Jerauld County, South Dakota - The whole text, 1909 (part 7 of 10)

After the bustle and hurry in business matters at the county seat, incident to the coming of the railroad had subsided the town settled down to a steady growth. The greatest work in 1904 was the building of homes for the people brought in by the rapid increase of the various lines of work. The number of residences built each year has increased to the present time.

The railway company began work on the engine stall the first week in January and on the 15th started the carpenters at work on the permanent depot. On the same day the old box car that had been in use as a station house caught fire and the contents badly damaged. A month later a daily passenger service was established and the freight train began running tri-weekly. The depot was completed the latter part of March.

In January E. V. Miles and his son, Leon, opened the depot hotel and a grocery store beside it. The store was continued until August, when the stock was sold to W. F. Yegge who moved it to his store in Chery township. The hotel is still in use.

The report of the management of the creamery at the annual meeting in January showed that the cold storage companies were makingserious inroads upon its patronage. In June the Hanford Produce Co., of Mitchell, rented a room on Main street and began buying cream at Wessington Springs, J. H. Weast being the local buyer.

During the forepart of 1904 E. R. Bateman and J. W. Cowman conducted a meat market which Mr. Riggs had established the previous fall in a building put up by O. J. Marshall on the north side of Main Street near Third street.

About the 20th of January the town council thought to make use of the vein of water found while drilling the artesian well. A man with a well agur was employed to bore down to the vein. The man went at work and when down about forty feet stopped for the night. The next morning the hole was full of water and the walls of the hole caved in. The water had broken through from the artesian well, outside the casing of which the water had been rising for some time. In Sept, another effort was made to utilize the same vein. Robert McDonald was employed to bore to the stream with a well augur. He put the hole down 73 feet and cased it. The water came to the top and ran over, but the village had no money with which to construct a system of water works and so that scheme failed.

An earnest move was now made to incorporate the town as a city of the third class. The effort did not succeed, however, until the next year.

During the forepart of the year a woman named Rice put up a. building on the south side of Main street, opposite the Jacobs Bancroft building, for a millinery shop, but never carried out the plan.

About March 1st Geo. Nelson purchased an interest in the Sutton jewelry stock and moved it into the building put up the previous autumn by J. A. Housman, on the north side of Main street between Second and Third streets. The business was continued there until in October when Mr. Nelson and his sister, Mrs. Sutton, moved the stock into a brick two-story building they had built between the Gotwals confectionery

During the forepart of the year Zink and Farrington conducted a hardware business in the Steere- Wallace building, with the stock they had purchased on the death of W. H. Sutton. T. L. White bought an interest in the business in March and the firm then became known as White, Zink & Farrington. In the summer the firm moved into their new store on the north side of Main street.

The blacksmith work this year, (1904), was done by J. A. Zink, who had a shop on the west side of 2nd street, and S. T. Leeds, who had a shop in the south end of Snart's feed building.

In April Mrs. R. W. Probert and her brother, E. U. Cummings, built and equipped a steam laundry on the west side of 2nd street, which still continues, one of the most useful institutions in the city.

On March 29th, the old M. E. Church was moved to the NW quarter of section 19 in Blaine township for the use of the Solberg Swedish Lutheran Society.

F. W. Dodge sold the Willard Hotel about the 10th of July, but did not give possession until the forepart of October, when Mrs. Gehan and her son John became owners of the property.

In August N. M. Spears packed up his stock of goods and moved to Lyman county. His place was taken by C. A. Voorhees with a stock of groceries. Mr. Voorhees had for some time been doing a confectionery business in the old building erected by Peter Barrett in 1883. This left the confectionery business in the hands of Frank Linn and Amos Gotwals who sold their business to A. V. Hall in October.

From the Wessington Springs Seminary, on June 15th, was graduated a class of four students, Rosa B. Marshall, J. Mae Russell, August M. Anderson and O. Jesse Morehead.

White, the 12 year old son of T. L. White, one of the youngest graduates ever given a diploma in the county. One other student, Miss Mona Mc- Donald had graduated at the same age a couple of years before.

In May the old flag pole that had for so many years stood in the center of the crossing of Main and 2nd streets was cut down and another put in its place, for use on Decoration Day and in the Fourth of July celebration that followed.

While the foregoing events were occuring in the county seat, Lane was being pushed forward with that energy characteristic of new western towns.

On the 2nd of January the newspaper at Lane was admitted to the mails as second class matter. About the same time Henry Hatch of Alpena, and Haynes Cunningham bought the Lane livery stable and stock, but Mr. Hatch sold his interest in the business to R. McCurdy about February 25th.

During the forepart of the year L. W. Castleman supplied fresh meat to the people of Lane from his market at Alpena. But in March and April he put up a building, 16x20, one half of which he used as a meat market and rented the other half for use as a barber shop. He sold the meat market to Ira McCaul in December.

In May L. J. Grisinger began building a store on the corner south of The Farmers State Bank to be used by Geo. E. Whitney for a hardware store. June 8th the hardware stock had arrived and in the latter part of June Franzwa sold to Mr. Whitney his hardware stock. About the same time Mr. McCaul became a partner in the hardware business with Whitney and the store was opened. This firm sold their stock to A. Harris about the middle of December, who took possession the first of the following March.

C. A. Pray purchased the Star restaurant of Ed Eaton on March 15th, and June 20th sold it to Henry Koemn, of Plankinton. The building in which this restaurant was located was owned by Mr. Franzwa, who added eight bedrooms to it in July. Not long after this addition was made the restaurant was sold to Mr. Shaw, who in December sold it to Carr & Kingsbury, from Woonsocket. The name was then changed to "The Owl."

In the latter part of May Frank McCurdy began putting up a double two-story building on the west side of Main street in which he opened a large stock of general merchandise on July 15th.

Sometime in May a company was formed with L. J. Grisinger, president, to take care of the water from the artesian well. By means of small surface pipes, by July the water was conducted into nearly every residence and business house in town.

The railway depot was completed about the middle of June, and about the same time preparations began for celebrating the first anniversary of the birth of the town, - July 30th, the date on which the townlot sale occurred, the previous year.

June 28th the trustees of Franklin township approved Nick Weckers' application to open a saloon in the town of Lane, but the institution was not established because the county commissioners refused to approve the bond.

A Modern Woodman camp was formed at Lane on July 22nd with 25 members and a lodge of Royal Neighbors, with 20 members, was organized the following October.

In the autumn of the year, (1904), the German Lutheran- Societies north and south of Lane united and moved their church building from the southern part of Alpena township into town.

In April a strong artesian well was struck on the T. W. Lane ranch in Crow township, and a couple of weeks later a good well was drilled at the Frick farm, near Glen, in Logan township.

The Glen creamery that had done so much to enhance the prosperity of the farmers in that vicinity, was rented to the Turner Produce Co., of Mitchell, in June, 1904, and in August a still further change was made

At Alpena on January 1st, 1904, M. S. Rahn leased the restaurant of R. W. Wiley, and took possession the same day. Since then this property has changed hands so often that it is almost impossible to give a complete record of it.

In the spring of the year Mrs. James Eastman began doing a millinery business in Alpena. This was the first permanent business of the kind in the town.

At the village election, March 15th, the saloon license was upheld by a majority of one vote. The institution did not live until the next year, however, because of legal complications arising ffom the sale of the concern by its proprietor, to parties who had given no bond, nor made application for a license.

A few days later Milliken & Chamberlain, who were actively engaged in real estate business, brought to Alpena a number of automobiles, the first to be owned in the town and probably the first in the county. One of these machines was sold to D. C. Wallace, of Wessington Springs.

A Yeoman lodge, with 30 members, was formed at Alpena about the 20th of April, and about the same time a fire company with ten members was formed.

In July, and the only time in the history of the county, a dense fog in heavy banks rolled over the state and all the northwest country west of the Mississippi river and blighted the wheat with black rust. No wind was blowing and the heat of the sun poured in between the fog banks burst the wheat straw and in two hours time the immense crop was ruined. The yield of wheat was light and of poor quality, but the damage was somewhat retrieved by good prices. For the first time in years the price of wheat reached one dollar per bushel.

The most important work of the county board was making the banks of the county depositories of county money requiring a bond for safe keeping of funds and payment of four per cent interest on daily balances.

In politics the principal matter of interest was the election of a state capital. As the campaign progressed people in many cases dropped all kinds of work and spent their time riding from one candidate city to the other. No fare was charged and riding was unrestricted. The railway coaches were so packed with people that the conductors could not force their way through, and did not try.

In county matters three tickets were in the field, Republican, Citizens and Prohibition. Of the Republican candidates, Theo. Dean, nominated for Co. Supt., refused the nomination and the county committee named W. B. Wilson for the vacancy on the ticket, so the tickets presented to the voters were as follows:

The beginning of the year 1905 found the people of Jerauld county still hustling to keep pace with the prosperity that had come upon them. More residences must be built in both town and country ; more prairie must be broken, and more crops grown. The increasing value of land seemed at first to be only speculative, but the advance in the market price of cattle, hogs and grain, with the productiveness of the soil under proper cultivation together with the improved market facilities made the values real. Land that a few years before could not be sold at any price wa> now sold at from $15 to $20 per acre, and most astonishing of all, paid for with a single crop of any kind of grain. New life was infused into the people and they bestirred themselves to take advantage of the favorable opportunities.

The great lumber companies with yards at Wessington Springs reported more lumber sold at that station than any where else on their lines. At Lane, W. L. Smith, local agent for the Fullerton Lumber Company, received the company's prize of $100 for having the smallest percentage of unpaid accounts at the close of the year, of any of their agents. Not only were business collections generally good, but interest and taxes were promptly paid.

During the conference year of 1905 the M. E. Church at Wessington Springs, Rev. Crowther, pastor, raised $500 for missionary work. The next year, 1906, same pastor, the amount was increased to $1,600; in 1907 Rev. J. M. Tibbetts, pastor, $1,700 and in 1908, same pastor, $1,800.

In January, Dr. Martin located at Lane, the Lane Pioneer News was made one of the county official papers and a pool hall was built and ready for business by the first of February.

In March David Ried bought an interest in the livery stable of which be became sole owner in May. The township of Franklin voted saloon license by 30 majority and granted franchise for local telephone exchange to the Wessington Springs company. No exchange was put in, however, until in August, when F. McCurdy obtained a franchise and installed 25 'phones in the town. The line had been extended south from Lane to Gordon P. O. in July, where it connected with the Wessington Springs line, which had been built to that point in June. March 25th the township board granted the application of H. H. Fetterly and Fred Seifkin, but the bond was rejected by the county commissioners. Later, on August 1 2th, the commissioners approved the bond of Fred Seifken, by a divided vote, O. O. England voting no and L. J. Grisinger and Geo. C. Martin voting yes. The bond of Joseph Diedrich at Alpena was approved on September 22nd by the same vote.

In April Sever Starkey started in the implement business in Lane, and about the same time the '"Owl" restaurant was sold to Fred Oddy and the name changed to ''The Hotel restaurant." In the same month a drug stock was brought to Lane and purchased by F. McCurdy who placed it in the large double building he had completed a short time before. In May Mr. McCurdy began the construction of another building south of his general store for use of the drug stock alone. The building was completed and occupied in November by Walter McCurdy, in charge of the drug department.

The W. W. Johnson Lumber Co. located a yard in Lane in April with H. O. Refvem, agent, and in the latter part of the month Wm. Brodkorb purchased the meat market. The last of the month work began on the Whitney two story building. This structure was intended for a pool hall in the basement, and to it that sport was moved about the 15th of August, the first floor for a hardware and the 2nd story for a public hall, which plan was carried out. In December David Reid built a pool hall on the east side of Main street and that has been the location of the games of pool and billiards ever since.

The two events in June that attracted greatest local interest at Lane were the establishment of a furniture store by G. T. England, of Wessington Springs, and a game of ball with the Alpena nine in which the Lane players were victorious by a score of 6 to 5. This practically established the prestige of the Lane ball nine, a distinction in the county which they have maintained to the present time.

In August N. P. Petersen began work in Lane as a blacksmith. Mr. Lewis Hare opened a barber shop and Mrs. Hare established a millinery shop.

On Sept. 1 2th The Citizens State Bank of Lane was organized with a capital of $5,000; E. Soper, Jr., president; L. J. Grisinger, vice-president; Carl Klippin, cashier. The directors were A. Strub, F. McCurdy and Noah Kellar.

This bank began doing business in the Grisinger building on the corner south from the Farmers State Bank. Mr. Whitney had moved the hardware stock across the street west into the building he had put up on that corner.

On October 22nd Rev. John E. Hughes, Pastor, laid the corner stone of the first Congregational Church building at Lane. This church had been formed in 1903 with 14 members, with Rev. Reese of Wessington Springs supply. First pastor was Rev. Jas. Davies, 1903 to 1905. Third pastor, John E. Hughes, 1905 to 1907, followed by S. T. Beatty.

In July C. A. Voorhees moved his stock of groceries to Lane from Wessington Springs, but in the autumn sold the business to H. D. Butterfield of Mitchell who placed J. H. Miller in charge.

On the old John Teasdale farm in Dale township, now owned by Michael Wahl, a well was put down by Jensen in May, 810 feet. The work was done in four days.

The Fourth of July celebrations this year, (1905) were at Peirces Grove in Harmony township, and the G. A. R. celebration July 3rd, 4th and 5th at Alpena.

In Viola township a Sunday School and Epworth League convention was held at the German Methodist Church, commencing February 15th and continuing one week.

In Anina township the Congregational Church was dedicated May 7th. During the summer the telephone line was extended west from the Kellogg farm in Anina to the Vessey farm in Crow Lake township.

In the summer of 1905 a meeting was held at the residence of Andrew Pflamn in Logan township, by a few members of the Catholic Church at which it was decided to build a church edifice on section 20 in Crow Lake township, to cost about $1,500. At the meeting mentioned $600 was subscribed. Work on the church commenced at once and mainly through the efforts of Anton Reindl the money was raised and the building completed. The church was ready for dedication in the late autumn of that year. It was named "St. Marys." It stands near the* south line of section 20 and is surrounded by a cleanly kept, beautiful church yard. In the cemetery are two graves, (1908), one that of an infant child of Mr. and Mrs. Petroski, but has no inscription on the head board. On the other grave stands a pretty monument. In German text, on a white plate, is this inscription, "Heir richt Anton Reindl, geb zu Reitz in Osteweich den 10 Juni, 1848, gest in Crow Lake, So. Dak. den 7 Juli, 1905." On a lower plate are the words, also in German text, "Nur in der Kirche ist Mein Heil."

The last work of Anton Reindl was building the foundation of this church. While engaged in that work he contracted the sickness from which he died before the edifice was completed. The church society was organized by Father O'Flaherty, of the Kimball parish.

On July 6th while helping to dip cattle at a dipping tank located at Frank Smith's farm in Pleasant township, D. B. Paddock, of Logan township, ex-county commissioner, was struck by lightning and killed instantly. A few weeks later, Sept. 16th, Ludwig Pfaff, of Crow township, was also killed by lightning.

At Alpena Castleman and Rohr dissolved partnership January ist, the latter remaining in charge of the market at Alpena and the former retaining the business at Lane until he sold to Wm. Brodkorb in April.

From the public schools of Alpena four young ladies graduated on May 25th. The class was composed of Misses Gertrude and May Chamberlain, Lizzie Smith and Mattie Hatch.

This year another move was made by parties from Sanborn county to divide Jerauld county so as to add Alpena, Blaine and Franklin townships to the county on the east. The move failed and now that Woonsocket has a new court house the attempt will probably never be made again.

On June 14th a swarm of bees alighted in Mr. A. F. Smith's yard and were captured and hived by Id. C. Newmier. From whence the little strangers came no one could imagine.

F. M. Steere sold to J. B. Collins his interest in the telephone exchange in January and in the same month the Wessington Springs creamery was leased to the Turner Produce Co. of Mitchell.

About the middle of the month Mrs. Minnie Easton moved her millinery stock into the Housman building adjoining Dr. Cooper's office and established the first permanent independent millinery shop in the town.

The White, Zink & Farrington warehouse north of Main street, on First street, was completed in March. In August, however, Mr. White retired from the firm and bought the R. M. McNeil stock and building on the south side of Main street.

March 21st Wessington Springs incorporated as a city of the third class and the first meeting of the city council was on the evening of May 1st.

In April B. D. Olson sold his barber shop to Herbert Bryson and Ensley Shaw, and during the same month C. S. Jacobs formed a partnership with his two sons, Howard and Lewis, in the harness business.

K. S. Starkey put up a store building on Second Street at the crossing of the section line road and in November filled it with a stock of merchandise.

I11 July Gus Nordlie, a tailor, located in Wessington Springs and opened a shop. In the same month J. F. Spencer bought the Bateman meat market.

August 3rd Wm. Brimncr began work on the foundation of the opera house. The building was completed and opened for amusements on the 3rd of November.

The State Bank began work on their brick building at the southwest corner of Second and Main streets in the early fall and continued to the close of the year.

On December 31st G. W. Bakus retired from the Dakota Sieve and was succeeded by Fred N. Dunham to whom he had sold the paper a few weeks before. The paper was changed to Republican in politics.

In the proceedings of the county board but little of interest occurred. At the January meeting Geo. C. Martin was made chairman. On March 18th at a meeting of the cattle owners of the county, called by the county auditor, L. F. Russell, was elected cattle inspector. Then the county commissioners went at work to aid the inspector to stamp out a disease that had appeared among the livestock. Dipping tanks were built in various parts of the county, at public expense and some of those already erected were purchased. It was expensive work but so thoroughly did Mr. Russell and his assistants do their duty that in two years the quarantine was lifted.

The teachers' county institute was held the 21st of August and continued two weeks with Prof. J. Jones, Jr., conductor, assisted by John F. Wicks and Miss Westcott.

At the Wessington Springs Seminary the graduating class was Mabel Seger,. Bertha Starkey, Wilson Slocum, Ethel Seacord, A. D. Sprouse, Charles Cook, Hugh Short, Olaf Rosengren, Roy Eagle, Leonard Hitchman, Val La Bau.

The Mt. Vernon mail route was discontinued June 1st and the mail carried only to Gordon P. O. A. V. Hall became the driver on this route, while J. H. Vessey took the route from Wessington Springs to Waterbury.

Charles Walters, the postmaster at Gordon, resigned Sept. 2nd and on the 19th of the same month he turned the office over to Fred Kieser, his successor. Ten days later, (Sept. 29th), the postmaster at Wessington Springs was authorized by the department at Washington to establish Dec. 1st, 1905, Rural Free Delivery, Route No. 1 from that office as follows : Go east from the Wessington Springs office to the section line, then south 5 % miles to the southeast corner of section 7 ; then west 2 miles to the southeast corner of section 1 1 ; then south 3 miles to the southeast corner of section 26 ; then east 4 miles to the southeast corner of section 28 ; then north 4 miles to the south east corner of section 4 ; then east 1 mile to the southeast corner of section 3 ; then north 5 miles to the southeast corner of section 10; then west and south 4 miles to the Wessington Springs P. O., making a total distance of 29% miles. An examination for carrier was held and Jay Dodge was given the position at $750 per year, including horse hire.

A census of the county taken by the assessors in June showed but 1,152 children in the county of school age - but 127 more than at the time of the great blizzard in 1888.

The year 1906 was ushered in with an exceedingly mild winter. While the states east and south were suffering the severities of vigorous cold the plains of Dakota seemed the abode of summer. On the 18th of February the writer found great numbers of grasshoppers, alive and jumping, on one of the highest points of the Wessington Hills. But little snow fell during the winter and there was no sleighing. The neverfailing April storm came, however, with more than its usual amount of wind and snow. But as people had learned to guard against this spring storm, only sleight damage was done.

In March Supt. Wilson began preparation for a county spelling contest to be held on the 7th of April. One thousand words were printed and distributed among the children of the county public schools. Each school had its trial of skill and sent its champion to the county contest. Numerous prizes were offered and the interest was great. The first prize was won by Miss Allie Nesmith, of Viola township. The judges could not say, however, that Miss Marie Davis of the same township had missed a single word. Miss Nesmith had certainly not missed any and so the decission turned on the penmanship. One letter in Miss Davis manuscript was doubtful, therefore, she was given the second prize. A free-for-all contest was then held for a set of books offered by the Jerauld County Review. For this prize Miss Allie Nesmith, of Viola township, and Earnest Simmons, of Dale township, were a tie and the set of books was divided.

In April two steam breaking outfits were started in Wessington Springs township - one by J. A. Zink with two 3-plow gangs, on the C. E. Baker farm and the other by Leo Richardson, one four-plow gang, on the farm of Lewis Tofflemeier.

The teachers' county institute was held during the two weeks commencing June 18th, Prof. Jones, conductor. This had the largest attendance of any institute ever held in the county - the enrollment being 165. John Wicks was again one of the assistant conductors.

The total assessed valuation of the county this year was $2,520,530. In March there were but 541 farms in the county having 63,778 cultivated acres, over one-sixth of which was in Blaine township and but 740 in Crow township.

A farmers telephone company was incorporated about May 1st to construct a line west from Alpena to the west line of the county. The officers were Will Linn, president; Peter Myron, secretary; Michael Wahl, treasurer. The directors were F. M. Shull, A. McLoud, Will Linn, Henry Beck, Harry Shefield. Work on this line began about the middle of June and was completed about the middle of August. It was connected at D. M. Brenneman's with line from Wesington Springs. The telephone line running northeast from Alpena was put in working order about the 15th of July.

On May 24th the people of the west half of the county enjoyed a picnic at Crow Lake for the benefit of the Catholic Church in that township. Financially it was a success. Father O'Flaherty, of the Kimball parish, delivered an address on patriotism that has probably never been excelled in the county. On the 12th of Sept. St. Mary's Church was dedicated, according to the rites of the society.

About the same time that Hawley bought the furniture business Mr. C. A. Voorhees became proprietor of the McCurdy hotel at Lane, and on January 25th Mr. Poole bought Dave Reid's pool hall. Dave Reid then purchased the dray line from Cunningham & Lindebak and took Andrew Reid in as a partner. They continued the business until Nov. 1st when they sold to Goll & Jonker.

On February 3rd a deal was made between F. A. Franzwa and A. J. Brandenburg and his son, Otto, by which the two latter became owners of the formers building and mercantile stock which they managed until November 19th of the same year, when they sold the stock to Messrs. Burton & Craft, of Mitchell, but retained title to the building.

Geo. Nelson bought the blacksmith business of N. P. Petersen about the first of September and the latter then turned his attention to the implement business.

On October nth Dr. Martin left Lane to seek another location. On Oct. 25th Dr. Burleigh located in Lane and soon after built an office at the south end of Main street.

In Chery township C. J. Bliss tried a novel experiment on his ranch. He was fatting a couple of car loads of cattle for the eastern market. Instead of turning hogs in the yards with the steers he bought 500 turkeys and turned them in. It was a great success. In January he shipped two tons of dressed turkeys to Boston, after having fed them but a few weeks with the cattle.

In the summer of this year L. N. Nesselroad located at Wessington Springs with a herd of registered Durham and Hereford cattle. From this herd many of the highest types of animals were sold to different parts of South Dakota and adjoining states.

Among the business changes at Alpena was one by which John Schamber, former state treasurer, became vice president of the Bank of Alpena, his son, R. E. Schamber, cashier, and J. R. Milliken, president.

In September J. W. Doubenmier and F. E. Manning formed a partnership to do real estate business in the name of the Alpena and Western Land Co.

Business changes at Wessington Springs were also quite numerous. In January Wm. Burger purchased the A. V. Hall confectionery business, and in February the creamery was sold to Turner Produce Co., of Mitchell.

The name of The Dakota Sieve was changed on March 1st to "Jerauld County Review." In the same month the Wessington Springs State Bank moved into its new brick building on the southwest corner of Main and 2nd streets. About the same time Henry Hermsen, of Coon Rapids. Iowa, bought the Bryson-Shaw barber shop.

In March, also, R. A. Bushnell took charge of the feed mill he had purchased from J. W. Snart. Later in the year, (in Dec.) Mr. Bushnell obtained from the city council a franchise to operate an electric light

It was during the month of March, too, that Mrs. Gehan and her son, John, sold the Willard Hotel to Mr. John Verry, who took possession the first of the following October.

About this time a man named Love came from Madison and organized a branch of the American Society of Equity with 35 members, John Mounsey, president ; J. A. Paddock, secretary. The purpose of this organization was to regulate the price of farm products. As yet its effect has not been materially felt.

At the commencement exercises on June 6th the seminary granted diplomas to Amy A. Cook, Ethel V. Ford, George Hubbard, Sylvia Mc- Clellan, Geo. Kennedy, May Cook and Alice Vennard.

In July Bert Healy sold his rackett-store to R. M. McNeil and J.. H. Creighton made a deal with Harry Webber by which the latter became the owner of the former's mercantile business in Wessington Springs. In the same month Norman Zink bought an interest in the A. W. Richardson livery business and started a bus line.

During the last week in August the W. T. George Co. sold their mercantile stock to Miles & Hunter, who had sold their Alpena store to F. A. Franzwa.

On November 20th a special election was held to vote bonds in the sum of $2,150 to buy the site for the present public school building, at a cost of $2,000.

Dr. Burleigh, of Lane, in November and December built a drug store building on the north side of Main street, adjoining Mrs. Easton's millinery store on the east, and in it Harry Frick began business as a druggist just before the holidays.

A P. E. O. society was formed October 24th. This is a secret organization, to a membership in which only ladies are eligible. The organization was the fourth of its kind in the state. The charter members were Mrs. Cora Miller, president, Miss Edna Butterfield, Miss Florence Moul-

Probably at no time since the days of the old Waterbury ball team, had so much interest centered about the national game in Jerauld county as during the year 1906. The sport commenced when the Lane nine defeated Woonsocket May 20th.

The next game was on June 8th when Alpena was defeated by Wessington Springs, score 3 to 2. The winning team in this game played Lane on June 12th and won 6 to 4. Then came the game at the old settlers' picnic, always a game of great interest, when the Lane team defeated Wessington Springs, in a very close score. On June 20th Wessington Springs played Artesian and won 8 to 1.

On June 30th Messrs. S. C. Scott, Chas. B. Marquis and W. H. Childs, of Lyons, Iowa, and E. H. Wood, real estate dealers, who had bought and sold a great deal of Jerauld county land, offered for sale at auction a large number of town lots that they had platted on some land adjoining the town of Lane. The land they had purchased embraced the Grisinger grove which was christened "Marquis Park." In preparing for this town lot sale a game of ball between the Wessington Springs and Lane teams was planned. The game was a most interesting one and resulted in a victory for Lane by a score of 3 to 1.

Four days later the same teams crossed bats at the Wessington Springs celebration where the score was 3 to o in favor of Wessington Springs. On July 7th Lane again defeated Wessington Springs by a score of 3 to 1.

July nth Wessington Springs defeated Howard by a score of 4 to o, and a few days later in a close game between the same teams at Howard at the end of ten innings the score stood 2 to 1 in favor of the Jerauld county team. There followed a series of games by the Wessington Springs team with one from Letcher. Five games were played of which Letcher won three. Two of these games were played on August 24th and 25th at Wessington Springs. So great was the interest that all business houses in Wessington Springs were closed during the games. The game on the 24th resulted 5 to 3 for Letcher, but the one on the 25th was won by the home team 1 to o - the only "shut-out" of the

The Wessington Springs team was made up of the following players : Chas. Debenham, pitcher; S. E. Pflamn, pitcher; Frank Dickerson, catcher; S. J. Whitney, T. F. Vessey, Earnest Vessey, Wm. Zink, Fred N. Dunham, C. R. Wetherell, Emil Swanson.

Before entering upon his duties as county treasurer Mr. Russell sold his herd of . Hereford cattle to L. A. Pinard of Chery township. This herd had been started by Mr. Pinard and Mr. Russell in partnership in 1893. In 1900 they divided the herd each taking half. The cattle were now united again under the ownership of Mr. Pinard, and comprised some of the best animals ever brought on to the plains.

On July 8th W. F. Taylor resigned his position as clerk of courts and C. W. McDonald was appointed to fill the vacancy. At the same meeting the board appropriated $600 to complete the grading of the county road extending from the top of the grade west of Wessington Springs to the top of the hill west of the Schubert residence in Media township which had become almost impassable because of the heavy rains.

There was considerable activity in religious matters in the county during the year 1907. A district convention of foreign missionary societies was held at Alpena on June 21st and 22nd.

In Viola township a Methodist church was 'erected in August and September and named Tibbetts Chapel in honor of the minister who then had the Wessington Springs pastorate. This building was dedicated October 27th. The Solberg Lutheran edifice was dedicated Sept. 22nd in the nortwest part of Blaine township.

The Lutheran Church, of the Missouri synod, which since 1902 had been holding its meetings at the Meyers School house in Blaine township, built a church at Lane, laying the foundation in June and completing the structure in October. They began holding meetings in the new church in November. This society had been organized by Rev. R. Ulhman, in 1902, with 16 charter members.

In business circles there was the usual activity. On January 1st J. R. Milliken, who had previously bought Schamber's interest in the Bank of Alpena, sold that institution to J. E. Schull, who became its president, J. W. Doubenmier, vice-president, and F. E. Manning, cashier.

At the railway depot in Alpena, C. G. Boom having been transferred to Groton, Theo. Beuhler was put in his place the latter part of January.

In April the business men of Alpena formed the Alpena Improvement Association, which was incorporated May 14th. Twenty acres were bought in the west part of the village and on it a race track was prepared. The first racing meet occurred on Sept. 4th, 5th and 6th. Horses were entered from Huron, Carthage, Plankinton and Alpena. The first trotting race was won by W. H. McMillan's horse, "Dan Sprague," and the first running race by Frank Shull's gelding, Ukiah.

In the school at Alpena, on May 22nd Beulah Milliken, Susie Rankin, Grace Ketchum, Flossie Hillis, Jessie Beals and Matthew Smith graduated from the high school department, the teacher being Prof. Hendrickson. In the autumn this educator accepted a position as teacher of mathematics in the Wessington Springs Seminary.

C. W. Miller became proprietor of the Alpena Owl Restaurant in the fall of the year and retained it until early in the next year when he sold it to Mrs. G. C. Haskins.

About the first of December a tri-weekly rural route was established to run south and west from Alpena with Joseph Baldwin, driver, at a salary of $540 per year.

At Lane J. W. Mueller purchased the stock of goods owned by H. D. Butterfield, and took Mr. W. Wood in as a partner. This deal was made about January 10th.

A month later, Sept. 17th, work was commenced on the Citizens State Bank building on the east side of Main street and a week later work began on the new school house.

On October 19th Craft and Burton sold their stock of merchandise to J. J. Fitzgerald & Son, who on the 7th of December sold the same property to A. J. Brandenburg and his son, Otto Brandenburg.

For many years it had been the custom of some one of the settlers who came to the county before the rush of 1883 to give a "pioneer" dinner on Thanksgiving day to the others of those who came in 1880, 1881 or 1882. In 1907 this dinner was given by Rev. J. G. Campbell. Besides the family of the host there were present the families of Thos. Shryock. Rev. A. B. Snart, M. Sheppard, C. W. McDonald, Louis Tofflemier, E. W. Simmons and John Francis.

In the same month a farmers' institute by authority of the state was conducted at Wessington Springs for two days by A. E. Chamberlain, a lawyer, of Howard.

Ten days later R. A. Bushnell placed an engine in his feed mill and prepared to give the city a system of electric lights. The lights were first utrned on in May.

At the Seminary commencement exercises held on June nth the graduating class were, Susie B. Kennedy, Mamie A. Reid, Eva G. Gilfillan, and Minnie C. Donaghue.

The Congregational churches in Lane and Anina townships were united under one pastorate in the early summer, Rev. Beatty, minister, and at the same time the' churches of that denomination at Wessington Springs and Fauston were united under Rev. Reynolds as pastor, though each church retained its separate organization.

In July the city made another effort to obtain means of protection against fire. An agent visited Wessington Springs and demonstrated how easily a chemical engine would extinguish the fiercest fire. The council, acting on the advise of almost everybody, bought one.

A farmers' elevator company with $25,000 authorized capital was formed July 26th with John Mounsey, president. The directors were E. B. Orr, John Mounsey, C. M. Brenneman, E. B. Maris, O. W. Morehead, Geo. C. Martin and J. L. Sedgwick. The company purchased the Hyde elevator, taking possession August 15th,

By August the Wessington Springs Telephone Company had increased its system, until it had fifteen lines extending to different parts of the county. The next month the company built an office on the west side of 2nd street on the alley south of the State Bank.

Sept. 2 1 st the business men of Wessington Springs raised a bonus of $2,000 and arranged with J. L. Coram to put up a hotel such as the growing importance of the town demanded. Work on the new hotel began about the middle of October.

On December 23rd the people of the indepedendent school district voted bonds in the sum of $10,000 with which to build a new brick school house.

Early in the summer of 1907 the business men of Wessington Springs employed a team of ball players which they named "The Cowboys" and sent them out on a tour of eastern South Dakota, and Iowa and Illinois. It was an advertising project for the town and as such it was a success - though expensive. The team visited Sioux Falls and Canton in this state, and then went to Sheldon, Spencer, Soo Rapids, Ft. Dodge, Humboldt, Britt, Forest City, Garner, Mason City, Osage, Charles City, Clarksville, Waverly, Elizabeth, Davenport, Sabula and Charlotte, in Iowa and Savana, Galena and Dixon in Illinois. They plyed thirty-two games with the most skillful teams in the country through which they traveled, winning twenty-three of them.

In May the Alpena ball team played three games with Woonsocket winning all of them, and on June 1st played with Letcher, being beaten by a score of i to o. During the Alpena field days in September the Alpena team defeated Wessington Springs by a score of 6 to 2, and Cavour 3 to o.

The only thing occurring this year to effect political matters in Jerauld county, was an act passed by the legislature of 1907 placing Jerauld and Sanborn counties together in one senatorial district.

Another event of a political nature that occurred in Jerauld county, but only affecting state affairs, was the announcement in December of R. S. Vessey's candidacy for the position of governor.

The financial panic of 1907 came in October and was a surprise to the banks of Jerauld county as well as to other institutions throughout the country. But not a failure occurred. While at Wessington Springs the banks paid but $25.00 on any one check in a day, no cashier's certificates were issued by either of the banks. At Alpena and Lane all checks were paid in full as presented.

Of the events of local importance that occurred in different parts of the county, one was the opening of a catechism school by Rev. Witter, of Lane, in the Shulfz school house in Viola township.

In Logan township the most important events of a public nature were the completion of the telephone line from Kimball to Glen which was done in July. The P. O. at Glen was discontinued and a R. F. D. route was established in February.

In Marlar township C. F. Scofield resigned as postmaster at Hyde postoffice and the office was moved to the residence of L. W. Kreidler on Feb. 21.

In the town of Lane the building for the Citizens State Bank, on West side of Main street, was completed in January and became the home of that institution.

Mr. J. H. Mueller, of the firm of Mueller & Wood committed suicide on the 2nd day of January and oh the 19th of March, Ira Stunson purchased their stock of goods.

M. G. Shull, who had purchased in 1906, the pool hall from J. F. Spencer, sold that institution to Roy Triplett during the first week in February.

In April a rural free delivery route was established to run northeast of Alpena with Edgar Wales as carrier. He was succeeded in July by E. P. Kelly.

During the night of June 16th occurred one of the most remarkable things in the history of the country. Shortly after midnight there came a terrific down pour of rain. In the morning every little pool that contained a bucketful of water had in it from one to a dozen or more pickerel minnows, all about two inches in length.

entered the race; Topsy, owned by Roy Millhause ; Crickett, owned by LaRue Manwaring; Silver Bell, owned by Mary Castleman ; Gold Dust, by Cleo Castleman ; Dandy, by L. W. Castleman. They made the quartermile dash in a bunch. The first heat was won by Crickett, Everett Haskins, rider; but the little mare Topsy, ridden by Orville Eaton, was so close a second that interest in the second heat ran high. Again the bunch of boys and girls and ponies came over the course, all close together, and Topsy won by half a length. It was evident by this time that the first place lay between Topsy and Crickett. In the third heat the line of racers was more extended, but the little mare and her small competitor came in neck and neck, each little rider doing his best to win. The most frantic cheering of the whole celebration occurred when little Topsy passed under the wire a neck ahead. Gold Dust was ridden by Cleo Castleman ; Silver Bell by Mary Castleman, and Dandy by Marshall Corbin.

On November 18th, F. A. Franzwa made an assignment for the benefit of his creditors. All were paid in full, the liabilities being about $14,000 and the assets $17,000, besides his two store buildings, at Lane and Alpena.

In January, two petitions asking for free rural mail routes from Wessington Springs were circulated one for a route running north, circulated by J. H. McVey and the other circulated by Henry L. England, of Harmony township for a route running west.

At noon on January 22nd, the alarm of fire was given in Wessington Springs, for the old Seminary was burning. The chemical engine proved worthless in that emergency, because of the location of the fire, which had started in the coal bin of the laundry. The building fell in about an hour after the fire was discovered. In February enough money had been subscribed to build another, and far better, seminary and the architect's plans accepted. At the same time the same architect submitted plans for the new public school building which was also accepted. The contracts for both buildings were let to the same man and work commenced June 1 2th. While the new building was being arranged for and built, the work of the seminary was carried on at the court house. In July the building that had been used for the public school was sold to the seminary and moved to the campus for use as a dormitory. Both the new buildings - the seminary and the public school - were completed ready for use in November.

a contract was made with the Western Engineering Co., W. L. Bruce, engineer, to complete the work, as it now exists. A deed to the big spring and the land needed was obtained from the old townsite company for $3000.

One of the most important of the many great things done for Wessington Springs in the year 1908, was the opening of the Oliver Hotel, J. L. Coram, proprietor, which occurred on February 28th.

In March arrangements were made with the government weather bureau office at Huron by which the predictions were each day phoned to the central office at Wessington Springs and by it sent over its various lines.

On March 3rd, President Roosevelt nominated to the U. S. Senate, Fred A. Dunham to be postmaster at Wessington Springs. This appointment was confirmed on May 22nd and he became postmaster on July 1st in place of W. F. -Bancroft, who had resigned. About the same time he purchased Mr. Bancroft's interest in the Jacobs-Bancroft building and moved his paper, the Jerauld county Review, to the rear of the room occupied by the post office.

It was in April also that Miss Goldie Atkins opened the Cozy Cafe in the old Herald building on the north side of Main street. She sold the business to Earl Hawthorne in October.

The Wessington Springs Seminary on June 3rd granted diplomas to its graduating class - Mary L. Thompson, Leonard V. Hitchman, Jennie L. Dolliver, Gottfrid Bern and Mable F. Remster.

About the first of September, James Greenlee, from Coon Rapids, Iowa, bought an interest in Hermsen's barber shop, located in the old building where Ford and Rich had their "law and land office" twenty-five years before.

In October the firm of Dill & Reese purchased the Herman Brodkorb grocery stock and building and began to do a general bakery business. Mr. Brodkorb retained his meat market business until the latter part of December when he sold it to Messrs. Hutchinson & Sleeper, of Lincoln, Nebraska.

On the 16th and 17th, of October, the Catholic ladies of Wessington Springs and vicinity held a church fair which produced a net income of over $500.

During many years the contests in temperance oratory had been continued. Of the young people of Jerauld county who had won prizes in local and district contests Philip and Florence Moulton, Mrs. W. F. Bancroft and Laura Easton, all of Wessington Springs, had each won diamond medals.

In the same month occurred the first game of foot ball ever played in Wessington Springs. The players were the Woonsocket high school eleven and the Seminary. The result was a victory for Woonsocket 15 to 2, but in December another game was played in which Woonsocket was defeated 11 to o.

About the middle of November the Wessington Springs Hardware and Implement Company, a corporation was formed. It took in the stock of both hardware stores and the stock of T. L. White was moved across the street to the Zink & Farrington building. The president of this company was Joseph O'Brien and the directors were P. H. Shultz, N. B. England, Wm, Zink, J. H. Farrington and T. L. White.

In December Mr. Bruce Bruntlett, of Kimball, built the Wessington Springs mill and about the same time A. M. Rasmussen opened a shoe store in the room vacated by the White hardware store.

In the month of December S. T. Leeds, who had set some traps by the lakes in Media township was greatly surprised to find two jack snipes caught in the traps he had set for mink.

April 9th the county commissioners changed the places for selling property at chattel mortgage sales to H. A. Butler's livery barn in Wessington Springs, Thompson's livery barn in Alpena, and Cunningham & Clodt's livery barn in Lane.

ber of commissioners from three to five. On the 22nd of April the board called in the county auditor and the county judge and divided the county into five districts, as follows :

For the extra commissioners they appointed W. H. McMillan of Alpena for the 2nd district and Herman C. Lyle of Anina township for the 4th district. Mr. McMillan afterwards declined the position and Ray Barber, also of Alpena, was given the office.

The legislature of 1907 had enacted a primary election law and the old time caucus, unregulated by law, was gone forever. For the first time in the history of the state, all the people had a direct voice in the nomination of candidates. The primary, or fiominating, election had been held in June by the Republicans and the following ticket put in the field :

At the election in November 1129 votes were polled and all the Republican candidates were elected except the candidates for Co. Supt. and Representative. Mr. Vessey was elected governor of the state.

On December 4th, just prior to his removal to Pierre the governorelect was given a splendid reception in the new high school building by the people of the county.

In compiling this history of the county, I have not been able to give a complete account of the artesian wells that have been put down in the county, because some of the well drillers have kept no record of their work. Mr. W. P. Shultz, of Viola township has furnished me with a complete list of the wells drilled by him prior to January 1st, 1909. It is as follows :

Praime Fires

Because of the great number of prairie fires that have devastated Jerauld county during the past twenty-five years I have seen fit to put the record of those events in a chapter set apart to that purpose.

The following account of a fire that occurred March 26th, 1885, is taken from an old copy of the Waterbury News then edited by C. V. Martin.

"The most destructive fire that has swept the beautiful prairies about Waterbury, occurred on Thursday of this week. About noon a black cloud of smoke was observed off to the northwest, being swept south by a perfect gale of wind. Little by little the wind veered around more into the west and soon the flames could be seen darting up all over the neighboring hills. Nearly every man and boy in Waterbury then armed themselves with wet blankets and other weapons to fight the flames and struck out into the country to help some of the neighbors who were unprotected. The fire in the mean time was going at the rate of twenty miles an hour

When the fire reached Clay Platner's old place (the NE of Sec. 19), Stillman Moulton and brother, who had gone a little beyond, to try to save a haystack belonging to them, were caught in the flames and their faces, hands and feet were fearfully burned - so badly that the skin on Still's face and hands had fallen off in places, before he reached town. The boys suffered terribly, but Dr. Miller, their physician, thinks they will pull through all O. K. if they are careful of themselves.

At Joseph Ponsford's place the fire destroyed his hay stable and grain, but he managed to save his stock, though he was slightly burned in doing so. On the wild fire sped across the Crow Creek Valley and up to R. A. Wheeler's stock farm, and here the worst damage to stock was done. The stock yards had been protected last fall by a slight firebreak, but owing to the dryness of the grass and the high wind, this break was altogether insufficient, although the grass was small and stubby on the knoll where the yards were built. This fact was realized by the men about the place as soon as the fire was seen coming and they immediately went to enlarging the firebreak, but they had commenced too late, and before they had accomplished anything, scarcely, the fire was upon them. It jumped the break as easily as if there had been none in the way, and caught in the yards and stables where 45 head of fine young cattle were penned up. The poor creatures ran bellowing into the stable where in a perfect pandemonium of bellows, which their suffering elicited, they were burned alive.

The wagons, plows and other farming machinery belonging to the farm were either all, or in part, burned up. This is a most disastrous blow on the most estimable, but unlucky, Wheeler. Last winter his home with its contents was devoured by the flames, and now a greater calamity has befallen him. Not only is his stock and machinery gone, but his wife in her heroic endeavor to save their little property, was dreadfully burned. This terrible fortune can not always follow and Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler should not be entirely discouraged, as people of their industry will soon recover, even from their great loss.

The town of Waterbury was at one time during the day in great danger, but by the united and energetic effort of the citizens it was soon secure from any danger of the fire."

A few days later, April 1st, during a heavy southwest wind a fire started near Crow Lake and burned among the hills to a. point near Turtle Peak northwest of Wessington .Springs. The wind then turned to the west and the fire was blown down into the valley until it reached the line between Chery and Dale townships. The wind then shifted into the north and drove the long- line of flames straight at the town. There was quick work at the county seat that afternoon to save the town from destruction. A firebreak was made by backfiring along a wagon tract from the residence of Hiram Blowers to Dr. Mathias' drug store, which checked the head fire and the side fires were soon extinguished.

In March of the previous year a fire in Dale township had burned a barn and two cows owned by Chas. Eastman and a barn each for Ed. Harmston and O. W. Richardson.

In Viola township, on Sept. 4th, 1884, Fred Kieser's barn and about 40 tons of hay were burned, and on the 7th Mr. Palowski's wheat stacks were burned. On the 24th of the same month a prairie fire swept over the northwest part of Viola township destroying about 100 hundred tons of hay for Dr. Nesmith. On September 20th of the year following fire again visited Fred Kieser, this time set by a steam thresher, and burned about 75 bushels of flax, a large amount of hay and his cattle and sheep sheds.

In Alpena township a prairie fire in November, 1883, burned over sections 9 and 10 in Alpena township, destroying some hay, a stable and a cow belonging to the Campbell boys.

In the fall of 1884 a shanty on E. T. Bowen's claim in Anina township was burned together with about 50 tons of hay owned by A. D. Cady and a stack belonging to E. B. Orr.

On April 24th, 1888, a fire, driven by a strong south wind, swept across Chery township from the north part of Media and burned large quantities of hay for F. M. Brown, M. S. Thornton, M. E. Small, K. Blanchard, L. F. Russell and Roth Bros. On the same day a prairie fire in Franklin township destroyed a stable owned by Mr. Goll.

In Crow township, in 1886, J. A. Paddock's house was burned in a prairie fire and the next year his stables and granary were destroyed with all his seed corn and 500 bushels of oats.

There have been innumerable prairie fires of which no record has been kept, and of which no one has more than a vague remembrance, in which no damage was done, except to destroy the grass and take from the ground the natural covering that conserved moisture. But the year 1889, probably witnessed more destruction by fire, not only in the state at large, but more particularly in Jerauld county, than in any other year in its history.

The fires began raging in March. On the 22nd of that month a fire came from Hand county and burned over a portion of the north part of Marlar township. Two days later the residence of Sidney McElwain, in Pleasant township, was destroyed. The next day, March 25th, another fire from Hand county swept through, west of the central part of Har-

On the 28th of March a fire started on Section 10 in Harmony township and burned southeast destroying all but the houses for N. J. Dunham, I. N. Rich, A. G. Snyder and H. L. England.

The 2nd day of April, 1889, will never be forgotten by any one who was in any part of South Dakota on that day. Early in the morning a strong wind, accompanied by electric currents, began blowing and soon increased to a furious gale, having a speed of over 80 miles per hour. There had been but little rain during the previous autumn, light snow in the winter and the spring rains had not yet come. Everything was dry.

In Hand county, near Ree Heights, on the NE quarter of section 17 - 1 12 - 72 lived a man named Ingram. On the morning of April 2nd, 1889, while standing near his stable he lit his pipe and threw the match down on a pile of dry manure. Mr. Louis Kreidler, now of Hyde P. O., this county, saw the fire leap up from the spot where the match was thrown and start on its career of destruction. Directly in its course lay all of the western half of Jerauld county. With a head fire miles in length it reached Marlar township about noon. It struck the township at the extreme northwest corner where Nathan Mighell lived on the NW quarter of section 6. All his buildings were destroyed in a few moments. On the NE quarter of the same section Kane Marlar's buildings were all burned, and the same fate befell the residence of Arthur Hudson on section 5, B. F. Marlar on section 4 and Frank Bemis on the SW quarter of section 3. So suddenly did the fire come and so great was its extent that the people had no opportunity to help each other. As the flames swept southward the destruction was terrible. The general course was a little east of south touching the east side of the claims of Wm. Grace and Zachariah and John Groub. A few sections in the southwest corner of Marlar township was all the unburned prairie left for pasture in that part of the county. To the eastward of the Grace farm J. M. Corbin lost his stables and live stock. His house was saved by Mrs. Corbin, who carriet dry dirt and threw it upon each spark as it caugt upon the roof and sides of the bilding. Henry Daniels lost his buildings and hay. Wm. and Frank Scofield lost 20 head of cattle and the large barn on Wm. Scofield's claim . Mark Scofield, who lived on section 26, lost everything. On section 11 John Ruan lost his barn, while Tillman Hunt, on section 31, l6st all his buildings. On the same section Mrs. Rosa Knight lost her stable. Fearing that the house would also be destroyed she carried her furniture out on to the garden spot, but as luck would have it, some sparks caught in the furniture and it was burned, while the house was saved. On section 29 Wm. McLain lost all but his house and on the next section 28, John Buchanan lost everything. The claim of Morris Curtis, the SW quarter of 33, was swept clear of all buildings, while Mr. Landcaster on SW quarter of 32 lost all his stables aiid hay. Mr. Hillman lost his stables and Calvin Hain and Frank Danburg lost all they had.

When the flames left Marlar township only five stables were standing within its limits and ten houses and been burned. The fire struck Crow township just west of the Martin ranch, where the stables, hay and grain were lost. By this time the fury of the gale filled the air with dust, smoke, ashes, bits of grass and flying debris of every description, to such an extent that the smoke could not be distinguished, except by the smell, and the flames could not be seen at a distance of one hundred yards. Shingles, light boards and wisps of hay carried fire though the air and lighted a fire far ahead of the main conflagration. A board set fire to the grass near J. A. Paddock's farm in Crow township after having been carried by the wind over two miles. He lost two small stables. South of Paddock's in Logan township lived J. A. Riegal. He was at one of the neighbors in the forenoon when he became alarmed by the smell of smoke and hurried home. In a few moments the fire was all about the buildings. Mrs. Riegel assisted in fighting the fire untiLall seemed lost when she took her little child and ran to the garden spot where she knelt and protected the infant as best she could until the fearful holocaust was past. The house was saved and the animals, that had gathered on a plowed field, were also saved. The out buildings were all burned.

All that part of Pleasant township lying west of the strip burned on March 25th, was swept by the flames. In this part of the township lived Frank Smith, E. J. Holdridge, B. R. Shimp, W. A. Dean? J. W. Barnum and others. The fire made a clean sweep and left nothing except the claim shanty of Miss Kate Salter. The fire traversed nearly all of the center and west half of Crow' Lake township, reaching the lake at the Dusek farm, about 1:30 P. M. At the Sailer farm Ed. and Bymo were badly burned while trying to save their property from the flames. John Vanous, on section 9 lost his barn and team. The flames passed around the lake and spread out over a large part of Aurora county.

But the fire did so much damage in Marlar, Crow, Pleasant and Crow Lake townships was not the only one to rage in Jerauld county that day. There were so many, in fact, that it has been impossible to trace the origin of them all. Some were started from burning straw stacks, some by people trying to burn around their stacks or buildings to protect them from an approaching fire. The latter was the case with Mr. Pryne, of Pleasant township, who tried to burn about his hay stacks to save them from a fire he feared was coming. The neighbors extinguished

The numerous fires that occurred in March served as a warning to the people of Chery township, and Messrs. Hill, Horsley, Shaefer, Lewis, McCullough and others, burned a firebreak along the foot of the hills in that township. This enabled them to fight the blaze off from their valley farms, but it swept southward among the hills. In Media township George Dean lost all but his team and threshing machine not even being able to save his clothing or furniture.

Jas. T. Ferguson, in Anina township, having his own place reasonably well portected, brought his team from the stable to take a barrel of water to the assistance of some of his neighbors. While hitching the horses to the stoneboat the wind picked it up and hurled it with terrific force against Ferguson, cracking his skull, breaking his chest bone and one rib. Frank Voge lost everything but his house; John Shultz lost a valuable patch of small fruit ; George Kalb lost his machinery and stables ; E. J. Gates saved everything but his hay, but came near losing his life; Geo. Winegarden lost his barn, stock, hay, grain and machinery; E. H. Ford lost his claim shanty and its contents and Chas. Ferguson had his cattle, sheep and corral burned.

In Viola township the Houseman school house was burned; Chas. H. Stephens lost his barn and all his hay. W. W. Goodwin lost his stables and a number of animals, and John Phillips saved nothing but a few cattle.

In the northeast part of Franklin township the flames destroyed all buildings owned by Wm. Posey except his house, and also his animals and poultry.

In Alpena township the Woodruff ranch was swept clean of all buildings; Fred Heller saved nothing, but one team and harness; R. J. Eastman lost his barn, hay, grain and some stock and his father lost his house.

The foregoing is but a partial account of the losses sustained in Jerauld county on the 2nd day of April, 1889. The total damage in the county was estimated, at the time, at $100,000.

As in all great calamities, many remarkable things occurred, but only a few can be mentioned here. In Marlar township, the families of Tillman Hunt and some of his neighbors, being driven from their homes took refuge on a plowed field between two ridges of high hills. The flames jumped across the valley and then drawn together came rushing toward the narrow field from both sides. For a moment the heat was

During the years that followed many fires were started by people who without proper care attempted to burn fire breaks about their buildings, or stacks, and allowed it to escape. On May 8th, 1893, a fire started in that way in the north part of Anina township, burned south to Horse Shoe Lake destroying some buildings and a large amount of hay.

On the 23rd of April, 1892, Frank Weeks, in Harmony township, lost all his farming tools and some of his buildings by a fire that came from the south, W. C. Grieve lost ten acres of trees that were burned by the same fire.

All the grain and all buildings except his house were burned by a prairie fire, for Peter Klink in Viola township in Sept. 1891, and on the same day Mr. Kasulka lost a bin, containing several hundred bushels of grain, by the same fire.

On Aug. 13th, 1895, during a spell of dry .weather, lightning set fire to the prairie grass and much of the west part of Anina township was swept by the flames. ,

More than the usual number of fires occurred in the year 1898, about the first of which was started a few miles south of Wessington Springs on the 20th of March, and burned over a great extent of pasture land.

Another fire came into Jerauld county on April 4th, 1898, at the northwest corner of Chery township, and burned to near Templeton before it was extinguished. A few days later a fire escaped from a burning stubble field and burned over several sections in Media township. But little damage was done by either of these fires except to the prairie grass land.

On April 3rd, 1898, a fire started from the old P. B. Davis farm in Chery township and was driven by a strong northwest wind until it had destroyed a large quantity of hay belonging to Joseph and John Brown. On Sept. 1 st of the same year a fire started north-east of Templeton and burned southeast destroying hay for a number of settlers. F. M. Brown and W. H. Coggshall lost most heavily.

The year 1899 was another season of heavy fire losses. About April 10th two fires were started near Alpena by sparks being blown from burning straw stacks to adjacent prairie grass. In one instance the stack had been burning over two weeks. A great quantity of hay was destroyed.

north of Alpena, destroying a large amount of property on the way. One of the Chery township school houses was destroyed by this fire. Aaron McCloud, whose residence was directly in the course of the flames attempted to save his buildings, but the back fire he started jumped past him and destroyed everything he owned but his land. The fire he was trying to guard against burned on both sides of the spot where his buildings had stood. On the same day a fire in Franklin township again burned the property on the Wm. Posey farm.

April 28th, 1899. Another day long to be remembered by the people of Logan, Crow, Pleasant and Crow Lake townships. About the middle of the forenoon a dense cloud of smoke appeared in the south along the road toward Kimball. Some one, too indolent to have a due regard for the welfare of his neighbors, had applied a match to a field of dried weeds he had permitted to grow during the previous season. A strong south wind increased as the fire advanced. There was not a moment's pause at Smith Creek south of the old town of Waterbury. Here was located one of the best bridges in the county. The structure would have been destroyed but for the heroic efforts of little Katie Main, who kept the fire away. The county board rewarded her with a ten dollar warrant and a vote of thanks. The wind carried the blazing grass across the creek and straight toward the almost deserted village on section 21. There was no one in the town but W. E. Waterbury and the mail carrier from Wessington Springs. Waterbury met the fire in the valley south of the townsite and succeeded in keeping it on the west side of the road until it was well past the village. Then the unexpected happened. The wind which had been blowing a gale suddenly shifted into the northwest and doubled its volocity. The blazing grass and refuse of the prairie were hurled across the road and again the fire was racing straight at the deserted buildings, landmarks of a once thriving market place. Soon but two structures were left to tell where the street of the village had been.

When the wind changed a black strip, about three miles wide, extended from the south line of Logan township to near the center of Crow. On each side of the blackened prairie side fires were burning and eating into the dry, standing grass. Now the line of fire on the west became a backfire working slowly against the wind. But all that long line on the east became a head fire. At this time there were less than a thousand acres of cultivated land in either of the townships crossed bv the fire.

Neither in Logan or Crow township was there as much as a section of plowed land, all told. So there was but small chance of stopping the line of head fire, now many miles in length that was rapidly charging eastward. At the residence of Henry P. Will, the bulk of the property was saved, but Mrs. Will was caught in the flames and seriously injured.

On its way north the fire had destroyed the Fordham and Long residence, in Logan township, and after the wind changed the houses of Meyers, Pflamn and others in the same township were destroyed. The old Combs and Harris shanty in which Peter J. Rhobe was killed by Ben. Solomon several years before, had been moved to the residence of A. E. Hanebuth in Logan township, and, it also, was burned.

In Pleasant township a great deal of property was destroyed. In Crow Lake township Geo. Deindorfer, who lived on section io lost all his buildings, while on the old Menzer ranch, west of Crow Lake a man named Russell saw his corral, sheds and noo head of sheep destroyed by the fire.

In the autumn of the same year the residence of Earnest Schmidt in Dale township was destroyed by fire. Two years later, on April 20th, a fire started from a straw stack, that for several days had been burning on the NE quarter of section 22 in Harmony township, was driven north into Hand county. In this fire a man named Han'ks, living just over the line, in Hand county, was surrounded by the blazing prairie and burned to death. On the same day a fire started from near the center of Dale township and burned north about twenty miles into Beadle county.

In 1903 a fire started in the northwest part of Crow Lake township and burned south and east until stopped by the township fireguards that had been made through the center of the township.

In Dale township on Sept. 9, 1904, a fire destroyed a large quantity of hay belonging to L. F. and A. Russell and a lot of fencing on the old Vanderveen farm. On the 27th of the same month lightning started a fire in the same township that destroyed many stacks of hay on the Firesteel bottom.

On November 3rd, 1906, some section men, who were burning off the right of way to prevent fires being started by passing engines, allowed the flames to get away from them. About 80 tons of hay were destroyed of which fifty belonged to Paul Kleppin.

Last spring, (1908), sparks from a stack that had been burning two weeks, in the northwestern part of Blaine township, were blown into the adjoining prairie grass and started a fire that did immense damage in the southern part of the township and in Sanborn and Aurora counties.

Retrospective

When the author started out to gather the material for this history he began to learn to ride a bicycle. This search for incidents and anecdotes brought up many recollections which were set down in a series of articles entitled "Among Review Readers," which were published from week to week in the Jerauld County Review. This chapter is composed of extracts from those articles, which were historical in character.

I left Wessington Springs Monday afternoon April 12th, 1908, and led my wheel to the top of the grade west of town, and then, for want of a track smooth and wide, I led it on down into Hay Valley. There I got a chance to "spin," which I did - till I was dizzy - the wheel seemingly being made to roll toward town. I took the wire caps off the pedals and then got on very well - leading the "bike" along the pike.

A heavy smoke to the southwest attracted my attention and I kept on in that direction until I reached the corner of the old McGinnis place and then the smoke having subsided, I turned north to the residence formerly occupied by Jos. Rumelhart, and got a drink of splendid water. It is now owned by Mr. Carl Rott, who moved onto it the first of March from Audubon county, Iowa. From there I went west to where young Mr. Barnes was busy at work putting in wheat on a farm his father had rented from Amos Gotwals.

I continued the wrestle with the wheel and worked on west till I reached the beautiful home of Jas. Rundle. Here I took another drink of the cool, pure water that one finds everywhere in this county. This quarter section was taken by M. D. Crow as a homestead in the spring of 1883. The remains of his sod house now constitutes a black mound in a cultivated field at the northeast corner of the farm. Ray Holtry was earning his wages from Mr. Rundle in a desperate effort to make a walking plow scour.

I leaned my wheel against the fence and took a walk into the field south of the Rundle farm to the spot where Chas. Kugler built his shanty in the spring of 1884. He lived on that place as his homestead till the 1 2th of Tanuary, 1888. The next day he and his yoke of oxen were found

From the site of the Kugler shanty I could see the old house with the stone basement, where Gil Albert assumed the judicial ermine and with magisterial dignity conducted the examination in the then interesting case of the Territory of Dakota vs. Herb Gailey. I appeared as attorney for the prosecution, and C. V. Martin and E. C. Nordyke for the defense. Geo. N. Price was constable. For two days and one night the combat raged. This was in April, 1889. This case closed at about 8 o'clock in the evening of the second day in the midst of a violent snow storm. The case being closed and the defendant being held to court, the attorneys, witnesses and prisoner piled into Mr. Price's two-seated buggy and started for the Springs. On the way we met C. W. McDonald and E. L. Smith, wading though the snow going to court in obedience to a subpoena issued by Justice Albert in the morning.

Breaking away from these reflections I came back into the road, seized the refractory wheel and set off north, past the old J. N. Cross place with its reminders of early days. A peep into the now open cellar of the old grout house for which hopes of county seat honors were once entertained, and a pleasant thought of the days when Will Ingham and J. E. McNamara ran the Jerauld County News in an office room on the second floor, while the aged friend of Whittier and Longfellow, Rev. John Cross, whiled away his time in his library below. I picked up the wheel and wrestled on north till I met Mr. Leander Bennett on the quarter-section taken by E. L. DeLine as a homestead in 1883. Mr. Bennett has the place rented for this year, but will go to Wyoming as soon as seeding is done to visit his son and look for a farm on Uncle Sam's domain.

At D. O. Eddy's home I stopped for the night, finding that the wheel, as well as myself, was somewhat wobbly. Dick has one of the best farms on the westside, good building, plenty of horses, cattle, and hogs, a half-section of land and his seeding well along. He and his excellent wife have demonstrated what a young couple can do by grit and industry on South Dakota soil. The next morning I went on as far as Templeton.

A fierce north wind put out of the question, the plan of going in that direction any further Tuesday evening, so I jumped on the wheel (two or three times), and went to the home of Mr. M. E. Fee, where I had a really pleasant time in comparing twenty years ago in Dakota with the same time in Nebraska. Both Mr. and Mrs. Fee had interesting experiences in the great blizzard of Jan. 12th, 1888, which reached their homes in Antelope county about one o'clock in the afternoon. Mr. Fee was at Neely, Neb., assisting a neighbor to make final proof on a homestead and was held by the storm until the 13th. Mrs. Fee, then a school girl, was attending a school taught by Miss Fee, now Mrs. Ray of this township, about a half mile from Elgin, Neb. She made her way home, about a mile, through the storm, but will never forget the experience.

Wednesday noon I jumped on the wheel again and walked to the old Jimmy Hoar place where he settled in the spring of 1883. He had moved there from Earlville, 111., and built the house that now stands on the farm. Here his wife died, his daughter was married, and his son died. Uncle Jimmy then went to California to live with his daughther, Mrs.

I then wrestled with the wheel to the old J. M. Hanson place, at the head of Long Lake. This is where Mr. Hanson settled as a homesteader in 1883, abandoning his occupation as a sailor on the Great Lakes to become a Dakota farmer. He lived here until he died, about 1898.

Literally working my way along with the wheel, I passed the well known residence of Allan G. Snyder, who could not repress a few pointed jokes at the combination of myself and the wheel. He enjoyed this all the more because of a prolonged wrestle I had with the machine just before I arrived at his house. I rode and led the wheel, by turns, until I had passed around the south end of the lake and reached the home of

H. L. England, where I received a hearty welcome and gladly accepted his invitation to stay the night. Mr. England's comfortable home, a view of which appeared in this journal a few month ago, needs no description. Suffice it to say that sitting in his well furnished rooms made pleasanter the reminiscences of the old times when things were different.

Thursday morning I rode as far as T. D. William's bachelor residence on Sec. 13 and got the use of his phone to tell the "Review" office who were new subscribers. For twenty-five years Mr. Williams has lived on this land, raising grain and cattle, independent and happy, monarch of all he surveyed. He has the best marked herd of Herefords in the county, numbering 102 head, all his own raising.

The next place I visited was L. G. McLoud's, who, working alone, can, year after year, put in as much crop and get as big a yield as any other man in the county who gets along without other help. He was almost done putting in 130 acres of small grain and will soon commence plowing for corn. For fourteen years Mr. McL. has farmed this place and never had a bad crop.

A few steps further and we found Will Davis pushing the work on the old Louis Nordyke homestead, the SW of 17. Mr. Davis is living on the John Gilbert farm, the NE of 17, where that pioneer lived for twenty-four years the lonely life of a bachelor, but by hard work ac-

Down in the valley to the south half of 18, I went and found Scott Starrett and his son-in-law, Earl Tripp, living on the quarter section that during the hard times of years ago was the abiding place of G. W. Titus, who is now a retired farmer at the county seat. Another order for the paper and I wrestled on against wind and wheel till I reached the cosy domicil of that prince of good fellows, Lyman Butterfield. Old times, jokes and politics, all in jolly good-nature, till eleven o'clock and then I went to sleep to dream of continuous wrestling, catch-as-catch-can, with a bicycle.

* Friday morning, bidding adieu to Lyman and his good wife, I climbed to the top of the hill and then getting a "hip-lock" on that "infernal" machine I mastered it and in the still morning air and over the smooth roads I had a delightful ride. In a few minutes I passed the former home of B. S. Butterfield where the old veteran and his aged companion celebrated their golden wedding a few years ago.

At Schuberts hill, three miles west of town named from a German farmer, father of Oscar Schubert, who had a homestead there several years ago, I turned northwest and past the Dr. Mathias tree claim, Will Spears and Myron Pratts 80 acre homesteads, Conway Thompson's preemption, homestead and tree claim; past Harl Stowell's old homestead, where John Brown now raises mighty good crops every year ; past Geo. Pratts quarter where he had a claim many years ago; then by Doc Harris mile-long homestead filed in 1883, and so on, memory stirred by the things a quarter of a century old. I found Mr. P. A. Thompson, who has rented the O. O. England ranch, in Harmony. He was hurrying to get his 50 acres of small grain sown before the rain came, so as to be ready to commence breaking 50 acres of sod for flax. This land was taken by O. O. and C. W. England when there was not another ranch between James River and Fort Thompson. They brought a thousand head of sheep with them and made shelter for their flock by stripping up the sod from the prairie and building sheds covered with hay. A rough claim shanty completed the pioneering outfit. Here they continued the sheep and cattle industry until from the profits of the business a fine farm house and good sheep and cattle barns were erected on what is known as one of the best farms in the county. O. O. England, now a county commissioner, lives in Wessington Springs while uncle Charley enjoys continuous summer in California.

After taking Mr. Thompson's subscription I rolled on north past the house built by John Murphy, of Amboy, 111., in the summer 1883. He -came to this county with J. R. Eddy and located his homestead here.

Wednesday noon I took dinner with Joe Hunt, who lives on the old bizenmeier claim in the northwest corner of Harmony township. The house in which the old German lived is gone, but a new and commodious house stands on the hill, near by. Another old building, now used as a granary stands near the site of the old claim shanty, and was made by moving the house from the Orcutt farm over the way to which an addition was built.

In my trip about the township I was surprised to find that only two of the settlers who located here in 1883, are still residing in the township - T. D. Williams and A. G. Snyder. Of the others, some have retired from farming and live at the county seat and some have left the state.

After dinner, April 22nd, I left Joe Hunt's and crossing the road entered Marlar township at the farm of Edward Tiede, located in section one. Two new barns and a granary have been added, to the improvements since Mr. Tiede came on here in the fall of 1906. This season he will have 90 acres of old ground in small-grain, besides all the breaking he can do. Part of this farm was entered as a homestead by Al. Seizer in 1883, and later was all included in the Shull ranch. The balance of the Shull ranch is now owned by Gustave Tiede, brother of Edward, and Wm. Tiede father of both. New buildings, new fences, new breaking, and excellent farming are features of their work. Gustave's new house, a two-story structure newly plainted outside and finished inside with hard oil, is certainly a beautiful home. In 1883 this was Hub Emery's homestead.

South of Wm. Tiede's is the new 640-acre farm of Jacob Hasz. Everything shows the marks of industry and good farming. A fine grove protects the farm buildings from the cold of winter and heat of summer. This grove was set out by Mr. Bemis on his tree claim in the 8o's.

About the middle of the afternoon I reached the home of J. M. Corbin. Mr. Corbin has for many years been a teacher among the Indians on the western reservations, but has retained his residence in Marlar township. The boys, Cass, Marion and Sidney, with their sisters, made my visit a very enjoyable one. My last visit to this family was in 1884, twenty-four years ago. At that time they were new comers, and like nearly all others, were experiencing the discomforts of pioneering. Then they lived in a "dug-out," of which only the spot now remains. On this visit we entered a large well furnished house and about supper time were joined by Mr. Verry of the Willard hotel, and Mrs. Louis Mead, also of Wessington Springs. During the evening I listened to some really excellent music; Mrs. Dickinson, the oldest sister, at the piano, her husband Mr. Dickinson, last year in the Springs ball nine, playing the guitar, and

Air. Mead playing on the violin. All the instruments are high priced and the players evinced a skill hard to excell. The entertainment was closed by a few pieces with Marion at the piano and Mrs. Dickinson playing the violin. But few times in my life have I heard better music. Verily, twenty-five years in Dakota, though twenty-five miles from a railroad, have wrought wonders.

I then started on my return to Wessington Springs, and passed the old home of Uncle Billy Orr, who was for many years the representative of that township at the republican county conventions, and for a while the only republican voter there. ITe was proud of the fact that he had not "scratched" a ticket in thirty years.

On the NW quarter, 17 - 107 - 63, Air. T. Chandler, who came here from near Woodward in Boone county, Iowa, in the spring of 1906, has built a fine new house and barn, and has a comfortable home. This is part of the land patented to Will Houmes by President Harrison nearly twenty years ago.

On another one of the old Houmes quarters, the SE of 8, in Franklin township, lives Paul Kleppin and his wife, formerly Tillie Brodkorb of the Springs. They have a good new house and barn and their prospects are good.

The old Zink farm in north Franklin was purchased by Air. Hoffman who came from Wisconsin, in 1897. New buildings have been built for all farm purposes and he now has valuable property. A half-mile further north I. P. Ray settled a quarter of a century ago and lived on his land until he was offered $10 per acre and then sold and went to Kansas. The same land is now owned by Mr. Hoolihan and would be called cheap at $45.

Good improvements of every description are on the farm of Jacob Mees, the NE of 5. He moved on this place April 4th, 1885, paying $1000 for a relinquishment. Last summer he refused an offer of $55 per acre. While I was chatting with him he was setting out a large strawberry bed.

Across the line and I was in Alpena township at the old Gorman tree claim which is still owned by the man who "took' it from the government. At the south west corner of this quarter is Fairview cemetery.

I have often thought that the history of a community might be very well written in its cemetery. I leaned the wheel against the iron gate and spent a half hour among these memories of the past. The spot is beautifully located and well kept.