Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1886-12-22
DAkoTA's EARLY HISTORY.
An interesting Sketch Of the
Tsrritory's Struggles From
Her Infancy.
The Men Connected with Her
Early History and Where They
Are To-day.
lsioux city Journal Correspondence. /,


which convene at Huron 10 take some
action looking towarl statehood, short
retrospection may not lie uninteresting tt
those who are watching the people strug-
Cling for their rights in a manly, patien
way. The history Of Dakota as q teiritor,
is not very long and not very intricate te
trace. Of course it has its earlier history,
from the Catholic Coronado in 1910, Lewis
and Clark in 1884, and Lord Selkirk in
1871, but il is of Dakota AS territory the
writer aims to notice lriefy. On the I'd
day OF March, 1861, just prior TO surren-
dering his seat to President Lincoln, Pres
ident Buchanan signed the bill establishing
the Territory of Dakota. The present Ter
ritories of Montana and Idaho were then a
part OF Dakota. Small settlements along
the Sioux and Missouri Rivers, and a little
along the Red River of the North was all
there then was Of civilization of Dakota.
Indians roamed the prairies at will, MUIR
dering the inhabitants and burning their
humble homes, and terrorizng the few
WHO sought homes west of the Sioux River.
] he Indians then applied the knife 10 re-
| tard emisrat on. Now they sulkly hold
| thousands of acres and refuse to treat with
civilization in its desire to use the lands
west OF the present settlements. The total
Indian reservation is "a .4S0, 785 acres, and
a large per cent. Of this is in the proposed
State of South Dakota. Prior to the or
gnn!zation of Dakota by President Bu-
chanan, settlements were started along the
Sioux River and at Yank,on. In 1866 a
force of 1900 soldiers located at Fort
Pierre. A fort was built at Chamberlain in
1856, hut abandoned the next year by Gen.
Harvey, who chose the present site of Fort
| Randall. The first actual settlement at
tempted was ut Sioux Falls in 1856, but the
Indians drove the settlers to Sioux City.
La 1867 they returned, and permanently
| occupied the ground. The first election
held in the Territory occurred at Sioux
| Falls, Sept. IL. 1858, under permission
| from the Governor of Minnesota. Dakota
| then, as now, had trouble to get recogni-
| ton. The people elected provisional
| Legislature in 1859, with s. J. Albright ms
| Speaker Of the House. A. G.. Fuller was
selected to repre- sent Dakota in Congress.
Henry Masters, Speaker of the Council and
| acting Governor, dying in 1859, another
election was held, and j. p. Kidder, after
wards prominent politician in the Terri
tory, was elected ly the Legislature a dele
gate in Congress, and w. w. Brookings
was elected Governor in place of Masters,
deceased. At this. the second session of
the Teirtorel Legislature, few uuimpor-
tant bills were pissed, and Congress was
again memotialzM to give Dakota terrific
rialhood. The administration then, as now,
was Democratic. For over three years their
prayers were unheede' by the a1ministra-
ton, and all the leaislatng at Sioux FILLS
went for naught. On the 9Th Of Novem-
Der, 1869, the citizens OF Yankton met to
TRY THEIR LUCK AT GETTING A TER
RIToRY.
n r. pr,ml1o ,or 20 wo,.u,o
ch,;r,,.., - M sr,,,s,,a,,T 49,. W"
s law Mi ,r.s caa.a.a,,, ~" ~
,T..',;,'a i ,,,n,,',,;.I 80 s ,ne
= Ta,r;.1a, NV .,e,9;a., w.. "'"pe" a TnS
.os sh.,ss,,, -, a', l. &c. cn.s. u
s..n, D,,,,,o,s e., n. a. e..
t,a ,,ao.a,a a,,,in sa;,ad 49,, ~. ~ ~
ca,, her 81 dsea ,h ," nan,,,o ,sn. :" "
i'm, and ~, ~ ,s.l, rs i,,,,,a.,. ZOE, .ema
,,arsJ IN -, r,,as, o,.,o y. ai;., ra.,paI
bnad and ~, ~, III ~ MI, ,ha;r -
au.s, voc 60. y T., ~. pssa;aa',.
11sn,.s,,, s,,,,a;,'.'.d W., - - I,,,,sa;n
Cans,,r p,,I ~. 1s.ha. s,,.., as,ie
TIC fi,st ,ct Of do Caxar,,or ,ras o ~ 49,
,Ia cansns - ,ha Tsrr;,n,r Tba ,'t,i
,,,,,,Iar e.s ,.;taa n1 Lie -. ~, .o =.
DaLo,a WAS fonn5 70 h. o gro That VOC 40
only a ,narl.r ~ . o,,t,r,, 100 ,rha go
sa.,,s st"r, eon,,a,aI ~, r. ,,s,nr, 1. ~
d.yelonment Il rsads NOR lie ro,nsnca
than q reality Asac from tho few ssatis0
,,a,,,s ,,,',,i;ane5 H., halanoa - .h;s nnst
Tarr;tor,, ,,liah lbs daYalnroa s,ah 800.
c,,I,,,roi ,o,,,,,raos ,ros ~, ~; on r. g.
s,,,,nosad 30 H., stsr,ls ana 49, ona s sarn
ssan ,,rsa;c,od ,ba ,ra,araI ,,rns,or;,,. Ill
;s nor v;s,h,e oys, sneh Inst oraa '1 o.
Mon,,ay San, re tha t;,st election ,,,,aara
Tarr,tnr;.,1 l.raa,,;, ,,;,,,, naa,,rraJ III
camnaian for 5sIaa,ta IN Cnnorass was ,r;e
49, ona ,,ao,,,iar oae oanrar,'a,,
no,n,nated Capt 7 g n Toll anntbar
non,inatad Al Rail and St;li ono,l,ar
rhas ID poooo Tia, ,ras so,,o -
TO-, =, % ha 7atter,s rss;d.nco in the r.
,;tnr, ana ha ,avor f,,iI, as,ah,;sha5 a.
fact The vote rssn,,ed in Todds s,ac,;o .m0
who reca;ysd ao7 Ran ~ Rooaa IN ,rb;s
elect;on oiso eltctsd the a,st Taa;s,o,nra
Tn ,axt ,,anaraI ,l,ct;on oo.,,rr, c.,
1seo and Iavna ona Till wa,. cond;da.as
Far J..Ia.,,ta i, Conar.Ss Ia,.n., 1a, oe7
votes and Toad o31 Hv tb,n,rina ont
Rnn Ho,,na ona Ch.,l.s MI ca,,r,;"s
Todd sncn.ssf,liy contastsd Iarna,s a,ac
tion The dajegs,es s;n,a thsn s,o,n na
lot, have hean " Rnrla;oL T.
snink NJ X A,ms,ron, + p Eidaer n
a Ra,nst, + pat,,s,aw ! Por
moad ami O s Ginori
The fadsral annn;ntass NJ Covarnor, 4,
DoLnt, hova h.ian w., Jar,a Na,,,o,,
Edmnnas Full Iobn pnrhanL
Iohr r panr;no,nn Nm Homara
q nrdwar and q p;ar.o cov
Howard dad Will. !, nf,,ca Dolo,a bas
Ind q Sacre,ar;es f'b;sf !Jnst;cas o. A.
snc;ata Jns,;css : D,str,ct At,o,nars
S,,rr''vor. c.na,,,s = rn;,aa Sat- NJ
sha,s an1 Goilan,o,s - Tntasna1 ID o,.anma
,'r;ar 70 10 conso,;da,;nr - .ia \ s,.;a,
i,;,,, Nahrssto - WV ''i'''
Tha a,au,h 1, ,,,r,,.;on os ...ho.
s,o,. for a. Arc. txa lac Thata,, n .,.a
cast ~ iee1 VS. ~. ~ 1890 Axe. ~ ,ses
ca7. i, Isec ~. Nv, 80 80. -
ella, i,a,.as, ! o,.osa ~ . e." os
S.DoN' 'AiSAN'SN =, NV SS,ts "beh p'V'V was