The Dickinson press., 1884-08-16


) ley in 1859, we can form a faint idea
of the development of the West
The map Of the United States makes
no mention Of Dakota. Minnesota
territory takes in all the country be
tween Wisconsin and the Missouri
river. The territory of Nebraska
was five times as large as the present
state. 1t extended from the Missou'
ii river to the Rocky mountains and
from Kansas to the British posses
sions. The map makes no mention OF
Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana.
Nevada OF Arizona. A large part OF
this country was the terra %incognita
indefinitely called the "Great
American Desert There were but
few miles of railroad west of the
Mississippi, and they were considered
hardy adventures who penetrated
the Wilderness" as far west as st.
Paul OF Sioux City. A few brave
spirits had ventured across the plains,
but usually in large bodies-men for
the most part led OF by visions of un-
limited gold that only needed to be
uncovered to make them millionaires.
Iowa, Wisconsin, southern Minnesota,
eastern Nebraska and Kansas formed
the land of promise for the home
seeker, and the prairie schooner
was almost the only means of trans
portation west of Chicago.
About this time a few pioneers
ventured to reach this great Terri
tory, which, while it had no legal ex-
istence, was generally called Dakota
after the Indian tribes who dwelt in
the land.
Turning to the map Of Minnesota,
which had just become a state
Qhough the map-makers had not
heard of it, we find the eastern half
of Dakota attached to Minnesota, but
without amy name. This immense
tract of country, which was just
about the size of Minnesota, was vir-
tually a blank. The only town in the
whole region was Pembina. The prin-
clpal rivers, a few creeks and a half
a-doZen lakes had the same names by
which they are known to-day. AL
the country between the James river
Tor Jacques, as it is noted on the map
and the Missouri river, is marked as
region Astounding in buffalo" and
was the hunting ground of the Yank-
ton Indians. Along the Missouri we
notice Bon Homme Island, Old Fort
aux Cedres, Fort Lookout, Fort
Pierre Chateau, Fort Clarke and Fort
Mandan. The latter is marked as
Lewis and Clarke's wintering place
loO4-5. This must have been a very
hard winter as the reports of these
explorers show that the party suffered
intensely from the severe cold. Even
in 1859 Dakota had a proposed rail.
road. 1t was II OF the s~o-called
"Great Pacific routes" extending
from st. Paul northwestward, and Ell.
tering the territory just north OF
Lake Traverse where a branch from
Duluth intersected. The route con-
tinued northwest, nearly getting into
the realms of her Majesty before
reaching the western boundary of the
territory.
Such in brief was Dakota two years
before it was organized, and before
the white man could claim q legal
residence in the carbohydrates lie
became a ''squaw man''-the husband
OF u squlw. The marvellous growth
of Dakota-the building of its rail
roads and towns, and the opening up
OF it's thousands Of farms, instead of
requiring twenty-five years, has really
happened during the last ten OF
twelve years; for the settlement ten
years ago was largely confined to five
OF six counties in the southeast cor
ner, and the famous Red river coun-
try was sparsely settled and little
known. A gain in poplation of from
$4,000 in 1870 to 100000 in 1884. is
something we'll worth noting. The
secret Of this growth lies in the won.
derful richness of the soil and the
salubrity of the climate. The coun.
try is yet in it's infancy. There is
abundant room for 100000 people,
The immigrants twenty-five years ago
were compelled to make an overland
journey that required days and We .ks
of hardship; those of to-day a reach
almost any part of Dakota in three
days from the Atlantic coast. The1
the market for produce was distant
and the imported necessities Of life
high. Now the railroads which have
penetrated all sections, cheapens sup
plies and afford a good market
Then schools and churches did not
exist; to-day they are found almost
everywhere.