Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-01-04
ing been driven FROM their native land
I,y yar. lie believed the Dakotas were
rom China and Tartary and that they

rom China and Tartary and that they
found Their way here by being driven
first to the North Sea Islands and
thence IN boats to this continent. and
his theory by the similarity
of the language Of the two peoples.
At that early day the Dakotas occupied
all the country from the Mississippi TO
the Mountains, ANOTHER of the early
writer's in speaking Of the tribes says:
"The Dakotas came down from the
North and drove the Qmahas. Ott6es
and Iowas from this section where
they had long lived In power and pride,
hugting and holding their annual sa-
cred council at the Great Red Pipe
stone quarry in Pipestone county, Min.
Before this conquest the Dakotas were
called Madages-siorlx QneaEing enemy
from tie termination of which word is
derived SIOUX the name By which
they are now generally known.
In the spring of 1859 the indians
were removed TO their reseryation and
this country was then the lawful prey
Of the land hunter. The early settleEs
however, did little else than hunt ard
trap in this immediate neighhorhood,
taking their peltry to the. trading pests
On the Missouri
AT the time Of the memorable s'in-
nesotii massacre in 1862 there wece Il
number st tranpers who visited the
Hills regularly on their hunting eX-
cursions; one of these trappers being
named Washington; when attacked by
the Indians they fled for the Hills but
were pursued and killed pear the Big
Springs. In honor to the nan who
thus Offered up his life and mingled his
hearts blood with the waters gushing
from the rocks, the Hills and the
Springs have since been known by the
name OF Washington.
The Washington Hills are, aore pro-
perly speaking, ''taile lands" heing an
eleyateA plateau from 50 to $50 feet in
heise;;ifRt hreeise;ft: ire ascent from the south be-
ing. s;%i,',al for 95 OF 40 miles and from
that point gradually descends until in
the northern distance they lGingle with
the level lands of the valley seemingly
bounded by the, sky. The highest
points of the Hills are near the town
Ship line between towns lO7 and LOS in
range Go, the slope from there back to
the Missouri river being gradual. This
table land" is beautiful rolling prairie
with good soil easy to snfptNe and clll-
tivafe, producing crops equal to any in
the choicest portions of the territory.
4 short distance west of the eastern
edge of the Hills there are thousands
of acres of the most fertile soil await
ing the coming of the settler.
The climate on top of these Hills is
all that can be desired; upIs5 high that
no miasma reaches, they are
'l'ouched by Il light that hatiro ha,re
| 4 glory never sung"
The Springs, just at the foot OF the
| Hills on the east. send forth pure wa
ters, and waters charged with iron, sui
phur, magnesia and other properties.
, all health giving and notwithstanding
in their effects SO that we have here all
| the natural charms that induce SO many
F. peopleto yisitsouthern California dur
! ing the summer season. lnvalids can
! come here and find that tullness and
! beauty Of life that is SO frequently de-
/ MED them in other and older settled
! portions CT the United States.
! The soil in all this region of country
is wonderfully retentive of moisture so
that the disastrous effects of lrouths
are reduced to Il minimum: it is IL black
rich alluvium and loan practically in
exhaustible; it is all strongly impreg-
mated with lime and other essential
qualities of a superb grain and grass
bearing soil
Yhe first white settlers here were
Levi Hahn and a. Nicholson VINO came
here in 1876, Mr.. lIain havnga squat
ters" right or. the claim through which
runs the Big Springs, while Mr.. Mich
olson was located three or four miles
above on the claim now owned hy Mr.
| Wallace.
In 1873 p. r. Barrett came to the
Hills. filing on his claim May 23d and
beginning actual residence June 1st
4 Some idea Of the dilhcultipS To be over
come by the pioneers Of that day may
be Inferred from the fact that the lum-
Der for Mr.. Barrett's house had to he
hauled by team from Beaver Creek
Mimi, eighteen miles east of Sioux
Falls At the same time that Z. r
Barrett moved on his claim in section
1-lO7 his brother Moses Barrett
filed a homestead in sections II and 1.
of the same township, and his brother
Ogden Barrett lagan improvements on
his tree claim in sec. 6loi--Gl.
In April, 1879, ". II. ,te;lcns pur.
chased the squatter's right to the Big
Springs. Mr.. Hahn moving mile fur
ther north and building another log