Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1876-01-01
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CHANGING BACKWARD.
Occurrences Which have Gone Int,
the Dim Vista of the Past.
A Few of tho steps Yankton ia.
Taken TO Attain its Present
Position.

We cannot undertake to give this as
record Of all the events which now make
up Yankton's present; but few of the
notable events of its career have come to
knowledge and we give them for the bene-
! fit Of all those who read and take an inter.
est in our local history
Beginning at the beginning We find that
the spot of ground low occupied as the
site of the city of Yankton was first taken
possession Of by whites in the year 1859
sixteen years ago. A. II. Reddeld, of De-.
troit, the first Indian agent for the Yankton
Sioux, arrived here in that year and there
we're present to witness his arrival the fol.
lowing Original settlers:p NJ. X. ARM
strong, AT. McLeesc, Enos stutsman, j.
s. Presho, Frank Chapell, David Fisher,
d. T. Bramble, j. NJ. Stone. w. P. Lyman,
Samuel Mortimer, George Pike, Jr., L. n.
Griffith, ]. r. Hanson, H. G. Ash, William
Bordeno, William H. Werdebaugh, G. d.
Fiske, Samuel Jeron, A. Mauxsch, VIM. N.
Collamer and Fl. T. Bailey. These are the
twenty one souls who originally composed
the population of Yankton and many OF
them still linger about the scene of their
former labors and watch with qualification
the progress of civilization as it encom.
passes the goodly city Of Yankton.
Yankton's first house was located on the
levee, at the foot Of Douglas avenue and
was unpretentious in the style of its alchi.
lecture, being composed of cottonwood
poles surmountcd by a mud roof. Still it
was in those days the pride of its owner
and the envy of the balance who bunkcd
in along the levee. Our present Deputy
United States Marshal, II. G. Ash. can
claim the honor of baing@,he first hotel
proprietor in Yankton On Christmas day,
1859, he opened his carayansery and regaled
the hungry multitude on catfish and molas
ses. 1t IS said Of this cnterprising landlord
that when weary traveller came his way
and asked something to eat Ash would re.
ply, ''well, don't know. I'll see" Then
he would go down to his lines which were
| set" in the Missouri and if any Of them
bad catfish on the further end it was all
right-the traveller could have q square
meal. But if no catfish responded to the
pull there was hunger In the household
The imposing Merchants hotel now occu.
pies the site Of Ash's first venture and all
the delicacies Of the season are served up
at each succession meal time.
j d. T. Bramble, at present q member Of
the firm of Bramble & Miner and one ol
the most extensive aud prosperous mer.
chants in the west, opened the first store 10
Yankton, in the year 1859, near the site ol
their present store, on the lcvee. The
house has grow n into business which Is
equallcd only by that Of the best wholesale
establishments of eastern commercial cen.
ters d. Il. Bramblc was also our first
postmaster and as he was thus honored by
q democratic administration he has since
been. loyal to the party which gave him
position ? and is voting "straieht' to this
day. ~
OF legal gcnt!eman--wc now have SO
many that it would seem hopeless task
fI5&O atSCupU to~f0ot0h--.Ntbou-s
who first quoted Blackstone 10 the wilds Of
dakota. But the record is clear and We
arc enabled to write the name of Enoa
stutsnan as the father Of law in Dakota
He was a man whom nature had forgotten
to finish physically, though she gave him
more than mans customary allowance Of
brains. He was doformrd In body, bu,
those who knew him best can give testi
mony In proof of his superior mental &c.
quirements Mr.. Stutsman ls now mum
bered with the dead, and . host Of lawyers
now hold honorable seats. within the bar ol
Yankton~ county. 8
In the line Of professional men we hare
i also DIR. Justus Townsend, now resident
of Springfield, Illinois. as the first physic-
ian, and Rev. Mr. Ingham (M. E) as the
first cxpouuder Of the gospel. Rev. DR..
Hoyt came also about this time and can, be
put down rs pnc of the first. We now
have our full quota of those who heal the
hody end thase who furnish balm for
wounded souls.