Text of Ziebach Co., SD History (1982) - pages 600 - 620 This file is the text of the book, "South Dakota's Ziebach County, History of the Prairie", published in 1982 by the Ziebach County Historical Society, Dupree, SD Permission to publish this book in electronic form was given by Jackie Birkeland, member of the Historical Committee. This book is copyright, 1982 by the Ziebach County Historical Society, Dupree, SD. Scanning and OCR by Terri Tosh , final editing by Joy Fisher, . GEORGE SUNDSRUD Mr. Sundsrud came by mule team to this area from Minnesota in 1911 and settled on his homestead south of Redelm in Ziebach County. Later Mrs. Sundsrud and three children came by train to join him. They were members of the Lutheran Church. The Sundsrud chilren are as follows: Mrs. Ed Stensaas, Mrs. Samson Jordal, Amanlda Sundsrud, Mrs. Ed Potter, Bennie Sundsrud, and Ole Sundsrud. GEORGE STURGIS taken from the Faith Country book In the summer of 1892, we immigrated from Woonsocket, South Dakota out west to old Leslie, South Dakota. This was at the mouth of Plum Creek across the Cheyenne River, opposite Harvey Robinson's Indian Trading Post, which is now Cherry Creek Station. I went to school at the Riggs Mission with Bain Maupin. He and I were the only white scholars there with about 20 or 25 Indian children. In 1905, at the age of 14 years, I started riding for the NSS owned by Narcisse Narcelle, who was one of the richest men in the country at that time. After one summer, I rode for the Diamond A Cattle Company. Captain Mossman was the general manager. Ernst Eidson was range manager and wagon boss. Then I was foreman for the Box 7 Ranch on Morphodite Creek near Hayes, South Dakota. About 1908, homesteaders got so thick that I had to move the cattle to the Burt Butler Ranch near Faith. It was then I became acquainted with Ethel Bowne and married her. Billie Circle Eagle said, "The little cowboy, George Sturgis, married up with the 'Honyocker' girl, Ethel Bowne." LUCY SWAN Lucy High Pine Swan, or Grandma Lucy as she was affectionately called by everyone, was born on April 14, 1900, on the Rosebud Reservation. She grew up there and at the age of 18 she married James Xavier Swan, a Cheyenne River Sioux who was then 36 years old. She said her husband came after her on horseback and that on the return trip they rode past way in a buggy, then on the mail stage from Midland to the Cheyenne River, and then by boat to Cherry Creek. She lived the remainder of her years on the Cheyenne River Reservation. Mrs. Swan passed away at her home in Cherry Creek on September 27, 1981 at the age of 81. James and Lucy made their home west of Cherry Creek, where they had 10 children, three of whom are still living. Besides her housekeeping chores, Lucy helped with cutting and hauling hay and fencing and many tasks necessary to keep a place in the country running smoothly. James was a tribal policeman and Lucy had to keep things going alone many times. James died in 1953 and Lucy moved into Cherry Creek Station to be closer to family and friends. Here she was active in Catholic Church work, and organized the Mother's Club through the American Legion. She lived to see many changes in the living conditions of the people in this community, changes in education, road building, modern facilities such as electric lights and running water. She remembered everything that happened in her environment and liked to visit about it. Her home was always open to everyone and whenever she greeted a child or there was a tear on one's cheek, she could always manage to pull a cookie out of her apron pocket for them. Lucy stayed very busy in her home raising chickens, sewing and beading, baking and doing household chores. Her 16 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren were usually close, besides her children, Erskine Swan, Shirley Keith and Madonna Abdalla. Her eldest son, Manuel, passed away March 19, 1981, preceding his mother by only six months. Lucy liked to dance and sing. She always volunteered to sing honor songs at receptions, funerals or gatherings. She offered sound advice when called upon to speak, pleading for youth to lead honorable and clean lives. She was baptized into the Catholic faith at the age of 12 and lived that faith staunchly. Her children were educated in Catholic schools. For 32 consecutive years Lucy attended the Indian Catholic Congresses throughout the state of South Dakota as a delegate from St. Joseph's Catholic Church at Cherry Creek. In 1971 the American Indian Research Project through the University of South Dakota did a personal interview with Lucy at her home in Cherry Creek. Since that time she was in demand as a lecturer at colleges and high schools where she would speak on Indian culture, much to the interest and enjoyment of many. Many sought her knowledge, remembrances and advice through visits to her home. She was chosen first NAIWA (North American Indian Women's Association) Indian Woman of the Year in 1973. The American Legion Post #308 presented Lucy with a plaque in recognition of her many years of service to the Gold Star Mother's Club, as a co-founder in 1946. Lucy lost a son, Kermit, in World War II. In 1976, Father Stanislaus from Blue Cloud Abbey at Hale's Corners, Wisconsin, made a documentary film of Lucy's life. Lucy broke her hip in a fall during the winter of 1979 and spent three weeks in the hospital. But following that, she returned to her home where she had no running water and used a wood stove, which she preferred to moving to a new house. She lived an active, full life, surrounded by family and friends, until the last days of life. [photo - Lucy Swan] SAM A. and JESSIE B. TALBOTT Sam A. and Jessie B. Talbott came to Ziebach County in 1916, settling southeast of Dupree. The Talbott's were originally both from Iowa. Sam was born March 1, 1867 at Charlton, Iowa and spent his early boyhood there. As a young man, he and his parents moved to Walnut, Iowa, where he finished his education. In 1894 he moved to Macedonia, Iowa, where he met and married Jessie B. Smith on August 29, 1896. They had one daughter, Cecil Blanche, who died at the age of four. In 1911 the Talbott's moved to Brown County, South Dakota, where they lived until they moved to Ziebach County in 1916. For some years they ranched southeast of Dupree. Old timers may remember the barn dances they had in those early days. Some years later, they moved northwest of Dupree where they farmed. Mrs. Talbott taught school for a number of years in Ziebach County schools. They retired during the thirties. They moved to Dupree where they built a small house on Lot 7, Block 37 (where Alice Shannon now lives). Mr. Talbott belonged to the Odd Fellow Lodge and went through all the Chairs. He died at the Pierre Hospital on February 10, 1940 at the age of 72 years. Mrs. Talbott (born August 30, 1867) died February 24, 1941. TALKS by Blaine Clown After the Wounded Knee massacre, two brothers that returned to the Bridger area were Talks About Him and Standing Elk. Standing Elk's daughter, Ellen, was the wife of Black Moon. James Talks About Him married Nancy Knife, a daughter of Louis and Louise Knife. The Talks children were: George, Pete/Red Leaf, Charlie and Agnes/Book. They grew up near the mouth of Flint Rock Creek on the Moreau River. Big cattle ranches had moved into this area, such as the 73 Ranch, about two miles east of the Talks, and Lemmon's Ranch near the mouth of Black Horse Creek. George Talks, the oldest, would ride for these outfits during roundup time as would the two younger brothers. One time when Pete Talks went out after the horses, just after sunrise, he came upon a pack of wolves sunning themselves. He decided to try and rope one and took after the one that headed out for open country. Pete roped it once and the wolf snapped the rope, so he made another loop and this time he choked it to death. He went back and told everyone he roped a wolf, but no one would believe him. He had to take them over to see it. Another time, a relative came to visit from Pine Ridge. He would say he was going to get wood and he would take the wagon and go. When he came back, he always had some meat -- a calf or a yearling cow. One time Pete followed him. The relative went to where some cows were and he unharnessed his team. He fixed a rope and then he rode one horse among the cattle and cut out the one he wanted. He roped it and then cut its throat. Pete watched and pretty soon this relative had loaded the calf or yearling on the wagon and then covered it with firewood. Pete's grandmother was always happy to get the fresh meat. She was skinning it out as three riders approached -- the 73 boss and two cowboys. Just then she had flipped the calf over and its 73 brand was showing. The grandmother had someone talk to them in English and tell them she'd sent the relative for meat because she was hungry. The boss man laughed and said, "That's okay, Grandma. When you need meat, just help yourself.” A couple of weeks later, at about dusk, this relative decided to return to Pine Ridge. They told him, "Just wait and go in the morning". But he said, "No, it is nice to travel at night. It is cooler." So he went. That next fall he came back and he was on a fancy Appaloosa horse. The 73 boss wanted that horse and he tried every way he could to get it. Finally the boss offered him $300.00 for that horse. The relative took the money and left that night. The next day, the boss came back on the Appaloosa horse, he showed them how that brand had been changed and underneath it was really a 73. So that was why that guy had left at night that time. He'd had that horse. They finally caught him, but they had a hard time because he was hiding in the Badlands. They took him to Deadwood and tried him there. Pete Talks saw him one more time. One time a cowboy of the 73 dislocated his hip. Pete went with Fred Allison and his wife, Alice, when they took the cowboy to Deadwood. They fixed a sling in a wagon and kept him drunk. They had to go slowly because he was in a lot of pain. It took them three days. They went in the wagon to Sturgis, then by train to Deadwood. There Pete saw the relative from Pine Ridge. He was standing on a scaffolding. They had him washing windows. Some time later, he fell from a scaffolding and broke his neck. Meanwhile, Fred gambled and lost all the money for their return on the train to Sturgis and he had to sell a very fancy porcupine quill vest to get money for their return home. Fred Allison and his wife lived northwest of Flint Rock Creek, on the Moreau River. After his wife died, Allison left the area and was not heard of again. When the Talks children got married, they all moved to their own allotments to start their own families. Pete Talks married Mary Traversie Dupris and moved west of Iron Lightning. George Talks married a Cheyenne called Mary or Cheyenne Woman. Charlie Talks married Dora Iron Lightning. Agnes Talks married Paul Widow and moved to Ash Creek. MARY TRAVERSIE DUPRIS TALKS HAMPTON INSTITUTE STUDENT Mary Traversie was born in 1870. Before she was eight years old, the family had moved to Fort Bennett, the army post on the Missouri River close to the place where the Cheyenne River enters it. It was shortly after this that representatives from General Armstrong's school at Hampton, Virginia, came to Fort Bennett to induce Indian children to enroll in this school, originally established by the benevolent General Armstrong for the education of negroes and later enlarged to include Indians. Mary said that she was sent by her parents and was there for four years without one visit to her home and family. At the end of the four years, she came home for three months. She enjoyed her visit at home, but when she was asked to go back, she quite willingly went, this time, for another four years. Two other sisters and one brother also went to Hampton. Mary describes the life at Hampton School as very pleasant. The Indian girls lived in a dormitory called Winona Lodge and the boys had their own building. The government seems to have had the supervision of the Indians, to what extent is not clear from her story. The instruction received was traditional book learning and a great amount of emphasis was placed on religious training. However, practical effect was given to their education by placing responsibility for certain details upon the pupils. Each pupil laundered and mended his own clothes (at least the girls did) and had to present themselves every Friday for inspection. Sewing was also taught to the girls. Mary felt that this was a good sort of education. She had great respect for her former teachers and said of General Armstrong, "He was a good man". It is interesting to note that while at Hampton, Mary knew Booker T. Washington and wife, who were associated with the school. At sixteen, after eight years in Hampton, she came back to Fort Bennett, where she worked in the laundry of the Boy's School for about a year. In 1886, realizing the need for education in the field, the government had established the first Day School on the Cheyenne River Reservation. This was a frame building located on Plum Creek, several miles south of the present site of Cherry Creek (south of the Cheyenne River, opposite the mouth of Cherry Creek). A Mrs. Williams (a Santee), and Virginia Traversie, Mary's aunt, started this school. When Virginia resigned, the superintendent at Fort Bennett asked Mary to take her place. Later, Mrs. Williams resigned and the whole school was turned over to Mary. This must have been a difficult assignment for she was only seventeen, and she had thirty-six pupils, most of whom were beginners. Reports of the superintendent to the Commissioner of Indian Affairs state that Mary performed her work very satisfactorily. Quarters were furnished at the school, and another girl served as housekeeper, serving the noonday meal, consisting of plain ration food. In 1890, the school was moved across the Cheyenne River to Cherry Creek. During the summer, Mary Traversie married Edward Dupris, also French-Indian, but she continued to teach school for another year. It was during this year that so many bands of Indians were moving restlessly about. It was the year of the Ghost Dance. Mary Talks remembered well the terror of those days at school, and of them she said, "Those were dreadful times." Harold Shunk has written that, "Mary Talks gave me a very vivid picture of the Ghost Dance at Cherry Creek. They danced across the creek west of the present station, on a large flat. It was late in the fall, the air was very crisp, with heavy frost on the ground. Quite some distance away, one could hear the shuffling of many moccasined feet on the frost covered earth. Much wailing, shouting and bursts of song could be heard at frequent intervals. Mary attended several of these dances. She related how the people would hold hands shuffling forward and sideways, hour after hour without food or water, until finally they fell from sheer exhaustion. Others, who weren't dancing, carried them away and placed them in their tipis, where they slept and had their visions. One man related his vision was that another earth would cover this earth, much like you would spread a huge carpet, only it was a layer of earth, which would cover the white man. The Indian would be left and all the buffalo and game would return as it was before. The next man told of his vision. He had a vision of going to heaven. As he was walking in heaven, he saw a large black dog wandering around. As he came closer to the dog, he discovered it was not a dog, but the Farmer, Narcelle. Another said that his vision was that he was in heaven, also, and he saw the deceased children, walking aimlessly about crying. This vision upset the entire group. Mary said that she had never in all her life seen anything, before or since, which completely unnerved a group of people. The wailing could be heard for miles. Old timers said these terrifying sounds spread up and down the Cheyenne River valley on clear, still, crisp evenings. Another man came forward with his vision. He related that all the wind on earth had been placed in his right hand. Mrs. Talks said the old gentlemen, Iron Lightning and Brown Thunder, came in the evenings and stayed with them for protection. The Indians had much respect for these two men, because they could be relied upon for their ability and integrity. The government closed the school for a couple or three years, as the Ghost Dance was too much competition to try to run a school at this time." According to Amy Talks Clown, her grandmother (Mary's mother), having just lost one of her young children, came to stay with Mary at the school, and the crying and wailing of the Ghost Dancers was quite upsetting to her. The people said that when the blanket of earth came to cover the white man, only Indian children with eagle feathers tied in their hair would be able to go into this new world. Mothers made certain that their children always had their feathers. All this occurred at a time when many Indian bands were restless and moving about. They chafed at government supervision and at settled reservation life and were highly excitable. Rumors were rampant at Cherry Creek. It was reported that the Standing Rock Indians were on the war path and were coming toward Cherry Creek. Later, it was said that the Big Foot band was coming, too. Law-abiding and peaceful people were frightened, so they moved to Fort Bennett to the protection of the army. With them went Mary Dupris, for teaching under this strain was difficult and Mary had resigned. As the reader knows, the Standing Rock and Big Foot bands did arrive at Cherry Creek and were joined by some of the Cherry Creek Indians. Many continued toward Pine Ridge Reservation where the battle of Wounded Knee was fought in 1890. But that is another story. To return to the story, Mary Traversie Dupris remained at Fort Bennett until the danger was over, and lived for a while north of the Cheyenne River between Cherry Creek and Fort Bennett (the area of the Dupris families). In the following years, she taught one year at On the Tree School. In 1907 and 1908, she taught the government school at Green Grass, where her sister, Edna, served as housekeeper with her. This was her last connection with government schools. From then on, she seems to have been pretty busy with her family. From “History of Iron Lightning School and Community” by Myron G. Armstrong, teacher, February of 1941, found in “Notes from the Service”, a scrapbook by Leona Johnson, teacher (both unpublished); an article by Harold Shunk; and an interview with Amy Clown. [photo - Mary Talks (on right)] THE TAYLOR'S by Paul "Hank" Taylor My dad used to work in the harvest fields of Washington and their route would take him through the Dakota's. Remembering how much he had liked South Dakota, he vowed to return one day to live. So in 1923, Mom, Dad, their belongings and five kids -- Hazel, Millie, Mose, Jr., Crystal, and Paul -- came to Dupree in a boxcar. Gladys and Lorraine were born after my parents settled in Dupree. Dad knew a Mr. John Hammond and had gotten letters from him with reports of the great hunting in this area. Since Dad and Uncle Lafe hunted for a living in Illinois, the prospect of a lot of wild game further convinced them that they should move to South Dakota. I still own the shotgun used by my dad; Uncle Lafe once told me that he'd seen my dad kill fifty quail with fifty shots. John Hammond's place was near the Thunder Butte Station, and it wasn't long before we became friends with him and many Indian families living along the Moreau River. The Mose Red Bird family, Amos Clown's, Howard Elk Nation's, Henry Stricker's, and the Robert Straight Head's were but a few of our neighbors. There were also lots of home steaders in the area. Sofus Brams, Pete Sorenson, Denver Tidball, George and Fred Pesicka, Henry Burgee, and Claude Main also became our good friends as well as helpful neighbors. Our first school was the Hanneman School, taught by Mrs. Joseph Hayes. The High Point School was built later and Mrs. Henry (Laura) Burgee was my first teacher. Other brave teacher "troops" were Mrs. Erma S. Hurst, Moody Drummond, Esther Ellis, Bob Frederick, and Mrs. Place. While I was growing up, Dad worked for many different ranchers and my mother worked as midwife among the neighbor women. She would be gone for as long as two weeks. Hazel, Millie and Crystal were the cooks in her absence and it is still my belief that Millie was the world's best fudge maker! Rodeos were a common form of entertainment and at Thunder Butte the "rodeo arena” was the banks of the Moreau River. No matter how wild the horses, I don't recall ever hearing of or seeing a horse go over the river banks. We always kept a few horses that could buck and Lester and Edwin Maynard, Chauncey Johnson, Henry Red Bear, Jim Clown, Bones Ashton, Joe Roach and many others made up the contestant's list at those little rodeos. Thomas Braves Alone, Joe High Elk, B. J. Miracle, Ed Pressler, Ralph Carter, L. Bentley, Bill Ewing and several others were on hand to cheer them on. We kids looked forward to the Thunder Butte Rodeo and Fair almost as much as Christmas. In anticipation of actually being there, we'd sit on the hill above our place and count as many as one hundred teams and wagons on their way to Thunder Butte. Another big holiday was Memorial Day, which was also Dad's birthday. We rode horseback over to the Clown Cemetery, three miles east of Thunder Butte, for Memorial Day services. Moses Clown was killed in action during World War I. Picnics, baseball games, foot races, swimming and fishing were all held near the Moreau River Bridge. The Moreau River was once heavily covered with timber and underbrush, and swimming our horses across was the big challenge of our day. We learned to swim by hanging on to the cows' tails as they swam across. Us kids would trap gophers, magpies and crows to get the nickel apiece reward to be used for still another festive occasion -- the Dupree Rodeo and Fair. During one particular rodeo in Dupree, my brother-in-law won the bronc riding, Millie won the cowgirl's horse race and Budge (Mose, Jr.) won a horse race; we all won something in the street sports and our very proud family took home two hundred dollars that year! Winters were spent at home and going to school. Dad and Uncle Lafe would start their trap line in the fall and it would take one of them all day to check the traps on their route. Nights were spent playing cards, making candy, and family sing-a-longs. My mother and dad were my favorite singers and whenever I hear the lyrics to that popular song, "Daddy sang bass, Mamma sang tenor", I'm reminded of the fun we had and the long winter nights. My parents were a hardy pair and quite handy in preserving foods, making soap and helping to tend the sick. I regret that I never asked my dad how he smoked the meat and made the big crocks of dill pickles. I don't recall any of us going to a doctor either. My parents took us with them wherever they went, and when we didn't mind our manners, Mother used the butter paddle, and Dad's favorite form of discipline was the razor strap. My older sisters and brothers got to go to the local dances -- the best part of all that was watching the girls get ready. They'd curl their hair using a curling iron heated by the old kerosene lamps and I saw them use red crepe paper for lipstick. What they wouldn't go through just to go to a dance! Our place was sold in 1935, and I went to work trailing cattle for Ed Pressler and Harold Alspach. There was a bad drought at that time, and what didn't dry up, the grasshoppers got. Dad died in 1960 and my mother is now 95 years old! Hazel went to Casper, Wyoming when she was eighteen years old, married Frank Kusel, and worked in a large department store there for many years. Millie was married to Jack Wheeler and they lived in Long Beach, California. Of their large family, three of their sons are on the police force in Long Beach. Millie and Jack died within six months of each other. Budge (Mose, Jr.) went to Grand Coulee, Washington when he left Ziebach County. He was a professional fighter until he was injured. He worked on several large projects as a steel worker until he retired in 1980. He married Hazel Buyer and they have three children. He now lives in Waitsburg, Washington. Skip (Crystal) married Ron Garside; he is a retired highway patrolman and they live in Long Beach. Happy (Gladys) moved to Casper, Wyoming and finished school. She moved to California and married Edwin Olson, a commercial fisherman. She, too, lives in Long Beach. Rainy (Lorraine) married Thomas McDuffy and lives in Long Beach. They have two sons and she is a hostess in downtown Long Beach. I married Stella Ochsner and we spent several years in California before moving back to South Dakota. We spent five years on the ranch and our two children, Terry and Cheryl, were born there. Stella has been a teacher in the Dupree School system for thirty-two years and I've been the Ziebach County Sheriff for twenty-eight years. Cheryl is married to Jerry Marx and both she and Terry live in the Black Hills. I plan to retire one of these days and I can't think of a better place to live than right here in Dupree -- home of the finest people in the world! [photo - Mose, Zella and Lorraine Taylor, 1929] [photo - Lafe Taylor] [photo - The Mose Taylor Children: Hazel, Millie, Mose, Crystal, Hank, Gladys and Lorraine] [photo - Hank, Stella, Terry and Cheryl Taylor, 1955] CARL and CLARA TE POEL by Violet Maciejewski Carl Herman Te Poel was born August 5, 1883 in Cedar Bluffs, Nebraska. He attended school there and at the age of 14 left Nebraska on horseback for Montana, where he worked for the XIT Cattle Company. He later moved to North Dakota, where he worked for the H.T. Horse Company at Hettinger, North Dakota. Carl came to South Dakota in 1900 and settled in the Rabbit Creek area. In 1914 he moved to Irish Creek, southwest of Isabel. He built his house, barn, corrals, etc, on this place. He lived on this ranch until 1944. Carl became a field representative for the livestock loan department of the Stockyards National Bank of St. Paul, Minnesota in 1919. Carl and Lulu Yates were married on horseback at the ranch. They had one son, Lee. He now lives in Carbondale, Colorado. Lulu died during the 1918 influenza epidemic. June 5, 1923, Carl married Clara Ethel Njos at the home of her parents, Olaus and Anne Nos. Clara was born February 28, 1901 in Lake Benton, Minnesota. When just a baby, the family journeyed across Minnesota in a covered wagon drawn by horses. They settled in Fosston, Minnesota. In the spring of 1911, the Njos family came by train to Isabel, and settled on 160 acres in Ziebach County west of Isabel. Clara graduated from Isabel High School and teacher's college. She taught numerous schools, including the Grondahl School. In 1918 Clara was a cook in the old Cheyenne Hotel operated by the Ludlou's in Timber Lake. Carl and Clara had eight children. Seven of them were born at home and the youngest in Dupree. They attended the Grondahl School. There are many fond memories of the Christmas programs, whist parties, end of the year picnics, etc. Everyone looked forward to the area schools getting together in the spring for the reading and spelling contests. The winners would compete in the county contest at Dupree. Each school was represented in the county chorus. The many exhibits were judged and given ribbons. Carl was treasurer of the school board for quite a number of years. They raised cattle, horses and later had a small band of sheep. Carl was a real good bronc buster and broke out numerous head of horses for himself as well as others. Branding was a community affair and it was nothing unusual for 25 men to enjoy Clara's homemade bread, steak and lemon pies for dinner. The family left the ranch in 1944 and moved to Dupree for a short time, while Carl was State Brand Board inspector. They moved to White Horse, where Carl was Boss Farmer for the Bureau of Indian Affairs. The family moved to Timber Lake in the fall so the children could attend school. During all of these moves, they had kept a couple of milk cows and saddle horses. There was no place to keep them in Timber Lake, so they had to be sold. Carl was night watchman in Timber Lake. He also worked for different ranchers in this area and later in Wyoming and surrounding areas. Clara was assistant primary teacher in the Timber Lake school in 1945. She also taught two years in Firesteel. Clara was Dewey County Register of Deeds for two terms and Dewey County Auditor for two terms. It was at this time the new courthouse was built and moved into. Clara spent her last years living with her children. She really enjoyed her grandchildren. Clara passed away February 7, 1967 at Pierre. Carl passed away September 18, 1968 at McLaughlin. Their children are: Mrs. William (Lilly) White, New Braunfels, Texas (deceased March 8, 1981); Mrs. John (Violet) Maciejewski, Timber Lake; Hugh Te Poel, Sioux City, Iowa; Mrs. Orlow (Julie) Eidam, Gettysburg; Mrs. Edward (Anne) Dollarhide, Timber Lake; Mrs. Aloysious (Charlotte) Goldade, Timber Lake; Mrs. Keith (Marie) Ozanne, Phoenix, Arizona; Mrs. Thomas (Carol) Warborg, St. Louis, Missouri. The date of this writing, there are 32 grandchildren and 20 great- grandchildren. CLINTON THOMAS FAMILY Clinton Paul Thomas was born at home near Dupree, South Dakota on January 14, 1926 to George William Thomas and Josephine Schaffer. He attended the Elm Creek country school and Dupree High School, graduating in 1946, after staying out a year to help on the family farm, as three of his brothers were in the service. The month after graduating from high school, he left for the U.S. Army and was stationed in Kentucky for some time, where he attended baking and cooking school. He spent is months in Korea and returned in the fall of 1947. He then helped at home and worked for the C.M. St. Paul and Pacific Railroad until January 1949, when he started working at the Central Lumber Company. Arlene Marie Alwin was born at home near Firesteel, South Dakota on April 14, 1927 to Paul Alwin and Antonia Kriech. She attended her first two years of school at the Olson School in Ziebach County, and then the Eagle Butte schools, where she graduated from high school in 1945. She worked at the Farmers State Bank in Dupree. She also gave piano lessons. Clinton and Arlene were married September 13, 1949 at All Saints Church in Eagle Butte, and to this union three children were born: JoAnn Marie on September 15, 1952; David Paul on December 7, 1954; and Daniel George and November 6, 1961. All three attended all their school years at Dupree schools. JoAnn graduated in 1970, attended Black Hills State College in Spearfish for one year, then married Donald Jordan of Faith, South Dakota. They have four children -- Christopher Don, Karen Marie, Mary Michelle and Michael Clinton. They live in Benton, Arkansas, where Don has his own ceramic tile business and JoAnn does volunteer work for their church and school. David has worked in the lumber yard during his school years, and then accepted the position of manager upon the death of his father in 1975. David also served on the town board, alumni association and Dupree Volunteer Fire Department. Daniel is attending South Dakota School of Mines and Technology in Rapid City, where he is majoring in mechanical engineering and also has his pilot's license. In 1949 Clinton and Arlene bought the house built by Dr. Creamer in 1918, which has been the family home since then. In 1961 they became part owner of Dupree Lumber and Supply when Central sold out, and Clinton continued as manager and was named president, a position he held until his death. Since that time Arlene has acted as president and bookkeeper of Dupree Lumber and continues to make her home in Dupree. [photo - Clinton Thomas family: David, JoAnn, and Daniel] [photo - Clinton and Arlene Thomas, September, 1949] HISTORY OF GEORGE WILLIAM THOMAS and FAMILY by Jean (Thomas) Capp My father, better known as "Bill" Thomas, married my mother, Josephine Schaefer, from Selby, South Dakota, and raised a family of eight children. They endured many hardships to keep food on the table and happiness and warmth within the home. Bill grew up in Walworth County near Glenham and Mobridge. Mother also grew up in Walworth County, near Selby. Bill and Josie were married on the 22nd of May, 1916, at Selby, South Dakota. They moved to Midland, South Dakota where he and his brother, Frank, bought the drayline and were engaged in the hauling business for about a year. They moved to Dupree in 1917, lived in and around this area the rest of their lives. They first lived on the Bailey place, formerly known as the Dupris place. They ranched at this place for three years. By this time they had three children, Willis, the oldest, then Bernice and Jean. They moved to the Harry Keller place in 1920. In the fall of 1919, they had one of the worst winters that the country had seen since homesteading began. Father said, "We had 2 feet of snow by the first of December, and it lasted until the following spring of 1920 before thawing." The Keller place was located about six miles northwest of Dupree. Some of the close neighbors living in this area were the Claude Maynards, Lou Taylors, Elmer Brammers, Ralph Carters, and James Pidcock families. Dennis, Duane, Stanley and Clinton were all born at this place with the assistance of the faithful Doctor Frank H. Creamer, who was the family doctor for years. We kids all went to the Lone Tree School. Our first teacher was Mr. Everett Reynolds, second teacher was Mrs. Everett Reynolds and third teacher there was Mrs. Martin Broberg. Willis, Bernice and Jean all graduated from the eighth grade there. We usually walked to school, which was about two miles when we cut across country. We rode horseback sometimes, but when the snow and cold weather came, we went in a bob-sled drawn by two horses. Father would put straw in the bottom of the box on the sled and we kids would sit on the straw and cover up with quilts to keep warm. Many times we would pick up Alice Taylor on the way. In the twenties, Father did some farming and also broke horses for riding and working in the fields. He had a pair of mules with which to cultivate corn. The neighbors all loaned and borrowed machinery to do the farming. By 1929, my father had purchased a tractor and a new threshing machine and did a lot of threshing for the neighbors in the country. The ladies would exchange help to do the cooking for the many men on the crew. My folks would have a country dance once in a while. Since they never had carpeted floors, it was easy enough to move all the furniture out of one or two rooms so they had room enough to dance. The neighbor ladies all brought sandwiches or cake and everyone enjoyed a lunch before returning home. From 1930 to about 1940, during the drought years, the government had an assistance program called W.P.A. This gave needy families a chance to work for wages on projects needed to improve the country. The dam building project was probably one of the best things that ever happened to Ziebach County. They used horses and slip scrapers to move the dirt. They hauled in rock to face the dams and spillways so they wouldn't wash away. My father played the violin by ear, and we had many enjoyable evenings listening to him play some of the beautiful old songs such as "Redwing", "Buffalo Gals", "My Blue Heaven", and "Turkey in the Straw". By the time Willis, Bernice and I had graduated from the eighth grade, it was time to move closer to Dupree so we could attend high school. In 1933 we moved to the Frank Riley place, which was located about 2 miles east of Dupree. Father rented this place for six years and bought the place in 1939. Some of the neighbors living close by here were the Fred Linns, George Tills, Albert Frankfurth's, and Vin Jeffries families. Dennis, Duane, Stanley and Clinton continued their education at the Elm Creek School, located about 2 miles east of the place. Their teachers were Lorene (Denton) Vance, Elizabeth (Weedman) Fitzgerald, Elfina (Birkeland) Njos and Lillian Birkeland. This school closed before the boys all graduated from the eighth grade, so they finished grade school at the Dupree school. In July of 1936 my youngest sister, Evelyn, was born. We were all very happy about this event. She added so much happiness to each of our lives. She went to the Dupree school all 12 years. When the U.S. declared war on Japan and Germany after the Pearl Harbor attack on December 7th, 1941, Dennis, Duane and Stanley all served in the Armed Forces. Dennis and Duane both enlisted in the navy and served in the Pacific area. Stanley enlisted in the army and was in one of the battalions that landed at Normandy. He was killed in action during the Battle of the Bulge in Germany in April, 1945. He was buried in France at one of the national cemeteries. A special memorial service was held later that summer for Stanley and another young man, Rick Farlee of Lantry, South Dakota, who also gave his life in the line of duty to his country. I worked at the rationing office at the Ziebach County Courthouse during the war, where many items were rationed such as sugar, canned foods, coffee, meat, shoes, tires and gasoline. Clinton served in the army during the Korean Conflict. Father and Mother moved to Dupree in 1952. Bill bought the old post office building on Main Street, and they lived in the back part and rented the front part to the government where it continued to be the post office for a few more years. After the Postal Department moved to the Oster Store, they remodeled the front part of their building and put in a beauty shop. Father continued to run the farm, commuting back and forth to Dupree. A few years later, he went into partnership with Willis to take care of the farm. This continued until his death in January of 1966. A year or so later, Mother purchased a small house on the east side of town and lived there until her death in July of 1976. Willis married Carol Anderson. She passed away in December of 1960. In later years he married Ruby Turgeon. At present Willis and Ruby live in Dupree. He still owns and operates the Thomas farm. Bernice married Charles Capp, and they live in Spearfish, South Dakota. I married Donno Capp and live on a ranch on the west side of Ziebach County. Dennis married Vivian Olson, they live at Deadwood, South Dakota. Duane married Alice Perkins. They live in Faith where they manage the Faith Lumber Company. Clinton married Arlene Alwin. He managed the Dupree Lumber Company until his death in January of 1975. His son, David, is managing this business with the help of Arlene as bookkeeper. Evelyn married Calvin Anderson. They live seven miles northeast of Dupree, where they are engaged in farming and ranching. [photo - Family of George and Josie Thomas. Back row: Duane, Willis, Dennie, Clinton. Front row: Evelyn, “Josie”, Bernice and Jean] [photo - Mr. and Mrs. George Thomas. 40th Anniversary, 1956. Dupree, South Dakota] [photo - Mr. and Mrs. George “Bill” Thomas and family. Willis, Bernice, Jean, Dennis, Stanley, Duane and Clinton, taken at the Keller place, in 1926] JAMES and IDA THOMAS FAMILY by Ruth Edwards James Thomas was born February 4, 1883 at Davenport, Iowa. Parent's names are unknown. Jim, along with his two brothers and three sisters, was raised in an orphanage. At the age of sixteen, he worked for a blacksmith for $4.00 per month. October 12, 1904, James married Ida Heathman, daughter of Squire and Phoebe Smith Heathman, born in 1888 at Plover, Iowa. In 1911 they moved to a homestead near Arrowhead, South Dakota. Hazel was born November 18, 1907 at Sexton, Iowa, educated at Redelm, Lone Tree and Dupree High schools, married John Edward Babcock on April 21, 1930. They had two children, Beverly and Keith. Hazel passed away in October of 1980. Lola Ida was born December 19, 1909 at Everly, Iowa, educated at Redelm, Lone Tree and Dupree High schools. She married Ernest Merkel November 28, 1928. They lived at Bowdle, South Dakota. Their four children are Bonnie, Joyce, Jorae and Marilyn. Lola passed away in August, 1980. Arlo J. was born January 19, 1912 at Redelm, South Dakota. He attended Lone Tree School. He married Alice O'Donnell. They had one son, Jimmy. Arlo served in World War II and was killed in Germany, and buried in Lorraine American Cemetery and Memorial Park. Date of death was September 1, 1944. Clayton Vern Thomas (Dude) was born April 27, 1918 at Redelm, South Dakota. He attended Lone Tree School and married Frances Grace Dress, September 4, 1940. They had two children, Yvonne Frances and Elaine Kay. DeWayne A. was born October 22, 1922 at Dupree, South Dakota and attended Dupree School. He married Florence Morgan November 23, 1946. He had one stepson, Gerald. Russell L. was born February 22, 1928 in Dupree, South Dakota. He married Betty Lou Larson, October 12, 1950 and they had three children, Lesly, Jamie and Lori. He passed away in November, 1980. The James Thomas family moved into Dupree in the late 1920's, then back to the farm. He had a blacksmith shop with "Monk" Jeffries for several years. In 1934, they moved to Harrison, Arkansas and had a ranch and thirty goats. In 1935 they moved back to Dupree and opened a blacksmith shop. In 1941 they moved to Corvallis, Montana and had a shop there. Jim died June 2, 1948, Ida died in August of 1973. They are buried at Corvallis, Montana. [photo - Faith, South Dakota, January 1911. “Look out for the cars”.] [photo First home of James Thomas family, 1912. Vernon, Hazel and Lola] VERNON THOMAS FAMILY by Vernon Thomas I, Vernon Thomas, son of James and Ida Thomas, came to South Dakota by immigrant car in the spring of 1911 to Faith, where my father had filed on a homestead a few miles from Redelm in Ziebach County. We had horses, cows, household goods, all in one car, and we rode with them along with a stowaway man, he had to hide in the hay when we stopped on the way. After unloading, we moved out to the homestead, which was nothing but prairie. Dad and the stowaway started to build a shack. They had it nearly built and it blew down. They had to start over again. It was a frame house and they covered it on the outside with strips of sod. After several months, my mother and two younger sisters, Hazel and Lola, came to join us. I started to school in Redelm and Dad started a blacksmith shop there. After a few years, we moved into Redelm and lived there several years. I and most of my brothers and sisters went to school to Everett Reynolds, his wife, Inez, or his sister, Mable. I see Everett nearly every year at Corvallis, Oregon. We later moved to another home northeast of Redelm, where we farmed, and Dad had a blacksmith shop in Dupree. We kids all went to Lone Tree School close by, with the Petersens, Maynards, Taylors and Brammers. I can't remember the rest of the good neighbors. We had very severe blizzards. I remember one came after the grass was green, and stock were out on the range. Dad came to school to was unable to find them. Some he never found, and some froze to death. The snowdrifts were so hard, we could go right over the fences. One time the folks went to a party north of Redelm and a blizzard came up, and we had to stay overnight. During the storm, one woman went upstairs and found the chimney on fire. She threw the contents of the bed chamber on it. Guess it put the fire out, but nearly everyone else too for a while. Those were tough times, but we had lots of fun. You could butcher a Diamond A steer when we first homesteaded, hang it on the north side of the house, and it would stay frozen all winter. A sack of beans, a few spuds, and we ate good. Part of the time we drove a buggy to school with a hot flatiron at our feet, and some blankets to cover up. We might freeze our noses, but our feet were warm. We had lots of wild plums, buffalo berries and chokecherries. Pete Reynolds and I knew where there was a patch of wild raspberries and we would meet there when we thought they were ripe. When I was seventeen, I went to North Dakota with a neighbor, Al Tibke, to help his father harvest. I drove a Model T chain-drive truck. It took two days. We slept in a schoolhouse on the Grand River. I never returned to South Dakota. I married Laurintena Zeller November 7, 1928. We farmed there several years. No crops and grasshoppers got the best of farming. I fired a steam dragline near New Leipzig several years for a coal mine. In 1934 we moved to the beautiful Bitterroot Valley near Corvallis, Montana with a Model T, 4 kids, a dog and $30. Here we raised everything we needed to eat, all kinds of fruit, free wood and lots of water. Our four children are grown and on their own, Hodet at Missoula, Montana; LaVerna and Lowell in California; and Alice in Corvallis, Montana. THUNDER HOOP Thunder Hoop (1838-1901) had plural wives, four sisters, all of whom he married in 1870. They were the daughters of They Are Afraid of His Shield and Flying Over: Rattling Door (d. 1910); Wanyankupuwin or Comes Out Seeing (1838-1911); Sits Down as She Comes; And Benefactress (1856-1885). Benefactress died three years after the Indian people came back from Canada. Thomas Charging Eagle (b. 1849) was their brother. To Thunder Hoop and Wanyankupuwin was born Harry Kills Twice/Thunder Hoop (1875-1955). In 1903, Harry Thunder Hoop married Ruth Yellow Hawk (1887-1972). To their marriage were born eight children, three of whom survived: Drucilla (Mrs. Gilbert Widow); Rose Thunder Hoop; and Eunice (Mrs. Gilbert Little Thunder). ALBERT C. TIBKE FAMILY by Betty Tibke Albert C. Tibke lived in a claim shack which he built north of Redelm in 1923. Betty Johnson came the same year to teach the Redelm School, staying at the Ray Scott home. Al was born in Omaha, Nebraska and Betty in Holt, Minnesota. They married December 24, 1924 at Reverend Eggen's home between Redelm and Faith and began their married life at the Rosenthau place, north of Redelm. Al was raising cattle and farming at this time. Two daughters, Joyce, November 5, 1925, and Jean, November 6, 1926, were born while on the Rosenthau place. They later moved to the Powers place, 5 miles further north. In the spring of 1931, the family bought the Sands house in Redelm, and the lumber yard and dismantled it and sold it all. Al went into the WNAX gas business with Severin Hegre. They were partners for approximately S years. A third daughter, Joan, was born on August 5, 1931, in the home at Redelm. All 3 girls started at the Redelm School and graduated from Dupree High School. Betty started a Sunday School while in Redelm that continued for many years. In 1940, the family moved to Dupree -- business, house, and all. Al bought the Texaco station and had the Texaco bulk plant. A few years later, he acquired the John Deere Implement. Al passed away June 6, 1964 at Dupree and later that year Betty moved to Sturgis where she now lives. Joyce married E. E. Van Deventer and is now living in London, England. Jean married R. L. Vane and lives in Three Rivers, California. Joan married O. A. Jewett and lives in Belie Fourche, South Dakota. DENVER BLACKBURN TIDBALL by JoAnn Witte Denver Tidball was born in Carthage, Missouri into a family of three brothers and one sister. He married Jenny Close, who was born in St. Paul, Nebraska in 1887. They were married in 1905. Denver died in 1959 in Missoula, Montana. His wife Jenny remained there until her death in 1978. Denver came to South Dakota in 1905 and moved here in 1909. He worked for the M. J. Smiley sheep ranch near Belle Fourche until 1911. The Tidball brothers then began a sheep operation of their own at Black Horse. Denver homesteaded on the Moreau River in 1918 and bought the Lew Bentley ranch and leased their allotments. They lived there until 1940 when they sold and moved to Belgrade, Montana and later to Missoula. Their first home was a log cabin, which they lived in for ten years. The new house was built in 1928 by Lewey Ballestad and Ole Rekstad. It was a two story structure with a basement and was heated by a furnace which would burn both wood and coal. They also had a light plant and electric lights. The house was so well constructed that not even the drought winds blew dirt in, as it did so many. It still stands in the same location and is well preserved. The inside has been remodeled over the years, but the outside is still recognizable. Other than a sheep wagon, it was the only home I really knew my first four years, and I loved it dearly. Denver and Jenny raised ten children there. The children are: Zella, born in Oklahoma in 1906. She married Ole Drageset of Ziebach County and they had three children. Robert was born in Washington in 1909. He married Edith Slocum. They live in Missoula, Montana and have six children. Virge was born in Belle Fourche in 1911. She married J. P. McDaniel. They live in California and have six children. Jenny was born in Faith in 1915. She married Sid Comer and they live in Hamilton, Montana and have three children. Susan was born in Denver, Colorado in 1918, married and has three children. Boone was born in Ziebach County in 1920. He married Pat Pitman. They live in Reno, Nevada, and have five children. Bess was born in Ziebach County in 1925. She married Ken Franzen. They live in Billings, Montana and have five children. Bert was born in Ziebach County in 1928, is married and has three children. He lives in Seattle, Washington. Amy was born in Ziebach County in 1931. She is single and lives in Missoula, Montana. Lon was born in Ziebach County in 1932, is single and lives in Portland, Oregon. The Tidball brothers eventually owned over 30,000 ewes. They moved from Black Horse in the fall to Faith, where the kids attended school, until they moved to the Moreau River. They then went to school a few years in August Hanneman's yard. It was about 41/2 miles away and they went by team. The teacher was Mary Coleman. Later there was a school in the Tidball home which Gothard and Lennie Eliason also attended by riding horseback. The teacher was Cora Broulette. A school was eventually built north of the river between the 2 families and was the Liebelt School, which was later moved to Highway 65. Some of the younger Tidball's attended Pretty Creek School. There was a terrible three day blizzard in the spring of 1920. One of the brothers was stranded on the north side of the Leedom Pike bridge, which was being constructed, but was not yet attached to the land. He managed to get out to the bridge floor and crawl across where he was met by another brother. It shouldn't have been too harrowing for them as they had made a trip to Washington in 1915 when there weren't any roads and crossed the rivers on railroad bridges. It must have been a glorious sight-seeing trip in a topless Model T. Zella Tidball is the only one who remained in Ziebach County. She began assisting her Aunt Nan to cook for the shearing crews at the age of 13. They began preparing breakfast at 4 a.m., which consisted of boiled potatoes from the evening before, which were sliced into roasters with grease added and shoved in the oven at night, then bacon, eggs and coffee were added in the morning for about fifty men. They used a mutton a day and often had 8 or 9 pies for dinner and cake for supper, along with the meat, potatoes and vegetable. Nan usually baked bread twice a day besides the coffee grinding, water carrying and potato peeling. It was usually just the two of them. Zella worked there each summer for about six years. All of the area sheep were brought there for shearing. They sheared with blades then, and tried to finish by the 4th of July. Zella then taught school for two years in northern Ziebach County, where she met and married Ole Drageset on September 23, 1929. Ole moved to their present location, which used to be the Harry Mitchell home, in 1930. They milked cows, sold butter and cream, along with other livestock until the drought forced them to quit. They had two sons at this time and began herding sheep in 1935. A daughter was born that fall. We lived in a sheepwagon for nearly five years, moving across the country wherever feed could be leased for the sheep to graze. The sheep were shipped to Appleton, Minnesota by rail for one summer, and then by rail to Interior where they were trailed to the area in the Pine Ridge that was to be used. Later they were shipped home by rail to Trail City and trailed from there to the Moreau River. It really wasn't such a bad time. The insects and the lack of drinking water were probably the worst. The wagon was very small to contain three kids and try to make a meal or go to bed. We had very few clothes, which didn't really bother us as we had very few visitors, and we three grew up very shy. We had no toys, but didn't seem to miss them, for we had the whole outdoors to explore, rocks to climb on and under, holes to fall into, and a variety of animals to watch and learn about. Ole moved back to his ranch again, expanding and improving the land he loved until his death in 1979. Blaine lives there now. Einar lives on a ranch to the west which was the Indahl homestead. He married Dorothy Johnson in 1951. They have five children. Blaine married Leota Braught in 1962. They had four children. JoAnn married Rex Witte in 1955. We have lived at Glad Valley since we purchased the store from Paul Elfrink in 1956. We have two children. [photo - Denver Tidball log cabin home, 1918] GEORGE and ELIZABETH TILL by Elizabeth Till George Till was born in 1888 in Freeburg, Minnesota. He was one of four brothers and four sisters. At the age of 15, George left his family to work as a surveyor on the Great Northern Railway. He worked as an apprentice to his paternal grandfather, Joseph Till, an engineering graduate of Brighten University in England, and learned surveying. George started with the Great Northern in 1903 and stayed with the construction of the railway from Minnesota through North Dakota and through Montana over the Great Divide. After leaving the Great Northern, he came to South Dakota and homesteaded twenty-three miles south of Eagle Butte on the Gumbo Flats in 1916. He was engaged in farming and ranching until his induction into the army, September 21, 1917. Mr. Till, as a sergeant, served with the 89th Division in three major campaigns of the first World War. He returned to this country from France, February 28, 1919 and was honorably discharged from the service on March 4, 1919. After his discharge from the army, he returned to his homestead south of Eagle Butte and continued ranching and farming. In the year of 1925, he met Elizabeth Stephenson, a teacher at the Hoxing School south of Eagle Butte. Elizabeth, a daughter of Bridget and Matthew Stephenson, was born in Jasper, Minnesota in 1900, where they lived for one year, then moving to their homestead four miles east of Dupree on April 10, 1911. After attending school in Dupree, she began teaching. On October 10, 1925, they were married. They spent some time working with the Diamond A Cattle Company. In 1927, they moved from the Gumbo Flats to a new location four miles northeast of Dupree. In 1931 they moved to a place two miles east of Dupree where they lived until Mr. Till passed away August 4th, 1963, at home. Mrs. Till continued to live there with their youngest son, Tom, for awhile. Then she moved to town where she continues to live. They had four children, Betty in 1926, who is married to Chester Mraz. They have two boys, Bill and Jim, living north of Dupree. Joe was born in 1928, lives in Mill Iron, Montana, and is married to Alva Griffith. They have three children, Cheryl, Kaye, and Justin. Jerry, born in 1929, lives at Cherry Creek and married Virginia Woodward. They have four children, Lila, Jay, Carol and George. Tom, born in 1941, lives in Lakewood, Colorado. He is married to Peg O'Neil, and has two boys, Bru and Brit. [photo - Jerry Till, Betty and Chester Mraz, Joe and Tom Till. November 25, 1955] JERRY and VIRGINIA TILL by Virginia Till Jerry Till was born in Dupree in the year of 1929 to George and Elizabeth Till. He lived with his parents east of Dupree until after graduation from high school. He then began working on ranches in the area. He was called into the army in 1951 and spent a year and a half in Germany, coming home in 1953. He began working on ranches when he returned from the service. In 1955 he and Virginia Woodward were married in Faith, South Dakota. Virginia Woodward was born in 1938 to Lawrence and Virginia Woodward. She attended Main School for most of her grades and then attended high school in Dupree. We worked on ranches around Dupree and for the Diamond A Cattle Company south of Ridgeview and on Rudy Creek. In 1959 we bought a small ranch west of Cherry Creek. As the children reached school age, I moved to town during the week to send them to school, except the four years they rode the bus and attended Red Scaffold School. We moved up on the Samuelson ranch at Little Ireland and worked for them. In 1981 we leased the place and continued ranching. We have four children. Lila, born in 1955, is now married to Howard Petersen, and living in Dupree. They have two boys, Elmer, 3 years old, and Ernie, 1 year old, and one girl, Kate Marie, 2 months. Jay, born in 1957, has been helping at the ranch since he graduated in 1976. Carol, born in 1962, is in her second year of college at National College in Rapid City, studying Computer Data Processing. She is working at the college as a computer operator. George, born in 1964, is in his last year of high school in Dupree. He plans to attend a year of mechanic's school and then come back to work on the ranch. [photo - The Jerry Till family. Back: George, Carol, Luke Perry, Jay. Front: Virginia, Jerry, Lila, Elmer, Howard and Ernie Petersen] THE TOLL FAMILY by George Toll Claude Toll, his wife, Laura, and their five children: Estelle, George, Anne, Lloyd and Tom arrived by train in Dupree from Edgewater, South Dakota in 1917. Due to lack of schools, they had to abandon the original idea to homestead on a place 15 miles south of Dupree. Instead, they opted to buy three quarters of land about 2 1/2 miles southwest of town on the road to Cherry Creek. They purchased 4 horses, 10 or 12 milk cows, and moved to the farm when the buildings were completed. During our first two years in Dupree, four of us children lived in two rooms on the second floor of the Lafferty building just across from the post office. The rooms were terribly cold, as we had only a small laundry stove in one room. We would stay Monday through Friday and travel out to the farm for weekends during the winter months. The spring and early fall weather permitted us to walk to and from school. The Birkelands were good neighbors to us on the farm. Sam Shot At, his wife, and son, Joe, also lived nearby. I also remember Frank Barnes quite well. He owned and operated a general store on the east side of Main Street across from Keller's Store. I worked for Barnes' on Saturdays for one winter and for several months as a waiter in Quirk's Cafe on weekends. One of the first big fires to happen in Dupree was the one to destroy Barnes' Store. The T. R. Nelson home, south of the school, was also demolished by fire, but the fire to top them all was the one burning hundreds of acres of prairie hay south of town. The fire burned its way right into Dupree before stopping just south of the blacksmith shop! After leaving Dupree in 1924, we moved to a farm of my mother's at Gayville, near Yankton, South Dakota. We stayed only a couple of years and then trekked to California in the late 20's. My parents died several years ago; Anne and Estelle are both gone. Lloyd became an attorney and lives in Brentwood, California. Tom got his engineering degree from the University of California and worked in research for NASA. He was one of the designers for the experimental X-15 fighter plane. Both are retired and Tom resides in Newport News, Virginia. I cannot end this story without mention of a red-haired, freckle- faced, curly-topped little girl that I was once very fond of during my school days in Dupree. We lost track of each other until 1951 when we shared a few hours in Rapid City, South Dakota. Another 24 years would pass and then I met her again at the 1975 reunion in Dupree. Lucille Masur Walters and I were married 9-14-76. We live in Long Beach, which has been my home for the last 54 years. We enjoy travelling and have visited most of the European countries and parts of Africa. I was in Europe in 1968 and 1971 and have been to all but two of our states. Lucille lived in England for 5 years, and we plan to spend a few weeks in New Zealand in 1982. I have retired from the California Department of Employment after 30 years, 25 of which were as the manager of the Long Beach office. Lucille has a daughter and 3 grandchildren in Denver. I have one daughter, 3 grandsons and 6 great-granchildren, all in California and Utah. AUGUST TRAVERSIE August Traversie, born around 1810, came from Quebec and worked for fur companies along the Missouri. In 1831-1832, August Traversie went up the Missouri River. He went again in 1838-1839 with his cousin, Joseph Leonnais, and LaPlante for the P. Choteau Company. On that trip, 15 men took a mackinaw and cordelled it up the Yellowstone River. August Traversie was married to a Sioux woman. Their son, Paul Traversie, was born in Woodbury County, Iowa in 1845. In 1850, August settled in Sioux City, Iowa. He kept a trading post and travelers' station. His home was a headquarters for Frenchmen and Indians, as it was 'commodious'. The first court in Sioux City was held there. Paul Traversie enlisted at Elk Point under Captain Tripp in 1863. After his discharge, it was understood that Paul settled at Fort Pierre. Paul and Mary Bruguier Traversie's first child, Mary, was born in 1870. They would have 8 sons and 2 more daughters. Mary, Edna, Theophile and Elizabeth would attend Hampton Institute in Virginia. In 1875, Grandfather August Traversie moved up into what would become South Dakota. When Mary was small, the family moved to the vicinity of Greenwood and by 1878, they had moved to Fort Bennett. According to the Cheyenne River Reservatian censuses of 1885, 1886 and 1891, August Traversie and his children had quite large families. In 1890, Mary married Edward Andrew Dupris, son of Fred and Mary Good Elk Woman Dupuis. They lived between Cherry Creek and Fort Bennett before moving to Bear Creek. Ed Dupris died in 1901 and in 1911, Mary married a full-blood Sioux, Pete Talks. Their daughter, Amy Talks (Mrs. Ed Clown) was born in 1914. In 1922, they moved onto Pete's allotment two miles west of Iron Lightning. Mary Traversie Dupris Talks died in 1956, at the age of 86. (See Bruguier, Ed Dupris and Talks histories) [photo - Theo and Elizabeth Traversie at Hampton Institute (SDSHS) [photo - Mary Talks and grandson, Blaine Clown] [photo - Andrew Traversie, age 16, was an interpreter for Hump in Washington, D. C. in 1891 (SDSHS)] L. M. TYSVER L. M. Tysver and his wife Clara, farmed near Redelm from 1911 until the spring of 1932, when they moved to Sisseton, South Dakota, where he continued to farm until his death in 1946. Mr. Tysver helped locate other homesteaders. He was clerk of the school board of District #2, comprised of 13 schools, including Robertson, Star Prairie and Lewis schools for some 15 years. He was on Home Guard of Bagley Elevator Company during World War I. He was the first person to order telephones (5) for telephone service among farmers around Redelm. Due to very poor health, caused by a bad rheumatic condition, he operated the Beatrice Cream Station in Redelm for 8 years, and his farming was done by his son, Elmer, with the help of other members of the family. He brought out one of the first automobiles from Iowa. He had many experiences, some happy and some not, some unusual, as did many of the other homesteaders in the early years. THE GEORGE ULRICH FAMILY George Ulrich was born in Temperanceville, Ohio. Upon reaching manhood, he went to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he became a conductor on a street car line. He and a friend heard of the west and traveled to Kansas City, Kansas, and he was again employed by a street car company. Later he worked on a farm in Nebraska. The year 1909 found George in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he filed on a quarter section of land in western South Dakota. He arrived in Isabel in 1910, and a freighter driving a mule team brought him to Faith -- and to his quarter section! The freighter's quarter section joined George's. This land was located six miles northeast of Faith in Ziebach County. Just prior to this time, the federal government had leased an area twenty-four miles square to a large cattle company named "The 73 Ranch." Great herds of Longhorns grazed in this region. The Ulrich quarter was on the western edge of this huge pasture. When the homesteaders first lived on their land, some of these cattle were still roaming the prairies. Soon afterward the cattle were rounded up and moved out. George worked with the freighting business making trips from Isabel and Eagle Butte to Faith until 1911, when the train started bringing in the freight. Because of the drought in 1911, people were granted a one-year leave of absence from their land. George followed the harvest into Edmonton, Alberta, Canada and from there traveled on to Spokane, Washington, where once again street car conducting was his job. After returning to Faith and his claim, George worked as a carpenter and helped build the store which was to be the Equity Trading Company Grocery Store. Later the building was the Farmers Store and the corner is now occupied by a food service Drive-Inn. On November 25, 1915, George and Laura Bakewell were married in St. Joseph's Catholic Chapel in the parish house in Faith. Monsignor J. H. Golden officiated. Laura had come from Lansing, Iowa, with her parents, Martin and Ella Bakewell, in 1911. Martin's homestead bordered George's quarter on the south. George and Laura built their home nearby on Laura's quarter on south Flint Rock Creek, where they farmed and ranched for thirty years. Eugene, Rita, Dorothy, Daniel and Grace Ulrich are the children of George and Laura Ulrich. All were born at the ranch home located five miles northeast of Faith in Ziebach County. The children all attended Ridgeview Rural School in District No. 2, and the girls and Daniel are Faith High School alumni. For several years, long before REA, the family enjoyed electric lights. A windcharger and a 6-volt battery were used -- this was a project of Gene's. One summer afternoon when only Laura and Rita were home, a tornado-like wind blew in from the southeast. It took the propeller and the entire windcharger -- where it landed was never known, as no trace of it was ever found. The Alladin (a kerosene lamp), which really made a fine light, was put to use again. Entertainment for the family included the Victrola Phonograph with many records, the Crosby radio, and George playing the mouth organ. Pie and box socials with dancing in Ridgeview School were fun for all the families in the community. The Ulrichs and three or four other families had a telephone system for sometime before they were connected with the Faith Telephone System. After the connection was made, many times a message would be relayed to a family on the line to deliver to some neighbor several miles away. One of the Ulrich's would usually ride a pony to deliver the message. At one time a neighbor boy came by saddle horse to use the telephone to call a doctor because his brother had been bitten by a rattlesnake. (The doctor traveled by car to the neighbor's place and saved the young man.) George and Laura sold the ranch and moved to Faith in 1945. George was nearly 86 when he died in 1969. Laura passed in 1977 at age 83. Gene and Dan purchased ranch land and reside in Ziebach County. Gene owns the land homesteaded by his uncle, Leo Bakewell, and Dan's ranch includes the quarters of land his grandfather Bakewell and his dad had originally homesteaded. Dan served in the army and spent the winter of 1946-47 in Japan. After returning home, he clerked in Fowler's Department Store. Dan married Doris Woodard, daughter of Clyde and Edith Woodard of Canon City, Colorado, in 1956. Their children are Colleen, Leonard and Robert, and all graduated from Faith High School. Colleen attended Black Hills State College for two and one-half years, worked for a time at the Farmers State Bank in Faith and is now Mrs. Mark Gustafson. She and Mark have two boys, Eric and Alex, and live in Faith, South Dakota, where Mark is employed at the bank. Leonard joined the National Guard in 1977 and is a sergeant. He completed a two-year course in carpentry at SDSU in Springfield, South Dakota. Robert graduated from Faith High School in 1981 and plans to study auto mechanics. Leonard and Robert ranch on land adjacent to their parents ranch. Rita was a clerk-typist at the Soil Conservation office in Faith, attended Black Hills State College a year, and taught the Lewis School in District No. 2, Ziebach County. She worked as postal clerk for twenty-five years and served as postmaster at the Faith Post Office for ten years. She is now retired and is living in Faith. Dorothy began her teaching career as an elementary teacher and taught three years in Ziebach County (Higgins and Junker rural schools and the Dupree city school, two years in the Gettysburg School and three years in the Faith grade school. She earned a Bachelor's Degree at Black Hills State College and a Master's Degree at Northern State College and Greeley, Colorado. She has taught in the field of business education for five years at Kadoka High School, and for twenty-six years in Faith High School. Grace, the youngest of Laura and George's children, graduated from nurse's training at St. Mary's Hospital in Pierre in 1946. During her training, she was a member of the Nurses' Corp. After graduation she married Earl Chamness, a World War II veteran, from Stockton, California. They lived at Stockton, and as Earl had been employed as a draftsman for the Bureau of Reclamation, they have lived in Cambridge, Nebraska; Huron, South Dakota; and at present are in Boulder City, Nevada. Grace has always worked at her nursing profession. They are the parents of five children. Michael and Glare are deceased. The three living daughters are Annette Hill, Melanie Eads and Michele Blaha. Grandchildren of Grace and Earl are: Chris and Greg Hill, Debbie, Mike and Ryan Blaha. [photo - Laura Bakewell and Mrs. Martin Bakewell and home in 1912] [photo - Gene, Rita, Dorothy, Dan Ulrich and Grace Ulrich Chamness] [photo - George Ulrich family. Standing: Gene, Rita and Dorothy. Seated: Grace, George, Laura and Dan]