From Pleasant 
View the route led back one and one-half miles northwest to our ranch, then down 
the Deep Creek Road, an old Indian Trail, to Pedro. Pedro was an important 
trading center having a general store, livery barn, hotel, newspaper, post 
office, and a lodge hall. Elmer Hawks was the owner of most of these 
establishments; he also kept a complete line of farm machinery. At Pedro another 
stage took over, leaving the following morning with mail for Plain View, Marcus, 
White Owl, and other rural post offices. On Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays 
the stage left Pedro for the return trip to Wall. Besides hauling mail sacks and 
passengers, mail was left in boxes along the route. Sam Jones smoked almost 
continually, I do not ever recall seeing him without a cigar in his mouth. He 
always kept his teams well fed and groomed and the mail stage in good repair. 
Besides carrying mail, and packages for the stores, he picked up medicines, 
sewing thread and various articles for the housewives along the route. Other 
mail men came after him, using various types of transportation. Horses became a 
thing of the past, and cars or trucks were used. In the twenties, daily mail 
service was started, a round trip being made each day.

	1911 was a year of tragedy, being one of the driest seasons on record; 
crops planted in the spring never sprouted, grass did not grow, and it is said 
that in some cases seed potatoes planted in the spring were dug up in the fall 
before freezing weather and used as food. Homesteaders, disillusioned and 
destitute, gave up and started leaving the country, carrying what they could of 
their belongings and abandoning the rest. Main roads going east were dotted with 
lines of wagons, buggies, carts, surreys, and horsebackers going back to Iowa, 
Nebraska, Minnesota and parts east. Most of them did not come back. The 
Northwestern Railroad, which had surveys completed and right-of-ways purchased 
between Philip and Newell did not build as a direct result of the drouth; the 
railroad was to have crossed the Cheyenne River in the vicinity of the mouth of 
Ash Creek, gone up on the high flat country of North Pedro, then through Tivis 
and continue on towards Newell.

	In 1911 my father purchased the 04 Ranch on Deep Creek from John Edwards, 
along with a number of Hereford range cows. The ranch was well located, it had 
shelter from storms, good grazing and plenty of timber. for posts and wood. Wild 
fruit was abundant; wild plums, choke cherries and buffalo berries could be had 
for the picking. Deer and elk horns were found in the cedar thickets and buffalo 
horns on the prairie. The next fifteen years were busy ones, building fence, 
digging wells, putting up hay and contending with blizzards, grasshoppers, hail 
and drouths. Except for the usual livestock losses, some by disease, and a few 
by wolves, we did quite well, selling most of our cattle in the mid-twenties to 
go into farming with power machinery.

	We (George, Frank, and myself) farmed until the thirties; Albert and Logan 
who had been doing most of the ranch work until 1920, left for California and 
Mississippi, respectively. Lloyd, Emmons and Ed all spent some time at the ranch 
before going into high school teaching or business for themselves. Elsie taught 
the Creighton school for several years, also taught high school in Iowa. All 
members of the family but Logan married. Elsie married Silas Harris of Gravity, 
Iowa in 1920. Lloyd was married to Ida Reynolds of Villisca, Iowa in 1919, and 
now lives in Loveland, Colorado. They have a daughter Eleanor (Mrs. Win. H. 
Roberts), and a son Paul. Emmons was married to Grace Millar of Arvada, Colorado 
in 1924; they now reside in Newcastle, Wyoming. Ed was married to Irma Beasley 
of Washta, Iowa in 1921, where they made their home and raised two sons, Gregg 
and Gary. Albert married Wilma Arnette at Santa Monica, California in 1936; they 
now live at Helendale, California. Frank married Nina Kerns of Washta, Iowa in 
1928 and their five children are Galen, Ridley, Larry, Denny, and Mary Louise. 
They moved to Louisville, Kentucky in the late thirties, where they still 
reside. George stayed on the ranch and in 1938 was married to Bernice Van Vleck. 
They had four sons, John, Keith, Kirk and Barth. Kirk was fatally injured, along 
with his mother, in 1948. In 1950, George married Etta Newkirk of Rapid City. He 
is active in REA work, and though he now lives in Wall with his family, he 
continues to operate the old ranch at Creighton.

	I came to Rapid City in 1933 to help administer the Pennington County A. 
C. P. program in the county office, and haven It been back much since then. In 
1942 I was married to Ferne Wolken, and our family consists of a boy Jim and a 
girl Janet. I resigned from the farm program work to enter the army October 1, 
1942, serving in the Field Artillery and the Military Police. After receiving my 
discharge in May, 1945, I began work with the Employment Security Department in 
March 1947 and continued there until October 1, 1964 when I was retired upon 
reaching the age of 65.

	It was not all work at the ranch, although there was plenty of it. Mother 
and Father were active in Sunday School and church work, there were ballgames 
and school programs to go to, and dances to attend. Before 1916 and 1917, the 
usual way to attend a dance was to ride horseback, or if you were lucky, to go 
in a top buggy. My brothers and I rode horseback to dances at Dalzell, White 
Owl, Pedro, Grindstone, Peno Basin, and to most of the school house and barn 
dances in the Creighton vicinity. A group of boys and girls would often make the 
trip together on horseback, carrying their dress-up clothes on the saddle and 
changing after arriving at the dance. The dances usually lasted until day-light, 
which gave us day light for the trip back. After 1917, as there were a number of 
cars, mostly model T's, in the country, the socially elect usually traveled by 
car. In the twenties, as it was ever an up and coming community, very few dances 
were held without the benefit of some local moonshine, and a few bootleggers to 
dispense the same. It is interesting to know that one of the main roads going 
northwest out of Creighton was known as the Moonshine Highway, and probably 
still goes by that name.

	Death first came to the family in 1922 when Elsie passed away, her husband 
Silas following her the next year. Father died at home on the ranch in 1932, and 
Mother in 1939. Brother Ed passed away last year (1964), his wife having 
preceded him the year before.

	Things have changed out there, where it might take two days for a round 
trip to town with a team and wagon on a gumbo road, the same trip may be made 
now with a car or truck in two hours. Most of the houses now are modern, with 
running water, bath rooms and refrigerators. For entertainment now we have 
radios and T.V.'s; we used to be happy with a phonograph. Jet planes may be seen 
any hour of the day and where a 30 - 30 rifle used to be considered the ultimate 
in fire power, there is now a missile launching site on the corner of the old 
ranch which can deliver a projectile half way around the globe in thirty 
minutes, capable of destroying a city.

	Though other things have changed, the people are still very much like 
their parents were fifty-five years ago; sturdy, friendly and courageous. It has 
been a privilege to have lived among them; we take pride in the fact that our 
family has had a part in the building of such a strong and progressive 
community.

	The trail has been long since I left Iowa that August afternoon over a 
half century ago, to my residence at 601 St. Cloud St., Rapid City, where my 
family and I have lived the past twenty years. It is pleasant to think of the 
many friends that have been made along the way.

[Photo - The wedding picture of A. W. and Mary L. Crouch, in 1885.]

[Photo - The ranch home of the Crouch family, on 7 D Creek, in 1923.]

[Photo - Branding on the 04 Ranch (Crouch) on Deep Creek in 1913. Ray Paulson is 
in the horse, ready to rope another calf. Mother Crouch is looking over the 
fence, and Frank is on the corral gate. Below him is Roy Eby. The dug-out, right 
upper center, is the ranch headquarters. Between the dug-out and the corral runs 
the Wall-Creighton, O'Neill, Pleasant View and Pedro Mail Road.]

[Photo - The primary class of Creighton School in 1923, showing Oscar 
Eisenbraun, Oliver Clarin, Katherine and Emma Schuler, Mary Eisenbraun, and 
Marvin Hook.]

[Photo - The Creighton School in 1923 with Abe Crouch as the teacher. The 
seventh and eighth grade pupils are at the teacher's left, the first grade and 
primary class are seated in the front row, while the intermediate grades are at 
the teacher's right. Many of these students still live in the Creighton 
vicinity.]

[Photo - Back: Albert Crouch, Frank Crouch, George Crouch, and Abe Crouch; 
Front: Logan Crouch, Emmons Crouch, Ed Crouch, and Lloyd Crouch. This picture 
was taken in 1953, when the Crouch brothers met for a reunion. It was the first 
time that the eight brothers had been together since 1910.]



Martin Eisenbraun History

As told by their sons - Leo, Edmond, Oscar, Otto, Erwin

	Our Dad was 19 years old when his parents decided to emigrate to the 
United States from the Crimea in Russia. He was excited and anxious to settle in 
America, as Russia and Japan had been in War for over thirty years. A future of 
peace with religious liberties was a thought he and his family cherished; so 
they set out to a new land where they could enjoy these freedoms.

	His family arrived at Tripp, South Dakota in 1905. They felt at home here 
because some of their friends and relatives who had emigrated before them had 
settled here.

	After two years, Dad and two of his brothers were still not satisfied. 
They wanted to go west and get their start by homesteading on the open prairie.

	In the summer of 1907 they traveled by Milwaukee railroad to Rapid City 
and registered their claims at the County Courthouse and started back to Eastern 
Pennington County. The first night after starting north toward their claim they 
set up camp on Powell's Corner and slept in their covered wagon. Today this spot 
is seven miles north of Wall and is marked by a tall granary covered with sheet 
metal and was built by Anton Harnisch.

	At the age of 14, Dad went to a trade school for three years where he took 
up blacksmithing. When he came to America, Dad set up housekeeping in a 10x12 
shack and a small shop hoping to bring in a small income.

	There were handicaps in this rugged type of living, but this did not 
interfere with the romance of Dad and our Mother (a pioneer daughter) Lydia 
Denke. They chose June 14 as their wedding day in 1910.

	The summer of 1911 was hot and dry and this drouth forced Dad to leave 
Mother and Leo, then a three week old baby, to take a job pitching bundles in 
the harvest fields of eastern South Dakota. While he was away a bad hail and 
wind storm nearly blew the little shack away. The milk cows were on open prairie 
and the wind had driven them for miles. The next day Mother took the baby in her 
arms and her little sister (Anna Denke) 'by the hand and walked five miles until 
they found the cows near John Kaiser place where Fritz Schroeder lives today.

	Dad returned late that fall and was still broke since the train fare had 
taken most of his wages. Later he found a job doing carpenter work eight miles 
from home. He walked to work every morning returning at night and his pay was 50 
cents a day. He and Mother did not get discouraged, they trusted God would 
continue to bless them if they trusted in Him and together they planned .ahead 
on how they would someday make improvements on their homestead.

	A small country church was built in 1910 and they had fellowship here with 
other homesteaders and relatives. In the summertime many of the pioneers would 
walk to church. They let the horses rest on Sunday, because of the heavy work 
they were used for during the week.

	They also enjoyed the family gatherings at Grandfather's homestead where 
the children could play and the rest would visit and compare hardships.

	Another summer when things were skimpy the family got along on butter, 
bread, milk, and watermelons from our patch. It was when the flour ran out that 
Mother broke into tears. That same afternoon our puppy began to bark. A wagon 
and team entered the yard. This man asked Dad to shrink the rims on his wagon 
wheels and gave him a dollar for 'each wheel. The money was given to Mother and 
she quickly hitched their horse to a stone boat and went to the Creighton store 
to buy flour and other supplies for the family.

	In the following years things were getting better and Mother would make 
regular trips to the store to trade the cream and eggs for food that we could 
not prepare ourselves. One day after returning, she told about how she had 
guided her horse to the side of the road and waited behind a plum thicket so she 
could admire a beautiful surrey with fringe on top, as it passed by. We boys now 
realized that Mother also loved the finer things. She carried this idea through 
as time went on by planting and caring for flowers and vines around the house 
making our yard a colorful place.

	A threshing machine was purchased in partnership by the Eisenbraun 
brothers, and the harvest became easier by helping each other and neighbors. A 
threshing crew was formed and there were usually fourteen to eighteen people. 
After the threshing was finished it was customary for the crew to take off their 
old straw hats and throw them in the machine.

	In the summer we cooked in a small house called the summer kitchen, this 
would keep the house cool. The hired help and men folks of the family would rest 
in the house at noon since it was cool and comfortable.

	In 1921 Dad bought his first new car from Harvey Spitz, a Model T Ford.

	Our home was remodeled in 1925 and we now had a five room house. Several 
years later a 32 volt electric light plant was installed. Mother was able to 
enjoy some of the conveniences she had longed for.

	In the spring of 1927 the time had come for Leo to receive his 8th grade 
diploma. Preparations were made months ahead of time for a new suit and shoes. 
It was an exciting time as graduation excercises were held in Rapid City and 
President Calvin Coolidge who was making his home at Game Lodge in Black Hills 
that summer would hand the diplomas to the students. The road to Wall was not 
graveled and heavy rains prevented the graduates from getting to Rapid City. 
Parents and students were very disappointed that they were not able to meet the 
President of the United States in person that day.

	Bill Marks was hired in 1930 to build a suitable barn on the now larger 
farm. Ray Rotter, Frank Way, and Orville Wilson were his helpers.

	Our family was saddened on March 12, 1934 when Mother passed away. It was 
with saddened hearts that we five boys pitched in helping Dad with the 
housework, and managed to extend hospitality to visitors as best as we could. We 
each had to take turns doing the cooking from day to day.

	After several years of batching, Dad and Mrs. Alvina Drewita of Wolsey 
were united in marriage. Her family of three sons and one daughter joined the 
household and shared the many duties of a busy family.

	On December 30, 1943 Dad and our step-mother had the unique distinction of 
being grandparents to a set of triplet baby girls, born to Oscar and his wife 
Margaret. Dad often commented "In our family it was boys, now with grandchildren 
it is different. The first six are girls."

	Before his retirement in 1945, Dad had been active in the church, served 
on the local school board and for many years was supervisor of Rainy Creek 
Township. He then bought a house in Wall from Mrs. M. Mills where they moved on 
July 10.

	World War II was still not over and both Dad and our step-mother were 
concerned for their sons (Otto and Oscar Drewita) who were in the U.S. Army 
serving in the South Pacific. They were relieved when word came that by 
coincidence both of the boys had arrived safely in the United States on January 
4, 1946.

	Dad decided to take things easier and was not available at election time 
after serving an expired term on the town board of Wall in 1950.

	Another son, Alvin Drewitz, served his country during the Korean War and 
again the couple anxiously awaited his return. He was stationed in Anchorage, 
Alaska at the time of his army discharge and arrived home in January 1953.

	Erwin the youngest son and his family live on the home place today.

	Dad was born September 16,1885 and died February 9, 1961. Our step-mother 
is still living in their home in Wall today. 

[Photo - Mr. and Mrs. Martin Eisenbraun, Oscar, Otto and Erwin in 1924.]

[Photo - Family gathering at Grandfather Eisenbraun's 1915]




Adventures of Gustave Eisenbraun

	I, Helen Eisenbraun, was asked to write a short story on the life of my 
father, Gustave Eisenbraun.

	He was one of the seven sons of Peter Eisenbraun. He was born near the 
Crimea in Russia on June 2, 1884. When he was 18 years old, his father and 
mother decided to venture to America with their family and they made Tripp, S.D. 
their new home for a time. There my father worked for several families as a 
hired man.

	When the Government gave the people a chance to homestead in Western South 
Dakota my father with several of his brothers decided to go west also and they 
homesteaded near Creighton, S.D. During homestead days to earn some money so 
they could buy horses and cattle, he and his brother Martin worked for Tom 
McDonald and as they did not have any horses to ride or drive back and forth to 
work they walked everyday the 10 miles to McDonalds in the morning to work and 
the 10 miles back home to their shacks in the evening.

	After completing homesteading and his parents and family also had moved 
west and built themselves a home. He decided living alone was no good so he 
traveled back to Tripp, S.D., to bring back with him a bride the former Lydia 
Heinrich.

	They lived several months with his parents as his homestead shack was not 
fit for a woman to live in. All the neighbors and relatives got together 3 1/2 
miles northeast of Creighton and built my father and mother a 2 room house which 
at that time seemed like a mansion to this newly married couple.

	With their land, brand new home and trusting in God in the future this 
young couple started their married life together. They had good and bad years. 
The years of 1910 to 1913 were hard dry years. Many of the homesteaders that had 
come to this new land with high hopes gave up and went back where they came 
from. My father was not one who would give up easily. He believed that there 
would with the help of God be better days ahead in this country and there were. 
Things started getting better in 1913.

	One of the outstanding and unusual things that happened that my mother 
told me about was the traveling through near their place of a big black bear. 
She said he did not stop or bother anyone, but wandered in from the east and 
traveled northwest at a normal pace. She said they all were afraid of him so 
kept well out of his way. No one seemed to know where he came from or where he 
went to.

	The war years of 1917-19 were hard on all our people. I was a little girl 
then and I can remember the fear I lived with that our father might have to 
leave us and go away to war.

	July 4th was always a big day to look forward to as that day everyone 
celebrated. Usually all the neighbors, relatives, and friends gathered at one 
place or another. In the year 1925 the celebration was at our place. Everyone 
came about 9:30 or 10 o'clock A.M. The morning was spent visiting and preparing 
food for the picnic dinner. Afternoons were spent running races, playing 
baseball, and sometimes taking pictures. By chores time everyone went home, full 
of food, tired, and happy. We did not have fireworks at that time as no one 
could afford them.

	We always had hired help, 4 or 5 men and 1 woman at one time especially 
during harvesting, haying, and corn picking. By 1930 my father had accumulated 
840 acres of land which was a lot of land in those days to farm with the horses. 
He also built many times such as unto the house to make it bigger by first 
adding a kitchen and a porch and then later 3 bedrooms, and a bath, barns, and 
other farm buildings.

	The first electric 32 volt lights and radio were quite an achievement. All 
the neighbors gathered together to see the new lights and listen to the radio.

	Prairie fires were also feared by everyone as there was a lot of grassland 
and no fire fighting equipment in those days. One incident that had my brother 
Richard seared was the prairie fire he lit. My father was hauling grain to Wall 
and to keep us busy he usually instructed us what to do while he was gone. This 
time Richard and our cousin Rudolf Eisenbraun who was then working for us were 
to burn the thistles in the garden which they did. Richard, not thinking of the 
consequences, decided he would also burn a bush of thistle at the edge of the 
garden and there was just enough breeze that when it caught fire it spread in a 
hurry and since there was prairie for a mile east of the garden that is how far 
it burned. All the neighbors and even some people from as far away as Wall came 
to help fight the fire. One of our hogs had 10 little pigs near where the fire 
started and it was sure sad to see this poor mama pig try to save her brood from 
those flames. She only saved 3. The rest suffocated from the smoke and fire. The 
poor mama had a lot of her hair burned but did live through this hazardous 
experience. Our father didn't get home until the fire was out. Richard's 
consequences weren't as bad as he expected as our father was thankful it did not 
burn more and that no one was hurt.

	During the dry years of the 1930's my husband Erhard Eisenbraun and I were 
trying to get started farming. We would get discouraged because nothing grew and 
what we had to sell was worth so little that all our work and efforts seemed in 
vain. My father, would tell us then that we should look forward to better days 
ahead. They had already experienced the same kind of difficulties and that they 
had come out on top. His favorite saying to us was always "You just stick with 
this country when its dry and it surely will stick to you when its wet." The 
ground out by Creighton was very sticky when wet and it really did stick to you 
when wet. (Oh, what a mess, sometimes.)

	In the spring of 1945 my father decided to retire from farming because of 
his health and move to Wall, S.D. He bought a place in North Wall owned by 
Louisa Packman. After remodeling the whole house my father and mother moved into 
it in the fall of 1944 and they lived there until his death Nov. 8,1946. My 
mother still is living there now.

	My brother George is farming the land my father homesteaded. He also has 
the original home place but at present there is no one living there.

[Photo - Gustave Eisenbraun - 1943.]

[Photo - The Gustave Eisenbraun family - 1914.]

[Photo - Mrs. Gustave Eisenbraun, Richard and Helen.]

[Photo - Gustave Eisenbraun and daughter, Helen.]


Albert Eisenbraun Family

as told to Mrs. Iva Eisenbraun

	Albert Eisenbraun, in the year 1904, moved with his parents from the 
Crimea in Russia to East Prussia. They lived there for six months from September 
until March. On April 5, 1905, they arrived at Tripp, South Dakota. In 190 9 
they moved to a homestead northeast of Creighton, South Dakota.

	Albert went back to Delmont to work on a farm. Then on June 29, 1909, he 
came back to western South Dakota and filed on a homestead northeast of 
Creighton in Eastern Pennington County.

	In December, 1909, he built a tarpaper shack on his homestead. In August. 
1912, a hailstorm came up and the wind blew the little shack away scattering the 
few household belongings for miles. Some of his pictures were found a mile away. 
He still has some of these pictures that have the holes in them that were put in 
by the hailstones.

	On November 3, 1912, Ludmilla Moser and Albert Eisenbraun were united in 
marriage. They bought a house for $25.00 and moved it to their homestead.

	With $10.00 worth of lumber Albert added a little porch in 1914 as they 
were going to board a teacher and needed more room. The teacher was Lucy 
Bielmaier who later married C. C. Rinehart. She paid $10.00 a month for board 
and room.

	In 1913, there was a severe blizzard. The house was not finished on the 
inside. The wind and snow blew through the walls. Albert stayed up all night and 
kept a fire going in the kitchen range. The dozen chickens that they had also 
were brought into the house to keep them from freezing.

	Albert took three of the walls from his claim shack that blew down and put 
up a three sided, straw roofed shed for his cows. Because of the open prairie he 
had to keep the cows tied up at night. During the blizzard he had to keep 
scooping the snow off of them to keep them from smothering. He also had to milk 
them in all this snow.

	In 1925 they bought a different house and moved into it in May, 1926.

	In 1931 they added a porch and in 1946 two bedrooms were added on the 
back. The trees and shrubbery were planted in 1942.

	During the blizzard of 1949, there was much concern about different 
members of the family. Gotthilf's wife was expecting a baby and it took several 
days to open a road across pastures and fields to get her near the highway. As 
soon as the snowplow opened the road, she went to the hospital and stayed until 
the baby was born. Not only did emergencies take the opportunity of making use 
of the open road but everyone went to town and first chance they had to take 
farm produce to town and to buy a supply of groceries, because the next day the 
roads would be blown shut again.

	They had a family of six boys and four girls: Adolph who married Lenora 
Schweigert; Mary (Mrs. Helmuth Schweigert); Reinhold married Iva Albin; Gotthilf 
married Elizabeth Williamson; Cornelia (Mrs. Ruben Schweigert); Elnora (Mrs. 
Oscar Drewitz); Arnold married Arlene Peters; Emanuel deceased, married Glenda 
Cleveland; Helmuth married Marietta Kaste; and Adaline (Mrs. Armond Oschner).

	On November 3, 1962, they celebrated their 50th Anniversary. All of the 
children were present.

	They now have fifty grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

[Photo - Albert Eisenbraun home - 1925.]

[Photo - Albert Eisenbrauns in 1915.]

[Photo - Edmond Eisenbraun home today.]

[Photo - Albert Eisenbrauns on 50th wedding anniversary - 1962.]



Eastern Pennington Ranch House

by Goldie Eisenbraun

	The history of our home had its beginning some time in 1908 when Ducky 
Holmes, manager of the White Sox baseball team in Chicago came to Western S. 
Dak. to live. He used old homestead shacks to enlarge the small house that was 
here when he came. Before completing the house Ducky went back to Chicago and 
later Philadelphia where he continued to manage professional baseball and did 
not return.

	In 1911 Walter Hoffman, who was then living on the place finished building 
the two story house. Walter and his wife Edna lived there until 1920. They sold 
out by holding a farm sale.

	Tenants after that time were Mr. and Mrs, Ben Hoffman, who lived here from 
the spring of 1920 until 1925. Three of their children were born in this house: 
Sam, Dorothy (Mrs. Gene Kenyon), and Walt.

	Others who occupied this house were the Arthur Kline family, Mr. and Mrs. 
Erhard Eisenbraun, (Son, Wilhelm was born here) and Mr. and Mrs. Henry. Clarin.

	Edmond Eisenbraun leased the place from Homer A. Searle of White River in 
1935. His bachelor days ended in 1937 when he and I were married.

	We did not experience the homestead days after our marriage, but we did 
inherit the homestead atmosphere. This resulted from living in an old house 
which had suffered from neglect during the drought years.

	Today, the 54 year old house has modern conveniences and is still a 
comfortable home for us and our family, the girls, Karel and Paula, and our son, 
Edmund Jr.

[Photo - Karel on horse - 1941.]

[Photo - Walter Hoffman farm sale - 1920.]



Pioneer Days

	Jacob F. Geigle came to this country from Sarta, South Russia, in 
Besarabia. At the age of 22 he went to Argentina, South America and spent over a 
year working on a farm. He then returned to Russia, and after nine months he, 
together with his parents and the rest of the family, came to the United States. 
He arrived in Tripp, South Dakota, on December 7, 1906 and spent the rest of the 
winter there. He worked out at the livery stable. Later he worked on a farm at 
Freeman.

	In spring of May, 1907, he came west with his father and Henry Sieler and 
took up homesteading in Pennington County, northwest of Wall, South Dakota. He 
then went back to Tripp and brought his parents and brothers and sisters back.

	They started building on the house and other buildings. First they built 
the house and other buildings for his folks. Later that fall Jacob built a one-
room stone house on his homestead and a sod barn and a chicken house. The roof 
was made of cedar posts and hay with dirt on top to keep the wind from blowing 
the roof off. The cedar posts they used were cut down at the Cheyenne River west 
of Creighton, South Dakota. They spent many days cutting and hauling wood. It 
was real hard work. They also dug a well by hand on the homestead. Those days 
the well didn't have to be very deep. Water could be found almost anywhere. The 
next spring he plowed up some land for grain.

	On May 18, 1909, he married Dorothea Hein of Freeman, South Dakota. During 
the drought of 1911 he with his wife and two children moved back to Freeman. It 
was so dry that year that nothing got green until August when it started to 
rain. Henry Eisenbraun and his wife and two children. also moved back with them. 
The two families were on the road for 14 days. They made this trip with a team 
and wagon.

	In 1913 Jacob moved back again to his homestead, this time they came back 
by train. They brought some livestock and machinery along to do the farming.

	He lived on his homestead until they retired from active farming and moved 
to Wall, South Dakota, on January 6, 1947. Up to this time he had been ranching 
and farming. They had a family of seven children. Two have passed away. The rest 
are Emilie of Wall, Mrs. Leo Eisenbraun (Johanna) of Creighton, Mrs. John Denke 
(Bertha) of Creighton, Otto of Pedro, and Jacob of Centerville, South Dakota.




Life Story of Adolph E. Geigle

	Adolph Emil Geigle was born on November 20, 1913, on his parent's farm 
north of Quinn. His parents Jacob F. and Dorothea (nee Hein) Geigle were 
pioneers of this country at that time. They endured many hardships and lived a 
primitive way of live. There were no cars, electric lights, waterworks, gas or 
electric cook stoves, radios and television sets. It meant hard work and 
endurance to keep the family fed and clothed.

	Adolph was the fourth in the family of six. He was also the first son to 
be born so something special to his parents until the other brothers arrived. 
Being the oldest son he had to pitch in helping his father with the work at an 
early age. I remember he often told how at the age of 13 years he went along 
with the threshing crew and ran the threshing machine for his father. The 
tractors in those days were big and clumsy and hard to handle for him and his 
brothers, Otto and Jake, at the age of 11 to 14 years. Quite a few times his dad 
or one of the boys had to fix the fences at the end of the fields back in, after 
they were through working a field.

	Adolph stayed at home and helped his parents until November of 1939. In 
June of that year he with some members of his family were visiting his aunt and 
uncle at Delmont, S. Dak. (which also happened to be my aunt and uncle) and with 
them came to visit at my parent's home, northwest of Parkston, S. Dak. Adolph 
and I met and soon after, the mailman had a few more letters to deliver. Later 
some more visits, and in October I ventured out to the "wild west", (as it was 
thought of by most eastern S. Dak. people) to see the country out here. It made 
a likeable impression on me as about 10 days later we became engaged and he took 
me home to Parkston and with my parents made plans for our wedding day -- 
November 12, 1939.

	It was a nice warm November 12th, and a group of 80 relatives and friends 
helped us celebrate our "Special Day". A big goose supper and later evening 
lunch plus other refreshments was served to us and guests by my parents. The 
next few days Adolph and I visited his relatives by Sioux Falls and Freeman, S. 
Dak. and then left for our new home in the west.

	In those days it was customary to help the children get a start in life as 
most of them would stay home and help on the farm, as we both did. So on 
December 8th. we took father-in-law's truck and went to Parkston to get the 4 
milk cows, 60 chickens, 3 hogs, plus other belongings of mine, that I received 
from my parents. My parents also ordered needed furniture, and had it shipped to 
Wall.

	Adolph's parents had given him one, quarter of land on which was a newly 
built 4 room house with basement, and 2 sheds, one for cows, and one for 
chickens. He also received 4 milk cows, 2 horses, and 2 hogs from them. Adolph 
had a 31 Plymouth coupe, and with the above mentioned property we started our 
life together. It meant for us to get along on our own from then on. We rented 
one more quarter, in addition to the one we owned. In order to get our farming 
done, Adolph helped his father with his work and in return we got our fields 
worked.

	The cream checks from our 8 cows we milked was our only income, and they 
had to buy our groceries, the gas for the car and farming, and feed for hogs and 
chickens for 1 year and 8 months. The 1st. year - 1940 was dry and no crops. In 
1941 the crop was fair. I remember tears rolled down Adolph's cheeks as he 
brought the 1st. load of barley in from the field, for it meant no more feed to 
buy.

	We were happy to both work and save together to make ends meet. Our total 
income the first year was $580.00. We owed no bills and saved $40.00 in an 
envelope to pay the doctor for delivering our first child - Dorothy born in 
October of 1940.

	Adolph kept helping his dad, and used his machinery in return, until the 
spring of 1943. We then were able to buy a Farmall-H tractor from Harry Johnson, 
and also a used plow and disc. From then on we were able to buy some more needed 
machinery each year, and also added needed buildings to the place. In the fall 
of 1945 we decided to add on to our house as our family had increased to 3. 
Norman and Goldie were born in Dec. 143 and Jan. 145 and our 4 room house had 
become quite small. Adolph, his father and his brothers did all the building, 
and Adolph did all the plumbing for the house.

	In the 1950's Adolph bought a well drilling rig and drilled a number of 
wells on our place and quite a few for neighbors.

	The Lord further blessed our work, and we enlarged the acreage of our farm 
and ranch. I helped with chores and field work until our Norman was old enough 
to help with the field work.

	We always enjoyed visiting my parents and relatives by Parkston about 3 or 
4 times each year, and they always looked forward to our visits.

	We attended church regularly at St. Paul's Lutheran church north of Quinn 
and were members there until the year of 1953 when we transferred to Emannuel's 
Lutheran church of Creighton, where our children received instructions and were 
confirmed in the faith of the church. Adolph served as elder in both churches 
and held various other offices. I also helped with teaching Sunday school and 
playing organ for services at both churches.

	Our 3 children attended our country school close to the Creighton 
Community Hall. It was 3 1/2 miles one way and often meant lots of rough roads 
to battle in mud and snow, as the 1 1/4 mile within our pasture was not graded 
and we had to fight our way out as best we could, sometimes even the tractor was 
used to get them there. Later all 3 graduated from the Wall high school.

	Dorothy soon married after graduation and made us the proud grandparents 
of four lovely grandchildren. Norman served 6 months in the army as a member of 
the National Guard, and attended 3 semesters at State University at Brookings. 
Goldie attended 1 semester at S. Dak. University at Vermillion, and then took a 
course in cosmetology, and is now a beautician.

	Meanwhile Adolph and I worked hard to keep the farm and ranch going, and 
were looking forward to the day when Norman would take over, and we could retire 
and travel some and enjoy life while we were still able, but the Lord had other 
plans and called Adolph home to Heaven on February 6th. 1965, after a short 
illness. All I have now, are memories of 25 years and 2 months of living, 
working and enjoying life with a kind and wonderful husband. I have our 3 
children and 4 grandchildren who are so dear to me, but can never quite fill the 
emptiness caused by Adolph's departure from this life.

	The farm and ranch Adolph and I worked and managed the past 25 years is 
now waiting for a new master - our son Norman - whenever he is ready to take 
command, -- and my future as of now is blank with a big question mark-, to which 
the Lord will have to fill in the answers, as He has done in the past.

[Photo - Mr. and Mrs. Adolph E. Geigle on their 25th wedding anniversary, 
November 26, 1964. In the back are Dorothy, Norman and Goldie.]



Pioneer Days

	Mr. and Mrs. August Denke and two children sailed to America from Crimea, 
South Russia a town known as Simferopol in October 1907. Two other families also 
came along, George Schuler and August Wiedenmeyer.

	From Simferapol they were sent to Germany for health examinations. They 
stayed there three days, so they missed their ship. They finally came over on a 
freight ship. They were on the ocean for 19 days. They landed in Baltimore, 
where they stayed a few days for rest and more health examinations.

	From Baltimore they took a train which took them to Chicago. Here a man 
picked them up in a fancy buggy that had mirrors on the inside and took them to 
a hotel. They stayed here for a few days. They left here by train which took 
them to Omaha, Nebraska and then on to Wolsey, So. Dak. Here they had to change 
trains again. The Schuler and Wiedenmeyer families went on to Roscoe, South 
Dakota to their relatives. The August Denke family went by train to Pierre and 
then on to Philip where a half brother of August Denke's, Mr. John Denke, picked 
them up with a team and buggy. The August Denke's spent their first winter with 
his half brother.

	In the spring they homesteaded southeast of Creighton. The first thing he 
did was build a sod house on his claim so his family could come and live with 
him. He had to borrow a team and horses to plow up five acres of ground to plant 
corn. After this he built a rock house which is still standing on the place used 
as a chicken house and later a wood shed.

	During the first year Mr. Denke bought a team of horses, a cow, and an old 
wagon on which the wheels weren't too good. They also dug a well with a shovel. 
They made a dugout in the side of the hill for a barn for his cow and horses and 
also four chickens which the neighbors gave him. The roof of the sod house and 
barn were made of buckbrush and sticks and some dirt on top to keep the wind 
from blowing the roof off. The roof leaked when it rained.

	The first year meant a lot of hard work, hauling rocks for building, 
planting. corn by hand with a sharp stick to put the seeds in the ground. The 
times were very hard, they had little to eat. Meat was served only about once a 
week. They had very little money so Mr. Denke worked out the first couple of 
years after they got here.

	During the fall he put up enough wood to keep his family warm during the 
cold winter. Those days it was colder than it is now and also had more snow.

	In 1911 he seeded some wheat and it got so dry that it didn't come up 
until August the same year., There was no green grass the whole summer. From 
1912 on the years got better and the times. weren't so hard. The people had more 
money and could buy more things. Mr. Denke worked out until 1913.

	The first mail was at Grindstone, South Dakota, from there it was moved to 
the Catch Place, and then moved over to the Laff O'Neill's. From here it was 
moved to Creighton where Mr. Lewis took over. From then on it was passed on to 
John Clarin, H. Mortensen, Paul Lurz, Paul Goldhammer and now Goldie Eisenbraun. 
The first years mail came only about twice a month. Now we get it every day 
except Sunday.

	In the early years it wasn't safe to travel alone at night because of 
wolfs and coyotes. There were also more rattlesnakes than you wanted to see.

	The men had to get posts from the brakes. When they went for posts they 
went one day, camped out that night and then they came back the next day. 
Usually two men went together.

	Born to Mr. and Mrs. August Denke were eight children. Two of them born in 
Russia and the rest born here in South Dakota. They are as follows: Henry now 
living in Wall; Anna (Mrs. Ted Heinrich) of Tripp; Reinhold of Pedro; Robert of 
Wall; John of Creighton; Albert of Emery; Birgitta (Mrs. Otto Geigle) of Pedro; 
and Emil of Creighton.


[Photo - The August Denke Farm.]

[Photo - The August Denke Family.]



Henry Denke Story

by Esther Denke Votroubek

	Henry Denke came over from Russia with his parents when he was sixteen 
years old. In the fall of 1916 he came to Tripp, South Dakota. On December 8, 
1916 we were married. My maiden name was Esther Eisenbraun and my parents were 
Mr. and Mrs. Emanuel Eisenbraun. We were married in the home of my parents by 
Rev. Henry Geirke. Soon we came "Out West" where Mr. Denke had a farm rented 
which belonged to Mrs. Christ Kahn. By August, 1923 we had three children.

	Mr. Denke had bought 160 acres of land and he rented what he could, 
although it was quite small quarters for a growing family. He moved the 
buildings from Mrs. Kahn's place on to our land. All of our children were born 
there, six boys and one girl. Their names are Harold, Clara, Helemth, Adolph, 
Erhart, and Eugene.

	Then in 1933 the depression came along. Nothing but dirt storms, 
grasshoppers, drought. The cattle had to be sold, as it kept on almost nine 
years. We kept only two cows for milk for the family. The people put up Russian 
thistles for hay and the cattle got sore mouths from those thistles. The 
families were on W. P. A. at work building Government Dams all over the country. 
The boys were growing up but there was no work for them. Harold and Helmuth 
joined the C. C. Camps. That helped some.

	In the spring of 1940 we had lost our home and land and were forced to 
walk out and shut the door. Mr. Denke then bought Emil Jone's Ranch two miles 
south of the Cheyenne River close to Pedro. Here we all made a new start. The 
boys were all home except Harold, who had joined the Navy.

	In the forty's it rained a lot and they farmed and bought some cattle and 
soon the ranch was paid for. Then the Forty-nine Blizzard came along and we were 
stranded for quite some time, until they finally opened the roads. Glen Best 
flew out with the mail and a few groceries and landed right behind the house on 
skis. He did that until the roads were opened. It was hard to get to the cattle 
with any kind of feed, for the snow was so deep.. It was hard on the cattle but 
we saved most of them.

	Then in June of 1949 we came to Wall, and Mr. Denke bought a house in 
Wall. He passed away on November 21, 1951. Now I am retired and living in that 
house in Wall. The people have been very friendly here and we made a lot of 
friends.

[Photo - Henry Denke]

[Photo - Mrs. Henry Denke, age 17.]

[Photo - Harold Denke, age one.]



The Harvey Spitts Story

by Al Strandell

	Harvey Spitts came to South Dakota in 1907 and homesteaded about seven 
miles northwest of Creighton on Squaw Creek. He did some farming but spent most 
of his time blacksmithing for his neighbors. All agreed he was a good 
blacksmith.

	Harvey never married but he did like the women. He led a very happy life 
and had a real sense of humor. I can remember when he brought in stove wood to 
pay his dues to the American Legion Post here in Wall.

	Harvey said he didn't remember how old he was so I think that was one of 
the reasons he was so happy. He was a very helpful neighbor. Harvey is buried in 
the Veterans Cemetery at Hot Springs.

[Photo - Harvey Spitts]



George Schuler

by Mrs. E. G. Geigle

	Mr. and Mrs. George Schuler came to America on November 5, 1907 from 
Russia. They stayed at Freeman, South Dakota with relatives until January 19, 
1908 when they came to Western South Dakota and homesteaded. There were no 
buildings at that time so they built a sod house. The roof was made with poles 
and covered with hay and when it rained, the rain came through.

	I remember one night my mother made a sponge to bake bread the next day. 
That night it rained and in the morning the pan of bread dough was full of 
water.

	One windy day, the roof caught fire and when the rest of the family were 
fighting fire, my brother Jake got the sugar bowl and was eating sugar.

	We lived in the sod building until a house of stone was built. Some of the 
people that lived nearby helped to build it.

	Times were hard so my Dad worked out for Hugh Estes, Sr. and Mother stayed 
alone with us as there were 3 children at that time, Jake, Bill and Rose.

	In homestead days there were no fences so the ranchers had free range. 
Their cattle would come right in our yard and if we told them to keep the cattle 
out they just laughed so one time my mother shot at them with the shot gun and 
that was the end of stray cattle.

	Later the family increased to include 10 children. Jake lives at Wamblee. 
Myself, Mrs. E. G. Geigle, and Mrs. Rose Geigle, at Wall. Bill lives in Denver, 
Colorado. Ed at Creighton, Bob at Phillip, Ida Huether at Creighton, Katherine 
Grob at Columbia, Illinois. Emma Eisenbraun at Creighton, Hank, who passed away 
in 1954, Adella Stern, lives at Parkston. Two sets of twins were born to this 
family. They are Bob and Ida Huether and Katherine Grob and Emma Eisenbraun.

	Adolph Geigle now owns the homestead.

	My mother passed away in 1936 and my dad passed away in 1963.

[Photo - Mother and Dad Schuler - 1930.]

[Photo - The Schuler Family at their home.]


Herbert Eisenbraun Family

by Mrs. Emma Eisenbraun

	Herbert Eisenbraun Sr. was born May 13, 1895 in the Crimea of Russia to 
Peter and Maria Eisenbraun. Leaving Russia the family emigrated, to the United 
States. They arrived here in 1905 and made their home near Tripp, South Dakota.

	When Herbert was 14 years old he came to Creighton, South Dakota with his 
parents. He was able to help along with field work and after his brothers broke 
up about 20 acres of sod with a walking sod plow, Herbert planted the corn by 
walking and using a rather pointed stick which he stuck into the ground then 
dropped 3 or 4 kernels of corn in each hill and closed it by pushing the dirt 
over it and stepping on it.

	He had only a few months of schooling the year he went to school. There 
was so much snow during that winter it was hard to travel so the school closed 
during this time.

	He went back East again when he was sixteen and worked there until he was 
inducted into the army in 1917. This is where he learned to speak the English 
language.

	After returning from the service he took out a 40 acre homestead near 
Creighton and bought an additional 160 acres from George Snell. Herbert was a 
bachelor for three years. He lived in the two room house which his brothers 
helped him build. He used only one fourth of the house for living, the rest was 
made into grain bins. In 1923 he and I, Emma Willuweit, of Herrick, South 
Dakota, were united in marriage.

	We lived on the old homestead 16 years, seven of the ten children were 
born here: Elizabeth (Mrs. Erving Helms); Annette (Mrs. W. E. Geigle); Delbert; 
Ivan; Esther (Mrs. H. A. Davis); Lester and Paul.

	We bought our first car, a Nash, and also a tractor in 1929 because we had 
a good crop of alfalfa seed that year. During the depression and drouth years of 
the thirties we did not do so well, so we held a farm sale in April of 1939 and 
moved to a ranch along the Cheyenne River. We went back to the horse and buggy 
days again for a while.

	Three more children were born here, Herbert,Jr., Wanda (Mrs. Steve 
Goodrich) and Andrew.

	In 1954 we moved to Wall after a heart attack forced Herbert's early 
retirement. He enjoyed his hobbies of gardening, raising flowers and trees, and 
doing wood-work.

	Herbert Sr. passed away January 22, 1965.

[Photo - Herbert Eisenbraun Family in 1939.



The Beginning of Eisenbraun History in Pennington County

by Mrs. Edmond Eisenbraun

	The Eisenbrauns living in the Creighton area today began their history 
here in eastern Pennington County through Peter and Elizabeth Eisenbraun.

	It was while they were under the dominion of the Russian Czar that 
pressures were being put upon these people to relinquish some of their political 
and religious liberties that they decided to leave the Crimea in Russia and move 
to East Prussia where they lived for only six months. They emigrated to the 
United States arriving at Tripp, South Dakota, April 5, 1905. Here they lived on 
a farm until 1909.

	On March 5, 1909, the family moved to a homestead northeast of Creighton 
in eastern Pennington County.

	They were a large family and cooperated by working together as they had 
much to do if they intended to survive on this prairie country and make it 
possible for future generations to benefit from their labors.

	Peter was a determined man, he expected obedience of his children and they 
respected him for it.

	His wife, Elizabeth, willingly reared this large family under trying 
conditions and did not let the hardships mar her good humor and pleasant ways.

	Mrs. Eisenbraun, being a capable mid wife helped many in her community. In 
later years when her daughter Emma asked her how many babies she had delivered, 
her reply was, "Fifty and some and fortunately no deaths."

	Some of her grandchildren remember how she could be seen leaving their 
little country church on Sunday, often before the service was completely over 
and walked home about a half mile away. Here she would begin to prepare the 
Sunday dinner for her large family and often others who were invited to eat with 
them. Her homemade chicken and noodle soup was a specialty besides favorite 
dishes from their foreign country.

	As souvenirs, pieces of her handwork were given to all of her children, 
grandchildren and many of her great grandchildren. She remained active and did 
crochet work until shortly before her death.

	There were seven sons and four daughters in the family of Peter and 
Elizabeth. Henry married (Friedericka Shaefer); Gustave (Lydia Heinrichs); 
Martin (Lydia Denke); Albert (Ludmilla Moser): Herbert (Emma Willuweit); 
Alexander (Hertha Kopfenstein); Theodore (Helen Schuler); Emma (Mrs. Jake 
Denke); Melita (Mrs. Victor Oschner); and Emelia (Mrs. Henry Hildebrandt).

	The generations since, have found much contentment in the way of life 
passed on to them by their grandparents.

	Peter was born on March 26, 1853 and passed away January 29, 1929. 
Elizabeth was born April 10, 1866 and passed away on November 11, 1951.

[Photo - Peter and Elizabeth on their homestead.]

[Photo - A typical family gathering on 4th of July at son Gustave's place.]

[Photo - Peter Eisenbraun and Sons Ted, Alex, Herb, Albert, Martin, Gust and 
Henry. July 4, 1925.]

[Photo - Elizabeth Eisenbraun, in 1941, at a school picnic on Deep Creek.]

[Photo - The G. W. Eisenbraun Family - 1916.]



Henry Eisenbraun Family

by Gotthold Eisenbraun

	Father was the oldest son of Peter and Maria Eisenbraun. His father 
decided to leave the Crimea after living under the rule of the Russian Czar and 
the people being pressured to relinquish some of their political and religious 
liberties also being in war with Japan for several years. He felt there was no 
future for his family in Russia, so they came to the United States. Having some 
relatives who had come over before and settled in South Dakota they also decided 
to settle here.

	Father being the oldest son left some months ahead of the rest of the 
family to find a location where they could settle. He arrived at Tripp, South 
Dakota in 1905. After some time he found work as a farm laborer at the Christain 
Ehresman farm about 15 miles southwest of Tripp for $200 a year which was about 
the going wages at that time.

	During this time a romance blossomed and on February 7, 1907 Father and 
Mother, Friedericka Schaefer, were married. They leased the Sieler farm west of 
Tripp. That summer Father and several of his brothers decided to go west and 
homestead. They came to eastern Pennington County near which is now Creighton 
where he staked his claim. I believe the nearest post office was Grindstone, 
South Dakota. He then went back to his farm at Tripp to harvest his crop that 
mother had stayed home and took care of. They then gathered up their possessions 
and came west as far as Kadoka on the Milwaukee Railroad which was the end of 
the railroad at that time. Here they unloaded their personal belongings moved by 
team and wagon to Philip, South Dakota reloaded onto the Chicago Northwestern 
and came to Wall where they loaded their belongings into their wagon and started 
their journey north for the homestead. They got started late the first day so 
they set up camp on the creek near the Sorenson place the first night. The next 
morning they started out early following a trail north and east to the old Estes 
place here they fed and watered their horses, had dinner and finally made it to 
what they thought was their homestead. It was about dark and the weather was 
threatening so they quickly set up their tent. They still got rained on a 
little. The next morning they looked up the corner stone and dug up the penny 
they buried there when they staked the claim to make sure they were on the right 
place. This was about the first week in October so there wasn't any time to 
waste. It could get pretty cold in October living in a tent which was their 
first home on the homestead. It was soon after that they began building their 
sod house in the side of a hill. The only lumber used was that for the roof. 
Their oldest child Rudolph was born in the sod house. The next summer they built 
a two room house 16 x 24 out of lumber and used the sod house for a chicken 
coop, I was born in this house.

	It must have taken a lot of courage to go out into open country like the 
homesteaders did, make a home and raise a family; but they always remembered 
their Lord and I'm sure there was many a prayer spoken. As I look back into my 
childhood when we grew up there was never a time too busy to say our prayers at 
every meal and have daily devotions every morning and evening.

	My father was a charter member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church founded at 
Creighton in September of 1910. This must have been quite a joy to have a church 
in the community to worship in. Before this they had church in their homes where 
ever they could find room to get in.

	1911 was very dry, the spring grain and corn didn't come up until sometime 
in August when they had their first rain. So my folks decided to move back to 
Tripp. They again gathered up their family and possessions and started east by 
covered wagon. In preparation for this long journey, which took about 6 weeks my 
mother baked many loaves of bread and then dried it as this was the main food 
and it lasted for their entire trip. For meat she fried pork and packed it in a 
stone jar with lard over it; this kept very good that way. Water was bought 
along the way for the family and all the animals. Water was very hard to come by 
especially in the west river country. They had to pay as much as a dollar per 
head for water for their horses and sometimes they couldn't even get any.

	Jacob Giegle Sr. also moved back to Freeman so the two families went 
together which made the journey more enjoyable for all.

	It is recalled one night when they were camping out they were awakened by 
their dog barking so they got up and found some of their horses were stolen they 
could hear someone lead them away so they jumped on the horses they had left and 
followed but lost them in the dark; they rode around all night until dawn when 
they found them in a corral down a ravine under some trees. They took their 
horses went back to the camp hooked up the wagons and left on their journey. I'm 
sure the fellows that stole the horses were surprised when they got up the next 
morning and found them gone.

	My father then leased the Vilhauer farm about 12 miles south of Tripp. He 
farmed there for three years. My brother Edwin was born on this place. Then he 
leased a farm from Christain Ehresman; this was the same man he worked for when 
he came over from Russia.

	After farming there for three years my father decided to come west to his 
homestead again so he had a farm sale sold some of his cows, horses and 
machinery and loaded the rest of the stock and machinery on boxcars and came 
west by rail. This time we could come all the way to Wall on the railroad. I 
believe we switched trains at Wolsey.

	My father hooked a ride on the freight so he could feed the animals. I 
believe it took three or four days by freight. Mother and us children came about 
two weeks later by passenger. By the way this was the last ride I had on a 
train, but I can still remember some of the excitement we had riding the train.

	After returning to Creighton early in the spring of 1918 my father sold 
his homestead but kept his house and bought the William Becker Sr. homestead and 
another quarter section along side of it. Here he built a new barn and there was 
a shantie on the place which measured 14 x 16. This was our home until such time 
when our house would be moved from the old homestead. During the summer a wind 
completely destroyed the new barn. I remember during this storm mother, my 
brother and I forced back the door of the little shantie as the wind had also 
raised it several times and by some miracle it came down again, leaving it 
undamaged. Again it took courage to face this loss.

	The community was growing by this time, neighbors comforted each other in 
their hardships and enjoyed worship together in the little country church.

	But the Eisenbrauns never give up very easy, maybe that's why there is 
quite a number of them around today. Soon they bought a Case Threshing machine 
and an old Titan Tractor and done some threshing all over this country. I'm sure 
there is a lot of people yet that can remember the Eisenbraun brothers threshing 
for them.

	In 1928 father enlarged his house to an eight room home then they were 
ready to accommodate others by sharing their home. Rev. O. W. Schoech a young 
pastor who served the people of the Creighton Lutheran church stayed with them 
for a time and the following teachers, who taught the local rural school: Mr. 
Carl Mehrhoff , Miss Juliet Johnson, and Miss Iva Albin just to mention a few.

	In 1945 my folks retired and moved to Wall. They sold their farm to my 
oldest brother, Rudolph, who still lives on the home place. In Wall, my father 
done a little carpenter work and they also took a few tourists and my mother 
spent her time in homemaking and her house plants which she always was very fond 
of. They still had to work some to wear off the monotony.

	On February 7, 1957 they were thankful to be able to celebrate their 
Golden Wedding Anniversary with their friends and all their children present. 
Their grandchildren presented a play which told about their grandparents past 
life, father and mother responded with much interest and added many humorous 
incidents.

	There were six children in the family; four sons and two daughters. 
Rudolph, married to Vida Engel of Miller, living on the home place near 
Creighton. Gotthold, married to Emma Schuler of Creighton, also living near 
Creighton. Edwin, married to Sylvia Engelman, living in Miller, South Dakota. 
Tillila, married to Robert Denke, living in Wall. Hulda, married to James Haney, 
living in Rapid City. Ferdinand, single living in Wall.

	Father passed away August 4, 1959 and mother passed away October 6, 1962. 
They are missed very much by their many friends and relatives in this community 
that they help build and lived in so many years.

[Photo - Golden Wedding of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Eisenbraun, Feb. 7, 1957.]




[Photo - 1902 Cowboys.]


[Photo - Mike Bielmaier Family; Lucy, Bill, Sister Romaine, Joe, John, Agnes, 
Mr. and Mrs. Bielmaier.]


[Photo - Charlie and Dale Best south of the house now occupied by Violet Smoot.]


[Photo - Al Carstensen - WW I.]


[Photo - Grounds for Divorce!  Bob Marsden]