Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1888-05-23
LAWRENCE COUNTY
Leader in Population, Wealth and
Intelligence Of the Black Hills.

lhteliiSeACS " b1e DAacA Hills.
ROYAL GARDEN OF THE GODS.
the Finest Lands; the Richest Mines the
Greatest Producer; Deepest Streams;
Grandest Climate; Sublimest Scenery
and the Noblest Citizens Of All
the Territory Of the Dakotas
LAWRENCE. FIRST, LAST. AND FOREVER
E This, the widest advertised county in
the Black Hills, and one of the best
known in the entire territory, was organ
lied in April, 1877, receiving its name
from Colonel John Lawrence, an old
resident and leading citizen Of the Hills,
and who at present resides near Dead
wood. Lawrence county is the most
wealthy, populous and important Of any
in the Black Hills region, containing
over one-half Of the total population, and
a proportionate amount of the accumu-
lated wealth. 1t has an area of 1900
square miles, fifty square miles smaller
than the state of Delaware, and nearly
twice as large as the state of Rhode
Island. 1t is bounded on the north by
Butte county formerly part Of Law
renee, but set off by itself in 1883 and
the Belle Fourche river; on the south
by Pennington county; on the east by
the two forks of the Cheyenne river, and
on the west by Wyoming territory.
The extreme length of the county,
from the Wyoming line to the Cheyenne
river, is eighty-seven miles, and the
distance across its widest portion
is about thirty-two while the
eastern end of the county near Chey-
enne river dwindles down to fourteen.
About one third of the county lying in
the southwest is billy and mountainous,
and nearly covered with magnificent
growth Of pine timber. The remaining
two-thirds of the county, from the foot
hills to the two branches Of the Chey-
enne, compose large portion OF the
broad spreading plains for which the
Black Hills country is SO famous. The
billy portion of the county is quite a
distance above sea level, the average
height being about 5000 feet. The east
ern end of the county, and in fact from
the foothills to the eastern boundary, is
lower, ranging from 1000
to $500 feet. The Redwater, Falsebot-
tom, Whitewood, Bare Butte, Alkali,
Elk, Box Elder, drain the principal
basins in the county, while Beaver and
Rapid creeks drain small areas in the
southern portion.
The best and most fully developed ag-
ricultural lands are situatedin Pleasant
valley and along the Bare Butte, AliSali,
Elk and Spring creeks Thousands Of
acres in the past few years have been
..aken up by settlers. The records Of the
and of,,c,, show that up to March l,
1897, nearly e,vossn filings had been made
N lands in the Black Hills, over 5000
# which had been entered by settlers
n Lawrence county. Surveys m.-de re-
emily show that there still rema.' ms
nough vacant land in the eastern and /,
outhern portion of Lawrence county to
make 5000 farms and this land not of
barren, unfruitful nature, but of the
ichest loan, capable of producing any
hing that can be grown in the same lat
tude the world over. The most mag
,ificent farming land on earth lies Idle
waiting the coming of the thousands
seeking new home in the west. The
avs governing the obtaining of these
ands are not difficult to comply with,
md the settler will find that instead OF
;he close guardianship of Uncle Sam be-
ng hardship it is Of inestimable bene.
fit and value to him. m
Water is in abundance Throughout the
eastern two-thirds Of the county, running
streams, bank full the year around, and
every valley, makes irri-
cation entirely useless and unnecessary.
The products Of the county are limited
only by the time, skill and patience
Of the husbandman. Grains of all
kinds are grown as only Dakota can
grow them. The rich, deep soil is easily
broken and turned up toward the sun.
Farmers can plant their seed with the
greatest ease and then let nature take,
her course, assured that when the har-
vest time comes his increase will be
twenty, fifty or an hundred fold. Wheat
can be relied upon to go from twenty to
forty bushels to the acre; oats thirty to
seventy-fve; corn from sixty to one hum,
dred. Barley and other cereals do as
well in proportion. The finest quality.
of hay-wild at that covers prairie and
mountain side alike. All stock men
throughout this portion Of the west
unanimously agree that no hay, not even
the long timothy and clover from culti-
waited lands, can equal in nutrition the.
wild hay of the Black Hills. Hay from
the states cannot be sold here when ma
tive is on the market. Stock men of all
kinds never feed grain to stock unless
they are engaged in heavy work. This
may seem like a fairy tale, but no truer
were ever spoken. Horses and the like
are fed on this native hay alone during
the winter, and the spring finds them