Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1880-03-04

Ii OF large growth, some oI tho oaN ueee
mrs,utla = loa, ice, In diameter. On the
t;i.4 al; t.e Moth pat al this timber To the
homo of cur old trend H. N. Lnsr, who.
With his son William and William Ire ot
Madison, were the first settlers in the
county. having squatted upon their present
possessions In 1870, some three years be
fore the lands were surveyed. Mr. Lnse
has a delightful and valuable location. For
stock purposes l. Is without a superior III
the territory, aud WIN The country is
better settled ana - railroad reaches 'he
lakes, his piaca, as Iteasute GROUNDS ana
a summer rcseFt. Will possess all the advan
taees and become as popular as Clear like
in Iowa. -
This body OF timber was at one time the
camping ground Of the Indian chief lux
pa du.,s, whose band committed the mas
sscre at Spirit Luke, Iowa, in March, 1851,
and a tradition exists mong the Indians
at F,audrcau and Sisseton that two women
CAPTURED ut The time OF this massacre we've
some months later cruelty put 10 death in
the camp at Herman lake. Evidences OF
the residence OF the Indlaus here still exist
in their old corn fields aud the marks of
their ha'cbe,s upon the trees from which
they had gathered tAe bark. This WAS IN
doubted!y q noted Indian camping ground.
The timber furnished fuel and protection
from the storms in winter, the lakes fur
nished abundance OF fish, while
The surrounding p~rairies were
were covered with buffalo, deer and ante
lope. From this point Ink-pa,du Ia and his
band made frequent raids into northwestern
Iowa, generally striking about Spirit Lake.
and thence southwark down the valleys Of
the Little Sioux and Floyd rivers. OAR
ing the early days of Woodbury. county, the
settlers 10 the neighborhood of Smi,h!snd
and Correctionvllle on the Little Sioux
were frequently annoyed by the predatory
incursions by this lawless band, who stole
horses and menaced the lives of the few
families then in the valley. In 1861 a Few
members of this gang killed two men while
working in their field within o miles OF
Sioux City and stole their horses. Although
frequent pursuit was made Of these Indians
they always managed to elude their pur.
suers, and there is positive evidence only
that one and only one of them me, his death
Oh their laiding grounds. This one was
killed near Cherokee in 1862 while in the
ac, of stealing a horse.
The surface of Lake country is gently un-
dulating, and with the exception Of a few
small strips Of gravelly land, can be profita.
BY cultivated. Toe soil is Of an excellen,
quality, underlaid by a subsoil OF calcareous
mari which gives it excellent wheat growing
qualities, and enables the surface to retain
moisture and withstand long seasons O
drouth without detriment to the crops
The same character Of surface and soil ex.
tends nor Inward through kingsbury county
and westward to the Jim river.
Herman is the terminus of the stage line
aud the traveller northward mus, RELY upor
private conneyances. Desiring to visit tn.
newly organized county Of Kingsbnry W.
hired a team and started for Lake Thomp.
son, which report informed us was The
nucleus ofthe new %county's settlement. !!
ride of upwards of forty miles, which would
have been confined to a dozen less had we
not taken the wrong one of the only two
roads in sight. we reached our destination
and found the settlement 10 consist O
.he home of The postmaster, A. J. La:hrop
The comm!ssionersOE this county, recently
appointed by the governor, have had one
meeting and partially perfected the organ
ization. W. E. Whiting, a competent
young gentleman, was appointed register o!
deeds. and he is actively engaged 10 arraag.
ing the prcliminaries TO put the government
10 effective working order. The county
sest has not yet been located. but it is prob
able that It will be plsced a. the railroad
town on the north bank of the lake, which
is within two miles of the geographical
centre of the county. and has been named
De Smet. in honor of the late Father DE-
Smet who gained a worldwide reputation
as a Catholic missionary among the Sioux
and other northern tribes of Inlians. Ar
old settler of kingsbury county is one
whose residence dates back one year, anc
there are only a few who have been there
two winters. During the past yea
there has been a rush of immigration anG
already a considerable portion of the lands
Of the county have been claimed and occu
ped by people who have come to stay.
Large tracts of land have been broken
and next year the wheat yield Of Kings
bury county will cut no mean figure in thu
list Of Dakota's propuc,iops.. The soil i.
especially adapted to the growth of cereals
Its subsoil Of calcareous mari being regard
ed by experts as a sure indication of il.
capacity in this direction.
The lakes in Kingsbury, of which there
were q large number a few years aco, arc
drying ur. Whi,cwood lake, which, when
the government, lauds we're surveyed SOM