Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-01-01
What the Year Has Done for
the City Of Yankton. Ia.
The List Of Its Building Improve.
~ nents Foots Up to $lS4,s75. y.
A Good Showing Ia All Departments Of
Business-Extensive Freight Re-
ceipts and Shipments.
%Historical sketch Of the Early Year. q,
Dakota's Capital City.-A Diary +,
OF he Important Events .,-- q
Of the Year 1878.

ri mi = s"' 1eaF 1879 ls yiiastf
HISTORICAL SKETCH '
9'ancing st the progress Yanktop ba,
made in material Improvement during III,
year now closed. one il led in .~etrospec.ior
70 the earlier years Of its history and ever
70 q contemplation of The time before il.
history began, even back to the not yer,
distant day when these plains were owned
and occupied BY the aborigines.
In the history of New France, written by
that talented French jesuit. Cbarlevo,x, i,
10 related that nearly two centuries ago tbs
Iowa Indians, the Omahas and .Ut,ocs vert
10 possession of this region of country and
roamed and hunted through the section,
watched by the James river. Subsequent,
came the great Dakota nation from the north
WHO covered the prairies of southern Da-
kota, expelling aud extirpating the less war,
like apd less powerful tribes whom the,
found 10 pos session. The Yanktons, VIII,
were a leading and Influential tribe of tLe
Dskotas even at that early day, swarmed il
the lower valleys Of the Big Sioux. Vermil,
lion and James or Dakota, and here, where
the capital Of this thriving territory ha,
been founded this tribe Of red men located
their principal village. erected their wig VAN
and for many eeneraii ms here lit their c ,un.
Gil dfes. In 1904, soon after the governmen,
eftbe United States purchased from Napo.
leon I, the territory Of Louis .ns, WHICH e,n
braced this rcginn. al exploring expedition,
commanded by Captain Merriwether Lewis,
sailed In small open boats from St. Louis;
their object being to explore the great val
lev Of the Missouri river to its mountain
source. 90 the morning Of August ,26.b.
1906, this expedition passed the mouth Of
James river now in this county, where
an Indian swan ont to the boats
and Informed the whites that
a large party Of Sioux were in camp near
BY. Three men With an interpreter were
dispatched to the Indian camp, while the
remainder Of the party proceeded on up the
river q distance of eleven miles and canned
on the highland, the present site of Yank.
ton. Here our explorers were soon joined
by a large delegation of Yank,on Indians
among whom va. the father Of the present
chief Of that tribe, Strike the rRes.". a
council Was held, the ceremony Of smoking
the pipe of peace gone through with, and a
number Of appropriate presents distributed
among the Indians. This was 70 years ago.
and is the earliest record of ever a Temper
airy occupation Of this locality by white
men. Near where this council wa held
the frat white mans grave was made and.
the mortal remains of Lewis and Clark's
old Interpreter (Durion.) we're laid thereon
for their long rest: Hon.M. K: Armstrong,
in his History and Resources Of Dakota"
published in 1856, pays this mark Of
respact To- the old interpreters ashes:
There has he slumbered on his scanold tomb.
Thete let him rest, for first was he to die.
Ofall tile Write race, beneath Dakota's sky"
+ Ftom the date Of Lewis and Clsrker'si = visit.
for 9 period Of fifty years. the Dakota In
d.ans remained In almost ,unirnnolested occu-4
Dsney' IF this country with what is now
Ysnkton as one Of the porrin.
cipal villages Of the Nation. The
only white % men with whom they
came in.contact were the few French ira
ders who had married and settled among
them FOR the purpose Of traffic, OF an occa-
aonil Roman missionary or exploring party
following in the wake of Lewis and Clarke.
Civilization had been advancing westward
frsua the Ohio and had occupied the broad
domain leading 10 the father of waters, had
even crossed that mighty river aud In 1855
had reached the Missouri to find 'itss onward
march obstruc.ed on the western boundary
Of northern Iowa BY that great American
institu ion-:he Indian treaty, which said:
thus far but no farherGuintily You make I'm.
other treaty. 80 '''' F..''f!'HF "'" :
In the meantime, the army had advanced,
its standards and erected its posts; within
the present territory. Fort George, Fort
Lookout, and even Fort Randall, had been
built, and the speculative eye Of the, thrifty
soldier was directed to the inviting Geld
which Dakota's fertile plains offered q. the
abqde d civilized people. Captain, sftsr,
wards General, J. b. s. Todd, (nox .dscea,-
3D. whose name mus. forever be honorably
aasociated'with the early history Of Dakota,
had, 10 1883, btt recently rs.isned bis com.
mission in the asny. aOd bad engaged 10
msscantils pursuih vith osher parties usder
the firm name Of Frost Tald 4 Co. IThis