Sioux Falls City (part 6 of 6)

The boundary lines of this township were surveyed by Wm. J. Neeley in Auo-ust, 1850, and the subdivisions were made by H. T, .Vustin in June, 1867, and according- to the grovernment survey contains 22,057.32 acres of land. It is well watered by the Skunk creek and its tributaries. Except during- a series of dry seasons there are two ponds of water about two miles from the villag-e of Hartford, one in a northwesterly and the other in a southwesterly direction. Samuel Huckins, J. Westley AVarner, and F. E. Van De Mark were among- the earliest settlers, but in 1878, quite a larg-e number of people took up land in this township, and it was rapidly settled. In 1879 the Worthing-ton & Sioux Palls railroad was built west from Sioux Palls to Salem, and a station was established at Hartford on the southwest quarter of section 22. This companv filed a plat of eig-htblocks at this point June 29, 1881, andsincethen several additions have been made. The settlement about the station soon took the form of a villag-e, and it became quite a business center. A post office was established, and A. P. Oaks was postmaster the first four years, when he was succeeded by John Mundt. Stores, hotels, g-rain warehouses, and all kinds of business usually eng-ag-ed in in villag-es of this kind rapidly appeared. John Mundt, in 1892, built an elevator with a capacity of 35,000 bushels. The same year the Hartford Separator and Creamery company was incorporated, and about S7,500 of the capital stock taken, a creamery built, and business commenced in the fall of 1892. In 1893 this companv paid its patrons for milk S8,585.47, and received for butter sold 811,398.34, averag-ingabout 22 cents per pound. This creamery is still doing- business. The first school in Hartford was taught by Delia Delane}^ in 1878, in a school house located on the northeast corner of section 23, and is the same school house which is now located on the northeast quarter of section 24. In June, 1892, E. C. Kibbe commenced the publication of a weeklv newspaper called the Plain Talker. In 1898, (jeorg-e W. Bag-ley published the South Dakota Weekly Vindicator for a short time at this place. In 1899 a larg^e, commodious school house was erected which does g-reat credit to the people of Hartford.

On the 3d day of January, 1881, the first meeting-of the board was held. The first supervisors were, Samuel Huckins chairman, W. J. Warner and Ira Tilden; clerk, C. A. Soderberg-.

1884. Supervisors, Samuel Huckins chairman, P. E. Van De Mark, C. W. Knodt; clerk, A. P. Oaks; treasurer, John Mundt; assessor, P. P. Sherman; justices, Samuel Huckins, C. A. Soderbero-; constable, Peter Chelius. A. B. Jones was appointed justice in place of C. A. Soderberg- who did not qualify.

1888. Supervisors, Thomas Rickard chairman, M. K. Thrall, Samuel Huckins; clerk, Charles Peyder; treasurer, H. D. Oaks; assessor, C. W. Knodt. At the annual election 64 votes were cast.