Eastern Pennington County Memories  -- Quinn, Part 3


	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 311 - 337

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

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Mr. and Mrs. Frank McDonnell

by Vern McDonnell

	Frank McDonnell and Ida Reising were married June 22nd, 1910 at Cavour 
S.D. They made their home on Frank's homestead in Pennington Co. May 15th, 1911 
twin sons were born to them. These boys, Tom and Vern still live on the 
homestead.

	Ida Reising was born in Bavaria, Germany, and was brought to the United 
States by her widowed mother when she was six months old. There was also a boy, 
Joseph, three years old. They came on a sail boat and it took 40 days to make 
the trip. They  lived in Milwaukee , Wis. for a few years, then Mrs. Reising 
brought her children to Cavour S.D. where she married Tom Melvin. Ida grew up 
and taught school in the Cavour vicinity before she came to the Pennington Co. 
area and homesteaded in 1906. She proved up, then went back to Cavour to teach 
school until she and Frank were married. Frank McDonnell was born at St. Peter, 
Minn., Dec. 17th, 1872. He came with his parents to Huron, Dakota territory June 
6th, 1880. The family lived in Huron until 1882 when they moved on his Dad's 
homestead four miles southeast of Huron. Frank lived here until he went to 
Pennington Co. in 1906 with his two sisters, Violetta and Lillian.

	Father homesteaded the N-E 1/4 of Sec. 26. Violetta's and Lillian's land 
joined his. They taught school in this locality while they were living on their 
land, then they proved up and went back to Huron.

	Aunt Violetta always loved the old ranch, and comes often to visit. She 
was here last Easter Sunday 1 65, and enjoyed talking of the old homestead days. 
Aunt Lillian has spent many years in Florida, going there in 1919, at the 
present she makes her home here with us.

	She is the only homesteader living in Huron Twp. today. Frank, my father, 
spent his entire life after 1906 here, Tom, my brother owns the homestead land 
now. We were born on this homestead in 1911 and both still live here, now my son 
is growing up here. My wife spent her childhood in Meade County near where the 
old town of Tivis used to be.

	It has changed a great deal, since I can first remember our old hay shed 
roof, that rained on for days after the rain had ceased. In my early teens we 
did our farming with horses. I remember one spring we had 19 horses to feed, 
harness and unharness. These were the long days, and I will never forget them.

	Father loved horses and spent many a night doctoring sick ones for 
himself, and his neighbors. He also loved to read, and history was his hobby. He 
lead a very active life and at eighty was still doing chores around the place, 
when we were busy in the field.

	He passed away at the age of 82 Jan. 25th, 1955. Mother passed away three 
years later in 1958. I wonder if farm methods will change as much in my son's 
lifetime as they have in mine. 

[Photo- Ida, Lillian and Frank McDonnell and Violetta Stahly]

[Photo - McDonnell twins, Tom and Vern]


McDonnells

by Violetta McDonnell Stahly

	The Chicago Northwestern and Milwaukee railroad Cos. were building bridges 
across the Missouri river and building on across western S.D. to the Black 
Hills.

	Before we had time to realize what was happening, a land Boom was on. Free 
Lands to be had for the taking!

	I was teaching school in Therese Twp., Beadle Co. I came home on Friday 
night and learned my brother-in-law Marve Keim, had been out and filed in 
eastern Penn. Co. My brother Frank had the same notion and it seemed a good idea 
to me. So I contacted the schoolboard and my Patrons and they said O.K. with 
them, so they granted me time to go to Rapid City and file on land. This was in 
late November 1905.

	Soon Frank and I were on our way by train to Sioux City, Ia., where we 
stayed over night and left the next afternoon late, by train for Norfork, Neb. 
Here we changed trains and out over the sandhills in a snow storm, almost a 
blizzard, to Rapid City. We arrived about noon.

	We contacted the land man who had located the party from Huron that Marve 
Keim went with. We had been on the train long enough to be tired and hungry so 
we had dinner and then got ready for the overland ride in an open outfit to this 
land in eastern Penn. Co. It was not a warm day, of course Frank wore his fur 
coat and we had robes and blankets in the wagon. We stayed at Viewfield that 
night. Started early the next morning and made it to the Cheyenne river by noon. 
After dinner we crossed at the Gov. crossing and drove out to the Lake Flat 
country. This land looked good. We thought we wanted flat land so chose 2 
quarters in the N1/2 of See. 26 Twp. 2 n. 16 e. now Huron Twp.

	We saw great herds of cattle everywhere. The low places were full of water 
frozen over and now and then snow fell, but it was not so bad at that. We were 
quite comfortable, but tired from riding so long.

	We stayed that night at the river where we crossed the day before. We 
would have liked to reach Rapid before the land office closed but we didn't. 
This team took its time, this was old stuff to them, maybe next day they would 
start out again. We stayed overnight at the Patten House in Rapid and filed on 
the land next day, and quite late that night left by train for home. This train 
was really crowded, Thanksgiving travelers, college students, land men and 
homesteaders. We got round trip tickets for less than 1/2 fare so many went for 
the ride, As going over we changed trains at Norfork in the night and back to 
Sioux City to stay all night again and all next day. We left by train for Huron 
about 8 pm., this train was really crowded. The conductor could not walk through 
to take the tickets but all went well until we reached Hawarden, Ia. Here the 
conductor came through and told us we would have to vacate the coaches and take 
all our belongings with us as this train had been ordered back to Sioux City.

	We would wait for a train from Huron to come and get us, the train was now 
on its way. We waited, the Depot was quite small. Snow outside looked deep. 
Some, more adventurous, walked out, in the snow about two feet deep, to a little 
cafe we could see and brought back fruits and lunch.

	Finally the train came and we reached Huron about one A.M. the night 
before Thanksgiving. It was cold and frosty but looked good to us.

	Many changes had to be made now. Frank decided to plant the home place 
before leaving and come back and harvest the grain. From Nov. to May seems a 
long time but spring was here in no time.

	School was out and I got home in time to drive the disk 10 days in the 
field. We were really busy planning that trip. Some folks planned to ship by 
train to Pierre and then overland from there but we decided to go overland all 
the way.

	Our sister Lillian decided to go west also. She would be 21 June 1st. so 
could file as soon as she arrived there.

	Our mother who pioneered all the way from New York to Ill., Ia., Minn., 
and last S.D. felt somewhat disturbed about our going but after a while thought 
better of it and made no objections.

	We had wagons fitted for the trip, brakes of course, also a flat rack, 
quite wide and fitted with a frame for the cover. We used a wall tent for the 
cover so it looked like a small house. This gave us more room.

	We kept cutting down what we wanted to take, but still we were loaded too 
heavy. Frank took a breaking plow, oats for the horses, flour, tools, quite a 
few chains, ropes etc. We had a double bunk bed in the back of the wagon and a 
single bunk along one side, two big trunks, chest of drawers and chairs we hung 
from the side brace also a little laundry stove with oven in the pipe, milk 
pails etc. We were really loaded. In the light wagon we had a crate of chickens 
and a small crate with two small pigs. The pigs were Dad's idea. "We must have 
pigs."

	Finally the day came. We left home about the middle of May. One 4 horse 
team and covered wagon, one light wagon and team that trailed. In this team we 
had a pinto pony with white colt at side, we also trailed a sorrel mare (Lady) 
with colt at side, one dark blue roan saddle pony (Ponto), one black Collie dog 
(Tip), 4 milk cows and 5 head of yearlings. None of these cattle had ever been 
herded or driven on the road so they had much to learn, as we did. They gave us 
a bad time at first, they were bound to turn back and go home.

	We made little or no progress the first day out. The heavy wagon stuck in 
the mud and we broke the tongue out. Frank was kept busy getting things rolling 
again so we girls had to move the cattle along. We got back on the trail and 
camped just west of Huron about 6 miles from home, we found a place We could 
yard the cattle, they were tired and so were we.

	The next morning "old White Face", one of the milk cows, was waiting at 
the gate to be milked; she kept this up all the way out, we milked her so she 
would go back and eat grass. The folks where we camped could use the milk, 
sometimes they helped milk.

	This first morning we got out early, the cattle and horses also moved 
right along and we went through Wolsey about noon making up time lost the day 
before. We stopped in Wolsey thinking we would get something for our dinner. Old 
Lady's colt went up to the store window and pushed her head at the glass before 
one of us girls could reach her. Out came a man dressed as a bartender, now we 
see it was a saloon, he shook his apron at the colt. She took no notice, finally 
we got her away, the man said, "Can you beat that, a regular Carrie Nation", so 
Carry Nation was her name. We moved on before we picked up more trouble, we 
camped in the Wessington vicinity. Here again we found friendly folks who let us 
turn the cattle into a pasture so they were safe and we slept.

	The next day was hot, This was the third day out from home. One of the 
milk cows seemed to feel the heat badly. She wanted to stand in the shade so we 
rested for a while. About three o'clock the cow got out of the shade so we moved 
on and found another camping place and went into camp early. We had no more 
trouble with the beast.

	We had some windy days when we had to take the cover of the wagon and rope 
it over the flat rack so the wind could not blow everything away.

	We were lucky all the way to Pierre to find good camping places and 
friendly people. Now we were meeting other outfits going west, the road was 
filled with covered wagons at times.

	At Blunt we camped near some folks from Minn. Father, mother, teenage boy 
and girl. They were driving forty head of cattle. We visited that evening and 
thought it would be a good plan to drive along together. This was the first time 
we did not yard our cattle.

	The next morning we headed for Pierre down along the Missouri over the old 
trail by way of Canning and went into camp out near the old College building 
(still standing at that time) and camped quite early. We were anxious to get 
this river crossing over with and hoped to get across the next morning. We knew 
we must have all livestock inspected and maybe dipped. We hoped not, we knew 
many homesteaders had to be held up at Pierre and had to drop the cattle for 
they failed to pass inspection.

	Again we were lucky. The folks we were traveling with said they would stay 
at camp and herd the cattle and Frank could make the arrangements for crossing.

	Just as we were starting to Pierre along came a rider and stopped and 
talked and looked over the outfit. He told Frank to go and find out about the 
boat we could get and when first, and we did. We were told there could be a boat 
ready at 7 the next morning and we could have first chance to load if we were 
there at 7. The inspector said he would be out early next morning so things 
began to look better for us.

	Some of our horses needed shoes, the saddle pony and our pole team on the 
heavy wagon and one gray mare in our head team. We had these horses with us in 
Pierre, we had the team and the gray mare (Maud) shod and we girls took the team 
and went to a store to trade; this Maud was tied behind the wagon. Soon after we 
were in the store we noticed folks gathering out in front. Finally Lillian went 
out to see what it was all about; she came hurrying back, gathered up packages, 
"hurry" she said to me "we must get out of here". We did. Maud was really 
excited, pawing, nickering and putting on a show. We got home and turned her 
loose after we built a rope pen for her for fear she would run away. She quieted 
down and we left. About one hour later we went back and she had a beautiful 
black colt at her side.

	The next morning we were ready to break camp about five thirty. The 
inspector came soon, and this rider who stopped the day before. The inspector 
rode around the cattle and among them and wrote a report so we got through 
without dipping.

	Now this rider really knew how to drive cattle, he had those cattle 
bunched and down to the river and across the gangway on the boat with no trouble 
at all. Of course the little colt had to be loaded in the wagon and its mother 
along behind with her nose on it. (This colt died the night we reached our 
land). The cattle were held in a small enclosed part of the boat, we, drove the 
wagons on and unhitched and this took less room.

	Soon the boat (The Scotty Phillips) was loaded and we were on our way. It 
did not take long to unload our stock at Fr. Pierre side. We started the cattle 
out, the wagons to catch up later. We moved on to where Hayes now is and went 
into camp along the creek there; here were many outfits going west. Here also 
was a railroad outfit going west to build bridges and track, about 160 mules and 
machines and some 60 men. Now we were really out where the west begins.

	Now we know we had creeks to cross, no bridges, so far we had good roads 
and good weather. Things began to change; Storms at night, rain all day, creeks 
went up, mud made the roads impassable. But we must go west. The horses rested a 
lot and the cows never gave more milk.

	We crossed creeks Plumb, Willow, Deadman, Wagon Hone, Dirty Woman and many 
more I can't remember. We were not alone, sometimes we could count 20 or more 
wagons in camp and the railroad outfit also. When it rained everybody stayed in 
camp. We did not carry an oil stove and in this rain a camp fire was out. With 
it all we made fairly good time and arrived on our land the first of June, made 
camp and rested a day.

	We learned some of our friends and neighbors from home had arrived before 
us, had houses complete and all settled. Mrs. A. W. Harvey and children just 
west of us 1/4 mile. Adams, and Jones also from Huron, E. J. Bloodgood came the 
same day we did. My brother-in-law, M.D. Kiem arrived a few days later, they 
only drove from Pierre. Many Huron people settled here and later our township 
was named Huron twp.

	Frank was anxious to get to hauling lumber from Rapid City, so he and 
Lillian went to Rapid where she filed on her land. Her quarter was in See. 23 
just north across from Franks. The houses were small but a load of lumber seemed 
a lot and a heavy load to haul over land and ford the Cheyenne.

	We built with shingles, was I ever glad to get a roof over my head! And 
the rain still came down. The grass grew green, wild flowers, wild flax, the 
white Lily and always the cactus were very pretty. The livestock stayed fat and 
sleek. We had a small corral for the cattle now that helped.

	Time was flying and Frank must be back in Beadle Co. for harvest, and 
Lillian was going back to teach in Beadle Co. that fall. Frank broke out a wide 
strip of ground around the yard for a firebreak. We also had a small cave now, 
but still had to haul water to use in the house.

	Fourth of July came and went-many picnics and celebrations around. Wild 
west show, rodeos, ballgames and dances. We usually went early so as to arrive 
there by daylight and stayed until daylight next morning, no roads so one could 
get lost.

	Finally Frank and Lillian left for the trip home and I was left alone with 
the cattle, saddle pony and Tip. Some days were hot and long. I was afraid of 
prairie fires. Rains became scarce and waterholes began to dry up.

	Ida Reising, a school teacher from Beadle Co., who came out with her 
brothers Pat and John Melvin lived north of us a little way. She was alone also 
when her brothers left to go to work. She also had a pony and a dog, she would 
come and stay a day or two with me sometimes. I had to stay home with the cows. 
A Mrs. Hines, a near neighbor would come to my place and stay overnight. She 
liked to milk cows. When I left for school she would walk back home. I was lucky 
to have friendly neighbors.

	What was I going to do this winter? I began to think about it and I had 
learned of a place in Meade Co. where a teacher was needed, this was about 30 
miles northwest of our place. I received a letter, they still needed a teacher, 
I rode up there soon after. I had to ford the river at Smithville, had no 
trouble although the sun was blistering hot as I rode along the valley. It was 
the Linn school east of Elm Springs Post office. I called at the clerks and got 
a contract for 4 mos. and visited the folks where I was to board-the Guy 
Harwoods, a good half mile from the schoolhouse. I stayed that night at the Linn 
home. The next day I went home and began plans to go back soon. Frank would not 
be back before I left so the cattle would have to go down to Marve Kiems, also 
the dog Tip.

	The schoolhouse was small, we had 16 pupils and myself, 17 in all. We 
burned wood and kept quite warm but the snow was our great enemy. It came in 
Nov. and stayed and more came, some 4 ft. of it and great drifts. When the 4 
mos. were up we decided to take a vacation and finish in the spring. School was 
out in Jan.

	I went home, nobody home. Frank was down with his teams working on the 
railroad grades.

	I stayed at first at Kiems, my sisters, I finally got the house cleaned up 
and Frank came home. The snow went fast but now we had water and mud. Water 
everywhere, then it froze over. It was rather rough, but the grass came on and 
the cattle really enjoyed it after the bad winter.

	March came before I knew it and back I was, teaching school. Harwoods had 
moved by now so I boarded at the John Linn home farther from the school. Time 
passed quickly. We still had rains and floods and mosquitos, clouds of them. 
School was out and I got home in late June. Mosquitos were worse here than they 
had been where I was teaching. Lillian reached home before I did, she came by 
stage from Pierre to Grindstone and walked, about twelve miles. The mosquitos 
nearly ate her up, they did not like me, I never got a bite.

	This year everyone broke out more land and planted feed, grain and 
potatoes, garden stuff, watermelons and turnips. We all kept busy. Lillian and I 
had to go to teachers institute. Back to Huron we went. Mother came out with us 
for a visit.

	Lillian had taken a school near Rapid City for the winter 1907-8. I was 
still home but I did teach a short term in a new district north of home 8 miles. 
I had 13 pupils in a little homestead shack, right on the bank of a creek, the 
Goetsch school. This term ended in March, 1908. Lillian came home soon. She had 
learned in Rapid of a new district east of us wanting a teacher. We went over to 
see about this and found they wanted two teachers.

	My school was about 5 mi. from home. It was an old sod house, dirt floor 
and dirt roof. And the rains still came down. The roof would leak so we had to 
wait several days for the sun to dry things out. Lillian's school was farther 
from home. We both rode horseback to school.

	I had 9 pupils here-Lillian had more I think. Our school was out about the 
middle of July. For some reason I began to think about proving my land up and 
going back home. This I did in Aug., 1908 and took a contract in the same school 
where I taught my first term in the fall of 1900. Lillian proved up and came 
back in the spring of 1909.

	Violetta McDonnell Stahly was born at Huron, Dak. territory Jan. 7th, 
1883. She attended the rural schools of Beadle Co. and Huron college normal. 
After teaching 4 years in Beadle Co. she went to Pennington Co. and continued to 
teach while homesteading.

	After proving up the claim she returned to Beadle and taught there until 
the fall of 1914. She taught a short term in old Stanley Co. and was married 
that winter, Jan. 5th, 1915 at Pierre S.D. to William H. Stahly. They made their 
home in the Huron vicinity. Their family consisted of three boys, Raymond-who 
died at the age of 1 1/2 yrs., Joseph of Pamona, Calif. and Vernon of Cavour, 
S.D.

	Violetta (McDonnell) Stahly now lives at 1350 4th St. S.W., Huron, S.D., 
Woodys Trailer Court.

	This is a picture taken a day or two after we arrived on Lake Flat, in the 
first week of June 1906. This is Brother Frank McDonnell, two neighbors, Art 
Sprague and Ejay Bloodgood, Sister Vi and I, had just unloaded our things.

	We had a very pleasant three weeks trip, meeting many folks like us coming 
out west to homestead.

	The day after this picture was taken Frank and I started to Rapid City for 
lumber and for me to file on a homestead.

	This was our first trip to the Cheyenne River. We were riding on the 
running gears of our wagon but we rode the horses across the river so we kept 
dry.

	We crossed right by the ranch where Frank and Vi had been when they were 
shown this homestead country some months before, so he decided we should stay as 
the day was growing late and we did not know the road and the folks ahead.

	There was no one at home but we stayed and soon several Cowboys came and 
made us welcome. Jim Moran was Foreman and Cook so I helped him get supper and 
do the dishes; we all had a pleasant evening. Next morning we left very early 
for Rapid City. Jim insisted I take his sheep lined coat as the day was so 
chilly, I was glad I did for it was a long ride sitting on the running gears of 
a wagon.

	We got to Rapid early in the afternoon and put up at the Patton House. I 
filed on my homestead, we got our lumber loaded and our groceries and started 
for home early next day; we stayed that night with some pleasant folks, I don't 
remember their names. We arrived at the Ranch by the river early, no one home so 
we left the coat.

	We crossed the river with our load very well because the boys had 
explained and showed Frank just where to cross. We got home early and were glad 
to be back with Vi and our Neighbors.

Lillian McDonnell

[Photo - Frank McDonnell Homestead - 1910. John Alden digging well.]

[Photo - August Clarambeau]

[Photo - $4480.00 Worth of Alfalfa Seed Grown by Nick Casper, Quinn, S. Dak.]

[Photo - First Catholic Church in Quinn]

[Photo - Bob Edwards - 1920]

[Photo - Tom and Vern McDonnell at the Tom Melvin home. Albert Melvin at door.]

[Photo McDonnells and Melvins - 1918 at Melvin's house, which was John 
Campbell's homestead in 1905.]

[Photo F. J. McDonnell, Marv Kiem and Henry Hendricksen and Metz]

[Photo - At a ball game at Lake Flat. All the McDonnell girls are here.]

[Photo - Frank McDonnell and Joe Chamberlain by hayrack; Frank Patterson'd 
threshing rig.]

[Photo - Grandma Melvin's homestead shack. Grandma and Mrs. John Melvin in back 
seat of buggy and Mrs. Frank McDonnell and Vern in front.]

[Photo - Frank McDonnell place in 1946 after a good wheat crop.]

{Photo - McDonnell Ranch - 1949]

[Photo - Huron School - 1919  Back row: Lawrence Kalkbrenner, Alva Sims, Walter 
Klingbile, Homer Pascoe, Clarence Van Meter.   Row 2: Bonnie Pascoe, Ethel Van 
Meter, Hildred Schmitten, Gladys Klingbile, Hazel Pascoe, Arma Pascoe, Margurete 
Kalkbrenner.  Row 3: Verne McDonnell, Ernest Helms, Elmer Klingbile, Rosy Helms, 
Margaret Morgan, Betty Morgan, Emil Mueller, Tom McDonnell.]

[Photo Vern McDonnell on corn planter]



William F. Becker

(by Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Becker)

	Coming from the eastern part of the state to the "Wild West," as it was 
called at that time, was an experience for almost everyone, as was the case of 
William F. Becker.

	Mr. Becker was born in Iowa in 1883 and with his parents and brothers and 
sisters moved to Hutchinson County, South Dakota in 1885.

	In 1907 William Becker accompanied by Alex and Agua Jans came from Clayton 
County with covered wagons to Creighton, South Dakota where they homesteaded on 
quarter sections of land across the road from each other in Rainy Township, 
northeast of Creighton, Budy Eisenbrann now owns William's quarter section.

	After proving up on this land he went back to Clayton and returned here a 
few years later.

	On March 26, 1914, he was married to Rosalie Geigle. They lived on a ranch 
known as the White place near where Bert Willuweite now lives. They moved to the 
Hafke place in 1916.

	The Beckers had only one son William E. who was born October 29, 1916 in 
the house where he still lives. At that time there was no hospitals and few if 
any doctors.

	Billie, as he is called, married Irene Clink April 8, 1944. They have one 
daughter, Helen who was born in the hospital in Wall.

	Mr. Becker passed away in 1952. The next year Rosalie moved to Wall where 
she still lives.

[Photo - Mr. and Mrs. William Becker]

[Photo - Rosalie Becker]



Fredrick Orvil Hastings

by Ella Morris

	Fredick Orvil Hastings was born in Iowa in 1879. When he was a small boy 
they moved to eastern South Dakota. He only got to go through the 4th grade. At 
the age of 10 he helped his father run the General Store. He was delivery boy.

	At the age of 12 years he started driving mail with team and buggy. In 
winter time he drove mail in a bob sled. When he couldn't get through with the 
sled team he took it on horse back. "The mail must go through was his motto." He 
drove mail until he was 18 years old and helped his father some. He rented some 
acreage and began to farm. He always worked hard and when he married he owned a 
team of horses and top buggy, very little cash.

	Mother had saved her money from teaching. She had a cow. This is what they 
started their marriage on.

	They were married in March 1903 at Bijou Hills, South Dakota. Mother was 
still teaching so when school closed they migrated to Quinn, S. Dak. in a 
covered wagon with his brother Bert and his wife, to take up homesteads. They 
took up homesteads side by side. Uncle Bert sold his place to Walter 
Hildebrandt. Daddy kept his homestead and we five children were born there.

	In 1911 the drought hit and they had to leave and go back to Nebraska to 
exist. They took what they could and left the rest to come back to.

	They returned a year later and made a go of it. The new soil was fertile 
and productive when they got rain to make crops grow. They always managed to 
feed and clothe and educate their' family.

	I can remember 6:30 one summer morning we all had our horses out to go to 
the field to cultivate the corn when we had a very anxious call from Daddy, who 
was fixing a piece of machinery, "Get your horses unhitched and back in the 
barn." About that time mother came running out from the kitchen to help us 
unhitch and Daddy came also to help us. We just did get the horses in the barn, 
when a teriffic hail storm hit. The poor chickens were knocked silly trying to 
get to cover.

	The hail was from the size of hen's eggs to a base ball. When it was over 
we unharnessed the horses and turned them into the pasture. All the hard work of 
spring was turned back into plowed ground. As for me I cried, but not mother and 
dad. They seemed to have so much faith. Mother said, "The Lord will see that the 
corn will come back and make fodder for the cows."  She was so right. As for me 
I don't know if I could of weathered it as gracefully as they did.

	This is only one of the storms that destroyed so many crops.

	We children worked with our folks in the fields all summer. It was hard 
work and long hours but we loved it. We also had lots of enjoyable times.

	The folks always tried to keep us in Sunday school. Our classes were in 
Quinn seven miles to drive with a team or to Cedar Butte which was nine miles. 
When the folks couldn't go, Keith and I would ride horse back to Cedar Butte.

	Daddy was a great horseman and prided himself in good horses. He entered 
in races around the country on the 4th of July etc. This I loved as I love 
horses.

	After the family was grown and gone, except Vilas, the folks moved to the 
west coast where Mother had lived as a little girl. They settled at Ridgefield, 
Washington where they lived when Mother passed away in 1955. Daddy stayed out on 
the farm at Ridgefield until he could sell his stock. Then he moved to Portland 
with his oldest daughter Ella.

	A year later he married the former Mrs. Claude Steel. They lived in 
Portland until his death in the fall of 1963.

	They were very wonderful parents and were dearly loved by us.



Our Years On The Claim

by Myrtle Hastings

	We homesteaded eight miles north of Quinn in the spring of 1907, and moved 
out that fall. Claude and Sam Hull and some others shipped an emigrant car of 
stock and machinery and household goods as far as Murdo or Kadoka which was as 
far as the train ran at that time and then hauled everything by team on out. 
Gladys, my only child at that time, and I came in December on the first train 
that went as far as Wall. Our first house was a room twelve by fourteen, which 
we bought and moved on just before I arrived, but later, we added two more ten 
by twelve rooms so we had plenty of room and always had one or two extra people 
in the family.

	Will McComb and Adolph Burning were our two bachelor neighbors, and later 
on Inez Galbraith lived on the fourth corner. We broke sod and raised crops and 
stock as most of the homesteaders did and encountered several blizzards but 
never lost any stock ,in any of the storms. We, had a bad fire from lightning 
where we lost our barn, a cow, two horses, and a few pigs and chickens.

	In 1908 our second child (Albert) was born with Mrs. Danley and Mrs. 
Teuber as my attendants, as there were no doctors near.

	In February, 1911 we had a sale and sold everything in line of stock and 
went to Missouri, but returned in December and brought back horses, feed and our 
first car. That being such a dry year we felt lucky we could bring back feed 
with us. We remained on the claim then until the fall of 1918 when we sold our 
farm to Henry Shriber and moved to Wall.

	Florence, our third child, was born on the farm in September of 1914, with 
Mrs. Keine (now Clambreau) as my midwife. Robert, our fourth and last, was born 
in Wall in June, 1920 with Dr. and Mrs. Mills as attendants,

	That fall we moved to Rapid City and farmed and ran a dairy around there 
until the fall of 1926, when we quit farming and the children - or rather two 
youngest, as Gladys was married and Albert working out -went to Canton where my 
mother lived and Mr. Steele deserted us. He passed away in California November 
fourth 1964 at the age of 79 years and one month. I married Charles Wilkinson in 
1940 and he passed away in 1948 and in 1956 1 married Orval Hastings, whom many 
of you know, but he also passed away very suddenly on October second 1963 so I 
am living with my daughter Florence in Portland, Oregon. I have lived in Oregon 
since 1942.

[Photo - Gladys and Albert]

[Photo - Frank Steele, Henry Hendrickson, Henry Hildebrandt, Albert Hildebrandt, 
Claude Steele. Front: Myrtle, Gladys and Albert Steele, Mrs. Hildebrandt.]

[Photo - First claim shack - Claude and Myrtle Steele, Will McComb on pony.]

[Photo - First well digging, Claude with stallion and one man on the machine is 
Jim Carmichael.]

[Photo - L. G. and Lillian Hildebrandt]




Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hildebrandt

	They and their children, Norris age four and Mildred age three, came to 
Quinn October 4, 1912. They drove from Colman, So. Dakota in a Ford Touring car, 
taking 2 1/2 days over rough dusty trails, as there were no real roads. Their 
belongings, which consisted of four head of cattle, two head of horses, three 
hogs, some machinery, a wagon, a small amount of grain and household goods, were 
loaded in an emigrant car and shipped by rail.

	They stayed at Art Hildebrandts for two days until their belongings 
arrived, then they moved to a farm a mile from there which they had bought from 
Bert Hastings. The house was three small rooms and the barn was merely a shed. 
The water came from a shallow well.

	The nearest neighbors, Mr. & Mrs. Orval Hastings lived across the road. 
The school house was only about one-fourth mile away.

	For entertainment the neighbors had kitchen dances, and had programs and 
debates in the school houses. On Sundays there was church in the school houses, 
and Sunday dinners for as many as forty or fifty people.

	The first few years in the fall, the grain was threshed with a horse power 
machine and fed by hand.

	Over the years they bought one thousand eighty acres of land. They lived 
on the farm until the fall of 1950 when they moved to Wall. Norris lived on the 
farm until his death in 1961. Their grandson, Don Sawvell, his wife Marcia and 
their children Lana and Jody now live on the farm.

	Mildred and her husband Floyd Sawvell live on a farm north of Wall. Also a 
granddaughter, Cleone and her husband James McKay, and their children Joyce and 
Shaun live on a farm north of Wall.

[Photo - Kenneth and Shirley Hastings, Mildred Hildebrandt, Maurice Connolly, 
Violet Hildebrandt, Ella Hastings, Norris and Gladys Hildebrandt, Garnet 
Hastings, Dorothy, Howard and Alberta Connolly, Agnes Bielmaier, Beth Hastings 
and Miss Miller, teacher - 1921.]

[Photo - A Sunday gathering in 1915]

[Photo - Noris and Mildred Hildebrandt by their home.]

[Photo - Melvin Winkowitsch, Homer Pascoe, Floyd Ellingson, Howard Connolly, 
Leland Ellingson, Keith Hastings, Ethan Todd, Maurice Connolly, Clifford 
Simonson, Ira Strandell, Norris Hildebrandt, Vilas Stanton, Kenneth Hastings, 
Will Stanton, Art and Walt Hildebrandt.]

[Photo - Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hildebrandt]



Albert Hildebrandt

(by Ruth Dopp Hildebrandt)

	Albert came to the Quinn community after his brother Leonard homesteaded. 
He helped Lon with his building and farming until their parents moved to the 
same community in 1909 or 1910. Part of the building material consisted of stone 
dug from side hills. The breaking of sod was not too easy a job; sometimes done 
with a walking plow and sometimes with a gang or riding plow.

	After Albert's parents bought a place nine miles north of Quinn he lived 
with them, spending part of his time working for the neighbors. They lived in 
what is now a small granary until they could build a house. The basement is laid 
up of sandstone with mostly mud instead of cement.

	Albert often told about how he and his brother Clarence going with a team 
of horses and buggy to Philip, a distance of about 30 miles to dances. One night 
they got caught in a storm and tried to get the team into a deserted claim shack 
but when one of them went in he fell into the cellar. Clarence yelled out that 
their was no floor. The team had to stay outside, Another time the buggy tipped 
over, the team got away and was found the next morning near the barn.

	A few years after he came back from the army, he was living with his 
brother Henry on the old farmstead, his parents having moved to California after 
the outbreak of World War I. In 1923 I, Ruth Dopp, came down here to teach 
school. Needless to say I never got away; we were married August 4, 1924. We had 
three children: Alberta, born August 25, 1925; Ryon, born January 18, 1927 and 
Hazel born April 14, 1930. The girls both married but Ryon is still on the farm 
with me.

	One night Albert and I went to a dance about six miles away. A storm came 
up in the night and as no one could go home, we danced till morning. The 
different groups had to help each other thru the drifts. It was almost noon by 
the time we got to the place where I now live. This was in 1923 before we were 
married. We fixed something to eat, then everyone slept until the afternoon when 
the others went home and I back to my boarding place.

	In the winter of 1931-1932 while Albert was in the hospital near Chicago, 
Leona and John Kierstad worked for us. When I wanted to go visit I would bundle 
up the kids, take the team and sled and start out. I didn't need to follow the 
road as the snow covered the fences and you could drive anywhere. The snow was 
firm enough to hold the team.

	Like everyone else when the bank in Quinn closed we lost all of our money. 
Bills that had been paid by check a few days before had to be repaid when we 
were able to borrow more money to pay them.

	One year we were so short of money we roasted barley for coffee and ground 
our own corn and wheat in the feed mill, This we sifted, using the finest for 
bread and the coarse for breakfast food.

	One of our neighbors, they are all gone now, were the Teuber family. By 
the time I knew them there were only "Grandpa" Teuber and two boys living on the 
farm. Our children always called Mr. Teuber Santa Claus because of his whiskers 
and the fact that he was so good to them. In the earlier days the neighbors went 
together to do the threshing. The men didn't care for Mrs. Teuber so would do 
everything they could think of to irritate her, even broke the handles off from 
the cups when coffee was brought out to the field. One of her sons would always 
be blamed for driving the team too fast and causing the breakage.

	Albert passed away February 22, 1965 while this book was being compiled 
but we had over 40 years of a wonderful life together. If he were living this 
would be a better account of the real early days.

[Photo - Albert and Ruth Hildebrandt, Aug. 4, 1924]

[Photo - An early day method of travel]

[Hildebrandt boys and parents - 1937]

[Photo - Albert Hildebrandt Family]

[Photo - Violet, Gladys and Vernice Hildebrandt at Mary Klingbile farm in 1918.]




Homestead Times

(by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Hastings)

	In November 1905 J. J. Elam, wife and 7 daughters left eastern South 
Dakota to locate on a homestead just west of what is now Quinn, South Dakota. 
Mr. Elam was one of the first to build up the town of Quinn which at the time of 
his arrival consisted of only one small store. He built the first hotel, salon 
and several other buildings. The family ran the hotel for several years.

	In 1907 Aris Elam, now Mrs. Charles Hastings was married in Deadwood, 
South Dakota to Charles Hastings who had a homestead north of Quinn. They lived 
in Deadwood for a while then moved to his farm and lived there until 1911. They 
then moved to Nebraska for 2 years and back to Rapid City until 1917. They 
bought a farm 5 miles north of Quinn and lived there until 1935 when they moved 
to Denver, Colorado where they still reside. Their three daughters, three sons 
and families also live there.




Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Hildebrandt

	They came here March 1, 1912, on an emigrant car from Colman, South 
Dakota. Later the rest of the family joined Mr. Hildebrandt; Mrs. Hildebrandt, 
daughters --Violet and Gladys, who were three years and 14 months. They stayed 
at the Doud Hotel in Quinn, where Art picked them up with his team and buggy. 
They settled on a farm eight miles northeast of Quinn, where they lived until 
the fall of 1947. There were three more children born after they moved to the 
farm, Vernice, Harvey, and Elaine.

	They started out their farm with 4 horses, 2 cows and I pig. The years 
were profitable with no severe losses or troubles.

	Their neighbors to the east were Art Clarambeaus and to the south James 
Hastings.

	Neighbors had a big house warming party for them and came from miles 
around with horses and buggies. Many evenings were spent dancing and playing 
cards at the different homes. They attended church at different school houses.

	They started farming with one quarter of land and through the years 
acquired four more quarters. They also own one house and one apartment house in 
Rapid City.

	In 1947 they moved to Rapid City and leased the farm until the fall of 
1964, when they sold it to their son, Vernice. 

	Mr. and Mrs. Hildebrandt, still enjoying good health, live in Rapid City, 
also their daughter Gladys, Mrs. Ralph Johnson. Violet, Mrs. LeRoy Johnson, 
lives in Quinn, Vernice in Wall where he is Supt. of Schools. Harvey lives at 
DeSmit where he owns the Jack & Jill Store. Mrs. Robert Babcock (Elaine) lives 
on a farm north of Wall.



[Photo - Arthur and Christina, Oct. 26, 1908]

[Photo - Hildebrandt Brothers and their wives; l. to r.: Mr. and Mrs. Leonard 
Hildebrandt, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Hildebrandt, Clarence Hildebrandt, Mr. and Mrs. 
Albert Hildebrandt, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hildebrandt and Mr. and Mrs. Arthur H. 
Hildebrandt]

[Photo - Harvey and Vernice - 1924]

[Photo - Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Hildebrandt, Mr. and Mrs. Vernice Hildebrandt, Mr. 
and Mrs. Ralph Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. Leroy Johnson and Mr. and Mrs. Robert 
Babcock, December, 1945.]

[Photo - Elaine, Harvey and Vernice - 1929]

[Photo Arthur Hildebrandt Family - 1959  Harvey, Elaine Babcock, Christina and 
Art, Gladys Johnson, Violet Johnson and Vernice.]

[Photo - The Anderson Sisters  Mrs. Will (Jennie) Stanton, Mrs. Walt (Lena) 
Hildebrandt, Mrs. Art (Christina) Hildebrandt and Mrs. Mary Klingbile.]

[Photo - Arthur Hildebrandts on their Golden Wedding Day - Oct. 1959]

[Photo - Mr. and Mrs. L. G. Hildebrandt - Jan. 16, 1908]

[Photo - Henry and Martha and sons, Art, Albert, Hank, Walt and Leonard. 
Clarence, missing]




My Memories

(by Leonard Hildebrant)

	I grew to manhood near Rock Rapids Iowa. Being an adventurer I traveled 
from Iowa to the West Coast covering California, Oregon and Washington. On 
January 16, 1908 1 married Lillian Klingbile at Rock Rapids, Iowa. We traveled 
west by rail in an emigrant car to our homestead at Quinn, South Dakota arriving 
on March 1, 1908. Other than our personal belongings we had taken a stove, 
folding bed, an old plow my uncle had discarded, a spring wagon, team of horses, 
oats for feed and five head of cattle.

	Lil worked for her board in a restaurant while I built the house. In order 
to save time I hired a man to help me. We unloaded our things in a pile on the 
ground except for a few needed things. We loaded a load of lumber and were off 
to the claim which was about eight miles north of Quinn.

	The first night we found we had forgotten our lantern so we took lard and 
stuck a rag in it which served as a light.

	The weather being in our favor we soon finished a 12xl6 ft. house except 
for the roof which had only boards and no shingles. We were surprised to awaken 
one morning with our bed covered with snow.

	It was a great day when I returned to get my wife and belongings. The 
things I had piled on the ground had not been touched, nothing had been lost.

	I had quite a time with my cattle. Until I got my fence built they wanted 
to go home.

	A neighbor gave me a crippled pup which I called Stiff. When he grew older 
I trained him to go after the cows. If he came back without the cows I knew 
there was a coyote there. When we left home and wanted something guarded all we 
had to do was lay the gun on the ground. No person or animal would ever touch 
the gun.

	I built a barn 16x24 and a dugout for the cattle also a sod chicken house.

	The first year I planted five acres of oats, eleven acres of flax and 
fifteen acres of corn which was planted with a hand stabber. I threshed the oats 
by hand but took the flax to a neighbor to be thrashed.

	One day as Lil was churning butter she looked out and saw the pigs in a 
circle. When she investigated she found a coiled rattlesnake in the center. Lil 
killed the snake which was the first rattler killed on my place.

	Our creeks were loaded with wild fruit. One especially had many wild 
strawberries which were small but delicious.

	I thought I was doing so well that I wrote to my folks and they came out, 
bought a place and built a nice house for those days.

	In 1911 I worked all year hauling rock and digging a basement for a barn 
36x56 ft. My two brothers Albert and Clarence helped.

	It was a very dry year and many of the homesteaders left. I rented their 
land. By this time we were milking twenty cows. Lil made butter and sold it.

	I buyer came to my Dad offering $28 a head for cows. I thought this was a 
good deal so had my Dad sell all but five of my cows the next time he came back. 
I sold all but five of my calves to another party for $9 a head.

	We had one of the few large barns around. In future years it was used for 
dances. Each brought some lunch and a collection was taken up for the music.

	I traded some land which I had bought for merchandise and a store in 
Quinn. I drove back and forth two days a week to open the store. I ran it for 
about 2 years.

	I later ran the Farmers Union Shipping Association.

	The first school was a sod house until the roof burned. By the time my 3 
children started school there was a nice frame schoolhouse. We lived close to 
school so we boarded quite a few of the teachers. They all enriched our lives.

	Each year Wall celebrated their birthday on the tenth of July. We had 
started there with the team and buggy when my folks came along with the car. 
They felt sorry for my wife and kids so insisted they go with them. We took 
different roads. I never did see them.

	When I reached home I found they had had car trouble on the way and by the 
time they got it fixed it was so late they went back home.

	One day a terrible storm came up. My mother and youngest brother Ted were 
home alone. Ted was lying in front of the stove. When lightning struck the house 
Ted was killed and my mother knocked out, not knowing what had happened. When 
she came to it was dark and she had quite a time to get a light to burn. When 
she saw what had happened she went to the door and screamed to Dad who was a 
long way off.

	Ted was buried in Rock Rapids, Iowa, beside his twin brother. My folks 
couldn't stand the storms after that so moved to Long Beach, California. They 
made many trips back to see us and we were to seem them three times, the first 
in the thirty's.

	When our place turned into a dust bowl in the thirty's Lil taped the 
windows shut to keep the dust out.

	When Dad moved he left a E.M.F. car which I drove for a while. I later 
bought a Reo car which served for many years.

	When the flu hit the country my wife's sister and her husband died a week 
apart and left three small children. That's when Leonard Black, their son came 
to live with us.

	When the coyotes got thick I bought three hounds for hunting. When the 
relatives came from the east it was great entertainment to round up a coyote.

	The hounds didn't make my wife very happy as when they would break loose 
they would go to the chicken house and eat the eggs. We always raised lots of 
chickens and Poland China hogs.

	In the earlier years the Indians would come through by wagon loads and 
camp south of our place. Early in the morning they would be out digging Indian 
turnips which they dried and used to make flour. Each evening they came to the 
place for water.

	By the time I left the farm I had 1040 acres of land. In 1948 1 bought 140 
acres at the edge of Quinn with buildings on it and I moved to town. I had 
rented my farm ground out but still had my livestock so I drove back and forth 
every day.

	On January 1, 1949 it began to snow and blow. It blew as hard as 70 mph at 
times. On the fifth day of the storm another guy and I started out for the farm 
in the car. We didn't get very far and had to walk the rest of the way. No place 
looked so good as when I reached my humble abode and found I had lost no cattle. 
The creeks were full of snow. I was there for three weeks before getting out 
again. I sold my farm in the fifties.

	Dr. Hvam came to Quinn from Norway. A few of us decided to see if we could 
get a hospital started. I sold the ground to them where the hospital stands. I 
was one of the first directors, a position I still hold. I've spent so much time 
working there it's almost a part of me.

	In 1950 we went with the Hvam's to the East Coast stopping in Columbus, 
Ohio to see my wife's sister.

	On January 16, 1958 we celebrated our Golden Wedding at my daughter's, 
Irene Schmidt, in Wall. A week later we drove to Phoenix, Arizona and returned 
in the spring.

	My youngest daughter Leona Kjerstad moved to town a few blocks from me 
making it nice to have someone close by. My other daughter Pearl Kjerstad is 
still on a farm north of Quinn.

	On February 14, 1962 we went to LeMars, Iowa to attend a Golden Wedding of 
my wife's cousin. On the way back we drove part way on ice. A few days later my 
wife had a stroke. She recovered enough to come home for a couple of months and 
passed away July 15, 1962.

	This winter I spent some time in the hospital myself. I can still read the 
paper without glasses. I do my own cooking. I am anxious for long warm days of 
summer so I can be outside more. I celebrated my 81st birthday in January.

[Photo - The rock barn.]

[Photo - A prized possession]

[Photo - Leonard Hildebrandt on wagon and Carl Klingbile on horse]

[Photo - At the Hildebrandts]

[Photo - Ida Black and son, Leonard and Lillian Hildebrandt, Henry Rehder 
holding Leona. Front, Pearly, George Black and Irene, about 1916.]

[Photo - Leonard and Lillian]



The Connelly's

by Nell Willuweit

	Johnnie Connelly (later known as Jack) and his friend, Elmer Rice, went 
from Ellston, Iowa, to Eastern South Dakota in the summer of 1905. After the 
harvest they went west in the state to eastern Pennington County where they 
filed on homesteads. In the spring of 1906 they urged young Willie Connelly, 
Jack's brother, to join them. They made up a covered wagon in Mitchell, South 
Dakota and drove out to the homesteads. Willie filed on a piece of land 
adjoining the other two. The first work was building the homestead shacks. 
Jack's shack was built in early 1907 from a load of lumber brought back after 
harvesting in Eastern South Dakota. Willie's (now known as Bill) first shack was 
a little sod shanty.

	In the spring of 1908 Mae Fisher and her sister, Rose Satter, came from 
Wakonda, South Dakota, and homesteaded north east of Quinn. Mae was a graduate 
of St. Joseph's Academy, a private girls school, now known as Mt. Marty College 
at Yankton, South Dakota. She had attended Yankton College and the University of 
South Dakota before teaching school at Burbank, South Dakota for $60 a month. 
Rose, whose husband had died the previous year leaving her with three little 
preschool children, was anxious to try the homesteaders life. So, Mae gave up 
her teaching career and ventured west with her. There were four girls in this 
Fisher family and no boys. Their father, Mike Fisher, came out with the young 
women and R. P. Franklin located their claim. They always drove to Cottonwood, 
in a top buggy pulled by one horse, to do their trading. One day when they were 
in town, Jim Campbell, later section foreman of the Northwestern Railroad at 
Cottonwood for many years, told them, "Two young ladies living alone should have 
a good watch dog." He offered them his big St. Bernard named "George." They took 
George home and discovered he could eat a cow at one meal. Several weeks later 
Mae walked outside one morning to be greeted by George with seven little pups. 
George was in reality a "Georgia". What a time they had feeding that bunch until 
they could manage to give them all away. Mae and Rose lived on their claim for 
eight months before returning to Wakonda. Rose and family never returned, but 
with just one homestead separating Mae Fisher's and Jack Connelly's homesteads, 
Jack had been a steady caller. He had a fancy team of gray broncs and every time 
he took her out the horses ran away and they both would come walking home. He 
finally traded those for some old plugs and they got along fine. On June the 
23rd in 1909 they were married in St. Patrick's Church in Wakonda. Michael was 
their first child, born in May of 1910. "Uncle Bill" rode the saddle horse to 
Quinn for Doctor Burlingame.

	Young Michael had eight brothers and sisters: Anne, who married Loren 
Kloke, and lives in the state of Washington; Nellie, who is Mrs. Bert Willuweit 
and resides on the ranch north of Quinn. The Willuweits have two sons, Jerry, 
who attended Black Hills State College and South Dakota State College and 
operates the ranch with his father; Jim, a student at South Dakota State College 
and daughter, Connie a student at St. Martin's Academy at Rapid City. Next in 
line were Donald Connelly and Florence Broderick, who live with their families 
in Washington State; Bill Connelly and family live in Martin, South Dakota; 
Stephen (Steve), and also Marlo and his family who live in Oregon. The youngest 
is Lawrence (Larry) and he resides in Quinn.

	The Connelly's lived on their homestead and reared their family. They had 
to drive nine miles to church with a team and buggy and the children had to go 
three miles to school. When they left the farm and moved into Quinn, they sold 
their place to George Kjerstad. Jack died in 1959 and Mae stills lives in Quinn.

	In 1911, as Mae tells it, when it was so dry you couldn't see a spear of 
grass, Jack and Jim rented a place near Highmore. Jim (James) was an older 
brother who had filed in 1909, and returned just that year with his wife, 
Kathryn, to live on the homestead. Jack, Kathyrn, Mae and little Michael and 
Anne set out in a covered wagon for Highmore. The men with the cattle followed 
later. Ahead of the travelers going in the same direction, with a covered wagon, 
was a man and his wife with three small children, a large sign on their wagon 
read "Forty miles from water, forty miles from wood, I'm quitting this dam 
country and I'm quitting it for good." They were from Eastern Pennington County 
and they never returned.

	After just one year on the claim Jim and Kathryn sold their land to Jack 
and returned to Iowa. Later Jim, became a barber and lived in Denver, Colorado, 
where he died in 1936. They had no family.

	After completing proof of his homestead, Bill Connelly returned to Iowa 
where he farmed. He served his country during World War I, spending time in both 
France and Germany. In 1920 he married Agnes Leininger, who was a teacher in the 
Des Moines city school system, and they left immediately to live on their farm 
eight miles northeast of Quinn, and about two miles from Bill's homestead. Here 
they lived until 1935. Their four children are Maureen, who married Jerry 
Rasmussen. They and their family live in Albany, Georgia. Paul, is a Catholic 
Driest, and is Director of Charities in the Diocese of Des Moines, Iowa. Phyllis 
is Mrs. Cliff Green and she and her husband and family live in Fort Worth, 
Texas. Leo lives with his wife and family near Afton, Iowa. Bill and his wife 
also live near Afton on an acreage. He sold his homestead to Lester Briggs, then 
of Cottonwood, South Dakota.

	A fourth Connelly brother, Martin, came from Iowa to eastern Pennington 
County and lived for several years northeast of Quinn, with his family. Later he 
sold his stock to his brother, Bill, and obtained work on the railroad. He and 
his wife Emma, are now retired and live in Rapid City. There are three children 
in this family; Mrs. Ferdinand (Lily) Schroeder of Creighton; Mr. Joe Connelly 
of Rapid City; and Mrs. John (Rose) Duguid of Rockford, Illinois.

	If you should stop in and visit Mae Connelly any afternoon in Quinn you 
will find her happy and busy after fifty-seven years of living in Pennington 
County she says, "I love it here and if I had a choice I do it all over again. I 
think the best way to stay happy is to stay busy. I've certainly managed to do 
that." She said, "Some of the neighbors who were early homesteaders are still 
living near me such as Mr. and Mrs. Emil Kjerstad, Sr., Mrs. Sophie Votroubek, 
and Mrs. Clint Lockett, who resides in Philip. These are the type of people that 
it took to make Pennington County what it is today."

[Photo - John and Mae Connelly's wedding picture. In back are her sisters, Rose 
and Jenny.]

[Photo - "Merry Widow and Lonely Maiden Ranch" - Mae Connelly and sister, Rose 
Satter's homesteads]

[Photo - Mr. and Mrs. Gustav Willuweit]




The Henry Rehder Family

by Minnie Rehder

	I was born near Rock Rapids Iowa, December 13, 1888. My husband was born 
in Germany and came to the United States with his parents when only a few months 
old. We were married October 23, 1904, and lived in Iowa one year, then in 
Minnesota one year and moved to Iowa again and lived there until the spring of 
1912.

	We came to Pennington County, South Dakota in March, 1912. On May 22, 
1912, our daughter, Violet, was born. We lived about 8 miles north of Wall on a 
rented farm.

	The reason we came to South Dakota was that rent was high in Iowa. We had 
a little money and thought if we came to South Dakota we perhaps could buy some 
land and get a home of our own.

	The place we rented had good buildings but we did not have money enough to 
buy it. So we bought a 160 acre farm that was good land but had no buildings to 
live in. We thought we would rent the place we lived on until we could put 
buildings on our own land. But the place was put up for sale, so we had to move.

	My mother had a barn on some land she said we could have. It was 16 by 28. 
The man that had built the barn before mother got the place, had used it for a 
house and barn both. He lived in one part and had two horses in the other part. 
So we moved it to our farm. My husband put a floor in the part where the man had 
his horses. That was all we could afford. The building had only wrap siding 
around it and from the dry years, had lots of cracks where wind, rain, and snow 
came in.

	When we moved there, we had only a small cook stove and not much fuel to 
burn either. A cold spell came with strong winds. My husband had chopped down 
some trees in a gully to have for posts. We took some and put them against the 
east side of the building as we thought it would help to keep it from blowing 
over. We had no chimney, just the stove pipes through the roof. There was surely 
danger of fire with such a wind.

	When the sleet, and later snow, came through the cracks, we took quilts 
and nailed them to the wall. It helped quite a lot.

	My mother had gotten married to a man in Minnesota. His wife had died. My 
father was dead too, and my step father was a very kind man. He was just like my 
own father had been. My step father was not rich but had some property, so he 
said he would build us a house, as my health was poor and he said to live the 
way we had to was too much for me.

	He came out here in the summer. I had a brother about 16 years old. He had 
to stay at home and go to school. He helped and my husband helped also. They 
built a house for us as cheap as they could, but did not get it all done by 
fall. At this time my brother had to go to school again and my step father had a 
hardware store in Minnesota and had to take care of it. But we could move into 
the house for winter.

	We had a cold, hard winter. We had raised potatoes and a garden. I had 
sorted the potatoes to keep the large ones to use in spring and summer. We could 
not afford to buy potatoes, so they had to last till we got new ones again. We 
had a small cellar or basement, so we kept only the bed clothes we had to have 
on our bed. The rest of the quilts and feather bed we put on the large potatoes 
in the cellar.

	I will never forget, it was the 13th of February and that night it was so 
cold. I had a few house plants just ready to bloom. They froze and were just 
like ice.

	We had them in the room where we slept. The potatoes that were covered 
were all right. But the others were cracked, just like a frozen egg. I had never 
seen anything like that before. In those days we could not afford to keep fire 
in the stove during the night. We had a fire that night, but could not keep it 
warm.

	We had so many dry years and no crop, just perhaps a little grain and feed 
so we could get the few cattle we had though the winter. When we later had real 
good crops out here, the hail came and took our crops for three years. The 
people that the hail did not strike made good money those years.

	My husband did not have much land broken when we did not raise but very 
little. Our neighbor had quite a lot of corn to pick so he said we could pick 
the one field for him. My husband and I picked corn. Our daughter was a little 
girl. She had to play in the corn field till toward evening when it got too cold 
for her. She would go to the people we worked for and play with their little 
girls and be in the warm house. We earned enough so my husband could get the 
clothes and shoes he had to have for the winter and other things we had to have. 
I wore his old shoes. One day a man stopped and he always looked at my feet. I 
told him those were my husbands old shoes and too big for me. "Well," he said, 
"they are good enough for an old hen" He called married women old hens.

	Later my health parted. I had to go to the hospital for operations five 
different times. The last time l was not expected to live. I was in the hospital 
three months and when I came home I was not able to walk alone and could not do 
any work for about two years.

	Then with all the doctors and hospital bills, and I not strong again, we 
decided to rent out the land but stay in the buildings. My husband worked out 
for the neighbors. Our machinery and horses were old and we could not afford to 
buy any again. But the renter was no success. They rented so much other land and 
could not take care of the crop. When there was a good crop two years, we were 
hailed out. Another year was too dry. The wheat only made about seven bushels 
per acre. One year we got one third. Prices were low so we had to sell our wheat 
for 19 cents a bushel. My husband worked for a neighbor and got fifty cents a 
day in harvest. He worked all day for that.

	We decided to sell the farm and move to town. We sold our farm for $20.00 
an acre, and bought a house in Wall, South Dakota. My husband worked out 
whenever he could get a job, but that was only in the summer and not steady 
work. He dug ditches, cut weeds, and helped people that were building houses. He 
got fifty cents an hour, later got eighty cents an hour. Some people gave him 
one dollar an hour a few times. Then in 1959 my husband had a very serious 
operation from which he never grew strong and well again. Later he could do a 
little work during the summer. In 1963 his health failed again and he was in the 
hospital for a short time. He never was able to do any work at all.

	As I look back and think of all the things that happened, I don't want to 
complain but I am thankful. Now since things have changed the farmers summer 
fallow, I think it's a better way to farm and times have changed in many ways. 
All the old timers knew what hard times we all went through. We have much to be 
thankful for as we look back; that we were able to stay here and now have a home 
of our own. It was not only out here in Western South Dakota that in the early 
days we had hard times. I was born in Iowa, and my parents also told of the hard 
times they had when Western Iowa was a new country.

	We can be thankful for having kind neighbors and friends. I never forgot 
to pray, for it is a comfort in dark days. If we take our troubles to the Lord 
in prayer, we can find a comfort there.

[Photo - Wedding picture of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rehder]

[Photo - Ernest, Minnie and John Helms]

{photo - Mr. and Mrs. Henry Rehder on their 60th wedding anniversary, October 
25, 1964.]





Henry Johnson

by LeRoy Johnson

	Charles Johnson, father of Henry Johnson, homesteaded northeast of Quinn 
in 1904. He had eleven children, including Henry.

	Henry Johnson was born Dec. 21, 1878 at Weeping Water, Nebraska and Elsie 
Wilson was born Dec. 21, 1884 at Beresford, S. Dak. They were married Sept. 7, 
1904. Their family was also large, eleven children: Helen, LeRoy, Ralph, Hazel, 
Olive, Ted, Maxine, Harold, Dale, Elaine and Wanda. They also raised Bobby.

	Elsie returned to Beresford for the birth of her daughter, Helen, and came 
back to Quinn on the first train that came through in 1906.

	In 1916, Henry started a clothing store in Quinn with Lon Hildebrandt as a 
partner. Henry's trade was lather and mason, he was also a footracer, and the 
band leader in Quinn for many years. His sons all played in the band at some 
time. They played at all the surrounding towns for celebrations and dances. At 
one time the Quinn band was chosen as the outstanding band to play at the 
evening entertainment at the Alex Johnson Hotel to honor a visiting dignitary. 
Elsie played the piano whenever piano music was needed. The band stayed together 
for at least 14 years.

	They had a farm east of Quinn where they lived for several years. I 
remember one night when my Dad had gone north of the river to play for a dance. 
As they were crossing the river on their return, the water came up and stopped 
the motor. One of the group looked up the river and saw a wall of water coming. 
They all ran for shore and the water was up to their necks when they reached the 
shore tho the wall of water hadn't even reached the crossing. On the same night 
we had a frightening time at home. One of the boys had thrown a ball through the 
living room window. During the night my mother was awakened by someone pounding 
on the piano. She came into our room so afraid she could hardly talk. She said 
we had to go to the bedroom beyond the living room to save the two young 
children sleeping there. We all jumped out of bed, grabbed butcher knives, stove 
pokers and anything we could find and made a dash through the living room door. 
To our surprise and delight a big cat jumped out the window.

	My Dad passed away in 1938 and Mother in 1955. They had 36 grandchildren.

[Photo - Children of Charles and Clarinda Johnson. Mary, Jennie, Hattie, LeRoy, 
Henry, Guy, William, Harry, Vern, Sam and Tom.]

[Photo - Henry Johnson Family]

[Photo - Elsie & Henry Johnson]




The Emil Kjerstad Sr. Story

by Emil Kjerstad

	I was born in Lincoln County near Canton, South Dakota on July 13, 1881. 
My parents moved to Charles Mix County in 1882 where they homesteaded and where 
I grew up and went to common school.

	My wife Gurine was born February 26, 1882 in Stavanger, Norway. She left 
Norway with her parents on March 7, 188 3 and arrived in Kimball, South Dakota 
on March 28. It took 21 days to make the trip.

	I was married to Gurine Ellingsen May 22, 1904. We were just about 22 
years old when we were married and lived on a farm in Brule County near Platte 
until 1908 when I filed on a homestead near Quinn, South Dakota, approximately 7 
miles northeast.

	We loaded our "emigrant car" at Kimball, South Dakota on the Milwaukee 
Railroad, shipped to Rapid City and transferred to the Northwestern Railroad for 
the rest of the trip to Quinn. In this "emigrant car" we had all of our 
household goods, furniture, stove, table chairs and "ORGAN",; two cows, a team 
of horses, farm machinery such as a plow, harrow, wagon, bob sled, etc.

	Our three children at that time were Peder, Anna and John.

	When we first arrived in Quinn we stayed with the Tom Thorson family who 
had a homestead where the Tennyson Dam is east of the town of Quinn. Mrs. 
Thorson was a cousin of my wife Gurine.

	I started our shack, 10x16, with shed roof intended for a granary later 
on. The barn we built of rocks and poles cut in the draw or canyon where we 
decided to build our buildings. This being late in the fall, November to be 
exact, we were anxious to get the shack built as we could easily have a blizzard 
at that time of year. The lumber was hauled out of Quinn by team and wagon. 
Krist Rasmussan did the hauling and I stayed and put up the building.

	The first night when it began to get dark I decided to go up to the 
nearest house or neighbor that I could see about a mile up the draw from where I 
was building my shack. This happened to be the Lon Hildebrandt homestead. Mr. 
Hildebrandt had gone to the Cheyenne River brakes where there was a lot of dead 
cedar to get for wood and posts and had not gotten back. Mrs. Hildebrandt was 
home alone so of course I told her who I was and that I would like to find some 
place to spend the night. She said that I could find a place, a dugout in the 
hillside, about 1/2 mile from their place where a homesteader by the name of 
Linderman lived, but who was not at home either. By this time it was entirely 
dark so I was lucky to find the place. I had no matches or light. The door was 
unlocked so in I went and felt around and found the bed and slept like a log all 
night. So that was my first night where the coyotes and rattlesnakes lived.

	of course there were a lot of homesteaders living out here at that time, 
some of them were Bristols, Ed Johannesen, Matt Smith, George and Bill Kruse, 
Willard Danley, Elams, Rev. King, Hubbards, Jim Carmichael, Chesshir, Ben 
Williams, Fowler, Walter Calloway, and Strandells. These people were joining our 
homestead or less than two miles away.

	In 1911, the year of the big drouth, the homesteaders planted their crops 
and they never came up. A lot of the homesteaders moved away and never came 
back.

	We had a sale and were ready to move back East but got a chance to move 
onto the Bliss place about 2 miles southeast of our homestead. There was more 
farm ground and a chance to raise more feed so we decided to stay and try it one 
more year and we are still here.

	A few years later I bought the Matt Smith place and the King place 
adjoining our homestead and moved on to the Smith place. This is the place where 
our youngest son, Konrad now lives.

	I bought the Ben Williams sheep ranch and 3000 head of sheep about 1918. 
The old Ben William's sheep camp headquarters were located where my oldest son, 
Peder now lives.

	We started farming with horses, breaking much of the sod with four and six 
horse teams and a walking plow. We then bought a 15-30 International tractor and 
started mechanized farming in the spring of 1927.

	We bought a new Reo six cylinder touring car in 1918. It was the first six 
cylinder car in the neighborhood.

	When we first moved to the Matt Smith place I began planting an orchard 
along the creek bottom. We always had lots of apples, and small fruits. 
Neighbors came from miles around to get apples, strawberries and rhubarb.

	I started the first large dam on the creek with horses and a fresno. It 
took nearly 10 years to complete. It would partly wash out nearly every year but 
we finally finished it up with the tractor and a fresno. This dam has given our 
family and our children's families many hours of recreation such as fishing, 
boating and swimming. It has also been a good source of irrigation and stock 
water.

	Speaking of dams, I will have to tell of an experience I had on a dam near 
the Walt Hildebrandt home.

	One Sunday there were several neighbors at Walt's and it being a rather 
hot day the men folks decided to take a swim before dinner.

	There must have been a dozen or more of us and after taking the swim, all 
of the men and boys had gotten out of the dam on the east side except Maurice 
Connolly and I, who were on the west side. (This Maurice is the son of Pete 
Connolly). All were in a hurry to get back to Walt's for dinner.

	The Connolly boy, 8 or 10 years old, was still in the water and I was 
taking my time drying off and putting on my clothes. Maurice did not seem to be 
in any hurry to get out of the water.

	I was just about to put my shoes on when Connolly was no place to be seen. 
I at once threw my shoes aside and started looking for him. Then I saw the top 
of his head come up and disappear into the water. I plunged into the water with 
all of my clothes on and swam to where I had seen his head sticking up and got 
hold of his arm and paddled back to shore with my other hand.

	Connolly was a very sick boy for a little while and when he got 
straightened out I asked him what he thought when he went down. He said, "I 
thought I could walk out to where I could get out even under water." If I had 
not been used to the water and could swim it could have been another story. Yes, 
a sad one, as I don't believe any of the others would have missed him until it 
would have been too late.

	We have raised a family of ten children, 8 boys and 2 girls. Peder, Anna 
and John were born at our home in Platte, South Dakota; Melvin and Emil Jr., at 
home on the homestead; George Washington at home on the Bliss ranch; Marie, 
Lawerance, Elhoris and Konrad at home on the Elm Creek farm where Konrad now 
lives. Nine of the ten all live in Pennington County and one girl lives in 
California.

	We have 49 grandchildren, including three sets of twin girls, and we have 
47 great-grandchildren including one set of twin boys.

	At present my wife and I are still active on our little farm near our 
daughter, Anna Schreiber, in Lake Creek Township northeast of Quinn. We raise a 
garden, have fruit trees and strawberries and have about 40 ewes, also some 
chickens.

	Things have changed a great deal since we first came here in 1908. Our 
home is electric lighted and heated and all of our water is pumped by 
electricity Instead of a horse and buggy we now drive a little red Falcon 
pickup.

[Photo - Kruse School about 1920 or 1921. Back, l. to r.: Melvin Kjerstad, Iloe 
Shaffer, Doris and Warren Kruse, Marie Kjerstad, Fern and Carol Kruse; on step: 
Emil and George Kjerstad and teacher, Miss Lila Collins.

[Photo - Kruse School - 1923. Miss Ruth Dopp, teacher. Back, L. to R.: Emil 
Kjerstad, Jr., Melvin Kjerstad, Marie Kjerstad, Fern and Carol Kruse, Nellie 
Keim; Second row: Marlo Lynch, Audrey Shaffer, Lila Clarambeau, Doris and Warren 
Kruse, George Kjerstad, Iloe Shaffer; front: Donald Clarambeau, Lawrence 
Kjerstad, Dorothy Shaffer, Annabell Kruse, Velma Lynch.]

[Photo - Kruse School District No. 62 - 1924. Teacher Miss Clara Burg. Back row, 
l. to r.: George Kjerstad, Fern Kruse, Nellie Keim, Audrey Shaffer; second row: 
Doris Shaffer, Emil Kjerstad Jr., Warren and Doris Kruse, Marie Kjerstad: third 
row: Lila Clarambeau, Marlo Lynch, Donald Clarambeau, Dorothy Shaffer; Front: 
Valme Lynch, Lawrence Kjerstad and Annabell Kruse.]

[Photo - This is the Bliss place to which the Emil Kjerstad family moved in 
1911. This house was later moved to the Charlie Doud place and at present is the 
home of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Paulson.]


[Photo - A Neighborhood gathering at the Kjerstad home in 1929 for Emil Kjerstad 
Sr. 25th anniversary - Left to right; Ruth Johannesen, Anna Kjerstad, Dora 
Malish, Florence Strandell, Margarite Goodsell, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Calloway, 
Herman Melchert and Henry Sieler kneeling. Hank Sieler, Albert and Ruth 
Hildebrandt and Ryon, Peder Kjerstad, Mrs. Herman Melchert, Evangeline and Arlie 
Schreiber, Mr. and Mrs. Emil Kjerstad Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Ed Johannesen, Mr. 
Cusick, Walter Melchert, Mr. Chesher, Lon Hildebrandt, Emil and George Kjerstad. 
Back: Melvin Kjerstad, Edgar Schreiberg and John Kjerstad. In front: unknown, 
Hazel Johannesen, Caroline Schreiber, unknown, Konrad Kjerstad.]


[Photo - This picture was taken at the Lon Hildebrandt home. Left to right: 
Peder Kjerstad, Lon, Mrs. Johannesen, Mrs. Emil Kjerstad, Emil Kjerstad, Mrs. 
Lon Hildebrandt and Ed Johannesen. Harry Johannesen on plow, Elnoris Kjerstad to 
the far right.]

[Photo - The Emil Kjerstad Sr. Family - 1950  L. to r.; Melvin, John, Anna, 
Peder, Gurine, Emil Sr.  Front: Konrad, Elnoris, Lawrence, Marie, George, Emil 
Jr.]

[Photo - Emil Kjerstad Sr. Farm]

[Photo - Anna Kjerstad (Schreiber)  By the Sheepherders Monument laid up by 
sheep herders on the butte south wast of the Kjerstad farm.

[Photo - Mary and Jennie Williams, Matilda Kjerstad.]



Matilda Kjerstad Torberson

	I filed on my claim in 1910. I was graduating from the "teachers course" 
at Augustana College in Sioux Falls. I had just turned 21 and I had to get out 
where the claim was to buy a relinquishment on it; therefore I had to leave 
before the graduation exercises.

	I remember my class gave me a silver spoon to remember the occasion. I 
felt badly because I had to miss the graduation exercises so the party was quite 
a compensation.

	My claim was in Eastern Pennington County and north of Quinn and a little 
east; about seven miles in all.

	The school house where I started my career is still there so far as I 
know. I believe that I was the first teacher. (This was the old Kruse school in 
Lake Creek District, no longer in use.) I taught there two years and walked two 
miles every morning and evening in the school week. I did not mind walking; that 
was how people got around.

	My house was very small 8xI6 feet. I could just squeeze my bed in along 
the eight foot side. I had just one room. Besides the bed there was a small 
stove, a table, a bureau and a chair.

	I arrived at Quinn on the Northwestern Railroad and my brother Emil 
Kjerstad met me there with his team of horses and spring wagon. There were no 
cars in those days; at least I did not see any. To get places you either walked, 
rode horseback or drove a spring wagon.

	I now live in Canton, South Dakota with my two sisters.




Peder Kjerstad Now and Then

	The things I can remember when I came out with my folks, when they 
homesteaded in 1908:

	They came by rail, with an emigrant car for the stock. I remember two 
black horses, some cows, chickens, and the ducks making such a noise.

	There weren't any roads or bridges and we crossed what we called Lake 
Creek, west of the old Furnas place. The water came up to the wagon box and I 
thought maybe we were going to drown.

	We got where we called our home. Our house was a little granary my Dad had 
built. I imagine it was about 9 x 12 and we stayed in that until my father built 
a house, which we moved into by fall, before winter.

	We had lots of fun picketing the cows. The horses we had to hobble, as 
there weren't any fences or corrals. Once the horses got loose, and when we 
found them, they were way down by Cottonwood. They were trying to go back to 
Platte where we came from.

	I was sure scared of the coyotes. It seemed like they were everywhere and 
I would cover my head at night when I'd hear them howl. They finally got all our 
ducks.

	One of mother's cousins, Ener Olson, had two teams of oxen and a team of 
horses. He would hitch them to a walking plow and plow for the homesteaders. 
They were required to have so much land broke before they could prove up.

	My Dad put up a lot of hay that fall on the five acres he had plowed up. 
We raised a lot of garden, the pumpkins were very large, the potatoes were flat 
like pancakes from the weight of the sod but they sure were good.

	It seems we had a few good years. In 1911 my Dad bought a piece about a 
mile and a half down the creek, south from Matt Smith's, Sr. In the fall we 
moved there and it had a big house on it. It was real dry that year, it never 
rained until that fall so nothing came up or matured.

	A lot of the folks left. Our neighbors across from us was fixing a top for 
his wagon so he could move.

	Talk about rattlesnakes, there was a dogtown not too far from our place 
and I know of times when 50 or 60 were killed in a day while they were denning 
in the fall.

	The fall I started to school it was about 5 or 6 miles and the teacher had 
quite a time with me. I could not answer in English but I could understand it so 
I always answered in Norwegian. Her name was Miss Marie Votroubek.

	One cold dreary day when mother took me to school there as a gray wolf 
laying on a brush pile and he wasn't even scared. I worried about mother going 
home but she said when she went back he was gone.

	Another time I was riding north of our place and here comes a wolf running 
by me fast. Then here came two riders, one was Ed Johannsen and the other Mr. 
Shoemaker. The wolf had killed several of Mr. Shoemaker's colts. That was about 
the last wolf I saw and I think it was about 1914.

	The first car I saw was red and oh what a noise it made. I was scared and 
ran to the house but mother knew what it was. It has wheels like a buggy, then 
it stopped and we found out the man was a doctor from Philip.

	The first threshing machine that threshed for us was run by horse power. I 
think it used eight teams and they went in a circle. The bands on the bundles 
had to be cut and fed by hand. There wasn't a blower on it so the straw had to 
be stacked by hand. Everything was done by horsepower.

	The next time we threshed, David Stevenson came with his steam engine. He 
had quite a time getting up enough steam to pull his outfit out of Peno Basin, 
the hill by Dan Kelly's, so Dad hooked a team of horses to help him up. This 
machine had a self-feeder and blower. It was in 1912 and we had a good oats 
crop.

	Some of the neighbors would hire these steam engines and oil pull tractors 
to break up land. Some pulled as much as twelve plows down hill, and eight up 
hill.

	We were lucky to never have a prairie fire come too close to us, but could 
see them far off when the wind blew hard from the northwest. They said they 
killed steers, tied them by their hind and front legs and dragged them through 
or by the fire to put it out.

	Those seemed like good years, everyone was neighborly and helped each 
other. If we got moisture everything grew.

	People began to buy tractors, plows, and all kinds of machinery to break 
up as high as 160 acres fields. They put it into flax and that fall into winter 
wheat. Everyone was on the boom, progress you would call it.

	I often wondered how the women could get so much done, cook such a meal at 
threshing time and always from 12 to 15 men. They made the bread, churned 
butter, and went to the garden for potatoes and vegetables. We usually had pie 
for dinner, they did the chores, probably milked 10 to 15 cows but they got it 
done and then supper again.

	I worked for the Touber brothers, running their tractor. They had a Hart 
Parr two cylinder, a Titan 2 cylinder, a Case with 4 cylinders and they had one 
of the first combines that came out. It didn't have a grain tank and we had to 
pull a wagon by the side to catch the grain. John Bielmaier and I ran their 
threshing machine. They custom threshed and it would take from 2 to 3 months to 
finish the run.

	I was interested in engines and electricity, so I went to Aberdeen and 
took a course at the state tractor school. Could have worked in a garage but Dad 
wanted me to run the tractor so that set the course of my life. I became a 
farmer instead.

	By checking the records, I found there was still 40 acres to be 
homesteaded a couple of miles from where I now live but having already moved a 
house told my brother John about it and he homesteaded instead of me.

	My Dad had bought sheep after he moved out so I got into the shearing 
business in the twentys. I got four cents a head and even ten cents later. I 
could shear as high as 125 or 130 on some days. Then four dollars a day was good 
money.

	On March 12, 1929, Pearl Hildebrandt and I were married. We had a few real 
good years so I bought a threshing machine and binder and then what was known as 
the "dirty thirties" came along. We had dirt storms, made from working our 
ground too much and too fine. Some of the fences had to be dugout to keep the 
cattle in. Even when there wasn't any wind we would wake in the morning to find 
the snow covered with red or black dirt. The air was full of it.

	When it did rain we'd have fair crops but other years we were lucky to get 
back our seed. That became a joke, "Didn't do too bad, at least I got my seed 
back." 

	People didn't always have money when I threshed for them, so I would take 
in exchange grain, pigs, old houses and buildings or anything I could use. When 
we did raise a crop we gave it away. Did sell wheat for a low as 16 cents a 
bushel and corn was so cheap people burned it like coal. It got so hot it would 
burn the grates out in the stove.

	We were lucky there as we had lots of wood in the creeks, other people 
would come in and cut wood on shares.

	One time Pearl happened to be the one to take a new born calf away from 
its mother. About that time the dog came up. The cow was chasing the dog trying 
to protect Pearl. I guess the cow thought she was the calf, anyway she had the 
job of milking the cow as she stood perfectly for her but no one else could milk 
her.

	The government started buying cattle, paid twenty dollars for the best cow 
and seven dollars for calves. Those that were thin were killed and buried. The 
rest were sent to the packing plant and the meat used as relief food. If our 
sows had too many pigs we were suppose to kill them.

	Eggs were seven cents a dozen. We didn't have much need to go to town, in 
the fall we took wheat to the flour mill in Rapid and exchanged it for flour. We 
got a pretty good deal. That way we got ten sacks and that would last for a 
year. Flour didn't get wormy in those days.

	Pearl's mother made yeast cakes and gave us some. With our chickens, eggs, 
and milk things weren't too bad. Peanut butter in those days would have been a 
luxury.

	They started soil conservation then and I became interested. After a few 
years I started working for the A.S.C. staking dams and contour strips. It's 
something I really enjoyed.

	We were taught not to farm our ground so fine. I saw groves of trees being 
planted everywhere. We don't see too many fields blowing anymore although we 
still have as much wind.

	Back in the thirties we had leased what little land we had, 160 acres, for 
oil. I got 25 cents an acre which helped to pay our taxes.

	We bought an old ice box and used a wood saw till Pearl decided there must 
be an easier way. Writing to Wards we obtained an ice saw which made putting up 
ice much more enjoyable.

	One year it was so dry nothing grew until late summer. When it rained the 
thistles grew so we made hay from them. What a sticky job, don't care to do that 
again. With a few old straw stacks this is what the cattle lived on that winter 
and came through it in good shape.

	From November 1, 1931 until March 1932 we had no income. Then we had a few 
cows come fresh and made 20 dollars that month. I thought that was great.

	On March 28, 1932 our first child Alice was born. We had a dog which would 
protect her from anything. If she was missing we called the dog because we knew 
they would be together. One day not to far from the house the dog was running 
around in a circle and here goes Alice hip-i-de-hop behind him. I found a 
rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike right there.

	Alice worked in the Quinn Bank after finishing high school. At that time 
no roads were built up or graveled. It seemed that we had much more snow so she 
had to stay in town if she wanted an education. She was in town a long time when 
the blizzard of 1949 hit.

	It's so different now the roads are full of high school kids going home at 
night.

	On November 16, 1935 Floyd was born. It was impossible to hire a man 
during the war years so at the age of five he was driving a little #A tractor on 
a bundle wagon. That way the men wouldn't always have to jump off and on while 
loading. He was six that fall. On May 18, 1953 he joined the Marines for three 
years. Fourteen months of those years were spent in Korea.

	On August 18, 1939 another little boy came along, Roger, and oh so much 
life. One day as I was shoveling grain, starting to swing a scoop full of grain 
he came around the corner at the same time, I hit him in the mouth. I was really 
weak for awhile. Roger is a lover of music, about a year ago he finished a 
course in piano tuning. He now works with the Bureau of Public Roads.

	On July 27, 1941 we were blessed with twin girls, Velda and Vida. Velda is 
a registered nurse and nursing at Spearfish. Vida has a Bachelor of Science 
Degree and a teacher at the Douglas School at Ellsworth Air Force Base.

	The children are all high school graduates, are all married, and we have 
seven grandchildren.

	We use our Piper Cub airplane which I bought in 1947 to check the fences 
and count cattle. Shortly after I bought the plane Pearl started taking lessons. 
One lady came over and suggested that we arrange adoption papers so our youngest 
girls would have a home when we crashed. She didn't even mind talking in front 
of them which gave them a fear of mother flying. So once again Pearl had the job 
of teaching them there wasn't any thing to be afraid of. I am sure she has done 
it well.

	One time Pearl made two trips to Rapid when we were rained in to take 
Velda and Vida back to school.

	School started at 8:30 and she got them there in time. Pearl and I both 
hold private pilot's licenses.

	We joined the Flying Farmers which has taken us through many states as far 
south as Auburn, Alabama, that's southeast of Birmingham, and as far west as 
Hawaii.

	Velda won an award from the Flying Farmers for lessons in flying. She is 
hoping to get her license someday. Floyd is working towards his private license.

	This fall I received a trip to Brookings State College for five days 
school in conservation. I felt that it was very educational.

	One of the things I enjoy most in this day and age is the electric 
blanket. Now I am waiting for spring, it's been a long cold winter.




Melvin and Clarice Kerstad 

by Clarice Kjerstad

	On July 4, 1928 Melvin Kjerstad and Clarice Ike met at a 4th of July 
picnic and dance at the bowery which was located West of the Rickard School in 
Peno Basin.

	I had come to the Quinn Community as a guest of my friend Annie Johannesen 
and to apply for the Lake Hill School No. I west of the Waldon Wood farm.

	I taught there one year, then I taught one year at the Beedle School in 
the southwest corner of Peno School District. Both schools have been moved away 
for a long time.

	On Nov. 10, 1931, Melvin and I were married at Hot Springs, So. Dak. and 
moved to our small place south of the Sr. Kjerstad's.

	Melvin had been building on the house but hadn't finished it but we 
planned to finish it that winter. A big snow storm hit the 3rd week in Nov. and 
the snow didn't go off until the next April, so it was a pretty cold winter. In 
those days you didn't borrow the money to build your house, you practically 
built them room by room.

	The inside of our house was papered with blue building paper and 
newspapers, later we put on masonite wall board. The outside was covered with 
roofing paper. The house was built quite large to begin with but we finished 
only two rooms and the next fall we used the unfinished part for our wheat.

	We had kerosene lights. We used a small laundry stove (borrowed from Peder 
and Pearl) to heat and cook. We had an old wooden washing machine run with a gas 
engine.

	All that first winter the main means of travel was on foot or with horses 
and sleds. Once a month Peder's and us would take our little amounts of eggs and 
cream to Dad Kjerstad's and the men would take the scoop shovels and all go to 
town in the International truck. Shoveling here and there and driving wherever 
the snow wasn't too deep. The roads weren't graded up like they are now and you 
could take off across the prairie wherever you cared to go. The groceries they 
brought home was just what the cream and eggs would buy which wasn't too much 
when eggs were 5c a dozen and cream not much more a pound. Of course our cellars 
were well stocked with home canned goods and we butchered and put up all of our 
meat and had all of our eggs and milk.

	The second year we were married we bought an electric light plant from Sam 
Margulies in Rapid City. It was 110 volt DC and had 56 glass batteries. Almost 
everyone by this time had some kind of electric light plants run by gas engines 
and batteries. Although we didn't have much else we had electric lights.

	Our first barn was made of poles and covered with a big straw stack. We 
had one old Holstein cow that was always eating the barn down.

	Our daughter, Dorothy was born while we lived here on Dec. 29, 1932. The 
Doctor bill was $35.00.

	This was the "dirty thirties". Drouth, grasshoppers, wind and lack of room 
to expand either with cattle or farming we moved to Minnekahta west of Hot 
Springs, So. Dak., where we lived until 1939.

	Our son Jim was born while we lived there, on June 24, 1936 the hottest 
summer on record.

	In 1939 we bought the Charlie Hasting place and moved back to the Quinn 
Community. We still own and operate this place with our son Jim and family, 
although we moved to Wall in 1962.

	From September 1940 until May 1942 we were on the West Coast where Melvin 
worked on Defense work as a carpenter. He worked at Camp Murray and Ft. Lewis 
Washington; the Ammunition Dump at Hermiston, Ore.; and was working at the 
Kaiser Shipyard at St. Johns, near Portland when the Japs bombed Pearl Harbor.

	After we came back to So. Dak. we bought more land and added to our farm 
and started the soil conservation practices which have kept building the place 
up to the place it is today. Melvin won the Soil Conservation Award for Eastern 
Pennington County Soil District in 1960.

	From time to time I taught school as there was always a shortage of 
teachers. Besides the first two schools that I taught before I was married I 
taught Grandview and Hidden Valley Schools in Lake Creek District, Lake Hill No. 
III in Lake Hill Dist.; and Huron School in Huron District; later I did some 
substituting in Wall Public School.

	Our two children attended Quinn High School. Dorothy married Leroy Denke 
on Dec. 29, 1948, and they together with Gail and Frannie Tennyson, had their 
wedding dance on New Year's Eve of 1949, the evening before the Blizzard of 149 
started on Sunday, January 1. They lived for a few years on our place just north 
of Quinn but now live in Rapid City and have three boys and one girl.

	Jim graduated from State College at Brookings and married Mary Cowan of 
Sioux Falls. He worked in Soil Conservation work for a few years then returned 
to the farm where along with farming and ranching he and his wife promoted the 
starting of the Circle K Golf Course, which right now is gaining in popularity. 
They have two little girls.

	Even though we are of the younger set of old timers there have been many 
changes that we can remember.

	Do you remember when these places were in Quinn?

	When the Quinn school was a large white building on the hill where the 
Quinn Hospital now stands?

	When there were several grocery stores and restaurants in Quinn all at the 
same time?

	When Mrs. Carlson ran a General Store?

	When there was a rooming house on the hill where the water tower is now?

	When there was a hotel and restaurant which later became the Quinn 
Dormitory that burned?

	When the Farmer's Union Store was a small white building east of where Roy 
Tennyson now lives?

	When there were two lumber yards, Peter Mintener and Kingsbury?

	When Earl "Brownie" Brownson had a machine shop and the city light plant 
powered with a diesel engine. His dad II.W.L.B. owned the International Farm 
Machinery Agency?

	Strasser's Cafe was on the corner where the Post Office now is?

	Mr. Fauske, Ingebert's dad owned the Telephone company and Irene 
Hildebrandt Schmidt was the "Central"?

	When Mr. Gregson drove a team of sorrel horses to the dray wagon?

	When the Quinn School had more pupils than the Wall School?

	When there was a town band that played at the Band Stand?

	When their was a bank?

	We didn't come to Wall very often but there are a few things that come to 
my mind.

	The large deep hole that was where the Legion Hall now stands: Sam 
Johnson's barber shop in two locations the last being where the Jack and Jill is 
now; Chihak's restaurant and garage down on old road through town.

	Also we can remember when Ted and Dorothy Hustead first bought out the 
tiny little old drug store on the west side of the street.

	Farms have changed from small to larger and fewer of them: tractors have 
changed from old steel wheels with lugs to the modern ones today.

	Transportation has changed from horses and buggies, to the first cars that 
came out. Melvin can remember the first time he saw a car and it nearly scared 
him to death. He and his brothers thought it was some kind of monster. There 
used to be two daily passenger trains through Wall and Quinn, people went to 
Rapid City in the morning on the train and returned that evening, on the train, 
now no trains but a freight train; busses, airplanes and now rockets and 
missiles.

	What changes will come to Eastern Pennington County in the next 50 years?