St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-02
IPSWICH,
The Metropolis of Edmunds County
and Missouri Slope.
A Brief History of the Early Settlement and
Organization of Edmunds County.


ton which has temporarily destroyed some of
the business houses named below. As all of
them will soon be restored and Ipswich will con-
time to advance, the sketch is as pertinent as
when prepared a few days ago.-Ed. GLOBE.
EDMUNDs COUNTY.
When look back at this country a year
ago, and look at it now, it seems like dream
AS though it were impossible for it to be
reality that in a few short months the broad
and barren prairies could have been settled
so quickly by a class of intelligent, honest
and industrious people; that so many good,
substantial towns could spring up and pros
per where but few short years ago the now
fast disappearing red man held disputed
sway; that railroads should course through
country where the only visible trail was that
OF the buffalo and Indian, and the long
unused government train. When 1 see all
these things, aud look into the future and
see the promise that is awaiting the people
and the country, it seems incredible. But all
these things have occurred, and the end is
not yet. | stood few days ago in front of
one of the large hotels gazing out upon the
broad, open prairie, lost in deep thought,
the prairie wolf behind me, and at the right
and left could see skipping here and there the
jack rabbit; and in front of me, coming
down over small knoll or hill, saw an
immense herd of buffllo at full speed, the
dust rising behind them in great clouds,
and, as the dust cleared away in the distance,
l saw, mounted upon hundreds of ponies,
] nc in 7
hear the believing of the buffalo
and the whoop of the red man. 1 awoke
| from my dream, and what change. Behind
me, as l looked, l saw a beautiful city, and
at my right and left / saw hundreds of farm
houses, dotting the beautiful prairies in all
directions, and in front of me saw the iron
horses putting black clouds of smoke, the
bell ringing, the conductor crying ''all
aboard' and the crowds getting on to the
long train of coaches. A few months ago
my dream could have been real, but to-day
| it is of the past. Once a prairie,
broad and rolling, dotted only
| by the teepe; to-day, the same prairie is dot
ted by beautiful frame houses and lovely
cities, and the intelligent, honest and in
dustrious white man has taken the place of
the roaming tribes of Indians.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The first actual settlement in Edmunds
county was made on the 29th day of Sep
TENDER, 1882, by Messrs. W. V. Bold, Robert
] Hunter and John Davis, who squatted on
unsurveyed lands, which now comprise the
town site OF Ipswich. Following them was
| Of for
and being favorably impressed with the beau
tiful undulatiDg soil of Edmunds
| county, soon occupied all the
! available lands within several miles of the
! first named settlers. During the winter of
| 1SS2-S3 W. V. Bold was the only resident Of
the county, living upon his claim in section
2. Early in 1888, beginning with the un-
heard of tide Of Immigration to this section
of Dakota, a new impetus was given to the
country, and in short time every claim be-
| tween Aberdeen and Boldsville, as Mr..
Bold's shanty was known, was taken by
actual settlers. Substantial residences were
erected, and the then green prairies were
dotted to the horizon on either side. Hun
dreds of acres of the virgin soil
were broken and the first crop
raised ever sown west of Snake Creek Thus
was Edmunds county first settled, and to-
day land seekers are still locating within its
borders, which at present contains over
1000 inhabitants.
COUNTY ORGANIZED.
Petitions for organization we're circulated
through the county and numerously signed,
and on July 26, 1888, commissions were re-
Celved appointing L. +. Diefendorf, c. n.
Sklllman aud L. a. Barbour as county COM
missioners, aud the county board was held
In the Skillman house at Edmunds. l..
F. Diefeudorf was chosen chairman,
and l.. A. Barbour, clerk of the board At
the second meeting OF the county board held
August -, full com plement OF county off,
GERS was appointed.
THE RAILROAD INVASION.
During the latter part OF July the Hastings
d Dakota division of the Chicago Milwaukee
Il 1t. Paul road was extended west from
Aberdeen. There was already three small
towns in the county, EImunds, Georgetown
aud Frerport, and speculation between the
three was r.ie AS to which should secure tile
location of station. But all were doomed to
disappointment, for on the second day of
August the NV 4 of section %, aud the
Ne 4 of section IS, town 123,
range IS, were scripped By the
railroad company Uncertain as TO when the
road would reach the coveted spot induced the
! businessmen OF the other towns to retain
their locations a few weeks longer. However,
before tue town was plated, john Kearns
moved his saloon from Frrcport to the town
IL. Il :. On
! followed, being the second building on tue
towusite aud the first to occupy 4 lot on
/ Main street. The plat OF the town was com
/ pIeted October >, and chr.stencd Ipswich
/ November IL tue first railroad train reached
| tue town.
Tue SOIL.
The soil Of Edmuuds county, like
most Of the land in this section
OF the country, is beautiful
| rolling prairie, the most OF which can be
TILED. 1t is = rich black soil from eighteen
/ iucaes 10 six feet dep. Underlaid with a
/ sandy clay su5sOil Il has been enriched for
ages by the ash or decay Of rank vegetation,
/ when is one OF the best fertilizers, and mas
made tue soil the richest in the land.
WATER.
There are several small creeks running
through the county at different directions.
/ Snake creek being the largest, and there are
also numberIess small lakes Of pure water
! which iuruish az abundanceof water for all the
/ stock that can be raised In the country. Coos
well water can be bad by digging.
/ CROPS.
All kinds Of small grain can be raised with
{ rarfect surcess and vsr.tabIes If all kinds
/ grown here can not be surpassed in any
/ country. Corn is raised in abundance.
/ Grasses Of all kinds arr grown, and are more