Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-01-04
steiger Brothers of lo6-63 have
about 400 acres broken and are well

- - ~
are prdsperlIngfin O.C. solberg has
"a ane farm of 4S0 acres al in one body;
he raised this year about 300 bushels of
grain and has qyeg = hundred acres of
ground ready for seeding next spring.
THE l.AsTEllN PART OF TIE COUNTY.
The first settlers in the eastern part
of the county were II; ID. Fisher, W.p.
Pierce. g. Kneriem, /. Rag and father
who came in April ana May SO. These
parties are all well fixed with large ar
cas- OF their claims under cultivation.
Mr.. Kneriem having raised the last
season over a thousand bushels Of
grain. Later in the season ala the
Starkey brothers, after whom the post
Office III 1918, established in May 'S3.
was named, Paul Berlin and Mr.. Bow
en-, whose splendid herds Of cattle at
test their intention Of becoming per.
mahent residents of the county. In
October 80 ". J. and O. L. Williams
settled on their claims near the Fire
steel and now have $50 acres under cul-
t%ivHtion. During the summer Of 50
and the early spring CT 'o3 the settlers
east and northeast OF the Springs came
in so fast that il has been almost i'm.
possible to keep track Of them among
those who cams TO. stay were Messrs.
Whitin, LaRue, Blank, WeilanG. JOS
eph. Thomas and James IOach and w.
w. Woodruff.
With the building Of the Jim River
division of the Milwaukee road a little
town by the came Of Alpena was
started in the northeast corner of the
county. We are unacQuainted in that
part Of the county but if the people
and the town are as enterprising an the
Journal, published by LOOMS & Davis,
we are only sorry that we are not bet
ter acquainted with the neighborhood.
From the assessors returns, made be-
tween May Goth and June 10Th, SO it
appears that there We're but 1913 settlars
in the whole of Jerauld county; While
the best informed persons now osti-
mate the population OF the county at
from 1000 to 2500.
After repeated efforts at organization
the Governor OF the Territory. in Sep
TENDER last appointed Dr.. S. II. Mel
cher, II. D. Fisher and A. Is. Smart ss
commissioners; at their first meeting
Nov. 9Th. '83, r. Y. Hazard was APP
pointed Superintendent Of Schools and
j. NJ. Spears Sheriff. Three justices
and three constables we're also appoint
ed none Of whom have as yet qualified.
Mr.. Spears appointed FL. c. Stephens
Deputy sheriff. just before going to
Iowa after his family. G. w. McDon-
aid was appointed Clerk Of the District
Court in and for Jerauld county by
Judge Edgerton; these are allthe coun-
ty officers who have qualified up to this
writing. The next meeting of the
Board VIII De GA the 9Th Of this month
at which tine al tie rest oftha officers
will be appointed.
WI.ssINGTGN SPRINGS.
The town Of Washington Springs was
plated by Messrs, Burr s. Scott in '82.
1t is situated on secs. { and IS -107-G4
and 13-lGi 60. Nothing was done to-
ward building up the town however
until the spring Of 'S3, the only build
ing prior to that time being the house
Of S. Woodhouse which after a few
days was removed to his claim north
east OF the town.
In April SO the first building on the
townsite was erected by Reed & Akin,
the same building being now occupied
by Drake & Magee.
The second building was that Of Lew
Hoes, followed by the dwellings, Of A.
j. Wentworth and Drake & Smith.
The next buildings to be completed
We're The office of Dunn & Hackett,
followed by the store room Of Housed
& Arnold. The Washington Springs
Hotel, Tarble 4 Woodburn, and the
store Of Stephens Brothers were begun
in May. The livery stable Of L. B. Orr
the store of S. Kenny and the store
building of Apologize were built dur
ing June. The NJ. e. Church and the
HERALD building were erected in July.
The dwelling Of Magee and blacksmith
shop Of j. WOODBURY. in August. The
hardware store Of Morse { LaPoint
and the store Of L. II. Ford were built
in September. The post Office and
school house and the office Of Ford &
Rich We're built in November.
The Jerauld County News was esttab-
lished Nov. g, 1882, by w. s. lngham.
In rs a post Office was established
two miles north Of the present town.
called Washington with i. r. Barrett
as postmaster. In the spring OF 'o3 the
name Of the office was changed to "El-
mer. without any reason being assign
ed therefor and in spite of Il remon-
STRANGE sent in by the settlers. A petit
ton to remove the office to the town
site and change the name to conform
to the name fthe town has been gran
ted to the extent that MI. Barrett was
allowed to move the postoftice of EEL
lner' to the town but the change of