Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1882-08-09
Pierre, DAKOTA.

ago, the G. & n W. Railroad reached its
terminus on5tbe Missouri river, point
opposite Fort Pierre, an old fort and trad
ing post established about fifty years ago.
but now almost abandoned and only occu
pied by teamsters and some half breeds,
with one or two small stores. Here was
found the only practicable point for
crossing the Missouri for miles, and at
its terminus the Railroad Company laid
out the town of Pierre It contains now
| from 800 to 1000 inhabitants, of which
about 700 are men, 200 women and 100
children; nearly all nationalities, even
| Chinese, are represented but the majority
is largely Americans. The town site is
broad level plateau, slowly rising up
| from the river bed with fine groves of
timber adjoining it and two heavily tim
bered islands in the river which here
runs nearly due East and West Back
of this plateau, about 1000 feet from the
river, rises terrace about 80 feet high,
stretching back more or less interrupted
by hills and valleys for some miles, until
the final hill top is reached, where the
great rolling plains stretch out in all
their immensely. The railroad occupies
the foot of the terrace, and the top of it
is laid out in residence lots, already oc-
cupied to some extent with neat cottages,
from which beautiful view is had up
and down the fertile Missouri valley at
a distance of more than 20 miles, with an
occasional glimpse of the river, while at
your feet lies the lively town and beyond
the river rise the steep hills of the Wes-
tern shore. On this terrace is built a
new school house at cost Of $4,000, in
which are employed two teachers, a gen
tleman and a lady, each with a salary Of
$50 per month, and attend about 10
scholars, Here is also a square set aside
for county purposes, upon which it is IN
tended, as soon as the surrounding couh
Try is little more settled up, to erect q
court house. A new church is nearly
finished for the use of the Baptsts, while
l1ethodists and Roman Catholics are oc-
cupying small buildings III the business
part of the town and maintain regular
services. The latter church is about ne
gotiating for a tract of land on the ter
race for a church and parochial residence;
indeed it is said, it is the intention to
erect bishopric here. The business
part of the town is occupied by a large
as seen anywhere, many of them two
cries in height, and many smaller
buildings ,occup ed by shops, offices and
dwellings,. Two of the best stores are oc-
cupied by two old Watertown boys, one
nv NJ. j. Schubert fl a drug store,
and the other by Louis Kehr, for a gro
Gerry store. 81 Both are doing a good bust
ness and express themselves as well .sa
tisGed by their new location. +. Being the
terminus Of the railroad and on the only
route. to the Black Hills country, there is
very large traffic going on in Pierre.
in fitting out the freight trains that every
week or two start for that country,
all of the supplies for which pass through
Pierre. These trains consist, OF a mum
Der of wagons drawn by mules or oxen,
which after being loaded and fitted out
are by two steam ferries carried across
the river to Fort Pierre, whence they
start on their 80 days trip for the Hills
and return. This business gives employ
meut to a large number OF men, who
make their home at Pierre, and the
freight company and the stage company
have large stables and yards near the
river The freight traffic from Pierre to
the Black Hills, Montana and Idaho
amounted last year to 10000 900 pounds
and will this year be nearly doubled, for
the trains portation of which some 1900
6-mulel or look teams are. required.
There are many herds of cattle grazing
in the neighborhood of Pierre, and large
herds of cattle, sheep and horses are be-
ing transported to Montana and Wyom-
ing. The buildings as yet are all frame,
but the manufacture of good quality
of brick has just commenced, and three
lime kilns are in constant operation.
Soft coal is selling at 50 per ton, but the
Indians occupying the islands in the riy-
er, are selling soft wood at So per cord.
The drinking water is excellent and
found in abundance. Pierre is the coun-
ty seat of Hughes county, and all the
land in the county is now open for set
Element. Near Pierre it ispretty well set
tied up, and the crops grown on the new
soil, such aslpotatoes, beans, onions and
corn are full as good if not better, than
any seen in Wisconsin. The business
houses in the town include two banks,
four hotels, two hardware, three dry
goods, three drug, five grocery, three
boot and shoe stores, two bakeries, two
clothing houses and two newspapers.
Some twenty steamers are engaged IN
the river traffic, carrying goods from Yank-
ton to Bismarck and all stop at Pierre.
The officials of the G. & N. w. R. B., in
Guiding Mr.. Vanderbilt, visited Pierre
about month ago; the latter expressed
himself highly pleased with its situation,
and the President of the company, Mr..
Keep, expressed the most unbounded
confidence in the future of, Pierre and
states that he believed it would become the
Kansas City of the North. Being stu
ated on the river and being the exact
center of the proposed new state of Da-
kota, PierreIhas some aspirations for be-
coming the capital of the new state, but
it is in no hurry to urge its claims, be-
lieving that when the country to the East
and West Of it is more settled, this will
come as matter of course. There GER
tainly are several very good reasons why
it ought to become the capital, and that
other people have faith in its future may be
seen from the fact that Governor Ord
| way, of Dakota, is greatly interested In