Pipestone County, Minnesota - Chapter 21: The Railway Age - 1879-1884, 1911

Chapter 21: The Railway Age - 1879-1884

W 11 ILK fear ot tlie Indians had delayed tlie occupancy of Pipestone county beyond that of all the neighhoring co\inties, when the apprelii'nsion was finally removed the settlement anil devel(ipinen( «ns ia}uil. Wliere prior to 1874 not a soul had lived and j)rior to 1877 one family alone had maintained continuous residence, wc find early in 1879 an organized county, populated with several hundred people. The conditions at that lime are told in the tir,~t numhcr of the I'ipcstone County Stai', .luiif 1!'. ls;'.i: "fiNc years show wfiaf deteriiiiiied will and the enter|>rise of a few pushing men liave liclpcd to hi'iug ahout. Thousands of acies of our fertile soil are undtu' culti\ aliiui. hundreds of houses can he counted - so many, in fact, that vini can scarce get oul of sight of one iu iiiiv portion of the counly. and from some of ciui' I'Miinciices I'an lie coiiiiled thirty ami forty at a glaiici'. Thousands of voung trees have Ix'cn planlcil. and so lapidlv has been their growth that it .^eems tlic\ will all lam a race to !<ee which will l)c flic tallest. Where five years ago imt a soul was li\iiig. tiiihi\ there arc no less than a thousand, if iml a greater iiumher. I'licii not a iloiue-^tic animal was to he seen: now as fine and sleek herds of cattle and horses can be seen here as in main of dur older settled counties. Schools have heen started and churches organized, the county organized, houses and stores, hotels, shops and a li\cly young city established."

In the spring of 1879 came the announcement that the Southern Minnesota railroail woulil he extended through Pi])estoue county that year, and almost at the same time it became known that the Sioux City & St. Paul Eailway interests would luiilil a branch line from Heron Lake In the Black Hills, tlinmgh Pipestone couiitv. As a result there was a big rush for Pipestone county lands. Every bit of go\ernment land was filed upon, and large areas id' the Southern Minnesota IJailway Extension company's' lands were purchased. From May 1"J to .June 19 appliealions for acres of these lauds ill Pipestone coiiiif\ were made, hhiiiii .Ma\- to December 40,000 acres of llie laud were sold, of which 10,000 acres wei-e broken in 1S7 9. These lands were sold at ^li.oii to $7.00 per acre, from wliiib a ilisiouni of -'('^..'iO jier acre was made for all land broken during the \ear.- \ew buildings sprung up in all pails (if the cnuiity. and Pipestone village iu Ibe (iiie season i^rew into a substantial court house block one day last week counted forty-six teams engaged in breaking land. How is that for a new counlrv?" - Pipestone C'ouiil.v Star, June. 1879.

town. The newly cstablislied lumber yards were unable to supply the demands upon them, and the yards at Luverne were swamped with orders from Pipestone covin ty.

Grasshoppers hatched out in ISiO and did some damage to the growing crops. During the month of July the pests arose and departed for good, and the Pipestone county wheat yield was up to the average for southwestern Minnesota. Blight injured the crop to some extent, and this, together with the fact that there had been grasshnjipors in the county, tended to diminish the immigration during the fall months. During the year schools were started in ditfcrent parts of the county,' and in August a county jail was completed at a cost of $n40. It was erected by J. Pearson.

The most important events of the year 1879 were the building of two linos of railroad - the Southern Minnesota (now the Chicago. Milwaukee & St. Paul), which liuilt through the county, and the Minnesota and Black Hills (now a branch

'So earl.v as 1S66 plans were made for bnilding the Southern Minnesota from Houston, through Minnesota's soutllern tier of counties, to Ihc west line of the state. The Tnited States go\-ornmeiit granted large areas of land to the state of Minnesota to aid in the construction of railroads, and the state in turn gave these lands to the Southern Minnesota Raili'oad compan.v. in consideiation that it should extend its road to the west line of the state on or before Fobrnaiy 25. 1S77. Owing to financial embarrassment and the terrible grasslionijer scourEre. the i-ailroad e(>ml>an\' was not able to complete its line, althovigb it builded a considerable distance to the westward, and man>- 'if the lands were about to re\-ert to the state as forfeitiM'e for non-compliance with the terms of the grant. For man>' long >-eai-s the people of southern Minnesota had anxiously awaited the coming of this road, and petitions were p(nired into the legislature, asking that body to grant an extension of time for the completion of the work. On March fi. 1S7S. such an .act was passed, transferring the lands of the government to thr. Southern Minnesota Extension conipan\-, on condition that tlic I'r^nd ben completed to Fairmont befni-«' September l.|J 1S7S. to Jackson before tlie close of the year

Early in the year preparations were made for extending the Southern Minnesota west from Jackson along the route of tiie survey of 1870."* The work was begun .Vpril 2^, 1879. The permanent survey was run to Pipestone June 19, Chajles H. Bennett granting the right of way and depot grounds of about twentyeight acres to the company for one dollar. The grading contracts were let a few days later, anil the rails were laid to Pipestone iin ThaMksgi\ iiio clay, November 26. Thi'iT was general rejoicing in that little lity and a celebration in honor of the event. Prior to this time Luverne was the nearest railroad point, where trading was dime ami rnnn wbirh [loint it was necessary to haul all provisions, lumber, rtr. Eii'ly ill Ducember tlie rails were laid liilirely tlirougli the cminty ami into Dakota territory, the line being complel- I'll to Flanilreau on the first day of the

It was the original intention to tiuild the road directls' west fi'om Jack.son. j>assing through Worthington and Luverne. to Sioux Falls. The |)lans to this effect were so far matured in 1.S76 that Nobles county voted J40.0(in bonds as a suiisid.\'. to be paid pro\-idefl the road should be completed to Worthington before September 1, 1877. For financial I'easons the load was not extended at that time, the Sioux ('ily .t St. Paul (Omalia) interests invaded the teM'itor>' luiilding the branch road from VN'orthington to Sioux Falls, and tlu> Southern Minnesota pi«.-ked the route b.\' wa.v of Pipestone. I >nl,v b.\' reason of the grasshopper scoiu'ge and the conscfiuent financial sti'ingency was the I'oad sa\'ed for IMpestone comity.

So late as 1S7S it seems to ha\-e been the intention of the company to build by way of Worthington. and thence in a northwesterly direction to Pipestone comit>'. The Jackson Republic of .June s. 1S7S. said: "It is still a fiuestion where the Southern Minnesota railroad will cross the Sioux Pity road, and we understand the conipan.x- itself is undecided upoTi this point. The officci-s are already discussing the question and investigating tlie *la.\' of the land." We are quite certain it is tiie desire of the company to cross at Worthington. and if engineering obstacles do not intervene we are inciined to tliink that will be the point: then the road will strike a due northwest course for Pipestone county."

The Southern Minnesota was extended fi'oni Winnebago Cily to Jackson in the fall of 187S, :iud the work of continuing the construction westward was taken up early in 1S79.

iirw year.^ When train service was es- was tlie terminus of the road for the next taijlished every train brought liomeseeliers five years. The original intention was to to Pipestone county, and tliere was great build to Pipestone in 187I>, and continues activity. Pipestone gi'cw into a thriving tlie lini' the ne.xt year. To construct this village antl the new town of Edgerton branch road the Sioux City & St. Paul took its place on the map - a town destin- Kail way company mortgaged the right-ofed to become one of the county's most way, depot grounds and rolling stock, prosjterous municipalities. There were many newcomers in 1880, The Sionx City & St. Paul Kailroad who selected homes and added to the decompany resented the encroachment on velopment of the country. An excellent what it considered its own territory by crop was raised, but because of inclement the extension of the Southern Minnesota weather during the harvest season and the to the northwest. In an effort to head early arrival of winter, it was not a |irid'- offi that road, the Sioux City & St. Paul itable one. The census, taken early in officials organized the Minnesota & Black the summer of 1880, gave Pipestone coun- Hills Eailroad company, and in. May, ty a population of 2092. This was an ex- 18T9, made a hurried survey for a branch cellent showing, in view of the fact that line from Heron Lake to Pipestone, par- two and one-liaU' years before tlie popualleling the survey of the other road. Then lation Iiad been, probably, less than fifty. began a lively race in construction. Side Ry precincts the population was as folby side the construction crews of the two lows : ests, when an attempt was made to come Although the entire population might to an understanding and to reconcile dif- have liei-n classed as old settlers, an Old ferences. The conference sci'vcd to make Settlers society was organized March 15, matters worse, and the work of ciuistruc- 18S0, with the following officers: 1). E. fion on both mails was rushed to compic- Sweet, president: J. 11. Nichols, secretion, (ii'v: 11. n. SiiiiFord. treasurer; vice pres- Tlie permanent siir\cy was made to iileiit': as rojlows: Mrs. C. H. Bennett Pipestone Aiigu-;t l<i. and a few days later Inr Sweet towiislii|), ^Irs. W. .1. 'I'aylor grading was under way in the eastern pari for (Ji-ay. ^irs. C. (). ^^ahoney for i>urke, "f Pipestone county. The track was com- C. E. McCall for Osborne, Mrs. J. \). pleted to Woodstock in the fall, and that Tyler for Elmer, Henry Nelson for Eden,

The long, colli, lilizzardy winter of 1880-81 will never he effaced from the memory of those who were living in Pipestone county, and an account of the inconveniences, sufferings and hardshi|)s should have a place in the history of the countv. The season had no precedent in the iiieteorlogical history of the northwest, anil there has Ijccu none since to coni]iare with it.

Winter hegan Friday, Octoher 14. On the morning of that day there was a drizzling rain, which later turned to sleet, accompanied by a nortli wind. During the night the wind veered to tlie northwest and tliere was a heavy fall of snow. On the morning of the fifteenth the wind started to blow with the violence of a hurricane, and one of the famous blizzards raged. The snow was driven with awful violence and piled in places to a depth of eighteen or twenty feet, covering buildings, wagon roads and railroads. All day the blizzard raged with uiialiati'd fury ami until two o'clock p. ni. of the sixteenth. Fortunatelv. the weather was not extremelv cold. Xo one was prepared for such a storm, and there was some suffering in the country. Stock was smothered to deatli in the huge drifts,' and a great manv taiuilies were without fuel. The railroads were blockaded from Friday niglit until the next Wednesday, a pa.«senoer train on the .Milwaukee road lieing wedged in a snowdrift east of Kdgerton lor four days. There wa.s a big demand for fuel, with none on the market and no trains to bring in any.

During the month tollowing this initial storm the snow did not disappear and the weather was cold, but was not i)unctuated with wind storms. In the first half of .XovemliiM- the drifting snow again closed tile railroads, but after two days' labor they were opened and traft'ic was resumed. The thermometer registered five degrees below zero November 15. Heavy snowfall on the twentieth and twenty-first closed the railroads again, but they were soon uncovered. On November 23 the thermometer showed twenty-three degrees lielow zero. The weather was comparativelv pleasant until December 4, and on that day a train brought a supply of fuel to Pipestone dealers. From December 4 to 7, inclusive, tlie weather was cold and storm v. and during that time no trains reached Pipestone county. From then until Cliristmas there were occasional falls of snow, liut no severe weather.

A lili/./.ard raged continually five days, beoiuiiing on Christmas day, and the Milwaukee road did not get a train through until .laiiuaiv 4. The Omaha branch line gave up the eft'ort to keep the line open.

'C E McCall of Osborne township, had en- Kaeed to herd a large drove of cattle and colts during the season ending October 1. The season having been fav.irable, many had I ..t called for their stock at the time of the blizzard The storm caused the animals to hieak down the corral and they sought she ter under the banks of Poplar .-reek, close by the creek bank" ben already filled with the drifting snow Some of the sto.'k plunged into the 'stre.m and were drowned; others were suf- {ocIITa in the huge drifts along '-;V^,f^ When the snow melted .some of the i olts v.p\p found to have been smothered to death standing upright or on their hind feet onb .

January 24. People of Pipestone and Flandreau raised money and had ten days' mail brought in from Fulda, where it was tied up in the blockade.

February 1. After a four days' trip. Superintendent Egan and Roadmaster Rafterty succeeded in getting three trains run from Fulda to Pipestone, bringing seventeen days' mail and a supply of fuel.

February 3. Passenger train left Pipestone for the east and remained in a snow bank east of Edgerton several weeks. Last train of the winter.

o-lAist week'.s storm bfat.s ihe olde.st inhabitant. An occasional blizzard is not unusual out here, but when it keeps up a five days' blow with th'e thermometer ranging from 35 to 40 degrees below zero, it would seem as though wmter had fairly set in." - Pipestone Coiuitv Star. January 6, 1881.

'"La^t Friday and Saturday [January 21 and 2J] were two of the most trying days we have liad tills wiriler. From earlv morning Friciay until midnight Saturday the wind blew a perfect gale from the northwest, piling snow in all sorts of shapes. Fortunately it was not so cold as it has been, the thermometer marking ten degrees above zero during the storm. .\11 cuts on the railroads are again piled full and just when we will get a train is hard to tell -\s yet we have heard of no suffering out here on the prairies." - Star, January 27, 1881.

"For four days the wind blew a perfect gale from the southeast and with the exception of not being so cold as it has been, this was by far the hardest storm we have had this sea- .son. The late snow storm cut off communication from every direction. Drifts eight and ten feet deep of solid wet snow, through which no team can pass, are plentiful on the prairie roads. Up to this date very few teams have been out." - Star. February 10. 1881.

"".^- large number of piles shipped here b\' llu' railway company for liriclgi^ pmnoses have bec^n sold during tbe past wei'k for firewood hv Station Agent Cawley under instructions from Superintendent Egan. A large number of peowinter. Scarcity of fuel and provisions a serious matter. Burning bridge timbers."

"-'"The price of common lumber has been greatly reduced when it is needed for fuel. . The railroad company has supplied this station with several carloads of ties tor firewood They were eagerly seized by the inhabitants at thirty-five cents apiece. . . . George W Nash, the station agent at Woodstock, was bound that none of the settlers around there should suffer for want of fuel and very kindly threw open the coal bins of the railroad company and supplied all who made application. . . . The railroad company should .see to it that fuel is brought to this place on the first train in preference to anything else. .\ carload of hard coal, two of soft, and four or five cars of wood will find a rapid sale." - Star, February 24. 1881.

starved or frozen to death in Pipestone county yet. This is more than some older counties can say. where fuel and provisions have been in abundance."- Star, March 3. ISSl.

Called at Mr. Foster's, Eden township, and found him with very sore eves brought on by (be blinding snow. He informed "me that during Ibe last blizzard he had been compelled to liurn the kitchen part of his house." - Corrcspr>ndcuce in Rock County Herald, April 1, 1881,

Htstokv Ov Pipestonk Couxty

Washouts on the railroad, caused by the flood?, delayed the operation of trains I'nr several days after the blockade-was lifted, and it was not until the first day of ilay that regular train service was again established. During the month of Jlay most of the 1880 crop of grain was threshed, hut some was left until later in the season.

Over twelve and one-half feet of snow fell during the winter. In places the drifts were very deep, and fiii- months some farmers entered their staliles through the roofs; others tunnelled passageways through the snow from their houses to the stabler iiiiil for weeks at a time did not go above the surface to do their chores, hi |)laces the snow remained on the ground uidil laic in the spring."

""On Monda.v. April II. 1S81, one of the fiercest blizzards we had expoi-ienced diiririf; the wintor raged with luiabated fur.v. fillrri up all the '^nts on the railway that had taken so many da.ws of hard labor to shovel out. and piling the snow mountain high in some places." - Star, April lo. 18S2.

"On 'rnosfiay evening" tAi)ril UHl tin* lirst train th.'it ha.s reached here sinee the first of February pulled up at our station. Of course the people were glad to see it and many of them went to the depot to welcome the ho.vs whft ha^-e fought not>ly for months to break theii- wa.v through the snow l>lockade. Between here and Fulda the i"oad is now comparativel.v safe, but east of that point there are one or two washouts that will take two or three days yet to repair. West of here, we are told, the washouts are much more serious and no trains will get to Dell Rapids for some time to come. . . The snow blockade is spring, the crop of 1881 was a failure, and there was little material advancement. \n event of the year was the establishment of the Pipestone county district court, which w^as authorized by the legislature of 1881. The first term of court was convened in Pipestone October IS and was presided over by Judge M. J. Severance. Court was held in the second story of the ('. H. Bennett building, where rooms had been rented from him tor county and court offices by the county coiniiiissioners. There were eighteen cases. on the docket. The attorneys in attendance were E. ('. Dean and Burt Newport. of Pipestmie, and Charles Butts, C. W. Stiles and E. E. Sterling, of Lake Benton. Riley French was foreman and John Stuart chnk of the first grand Jury empanelled ill the county."

Conditions were greatly improved in 1882. The Milwaukee road placed its Pipestone coimlv land- mi the market, installing .M. K. Dull' as resident manager, and quite ii iiiimliir of immigrants located ill the ciuintv. A g(ind crop of grain was raised, and the coiinti'v took on a more prosperous air than it had the year before. The acreage sown in 1882, as sliouii h\ llic icc(ii-ds. and the estimatcil \ ield in biislitds were ;is follows:

"On May 20 S. Y. Sichler. of KInier township, reported that there was a large quantity of snow still on his place. In the latter pait of June a sn«iwball battle was fought on the Samuel .-\\i'r\' farm east of Pipestone, the snow having her-n fonrul in abundance in a sheltered place. In July snow was brought to Pipestone from HatHeld and exhibited.

Petit - T. E. Nesbit. r. E. Mcfall. Charles Kingsbury. W. F. Tibbetts. Edwin Giles. J. H. Conlin. F. McClellin. A. F. Stillwell. S. D. Fisher. S. J. Perkins. I. C. Bertrand. J. G. Bennett. George M. Wright. M. M. Gunsolus. William Foster. W. W. Sweet. E. R. Wood. C. M. Taylor. F. A. Converse. A. C. Lincoln. A. A. Pike. J. b. Odell, John Clark and Frank Montville.

Grain

A destructive liail and wind storm passed over a narrow stiip of country on June 1(1, ISS-.', and the fidlowing day a wind of cyclonic prijportions brought damage to another ])art of the county. The path of the hail storm was about two miles wide. It e.xtended from the northwestern part of the county southeasterly, passing about twoi miles north of Pipestone and a shoit distance north of Edgertnn. In the path of the storm the grain was completely destroyed, the greatest damage being in "I'lov and Grange townshijis. On the evening of the seventeenth a cyclone, which farther on its course brought great damage in central Towa. formed just north of Pipestone

"The South Minnesota Land company was incorporated in Engliuul with a capital .stocl< of £250.000. It was formed, according to the articles of incorporation, for the purpose of talking over and reselling 102.773 acres of land in Pippstone county, 1642 acres in Rock county, and 105.000 acres of other land owned by the Sioux City & St. Paul Land company.

="The firm of Close Bros. & Co. was at the time the largest land dealer in the world. During the period of operation in Pipestone county the firm was composed of James B. Close. William B. Close and S. H. Graves, sons of wealthy Manchester. England, manufacturers. They were all well educated young men of great activity and ability and famous throughout England for their aquatic victories in the Cambridge university boat crew.

and swept down the Eock river valley. In the vicinity of Edgerton the farm houses of E. W. Day, Thomas Butterfield, George W'aitc anil 'Sir. ITIm were demolished.

I!\ far the most important event of ISSv; was the purchase by the South Minnesota Ijand company of over IdO.OOO acres of Southern Afinnesota lailmad lain!-; wilhin Pi]ics|i)ne county.''' The deal was completetl in September, when a check for $-l4(),l)00, comjii-ising the last payiiiciil. Mas turned over to the Milwaukee iilficials. (Jlose Bros. & Co., who had opciated extensively in railroad lands in Hurt hwcstcrii Iowa, were interested largely in the company and were the American managers. They had a reputation for doing big things in the matter of developing the country and promised a boom for Pipestone county. They diil not begin operations in 1882. but let it be known that the rollowing year they would begin work.'-"

Early in the spring of 1883 Close Bros. & Co. began the work of developing their new lands. In consideration of establishing the firm's headipiarters at Pipestone and jnany ]iromiscd iin|ii'ovements in that city and surrounding country, tlie Englishmen demanded a bonus of one hundred town lots and an undivided half interest in a two hundred acre tract adjoining the town on the north, all the property of C. H. Bennett. After some delay the demands were complied with,"' exposition at Philadelphia in 1876. The partners purchased many thousands of acres of land in northwestern Iowa and established headquarters at LeMars, Iowa, in the late seventies.

The decision to invest in the Pipestone county lands was brought about by representations of a few of the pioneer settlers of the county, who broached the subject to the partners, and a very brief visit of James B. Close in 1S79. He secured samples of corn raised in the county (when there were only three cornfields in tiie whole of Pipestone county), sent them to England, and as a result the English capitalists back of Close Bros, gave their authority for the purchase of the Milwaukee lands in Pipestone county.

-'Close Bros. & Co. threatened, in case the bonus was not granted, to establish their headquarters at H,atfield or Airlie and to V.)uild up those towns in preference to Pipestone.

the citizens of Pipestone reimbursing Mr. Bennett for liis lands by deeding him other town hits. On April 13, ISh;!, a contract was signed by Close Bros. & Co. (at thi' lime cinisisting of James B. Close, W'illinin 11. Close, Frederick B. Close and C. \V. Benson) and ilr. Bennett, by the terms ol' which, in consideratiiin of the land deeded, the land firm agreed to : First, remove the general heaik|iiarters of the firm from Leilars, Iowa, to Pijiestone and to erect a liead- (|iiarters building theie: secdud. tn build in Pipestone a hotel at a co.<t of .$ll,ii(i(l: third, to erect forty farm I'esidences in Pipestone county, fourth, to use its utmost endeavor to .secure settlers for Pijiestone county and to try to secure for Pipestone additional i-aili-oad facilities. Head- (piarters were at once established in Pipestone, and the terms of the contract were entirely fultilled.--

Tlie develojnnent of tlie railroad lands was commenced at once. The first train load of lumber for Close Bros. & Co.'s buildings arrived July 1, 1883, and the rest of the summer and fall was spent in erecting the buildings.-" The lands were cut up into half-section farms, on each of which were erected a sulistantial and neat five-room, stcn-y and a half. 1()X"24 feet house, IfixltJ feet granary and a barn of size sufficient to hold eight horses. Breaking was also done on each of the farms improved by Iniildings. At the beginning of their operations in Pipe.stone conntv, Clo.se Bros. & Co., English-fashion, pi-efei-reil to rent to tenants, and derive only an income from their investment, in ])reference to the profits of sales. \Yithin n slioi't time, however, thev put the lands on the market. The wild lands sold at fi-om .$S.(I(I to .$10.(111 jiei' acre and tlie improved farms at ^12.00 to $18.00. Liberal terms of payment were arranged. The purcha.-icr was recpiired to pay down $1.00 per acre and the balance in equal instalments extending over a period of ten years. .Veliial settK'i's who made inipi-o\eiiieiit-; on the land did not pav interest for the first five years. Concerning the operations of Close Bros. & Co. the Pipestone County Star of Septemlier "..'(i. 1883, said:

Undoubtedly Pipestone City and county owe tlie largest sliare of credit for their recent progress and present prosperity to Close Bros. & Co., the enterprising and well known land dealers. They have done ten times more than any single firm - and probably as much as all the real estate firms combined - to get the rich lands of this splendid section in the market and attract settlers. Their plan is either to sell the lands direct to purchasers or to erect comfortable buildings and rent the farms to tenants. They transact a very extensive btisiness and are doing magnificent service in the work of development, attracting a desirable class of immigrants and bringing the lands into cultivation so that they may become taxable property. The Close Bros, will, inside of a few years, make this entire section a veritable garden spot. In Pipestone county alone Close Bros. & Co. have 125,000 acres of the richest and most valuable land in Minnesota, which they are preparing to open up. A large number of farm houses, barns, etc., will be erected by Close Bros. & Co. during the present summer and fall, and several thousand acres of land will be broken up.

The firm have given to Pipestone county and Pipestone City a pusli forward, such, we venture to say, as no other community in the west of the same age has enjoyed. The many thousands of dollars that they have spent in advertising alone has had the effect to render the locality famous the country over, and a consequence is that a steady stream of immigration is now flowing into the county; homes are being created, and the wilderness of a few years ago "blossoms as the rose."

there is so much building going on in town it must be remembered that the country round about is also building up. The prairies as far as the eye can reach in any direction from town are dotted with new houses. - Pipestone County Star. July 11'. 1S83.

that timo. In one year the assessed valuation moio than doubled, the total amount being $l,10;i.:ii!8, of which $81G,974 was for real estate and $"2S(),;J94 for personal projjeity. Acrordiiis;- to a statement by the state ciiiniiiissionei' of statistics, the iiereage sown to the several crops, the yield in bushels and average per acre were as follows: Wheat, 11,080 acres, yield, I!lS,;)ii7 hushels, average per acre, IT. HO bushels; oats, 8;U8 acres, yield, ;?04,r.!IO liushels, average per acre, 3(1. (So bushels; corn, 1395 acres, yield 43,230 biisbeis, average per acre, 31 bushels; barley, 908(1 acres, yield, 87,394 bushels, average per acre, 9 bu.shels.

The first county fair was held September 29, 1883. Although only a few days" notice was given, there were many entries and the affair was pronounced a grand success. It was liehl in the open, no admission was charged, and no preuiinms were offered. The cattle exhibit was an especially good one. The management of the fail- was largely in the hands of E. A. I!ice. A. J). Ferris and H. E. Corbett.=-'

The year 1884 was a remarkable one in the history of Pipestone county liy reason of the rapid advancement and development and the building of new railways. During tlie entire twelve-month the ]iriiici])al topic of conversation was railroads, lionuses. lionds, right-of-way. .\s a result of the activity, the Omaha branch line was extended to Pipestone and the Kurlington road (now the Rock Island) was built through the countv. These accessions were secured only through the

''The judge.s of tlip .several exliibits were as follows: Grain and farm produce, J. D. Tvler. Samuel .\very and A. N. Ferris; art and needle work, Mrs. O. W. Morrill, Mrs. S. L. Bailey and Mrs. A. J. Brown; stock, Duncan Stuart, Edward Ewert and H. D. Sanford,

^Pipestone City and Pipestone county were fortunate in liaving as residents in the early days an exceptionally progressive class of men - men who never let an opjiortunity pass to advance the interests of the community, Thev were a liberal minded class of people and worked

The extension of the Omaha line from Woodstock, which had been the terminus since 1S79, to I'ipestone was brought aliout through the efforts of Pipestone jieople. Early in January, 1881, a delegjition consisting of Fred Close, C. H. P.enneft. J. H. Xicbols, L. II. Moore, A. L. Ely, 11, I), Sanford and C. C. Goodi!ow visileil the officials of llic Omaha laili-oad at St. Paul and made the necess:iiT arrangements. The railway nutlioi-itics demanded a free right-of-way and depot grounds in Pipestone, and these the Pipestone delegation promised. In February subscription papers were put in circulation, and within a short time the necessary funds were secured. ]\Ianv of the land owners donated the right-of-way aci'oss their farms, and the rest was purchased by money raised by sul)scription. Grading was commenced on the extension 'May 8, tracklaying liegun Julv 1, and before the close of that month the Ime was coin|ileted. The first passenger train was operated over the line August 1.

Early in the year came also the ])romi.se of two new lines of road through the county, each with a "proposition." These wcic tile lUirlington, wliich jiroposed to build lliiough the county southeast to norths csl. and the lluluth, Xorth Shore i)i: Southwestern, which was to have built a line niu-th and south. The people of Pipestone county were not at that jieriod overlooking any opportunity to better their conditions, even if it cost monev, together for the common good. Some of them were not rich in this world's goods, but they were imbued with a love of their county and cit.v to .such an extent that whenever there was opportunity to secure some benefit they took off their coats and worked to secure it with as much vim as they put into their private business. Among others who were in the forefront of every battle for the good of the community were D, E. Sweet, C, H, Bennett, Dr, \V. J. Taylor, I.. H. Moore, (', C. Goodnow, J, H, Nichols, T, .\. Black, E W, Davies and H, D. Sanford,

For some time there luid been ruiiKH's tlmt the Hiirliiiylon road was to extend tliroii^ii l*i])est.oiie county. In the fall of ISS:! siirveyoi's in the employ ot a comjiaiiy styled the Spirit Lake \- W'estein Itailway company I'an a line from Sihley, Iowa, to Pipestone and then I'eturned. lUiiinu llie followino- winter it liecame known that the Cedar Kapids. Iowa l'"alls iV Xoithwestern IJailway company, a snhsidiary Rnrlin^ton company, was planningan extension froTn Lake Park to Sihley and tlie north. On Feljriiary 5, 1884, General Sujierintendent C. J. Ives and S. L. I lows, one of the directors of the Hnrlinijton company, attended a raili'oad mas.s meetiiii;' at Pi|)estone, at which over five hiindi'i'd jieoplc wei'c present. They askeil I'di- $-.'."!. (Mid in honds, to he ])aiil ]iroviilinj; the road should lie com]ileted through Pipestone county by January 1. L8.s,5. Close Bros. & Co. offered to donate the right-of-way across their lands, and the meeting was enthusiastically in favor of accepting the proposition.

Petitions were at once prepared, askint; for the submission of the question to a vote in all tlie precincts except tl)e four eastern townships.-" Special elections were called for March 3, 4 and .5, wlien each precinct, with the exception of Altona, voted to issue the townsliip and village bonds. Following was the amount of bonds each precinct was asked to vote and the result of the election :

=""There has been no one question that has so agit.'ited tlie minds of the people of Pipestone county since the county was organized as that now presented to them regarding the voting of aid for the new lines of railroad that evince a disposition to build througli the count>-. Nearly everybody is discussing it. and well they may. for weare now at the most important point in the history of the county, a point where the people have it in their hands to build up an era of prospcrit>\ or create a period of depression in the value of lands, houses an<i other property that constitute the wealth of the county." - ^Pipestone County .Star. Febiiiary 19. 1.SS4.

Precinct

The route of the Burlington I'oad Mas surveyed in April and ifay, and grading was begun in early summer. liLiterial was shipped to Pipestone on the other railroads and grailing and track-laying for the north part o) the road were begun from that city. Another construction crew worked from the south, and the connection was made at Pipestone September 22. The first passenger train passed over the line two days later, and regular ]iassenger service was begun October 28. As a result of the construction of the newroad the village of Trosky was founded and parts of the county which had tlieretnl'ore been long distances from market wei'c nuu'o rapidly developed.

F.arly in January. 1884, came the pro]iosilion of the Duluth, North Shore & Southwestern Eailway company. K. 1). Mallett, the vice president, arrived in l'i]iest(me and stated that his comjinny \^-onld build the road to Pipestone tor a consideration of lionds to the amount of five per cent of the county's assessed valuation (about .$4().(t()0). Before the matter had ])roceeded far it was learned that

"At the same time the question of voting bonds to aid the Duluth road was imder consideration. It was found that the l>onds woiUd not be legally voted if the two propositions were decided at one election, and doubt was expressed as to their legality if county bonds were voted on both propositions. The matter was submitted by the representatives of the railway companies to a committee of Pipestone county citizens. 'I'hat committee decided that in order to conform strictly to the law. the Burlington proi)osltlon should be voted upon l5,\' townships and In case of a successful outcome township bonds should be issued, while the nuluth pruposllion shunld be voted upon hy the county as a, whole and in case of a successfid outcome, county bonds should be issued, the Burlington would soon be asking for a bond issue. As there was a legal barrier to issuing bonds to a greater amount than five per cent of the assessed valuation and the people of Pipestone county looked witii favor upon the Burlington road also, at a mass meeting held in Pipestone January 14 it was decided to take the necessary steps to bring to a vote the que.stion of issuing bonds to the amount of $30,- 1)00 only. A little later the amount decided on was cut to $25,000, and when the (juestion came to a vote the amount was reduced to $30,000. This also seemed to sntisfv the promoters of the paper road, who agreed to have the railroad in operation to Pipestone by December 1, 188.5. The election was held March 10, with the following result :

-^Eight tons of advertising matter were distributed in tlie United States alone, besides mucii to foreign countries. Tlie enterprising land firm shipped their lumber in by special trains, covered with banners setting forth the advantages of Pipestone county. The Pipestone County Star of June 10. 1S84, said:

Although the bonds were voted^ they ucie never issued. In May came the announcement that the work of surveying had been discontinued, that the Duluth, Lake .Shore & Southwestern Pailway company was without funds, that the mad Wduld nut lie ccuistructed.

The construction of railroads, the extensive advertising campaign of Close Bros. & Co.,-* and the abundant crops made the year 1881 a banner one in Pipestone county's hi.story. There was a large increase in population, many new business enterprises were started, and in all parts of the county material progress was made. Not in the early days was there a year to compare with 1884. Seventeen thousand acres of land and 5G0 town lots weie sold, the total consideration for which was $1G9,240. This did not include the farm lands which were sold under contract, which reached a value equal to the deed transfers, making the total real estate transactions nearly $350,000. The acreage sown to wheat in 1884 was 10,4.51, to oats, 9462.

These statistics indicate that at last Pipestone county liad come ujxiii better times. Excellent crop.s and a large immigration brcmght the c(uinty ra]iidly to the front.

but what bears circulars describing the beauties of this glorious country, and they are distributed far and wide. If people do not knowwhere to and a good i>ermanent home, in a land where milji and honey flow free to all who wish to partake, it will not be the fault of the great land firm of Close Bros. & Co.. who have expended so far this seasson in the neighborhood of ten thousand dollars in printed matter."