Eastern Pennington County Memories -- Quinn, Part 4 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 338 - 350 Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net, 1999. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm Mr. and Mrs. Earl Shaffer by Wilma Wolf There were no towns around, the first mailing address was Furnas, South Dakota, located about 2 miles north of Quinn. Earl Shaffer came to western South Dakota to homestead in September 1905. He came from Bijou Hills, South Dakota. He staked his claim on a piece of land located 5 miles northeast of the present site of the town of Quinn. This land along with additional acres purchased through later years, is now owned and operated by his son-in-law and daughter, Fred and Wilma Wolf. Minta Elam came to this part of the state from Minnesota with her parents and four sisters in 1906. She homesteaded about one mile west of the town of Quinn. In a few years she sold her original homestead to a Mr. Frank Morkert and bought 160 acres which had been homesteaded by Charles Hastings. This plot of land joined on the south of Earl's holdings. The railroad was built through Quinn in 1907 and 1908. Earl helped build this. Later he drove a team and wagon for the livery stable owned by Lew Flatt. One of his principle duties was to drive newcomers out in the surrounding areas, seeking sites themselves for homesteading. On October 7, 1908, Earl Shaffer and Minta Elam were united in marriage. To this couple five children were born. The eldest daughter, Iloe Shaffer Anthony, now of Denver, Colorado, was born in a sod dugout in 1910. In 1912 their only son Audrey was born. He now owns and operates Shaffer's Bowling Lanes in Hot Springs, South Dakota. In the hot, dry summer of 1916, this couple were expecting their third child. On July 6th, Mrs. Shaffer asked her six year old daughter and four year old son to walk to the hayfield where their father was working and have him quit his work and return to the house. She had told the children not to hurry on account of the heat. So take their time they did, by picking wild berries and playing along the creeks. By the time Earl had gotten, the message and turned his team loose to go to the barn and he reached the house, Mrs. Shaffer had already delivered a set of twin daughters to be named Dorothy and Doris. Four years later in 1920, their youngest daughter Wilma joined the family. In 1911 the first school building of Quinn was built. Mr. Shaffer walked from his home morning and night to work- on, the schoolhouse. He earned $1.25 a day but had to board and room himself. In the years of 1906 and 1907 Minta Elam worked in the town of Wasta at a hotel-cafe. She worked 16 to 18 hours a day and received $2.50 a week. The Shaffers lived on their homestead from 1908 until the spring of 1938 when they moved to another farm they had purchased; located four miles west of the home place. Here they raised sheep and cattle. They sold their homestead to the Wolfs I in the spring of 1947. In 1948 they retired and moved to Quinn. Mrs. Shaffer was very active in Farmers Union work and was one of the committees to help organize this group in Pennington County. She served many years on Lake Creek school board and also boarded many teachers who taught in this school district. Earl and Minta Shaffer celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 1958. Mrs. Shaffer passed away of a heart attack at their home in Quinn on May 6, 1964. Mr. Shaffers celebrated his 81st birthday on March 8, 1965. Mr. Shaffer passed away May 28, 1965 at the home of his daughter Iloe Anthony in Denver, Colorado. [Photo - Earl and a friend] [Photo - Earl Shaffer and his twin daughters, Doris and Dorothy.] [Photo - Earl Shaffer and family in the first car they owned - 1918] [Photo - Threshing on the Earl Shaffer farm.] The John M. Lynch Family 1906-1965 by John Lynch John M. Lynch was born near Academy, South Dakota, June 15, 1890. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Dennis A. Lynch who farmed near Academy. There was born to this union four boys and two girls, John being the oldest. Mrs. John Lynch (Etna A. Flatt) was born in Bijou Hills, South Dakota, March 30, 1892 daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis and Emma Flatt, who homesteaded the place later purchased by John Lynch. The place was homesteaded in 1906. Etna, her mother, sister and brothers came as far as Kadoka by rail. They were met there by their father in a spring wagon. Lew, her father, came a few months earlier on an emigrant train and filed on the homestead. The family came in June of 1906 and lived in a cave joining a small tar papered shack dug in the ground. Before winter set in there was an addition built. The lumber was transported from Rapid City or near Rapid. It took three days by wagon for this journey. Etna's father (Lew Flatt) ran the first livery barn in Quinn, South Dakota. The livery barn was sold to Charley Doud and Mr. Flatt moved to Rapid City and purchased an interest in the Robins and Stearns lumber yard. Etna filed on a homestead in 1914 located about 4 miles north and 'east of their present location. Her homestead was traded for 320 acres joining the present place. In 1911 the family returned to Bijou Hills for the winter. It was then she met John Lynch. They were married September 15, 1914 at Pierre, South Dakota. The newlyweds came on from Pierre to their new home north of Quinn, the place they still reside. Disaster struck them on October 7, 1948 when their house and all their personal belongings were burned. A new house was erected that same fall and they moved in January 1, 1949. As you will recall this was just a day before the - worst blizzard in the history of this territory. So even along with their misfortune they were fortunate. We thought it might be well to mention many of the old timers that came from Academy and Bijou Hills as did Mr. and Mrs. Lynch. Mr. and Mrs. Col. Doud, George Anderson, Nellie (Lanam) Anderson, Milton and Branson Lanam, Bert and Rosie Elis, Rosie Anderson, Orrin Crown, Alma (Crown) Mousseau, Charles, Bert and Orvall Hastings, Earl and John Shaffer, Charley Ritzman and Jake Todd. The Coy Furnas place 3 miles straight north of Quinn was the first post office where all the surrounding community came for their mail. People came from as far as the Lake Flatt and Cedar Butte communities to get their mail. Most all of their six children reside near. Marlo, the oldest son of Rapid City, Velma, (Mrs. Burle Dartt) north of Wall, Verle, (Mrs. Merle Crown) of Wall, Ila Mae, (Mrs. Marion Renner) Wall, Gladys, (Mrs. Gene Kitterman) Tuscon, Arizona and Verlyn north of Wall. They have IS grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren. As mentioned before Mr. and Mrs. Lynch still operate the ranch and have many happy memories both old and new. They celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary September 15, 1964. And so as in olden times their door is always open to their many relatives, neighbors and friends. [Photo - Homestead shack of Mr. and Mrs. Lew Flatt] [Photo - Della and Etna Flatt] [Photo - Bert Ellis Homestead, now owned by John Lynch] Mr. and Mrs. George Kruse by Mrs. Ray Krebs My parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Kruse were among the early settlers in Eastern Pennington county. My dad was born in Waterloo, Iowa in 1875 and 1882 moved with his parents to Kimball, South Dakota where he spent his boyhood days. In 1906 he homesteaded on a claim 5 miles north and 1 mile east of Quinn, South Dakota. He told us in those days the mail came to Furnas, about 2 miles north of Quinn. In the spring when the water was high, they rode up to the creek bank and the postmaster, Coy Furnas would tie a rock to the mail and throw it across the creek for him. After proving up on his claim he returned to Kimball and was married in 1909 to Laura Dubler, My mother was born in Galena, Illinois in 1880 and lived in the city all her life so it was quite a change for her to live on T farm, although she enjoyed country life. They lived in Kimball for a year and moved back to Quinn in 1910. Dad was a pretty good carpenter and built his own home. They lived in his claim shanty until their house was finished. My mother remembered that one time while living on the claim shanty, a young colt walked in through the open door. She didn't know how to get him out so she rapped him sharply across the nose and he backed out again without doing any damage. I was the eldest of five children, next came Warren, Doris, Cecil and Elinor. There were many hardships as the years went by, among them years of drouth and dust storms that filled the sky with clouds of dust, almost obscuring the sun. One year Dad planted three crops on the same ground and didn't raise anything for reason of the drouth. Another year it was so dry that potatoes didn't even sprout and came up the following spring. Many times as we children picked mushrooms, wild greens and went hunting frogs and ate frog legs for supper. In 1918 my dad bought their first car, a Dodge passenger car. It was used as the family car for 11 years and was still in running condition some forty years later. During the 1920's so many of the banks went broke, and my folks lost all their savings in the Quinn Bank. As the years passed many changes took place. We all married and moved away except Warren who stayed at home. My folks became grandparents of 5 grandsons and four granddaughters. Mother lived to be 74 years old and Dad was 79 when they passed away within three months of each other in 1954. [Photo - George Kruse Homestead] [Photo - George Kruse] [Photo - Mr. Kruse, Uncle Charley, Mrs. Kruse and daughter (now Mrs. Ray Krebs) and Aunt Emma.] [Photo - Homestead house of Thomas and Julia Thorson. Julia on the right with her two children. The other two unknown.] Thomas and Julia Thorson by Julia Thorson I, Emma Julia Olsen Thorson was born in 1885 in Brule County, South Dakota on the homestead filed by my parents in 1883. I was married to Thomas Thorson in 1904. My husband, Thomas Thorson filed on a homestead southeast of Quinn in 1905. This homestead was about where the Knute Tennyson dam is located now. We moved back to Worthing, South Dakota in 1913. I now lived in Canton, South Dakota and help my daughter operate an "old folks home". The Gould Story by Alameda Dierdorff My father Richard Gould took a claim in the year 1911 and we moved out in November of that year. I was through my second year of High School so that was the end of my schooling. My two sisters Emma and Della went earlier as they taught in that area beginning that term. We lived south of Quinn about nine or ten miles on what was called the Sharpe place until a house was built on our claim a mile or two west, (with Badlands just back of us a mile). From our claim we hauled water from the Hart Ranch until a well was dug. We accumulated a few cattle and enough horses to ride and use for driving and work. We saw several rugged years what with grasshoppers, drouth, blizzards, rattlesnakes, and prairie dogs. My sister Emma took a claim about twelve miles south of Quinn and taught the Dillon school several terms. I lived with her most of the time. I stayed in that vicinity about four years then went to Oacoma, South Dakota to work in the post office which was the county seat at that time, from there I moved to Pierre where I worked in the telephone office, (as my folks spent the winters there) and then left Pierre and came to Dixon in 1919, where I have been living ever since. I came here to visit my oldest sister but liked it so well I found a job and stayed. The Votroubeks by Marie V. Edgar Bessie V. Josifek had three children Milo, Libbia (ROUSE), Joe, Joseph Votroubek Jr. had two, Rose and Milo, Libbie V. Wiese, one child Lee; Ben Votroubek, one daughter, Anna V. Rogers; Anna Votroubek died at the age of 12. Emil Votroubek had four children, George, Lucille (Monroe), Emil A. and Betty (Bryan); Anna V. Zerzanek had two children, Orville and Byron. Marie Votroubek (Edgar) has none. My father and mother lived in Iowa where all their children were born with the exception of Ben who was born in Nebraska where my parents lived for a short time, returning to Iowa until the call of the West was in my father's blood. In the early 1900's possibly 1904 or 1906, father and brother Emil left by covered wagon from Wagner, S. Dak. where we had lived for two years, to go farther west into the "homestead" country. They both filed on claims in eastern Pennington County, where they built homes. My father and mother lived on the original homestead until the time of their death 1923 and brother Emil and family also lived on his homestead with the exception of a short time in Quinn and Wall. One by one the Votroubek children that had not married in the east joined the family at "Lone Tree Ranch" and spent many happy years there in spite of droughts, grasshoppers, blizzards, rattlesnakes, etc. and somehow those hardships sink farther into the background of our memory and we think only of the good things of the old west. My nostalgic mood carries me back to watching the tumbling weeds scooting across the prairies, listening to the call of coyotes from the distant hills at night, seeing the cattle come home in the evening after grazing all day on the prairie. Fences were unknown at that time. What did we do for entertainment in the good old days ? The young folks of today sort of look at us in blank astonishment when we tell them we had no TV, radio, drive-ins, speedy cars, etc. but we really lived it up. Every Saturday night there would be a dance somewhere, no matter how small the house might be, dimly lit by lanterns hung on the wall, or the Percy Barn south of Quinn was the scene of many gay times, the Hammer Orchestra furnishing the music. My husband Clarence Edgar and I have lived in this lovely town of Dallas Center, Iowa since 1937 having been in business here until 1960 and now enjoying retirement, yet we often think of the good old "west". Here we have luscious fruit of all kinds but we would give most anything to make a batch of buffalo berry or choke cherry jell. We've never tasted anything any better or as good. I am the last of the original Joseph Votroubek Sr. family. Many of the family are resting in the peaceful cemetery near Quinn. The only remaining Votroubek males that I know of are Emil A. son of E. J. Votroubek and Allen and Bruce Votroubek sons of George Votroubek, deceased, son of E. J. Votroubek. Leonard and Vivian Herrmann by Vivian Herrmann Leonard and I were born and raised in Eastern South Dakota and came to Quinn when we got married. We stayed only a couple of months and went back to Gregory. In less than a year we returned to Quinn where we lived on the Harold Krebs farm for six months. We then moved to Quinn where Ralph was born. We lived there two years and then moved to the Martin Ellingson farm where we lived for ten years until we came to California in March 1948. We really liked living in Western South Dakota, enjoyed the relatives, neighbors, friends and the way of living. We enjoy talking about our life there, the Farmers Union meetings with the potluck suppers, the pie socials at the schoolhouse, the Christmas programs there and the church. The card parties at all the people's homes, birthday parties, picnics, the baseball games and bowling matches that Leonard participated in, we all enjoyed. Our son Ralph attended the country school five miles north of Wall for six years and has many fond memories of his days spent there. He entertains his two children with stories of the enjoyable times he had there. He finished his grade schooling and attended high school and Junior College in Sacramento and went on to the University of California at Berkeley. There he got his PhD. in Structural Engineering in 1962. He then went to work for Aero Jet General Corporation in Sacramento for two years. This fall he will start teaching at the University of California at Davis. We are very thankful to all his teachers, both in South Dakota and in California, who helped him get this fine education so that he could do the work he wants too. We were members of the Lutheran church north of Quinn while living there until the one in Wall was started, then joined there as it was closer. We helped remodel the first Lutheran Church in Wall when it was moved in from Philip. I was the first president of the Ladies Aid formed in that church. We love very much to come back and visit our friends and hope they like having us. We have many Wall and Quinn people here quite close to us: Duane Denke, Benny Wolf, Erma (Strasser) Mullen, Howard and Hazel Parkin and children, Donna (Sorensen) Gravatt, also many more farther away as in the Los Angeles area. We want to take this opportunity to ask all of our friends to come and visit us some time and we'll talk over old times and show them our adopted state. Leonard is cook at the Campbell Soup Co. and I'm an intermediate clerk at the State Dept. of Motor Vehicles. Our son married a local Sacramento girl and has a boy and girl and as I told you before, is a professor at Davis, starting in September. Our address is 3916 32nd St., Sacramento, California, 95820. Mr. and Mrs. Martin Ellingson by Martin Ellingson I, Martin Ellingson was born in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, February 28, 1880. My parents, born in Norway, moved to their homestead in Torrey Lake Township south of Kimball, S.D. in 1883. My wife, Ada M. Root, was born at Bijou Hills, S.D. February 4, 1885. We were married at Kimball, S.D., November 24, 1904. After we were married we rented neighboring farms for a couple of years, then we decided to try and obtain land of our own. Many residents in the area between Kimball and Platte were hearing of homesteads in the Lake Flat Country, with a railroad being built from Pierre to Rapid City which would cross this section of the country. At the same time a railroad was being built from Chamberlain to Rapid City. An excursion for prospective homesteaders was being organized a t Platte, via Sioux City, Iowa to Rapid City. I, along with other homesteaders including James Renner, Verne Warner, Earl Balch, Charles and Bug Hogan, were met in Rapid City, March 20, 1906 by Coy Furnas, locator and postmaster of Furnas Post Office, which was two miles north of the present town of Quinn. Col. Doud was responsible for our contact with Coy Furnas. There were many other locators, as well as people who preferred to do their own locating. The trip by our group was made in two buggies, crossing the Cheyenne River on the ice at Dakota City and stopping overnight at the Morris Ranch. We reached the Lake Flat Country and we all found land. When we stopped at the Morris Ranch on our way back to Rapid City, they had a total of 32 guests. On March 25, 1906, 1 filed on my homestead, the N.W. 1/4 Section 15, Range IN. 16E. at Rapid City. I returned to Torrey Lake, worked that summer and also built the covered wagon which I would use when I came out to build our new homestead. The bows for the canvas cover were mounted on top of a double box wagon and a platform of 2x4ls was anchored across the top of the box for the bed spring for my bed and my home would be under this canvas roof until I could build. The double box was nearly full of oats for the horses, food supplies, portable stove and other necessities. I left in September and it took 8 days to come from Kimball to the homestead. Near Belvidere, I picked up two hitch-hikers who rode with me as far as Furnas, then continued on their way west. The trip took a little longer than I had planned and I arrived on the last day, the requirement being that you had to begin living on the homestead you filed on within six months from filing date. I made camp in the creek just east of where the present buildings are. Shortly after my arrival John Furnas came riding by, stopped for a visit with me. Jake Todd had the place just north of mine, he had been living there the summer of 1906 and had a furrow plowed around his land. The government corners showed quite plainly most places. Then there was a few days of waiting for my mail and money order to arrive at the Furnas Post Office, the mail came overland from Pierre via Grindstone and was carried twice a week by horseback from Grindstone to Furnas. Now I made a trip to Smithville for lumber, but they were unable to haul lumber in as fast as it went out, so I stripped the wagon down to the running gears and made two trips to Rapid City after lumber, wire, etc. It took five days to make each trip, sleeping out and fording the Cheyenne River. I also dug a cave, put up a small stack of hay, then when I had completed our claim shack, I returned to Torrey Lake to my wife and in time for Floyd's 1st Birthday, November 4th. We loaded a car of household goods, machinery, team of horses, etc., and landed at Murdo, the end of the railroad, late in December. A neighbor, Charles Hogan was to have met us in Murdo with my team and wagon, but he failed to show up. I borrowed a wagon to unload the railroad car, from Bill Binegar who lived near Murdo. Stored some things at his place and after loading up with most necessary things, started for our claim 75 miles away. Ed Harris and his wife were also moving out to their claim at this time, spent Christmas, (a very nice mild day) 12 miles south of Cottonwood with the Julius Frohman family, his wife and Mrs. Harris were sisters. We started out the next morning but a bitter cold northwest wind was blowing, too cold for wife and year old Floyd, so after going two or three miles we saw a top buggy by a claim shack. We stopped, as I remember these people were named Iobdell, they took us in and warmed us, lent us the buggy and we left our loaded wagon there. We made it to Jake Todd's and a warm fire. The following day I returned the buggy and picked up my loaded wagon and arrived at the claim that night. Spent a very cold, blustery January in tarpaper covered shack, melted snow for water and cut green ash for fuel. During this time there had been no world of Charles Hogan, but finally the last part of January we had word from Bill Binegar that our team and wagon were at his place. Somehow Hogan had not reached Murdo by the time we arrived by train, and when he did arrive he was very ill, and went to Omaha, Nebraska where it was necessary for him to have an operation. We then put a cover and bows on the wagon borrowed from Mr. Binegar and started for Murdo to get our wagon and team and the rest of our supplies. My wife and Floyd took the train to Kimball, and spent the balance of the winter with her brother Ed Root. They came back the latter part of April. By that time the railroad had reached Kadoka, and I met them there. After putting my family on the train, I loaded up the household goods and balance of our supplies, put four horses on and started for the claim. When I got to Cottonwood Creek, it was bank full and I waited at Ed Harris' place for four days before I could cross. My first job for much needed money was hauling lumber for Al Kinsbury. I hauled 24 loads from McGee's Mill, 8 loads with 4 horses and 16 loads with one team, earned $196. 95, $55.00 of pay was taken in lumber. In May of 1907 Al Kingsbury and I went to Kadoka for supplies, we were caught in a three day heavy rain, the return trip was over soft roads, and often we had to put all teams on one wagon to cross extra bad places, had to swim Bad River, but finally managed to get all wagons to Cottonwood. By this time the railroad building crew had reached Cottonwood and had the bridge built across Cottonwood Creek. The creek was bank full, and the load of freight that we had brought back for the Howes Bros. Store, had to be carried, piece by piece, across this railroad bridge by the men. Our second son, Leland, was born March 15, 1908 and our daughter, Verna, was born July 20, 1909. By this time someone was living on nearly every quarter of land and we were getting our land plowed, raising some crops, and generally doing all the things that are necessary when virgin land is transformed into homes for people. It wasn't until 1910 which was a very dry year, and the winter did not have enough snow to track a rabbit, that we were able to find someone to dig a well. Tom Poore, another early settler had worked with dynamite, and during December and January he helped us dig our first well. It was 60 feet to water where we were located, and rock after the first few feet. It was necessary to shoot twice a day. Once in the evening, and then hauling up the dirt and rock blasted loose would take until about noon of the following day. Then just before dinner Tom would place his dynamite and shoot again and by the time the dirt hauled up during the morning hours had been hauled away, the fumes would be disbursed enough so that once more the process of filling buckets to be pulled up by windlass could be resumed and by evening this rock would be hauled up and Tom would again set off his evening dynamite. The water in this well was as soft as rain water and after hauled water from wells of neighbors dug in creek bottoms, which was hard water and very strong with alkali, we truly counted it among our blessings. 1911 was the driest we had seen and we had in over 100 acres of wheat and oats that did not come up until an August rain. Homesteaders left like a bunch of sheep, we included. But we came back in 1912 to start all over again and still have the original homestead and have added ten quarters. We planted quite a few trees in 1909, 35 apple, 15 compass cherry, 50 carolina poplar, 500 cottonwood, 150 ash, also gooseberries and currants. We had brought cedars from the Cheyenne brakes and they are still doing well. The trees weathered the dry year of 1911 and we soon had plenty of fruit for our own use and some to sell. We eventually had 6 acres of trees around the house, but all but the cedars were lost in the dry 1930's. From 1924 until 1946 1 managed the Farmers Union Shipping Ass In. Moved to Quinn in 1931, where I still live, as the store had become a full time job for Ada and I. Our son Leland graduated from the School of Mines in Electrical Engineering in 1928, then contracted pneumonia and died. Floyd also graduated from the School of Mines as a mining engineer, in 1930. He took a year's practical mining experience in Toole, Utah in the copper mines in 1927, this was after his car wreck when he sustained a broken leg that kept him in a cast for about 6 months. In 1934 he also died of pneumonia. In 1923 I became an agent for the Farmers Union Insurance Company, later on this company reorganized and became the Missouri Valley Mutual Insurance Company of Burke, S.D. They celebrated their 50th anniversary in February of 1964 and at this time Harry Caslin, of Kennebec and myself were recognized as the agents serving the company for the longest time. During the years from 1924 to 1934 I served as a director from South Dakota for the Farmers Union Livestock Commission Company of Sioux City, Iowa. In 1951 I was appointed to fill a vacancy created by the death of Harry Johnson as commissioner for the 5th District of Pennington County. I was elected twice for four years terms and served until January of 1963. Ada and I celebrated our 50th Wedding Anniversary in 1954, holding open house for our friends at the "homestead". Verna and her husband, Kenneth H. Butler came out to the ranch in 1948. Ken continued buying livestock for Armour and Company along with the ranch work until his fatal heart attack in 1958. Since then Verna has remained on the ranch and we work together on the land, we, as a family, have loved these many years. In May of 1959 Ada broke her hip. She was in surgery four times with this broken hip, and infection finally caused her death in April of 1961. We have seen many changes over the 59 years since Ada and I came out to make our home here. But the spirit of the people -- friendly, helpful and truly caring what happens to each other that made it possible for the homesteaders to build their homes here, is unchanged. [Photo - Mr. and Mrs. Martin Ellingson] [Photo - John Mills Family, came in 1906, left in 1911.] [Photo - The Whitwer, Floyd Morgan and Martin Ellingson families, Elmer Porter and Lanamn brothers, taken on Alfred Whitwer's homestead.] [Photo - Albert Hilbert, Everett Jeffries, unknown, LeRoy Johnson, Alonzo Brownson, Claude Doud, Norris Hildebrandt, Leland Ellingson, Shirley Carmichael and Lynn Brownson.] [Photo - Apple trees on the Martin Ellinson homestead - 1920] [Photo - Martin Ellingson] Farmers Union Shipping Ass'n. Quinn, South Dakota The Farmers Union had quite a membership during the years of 1917 and 1918. By joining together they began shipping in carloads of coal, apples and flour. This produce was sold directly from the freight car, which meant a carload went out in two days. At this time part of the country north and south of Quinn had telephones and a general ring put out by central would announce the car on the track. The people with phones were able to notify others without phones. The members also banded together to ship livestock to public market, namely Farmers Union Livestock Commission Company at Sioux City, Iowa. A small charge was made to each shipper. This went into what was called a sinking fund. In the event of any livestock loss during shipping this fund was used to pay the owner of the livestock for the loss. In the year of 1924 the Farmers Union Store was incorporated as a cooperative, no-stock, non-profit community association. First land was purchased north of the Quinn Stock Yards. A basement was dug and a store building built. Labor was all donated. The records of 1924 show a total of 3423 hogs, 421 cattle shipped; shipments made every month of the year. Dividends received from Farmers Union Livestock Commission Co. for this year amounted to $344.37, divided among 62 shippers. During this year 3 cars of flour, 8 cars of coal, 1 car of salt, 3 cars of potatoes and 1 car of apples were also handled. These carload lots were sold at cost to members of the Farmers Union. An interesting example shown by a car of apples: the apples cost $800.71 freight $629,04, total 1429.74. With 665 boxes they invoiced at $2.15 per box. Nonmembers paid 10c a box over the cost. This paid the expenses of handling. Minutes of the Annual Meeting in 1924 show 59 members voted for directors, James Ryle, Frank Gregson, Merle Farnsworth, Martin Ellingson and Waldon Wood elected for one year terms. Martin Ellingson was also manager. At this meeting it was voted to build coal sheds, and the first shed was built in 1925. The store was operated on a part time basis, open 2 or 3 days a week; then as business increased, it was open every day. By 1931 business had grown to the extent that the directors decided to build a new store. Lots were purchased uptown and the store was built. Mr. and Mrs. Ellingson then moved to town and devoted their entire time to the store. The financial statement of 1932 showed a net worth of $8,205.23. Martin Ellingson continued to operate the store until he retired in 1946. Harvey Hildebrandt and his wife then managed the store for 14 years until they left to go into business for themselves. They are in De Smet, South Dakota with a grocery store at the present time. W. D. Hines was hired as a manager after Hildebrandt's left and Mr. and Mrs. Amos Votroubek took over the job in 1964. The present directors are Earl Shaffer, Fred Wolf, Lee Williams, William Clark and Martin Ellingson. William and Charles Doud by Betty and Claude Doud Charley Doud left Bijou Hills, S. Dak., and filed on a quarter section of land, two and a half miles north and two and a half miles east of Quinn in the spring of 1905. There he built a log house. He returned to Bijou Hills in the fall and arrived back at Quinn in April of 1906, bringing his wife, Cleo and son, Claude, who was only six months old. They made the trip in a tent pitched in a hayrack loaded with their household furnishings and homecanned foods. The railroad was being built from Pierre to Rapid City at that time and then the town of Quinn was begun. The Douds lived on the homestead until 1910 when they moved into Quinn and Charley started a livery stable. The Douds had four children, Claude, Cliff, Gladys and Gerald. In 1917 Charley moved his family back to the farm and lived there until 1944. They retired and moved to Rapid City where Cleo still resides. Charley passed away in 1962. William S. Doud, who also homesteaded northeast of Quinn in 1906, moved to Quinn in 1911 and started a hotel and meat market. William returned to the farm and lived there until 192 9 when he and his wife, Jane, moved to California. He passed away in 1933 and his wife died in 1954 at the age of 97. [Photo - Claude Doud] John Evans by John Evans John Evans was born in Wappla County, Iowa, May 26, 1884 and lived there until 1902. I came with my parents and brothers to Beade Co., S. Dak. and lived there until 1937 except for the time I lived on my claim in eastern Pennington County. In 1937 we moved into Huron. I was Supt. of the State Fair grounds about 17 years. I was married the 10th of March 1910 to Alberta Spring of Huron. We have one daughter Marette Groves. I am retired now and live at 450 4th St. S.W . In the fall of 1906 I was at a dance celebrating the wedding of my brother who was married Thanksgiving day. At the dance that evening E. J. Bloodgood, a neighbor boy asked me if I would be interested in buying his relinquishment on Lake Flat. His time to establish residence was about up and he didn't want to go and would like to sell it. I asked him how much. He said, " $125." Well, I didn't have that much money but I asked him if he would take a 3 yr. old colt, after a while he said he would trade. So I asked him how soon I would have to go file, he said "the sooner the better". I said I would start Monday morning. Saturday morning I told my folks, my mother thought it would be a wild goose chase but Dad said "Let him go". Then it was money again, so that took some thinking. In May E. J. and Art Sprague left with team and wagon to go out to plow the 5 acres required and build shacks on Frank and Jay's claims that they had both filed on the summer before. Frank hired me to take E. J.'s place as they were farming together. I worked one month for $30.00. They had rented 20 acres to a neighbor to put in corn he listed. It didn't get much of a stand. Then decided to abandon it. Frank asked if I would be interested in taking care of it, I could use his machinery and I could keep track of the days I spent working and could work over the month. I had to work 6 days over but it didn't amount to much; so I asked E. J. how much he would give for the crop in the field. He finally offered me $50 so I was on my way. With a duck coat and a bag with a few clothes I started for Rapid City as I had to go there to file. I took the train that evening for Pierre went to the Lock Hotel with orders to call me in time to get the first boat to Ft. Pierre. It was still dark when I got out on the sand bar where the boat docked. While standing and waiting, I saw a shadow of a man coming; as he got nearer I wondered what was going to happen. I was sure my $50.00 was a goner but there was no place to run, only the river in front of me and the man coming at my back. Everything turned out all OK he said, "Hello son, waiting for the boat? I am." He was a rancher who lived over the river at Ft. Pierre. He had been over to Pierre. He said, "We have a poker party every Monday." Then while waiting he told me the story of much of his life. In this poker game he had lost every dollar he had, then he got the bartender to let him have all the money in the till which was $10 and before morning he had won enough money to put himself in business. It was a very interesting story. There was no railroad bridge across the river at that time so I headed for the depot. My mother had cautioned me not to take up with any strangers but there stood a young man that was returning from threshing near Condie. The train was switching and a breakman came along and said, "If you fellows are going with us you had better get on." We jumped on a flat car and rode out to Capa, that was as far as track was laid but he hit us for $1 a piece for the ride. My new found friend and I started walking to Midland. I had a small suit case with some clothes. We pushed a stick thru the handle and hiked up the grade, got into Midland about noon. Went into the first building we came to as it happened to be a store. I sure was tired and thirsty, so I said "Let's have a beer." I throwed a quarter on the bar and he gave me back a nickel; that was the first time I had ever paid 10c for a glass of beer, After resting we got ready to start out from Midland but then the mailman came in and said "It's snowing at Philip." It was snowing some now so they advised us not to start out in a snow storm. Midland was headquarters for the contractor that was building the road. There were about 50 men and 100 head of horses and their equipment. There were barracks and a large dining hall run by a middle aged woman. I got a cot in the building with the men, it was snowing quite hard at this time. The next morning it was still snowing when I went to bed the next night. In the morning there was 18 inches of snow laid like a blanket as there was not a breath of wind with it. Realizing I would have to stay until roads were open I asked the Lady if I could work for my board for a few days. She said "you sure can". She took me to the door and showed me a pile of wood, "now you cut that up into stove lengths and keep the stoves going." I don't remember how many stoves there were 4 or 5 big stoves so I know I was busy chopping wood and carrying it in, then she had me waiting tables at meal time. I stayed until Sunday noon, left my bag and started up the grade for the ranch. In about 10 miles I pounded on the ranch house sometime after dark, wet to my knees, there were several cow hands in this bunkhouse a big stove red hot. I ask the foreman if I could stay for the night, he wanted to know if I had anything to eat, he took me up to the diner and got the lady to fix me a lunch, they then had me hang my wet clothes up by the fire and gave me a cot in the upper deck. The next morning I had breakfast and started out for Grindstone. I got to Philip at noon then started north to Grindstone. The snow was still deep. There had been. some traffic but I had to walk one foot ahead of the other. I kept going until dark. I saw a light about a mile off the road so I waded through the snow until I got there. It was a big ranch I can't recall the name. The men folks were in the barn looking after their stock. I asked if there was a chance of putting up for the night. The manager asked where I was going, I said, Grindstone he said to go in the house and ask the woman to get you something to eat. He said one of his boys was going to Grindstone to a dance and I could ride along. Well we made Grindstone in no time as he had a nice driving team. This was a big dance. They had a large hall and people came for miles. I did a lot of dancing. The dance broke up at 4 A.M. and when I walked out of the hall water was running off the roof, water was every where. I asked what happened, they said this is a chinook wind. After resting a while at the hotel I started out. Had 12 miles to get to the Melvin boys claim. By mid morning the water was running shoe top deep in every little draw. My shoes were full of water and by noon I landed at the Peno Ranch. The men folk were branding horses in the corral. I told them my predicament. He said go in the house and help yourself. I looked over things and started getting something to eat so I not only cooked for myself but got dinner for the whole crew. They were very much pleased. After dinner they went back to work and told me to make myself at home. After washing the dishes I filled the stove with wood and put my feet on the side of the stove and went to sleep. Sometime later someone woke me up. It was a cow puncher going through. Held just stopped to rest his horse, he asked me where I was headed for, he said he was going part way so if I wished he would let me ride his pack horse so I got on and he led him for about 3 miles then he turned off. I had some 3 or 4 miles to go yet only a track to follow and water everywhere. When I struck Lake Flat I could see several shacks so I picked one and when I arrived 2 men were working in the yard drilling a well for Frank McDonnell. The men were John and Pat Melvin, the boys I was going to see. They shut down and went home which was some 2 miles north. I stayed with them a few days thinking of starting for Rapid City but Marvin Keim a neighbor said he would be going to Rapid in a week or so and I could ride so I went home with him and helped him on a barn he was building out of logs. A sheep herder joined us for the trip to Rapid. We were 2 days making the trip, about 70 miles'. We put up the first night at the A & A Ranch near the Cheyenne River it was a stopping place for freighters, we had no bed; just slept on the floor. We got to Rapid the next day I went to the courthouse and filed on my claim. We were 2 days coming back, the sheep herder stayed in town. A few days after I started home, I got a ride to Grindstone. There was another dance so I met Fred Low from Huron and rode out about 10 miles with him. I started walking about 10 o'clock that night I landed back at Olneys ranch, now known as Nolan. The next morning they woke me and said, I could ride to Midland with a wagon going to Midland after a' load of feed for the horses. He was driving 4 horses on a big wagon so I had a merry old time hanging on to that spring seat. The train now came out as far as Midland. It had made this extension since I came out and had to stop at Capa. I got back to Huron by train. I had been about 30 days on the trip. Now I had to get ready for my trip out again, this time to stay for a while. I was to be on the land the 19th of June 1907. 1 got a light wagon and covered it and started out with a good team. I got to Miller the first day, 2nd day Rea Heights and landed at Pierre the 3rd day, took the boat out to Ft. Pierre stayed all night there and started out the next day at noon, was 2 1/2 days getting to Frank Bloodgoods on, Lake Flat. Arrived there the 7th of June 1907. 1 ate my meals with them as my shack was only about 40 rods from their house. They had a ball team going so I joined and we played ball with Wall and Quinn and several other clubs. Sometimes there was a little rain but we had lots of fun until harvest. August Ist I came back home to help harvest my crop I had put out before I started west, and helped my folks and my other brother. I went back west sometime the first part of October. I went back to Huron again around Christmas time for a while but I returned to finish my time and proved up 2nd day of March 1908. 1 paid 50c per acre and finally got a patent for the land signed by Pres. Theo. Roosevelt. A few years later I sold this land to a man named Helms. In closing let me say I had enjoyed all this work and experience, I had met many friendly people. Fifty years later I visited this Lake Flat farm and here I found a fine modern home owned by the same Helms family. Claud Goodsell and Family by Virginia Parris Our father Claud Goodsell, was born in Austin, Minn. on Nov. 4, 1876. He was the eighth child of nine children, born to Adam and Lucinda Goodsell. While a small boy, his parents moved to a farm north of O'Neill, Neb. where he grew to manhood. His parents were laid to rest near their home. I (Virginia) and my youngest daughter Ila Ann visited these graves on our way home from Chicago in 1961. Our mother, Amanda May Madison, was born at Laurel" Neb. on Jan. 8, 1883. She was the second child of twelve children born to Henry and Jane Madison. They lived here until 1900. At this time they moved to a farm north of O'Neill which was previously owned by fathers parents. Her parents were laid to rest at Laurel, Neb. Our mother and father were married in this beautiful home on Sept. 6, 1902, and moved to a farm near by where they lived until 1907. A creek ran through this place. It had very rich farm land and a beautiful meadow. They farmed and raised many nice horses. But after two years in a row of being hailed out and the buildings badly damaged, they decided to take a homestead in South Dakota. Father, Will Dartt and Jess Benson, left O'Neill in 1907 with their horses and wagons and drove through to Wall where each decided on a home. Father purchased a homestead from Clara Bedford which was about nine miles Northwest of Wall. Wall was just getting its start at this time. There was a general store, hotel, livery stable, post office, lumber yard, and a, saloon. In October of that year, Mother and we four children came by train to join father in our new home. They worked hard and developed this place into a very prosperous farm. Father raised grain and also raised and sold horses. Mother always raised a large garden and did a lot of canning which provided the family with food throughout the winter. Father dug a well about half a mile from the house and he had to haul the water from it. We children attended the Cedar Butte school which still stands on the Northwest corner of the homestead. Two of the teachers were Ed Dartt and Della Bedford. The year of 1911 was very disappointing to father and mother. They planted their fields and garden, but due to lack of rains, nothing grew. Discouraged and disappointed, they decided to return to Nebraska. Father making the trip by horse and wagon, mother and we children going by train. Rains came in the late summer, but our parents had already left, so the neighbors cut the oats for hay and made use of the garden. While in Nebraska, we children attended school in O'Neill. That fall and winter, father bailed and hauled hay. In the spring of 1912, our parents decided to return to South Dakota to their homestead. Father returned by horse and wagon and once again, mother and we children came by train. When father reached White River, he found it very high and swift from the spring rains. He had to swim the horses across and almost lost his prize mare. While living here they had a few good years in farming. Father dug a deep well near the house and put an end to the chore of hauling water. To my knowledge, this well has never been pumped dry. Some of the neighbors who lived near the folks on their homestead were, Will and John Kitterman, Charlie Cullars, Polly's (who lived in a sod house), Otto Alf and his sister, John Moler, Mike O'Donnell, Ed and Will Dartt. One night while we were living on the homestead our parents had quite a scare. Father was eating a lunch before going to bed when he heard an awful scream, It sounded like a woman screaming. Father quickly opened the door and slammed it just as quickly shut again. There was a panther in the road near the house. For entertainment, the neighbors took turns holding dances in their homes and everyone from miles around came by horse and buggy. Their music was supplied by certain guest. Everyone brought their children and had a wonderful time. Every year on July 10, Wall celebrated its anniversary. There was always a rodeo, besides other entertainment. Rain or shine every one for miles around came and celebrated. The town would be full of horse and buggies, and saddle horses. A good time was enjoyed by all. In 1914, the folks sold their homestead and bought land about ten miles further north on the Cheyenne River Breaks. Here they had more farm land to work with, And also the folks had a large dairy herd. It consisted of twenty-two cows. All of us children old enough to milk helped with it. It was taken to Wall by team and buggy to be sold. It was on this place a baby brother, Leonard, died. He was laid to rest in the Wall cemetery. He was only a few months old. Father and we older children put up hay on the O. S. O. Ranch near the Cheyenne River. During the haying season we camped there leaving mother and the smaller children home to take care of the farm and dairy herd. It was while they lived here father lost an eye in an accident. He was never one to want sympathy or pity. When ever anyone would offer any he would say, "Oh hell I see more with one eye than I should anyway." We children attended the Sunnyside School. We rode horseback or drove a team and buggy. It was about three miles. There are humorous memories as well as the more serious ones. One of the more humorous ones concerns the first car father bought about this time. He traded four of his very best horses for a Metz car he knew very little about. He drove into town one day, and it didn't seem to be running right, so he drove it to the Lee Dickson Garage and said to Lee, "It isn't running right." Lee said, "I think there is something wrong with the carburetor." Father immediately replied, "Carburetor Hell, there isn't a carburetor on it." In 1918, the folks bought one hundred head of steers which we drove out from Wall on horseback. In April of 1919, one of the worst blizzards occurred. It started getting stormy looking in the afternoon and I remember father telling me to round up all the cattle I could find as fast as possible. By the next morning it was one of the worst blizzards ever, and it lasted two or three days. When it finally ended, we rode over the tops of fences hunting for horses and cattle. We found twenty-seven head of cattle and father's favorite saddle horse dead. In 1920 they sold this ranch and bought a farm joining the Tom Parkins place. We lived on the Mooney Place until a house was built and a well dug. Father also built a dam to water the stock. We children attended the Pleasant View School and the Creighton Baptist Church. The minister was Reverend Wind. While living here the folks raised some wonderful crops. In 1923 we picked 1600 bushels of corn. During these early years, mother often served as a midwife throughout the country. It was hard to get a Doctor, as it was so far to town and usually the Doctor was busy or out on calls. In 1926, the folks moved to the Franklin place. It is now owned by Emil, Kjerstad Jr. By the time the folks moved here, three of us children had married. I was now Mrs. Harry Parris, my sister Beatrice was Mrs. Press Pierce, and my brother Clarence had married May Mollisch, who taught the school that my younger brothers and sisters attended. While living here father was severely gored by a bull. It had been raised as a pet and was considered very gentle. While father was putting the halter on to lead him to the buyer, it got made and gored him in the stomach. If my younger brother hadn't been there, the bull would have killed him. Carrol got him away from father. He was taken to the hospital in New Underwood where the Doctor said he wouldn't live through the night. The family was called to his bedside. It wasn't long before father began improving. He was in the hospital several weeks before he could come home. He immediately began doing his own work. He was a very hard worker and wasn't happy unless he was busy. From the Franklin Place, the folks moved into Quinn, S.D. where they spent most of their remaining years. The younger children attended grade and high school in Quinn. Father always grew a large garden and mother had some of the prettiest flowers in town. They were used for many different occasions. I am sure if Quinn had held a flower show, mother would have received the blue ribbon. She so enjoyed working with her flowers. In 1942 , the folks moved to a little place near Custer, S.D. Their youngest son lived with them and worked at Custer. Father and mother raised a large garden and lots of chickens. I and my family lived close by as also did their oldest son Clarence and his family. The folks were very happy here and loved their little home in the country. By now they had three sons Earl, Russel, and Carrol, and two grandsons, William Parris and Paul Goodsell serving in World War II. In 1945, the folks moved back to Quinn near their daughter, Grace and her family. Here they spent the remainder of their lives. The folks loved company and nothing pleased them more than to have old neighbors and friends drop in for a visit. Father enjoyed playing cards and was always ready for, "a couple hands of pitch." In June of 1952, the folks celebrated early their "Golden Wedding Anniversary" at the home of their son Clarence. It was a thrilling occasion for them. Four of the children, Bernice, Earl, Faye, and Margaret were unable to attend. Father and mother looked forward to the visits from their children, and so enjoyed having their grandchildren around them. They now had many grandchildren and several great grandchildren. They raised another grandson Donnie, who lived with them until their passing away. He was a great joy to them and brought them much happiness. Father remained in good health until his sudden death on March 2, 1959. Mother had been in failing health the last years of her life. She passed away November 9, 1959. They are both laid to rest in the Wall Cemetery next to their small son Leonard and their daughter Beatrice. (who had passed away in 1943.) There are nine living children, they are: Virginia, Mrs. Harry Parris, lives at Sanator, S.D. working as a nurses's aid at the Custer State Hospital. Clarence lives at Pringle, S.D. with his wife May, who runs a cafe and gas station. Earl married to the former Violet Willey, lives in Gleenwood Springs, Colorado. He has a farm and drives a school bus. Margaret, Mrs. Mae Me 'Ginn, lives in Rapid City, S.D. and has Mc'Ginn's Cafe, in Sturgis, S.D. Fay, Mrs. Art Peltonen, lives at Butte, Mont. Her husband is a miner. Bernice, Mrs. Chapell, lives in Wall, and works at the Wall Drug Store. Grace, wife of County Commissioner, Walter Fischer, also lives in Wall. Russel married to the former Ruth Bergamn, lives in Hill City, S.D. where they operate the Hill City cafe and he also works for Kiewit Construction Co. Carrol married to the former Juanita Snell, lives in Hill City, S.D. Works for C. W. Anderson Forrest Products. Three of the children have passed away: Leonard passed away while a small baby. Beatrice passed away while living in Minn. leaving three young children and her husband. Bonnie passed away while living in Las Vegas, Nevada on Jan. 20, 1963. She was married to Tom Brennon. She is laid to rest there. [Photo - Mother & Father Bonnie, Virginia, Beatrice & Clarence taken at the homestead in 1909] [Photo - Clarence, Earl & Margaret Goodsell At the Homestead] [Photo - The Creighton Baptist Church Mr. & Mrs. Tom Parkins. Clarence, Earl, Margaret & Fay Goodsell, others unknown.] [Photo - Mother and Father at Golden Wedding. Six of us children, twenty-one grandchildren, seven grandchildren and inlaws.] [Photo - Taken at the homestead Clarence, Virginia, Beatrice, Bonnie, Earl, Fay & Margaret.] [Photo - Margaret, Clarence, Bonnoe, Grace, Carrol, Berneice, Virginia, Mother, Father. Taken in Quinn Hospital.] [Photo - Mother & Father at their golden wedding in 1952] St. Paul Lutheran Church in Peno Basin Mrs. Rose Denke In early homestead days of 1906-1910 homesteaders came from Hutchinson County and many emigrants from Germany and Russia, all of whom were German descendants. They were all God fearing and loving people and were of Lutheran denomination. They would gather at homestead homes where Jacob Geigle, an elderly man, or Gustav Willuweit, who were Lutheran school teachers, would read some words of Scripture and sing songs, as they all were good singers and loved to sing their German songs. In the summer of 1907 a missionary pastor from Philip, visited the area and conducted services once a month as he traveled with a team of horses. Then in the summer of 1910 the Rev. Richard Shamber helped organize a congregation and then they built this little church, just northeast of Jacob Geigle's house on his land. Also the same summer Mr. Geigle's daughter, Mrs. G. Reib, died in childbirth, so they started a cemetery near the church, and up to the present time some 20 grown and small babies were buried in this cemetery. The charter members of the St. Paul's Lutheran Church were Jacob Geigle, Sr., John Denke, Gustav Willuweit, E. H. Helms, William Rippert, August Denke, Jacob Geigle, Jr., Jonas Huber, George Schuler. The first Elders were G. Reib, Gustav Willuweit, John Denke, and E. H. Helms. Many younger men of the congregation built the church, as money was not so plentiful in those days. Also a house for the pastor was moved and repaired next to the church. A number of pastor serviced this congregation. They were Schamber, Schwarting, Schaeffer, Klienhans, Eggert, Kraft, Dubbe, Predoehl, and Kieschnick. During Rev. Schaeffer days, World War I broke out and the church suffered a hardship when Germans were not allowed in the U.S.A. and German service was only preached here. With the help of God and willing Rev. Schaeffer went from house to house with team and buggy and read the gospel to his people in their homes, because of a general fear of assembly as a large group of KuKlux Klanners were burning crosses and threatening the German citizens. This kept the congregation going until after the war. During Rev. Eggert's days came "Prohibition Days" when they could not get wine for Holy Communion. With the help of God, two members, William Peppert and E. H. Helms went and got some wine from Father Connolly, the Catholic Priest, as the Catholic's were able to get wine. We had Holy Communion on Good Friday before Easter. This showed willingness and trusting in God and so this congregation still pushed on through all these difficulties. Next came Rev. Kraft when the congregation enlarged the house for the pastor, as his family needed the room. Then came the drought and 1930's and everything stood still, no money anywhere. But Rev. Kraft with his family stayed, and lived like the rest of the congregation. He got very little money, but members always brought food, such as meat, cream, eggs, wood, corn cobs, so he had food and fuel. Trusting God, times did get better, Rev. Kraft served this congregation 13 long years. In Kraft's time, when times got better the Ladies Aid gave dinners and with the men raised money and added 10 feet to the church in 1942 and made a very nice looking church. In the summer of 1949 the congregation celebrated their 40th anniversary with 18 of the original members of the church still here., In the year of 1946 the Rev. Dubbe moved to Wall where he also served a new congregation which was larger than St. Paul's at Quinn. Our congregations was getting smaller because of the new means of travel, better roads, and better cars. In the winter of 1658 St. Paul Lutheran Church closed its doors as only 12 members and their families were still here. The members went to Creighton and Wall. The last elders of. St. Paul's church were H. A. Denke, William Geigle, and Wm. Diewitz. In the spring of 1959 the church and parish house were sold at an auction sale. Reinhold Denke bought the church and moved it to his ranch where he uses it for a warehouse and Edwin Sieler bought and moved the parsonage to his ranch in Peno Basin. This Lutheran Church had served the community for 48 years.