Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1885-03-04
BOWEN & K1NGsBuRY, prop,...

block.
BOWEN & KINGsBURY, Prop,s.
The opening to settlement OF the
region known as the Grow Creek keser.
walton is an event in the onward
progress of Dakota of more than or.
dinary significance. and to the person
who has been cognizant of Dakota's
progress since the territory was
organized, this act will recall to mind
the rapid advance of civilization during
the quarter of century that has PASSED
since the territory first became the per.
manent abode of industrious and civil
lized people.
The Grow Greek Reservation embraces
two contiguous tracts of land lying
along the Missouri river between the
American creek on the south
and Medicine creek on the north, dis.
tance of from sixty to seventy miles
with an average width of fifteen miles
extending back from the Missouri
river. 1t comprises some of the best
soil in Buffalo and Hughes counties. 1t
was oeded to the government and
opened for settlement twenty-six years
ego, having been portion of the terri.
tory included in tho Yankton and Ponca
cession of 1859.
The year 1862 brought With it, late in
August, the merciless massacre of the
white settlers in western Minnesota by
the Santee Sioux under Little Grow, o
tribe then having their homes on Minne-
sofa soil. Great excitement and indig-
nation among the settlers of Minnesota
followed that outbreak, and public sen.
timent was outraged to such an extent,
that with the suppression of the Indian
revolt, came universal and emphatic
demand from the people that every In
dian be removed from Minnesota; to this
demand the government readily re-
sponded by removing the Santees, and
also the Winnebagoes, who were then at
peace with the whites, from their reser.
vations in Minnesota, to the Crow Creek
region in Dakota, the president having
Withdrawn from market the lands now so
strongly coveted, and set them apart for
the accommodation of these two tribes
the Winnebagoes being settled on the
| upper or north half of the reserved
lands and the Santees on the southern
Col. Clark w. Thompson, of Minnesota,
since prominent railroad capitalist of
that state, was at that time superinten-
dent OF Indian affairs in the northwest
and under his personal direction the re-
moval was quietly and successfully &C
complished in the summer of 1868. The
larger portion of the Indians were
led across the country; but
tne squaWs, pappooses and
aged und infirm, were provided Will
water transportation and sailed down
the Mississippi and up the Missouri il
steamboats,, paying Yankton briei
visit en- route, aud reaching their new
home in due time and in safety. Al
agency was then established on the res
ervation, near Grow Greek, and wa.
named Fort Thompson. The line di
viding the Sioux country from the Win
nebago passed through the agency 81
that portion of the small enclosur,
upon which the agency buildings were
erected, belonged to both reservations
and one set OF oficial
were competent by thi
arrangement to attend to ali the dutie
required. st. A. D. Balcombe. of Mime
sofa, was selected as agent, and Major F
j. Dewitt, Of Yankton, had the trader'l
license and erected commodious stor,
rooms on the agency grounds.
Here these Indians remained untl
1863, whep the Wlnnebagoes were re
moved to Nebraska where they still re
side, and the Santees also emiRrated. frs
to Niobrara and shortly after to thei
present reservation opposite Springfield
in Nebraska, Major James NJ. Stone. o
Yankton, since deceased, being thei
agent. The Crow Creek reservation wa
at this time practically abandoned. ant
remained unoccupled for about on.
year, the government authorities in th,
meantime celebrating the question o
liberating it once more to settlement un
der the land laws. There being no urgen
demand for the land, the proclamation
restoring it to the public domain wa
not issued, and shortly afte
the Yanktonais Sioux driited dow,
that way and finding it q,
inviting field, erected their teepee
beneath the branches Of its cottonwood
and resolved to stay. The government
tacitly recognized and consented to thei
occupancy, and the domicil of the ''agen
for the upper Missouri Indians" wa
thenceforward fixed at Fort Thompson
Maj. J. r. Hanson, of Yankton then file,
that Office, other Yankton gentleme,
we're connected with the same agency
DR.. d. F. Livingston as surgeon Will
Maj. Dewitt and Mr.. E. E. Hudson wer
traders. With the occupancy Of the Yank
tonais the question Of throwing tn
reservation open was practically post
poned for an indefinite period and nearl,
fifteen years have passed away before th