Jamestown alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1878-1882, 1880-01-06
CHAPTER !.

In the fall of 1871, the engineer corps
surveying the line of the Northern Pacific
ra ilroad, under the command of CAPTAIN
Eckelson, camped at a spot just under the
bluffs and near where t. he road crosses the
railroad track west of the bridge
On the 1lth day of November 1871,
Thomas Collins, our present county treas
urer, entered the valley for the first time
for the pnrnose of hunting and trapping
IN the Jim river % it was thea con M nv
known, and csmped that night with .nc
engineer corps. Collins was so thoroughly
imbued with the marvellous beauty Of the
surrounding country that he determined
to enter upon tour of inspection, the
result of which being so entirely
satisfactory he s:aked out claim, and
then and there determined to csss his
fortunes with the metropolis that now is,
and was to be. .... nj --.. .-.,
About the 26th of November, in the
same year, Lieut.. Stafford arrived from
Fort Ransom, with an escort Of some Is
soldiers, including Indian scouts, for the
protection Of the engineer corps. The
Lieut.. 'owever, soon returned to his CON-
pAny, leaving Serg. Corcoran In command
until spring. About this same time Phil
Bias was sent here by the railroad com
pany to take charge Of the engineers
supplies, and in May OF the following
spring, Mr.. A. W. Kelly, our present
postmasters. Duncan Kennedy, Charles
Hamilton and Reuben Shuttleworth came
from Fort Totten. Mr. Kelly immediately
took upa claim, and having brought with
him quite a number of COWS, started Il
dairy, from which to supply the wants Of
soldiers and railroad employees.
Messrs. Hamilton and Shuttleworth
stakci out claims near where Mr.. Nc.
Kechnie's pre- emption now lies; but
Shuttleworth soon abandoned bis right
and title which was afterwards taken by
Capt. Thomas. On May 9th, 1879,
Company G, of the Goth regiment Of
United States troop, arrived under com.
mand Of this same Capt. Thomas, who is
now Major and Paynaster of the /. 5. A.
The company was sent here to bull.l y
fort, which they Immediately proceeded
to do on the bluffs. just west of town and
which was christencd Fort Seward. 49,.
On June 5th, Messrs. Hill & McNi,lcr
A'o'S ,Auso So"AS ALL SOOu dIttlWS:t(S
opened stock of general merchandise.
This partnership continued until the next
sp1iEg, when Mr. McNider bought the
entire stock and moved with it to Biz.
marck. He is now Of the drm of Mclean
4 McNider, of the after place. Canda e. +;
Pason OF Chicago and st. Louis, were the
contractors for building the grade of the
n. p, ana on June 7th, Mr.. Canda crossed
the James river with his grading ou,.i,
Camping in the ravine west Of the Pipe
stone creek, as it was then called he worked
both ways from that point, until eonnec.
tion was made with the grade coming
from the east.
"a few days afterwards, George W.
Ncnnnm, our register OF deeds. ana L.
Rckechnie, Stutsman coun.ys sheriff,
looked in upon jamestown and i,>
surroundings with we'll pleased eyes, and
determined to wrought out wha, Dame
Fortune had stored away for them in this
fertile valley. They commenced by
opening hotel in tent, which they
continued about . year, and then sought
other business more agreeable to their
tastes.