Sturgis advertiser. (Sturgis, Dakota [S.D.]) 1887-1???, 1888-06-06
STURGIS.
The Key City, Through Which All
Roads Pass. Both Rail and Trail.
THE HILLS BUSINESS CENTER.
The HUB Of the County Of Lawrence and the
Future Seat Of Meade. the Banner
County Of the Black Hills.
PAST SATISFACTORY; FUTURE AssunEl

sturgis City is located on Bare Butte
creek, twelve miles east by north from
Deadwood, and one and O half miles
from Fort Meade, ten-company post.
The town is situated between the foot
hills and the higher portion OF the Black
Hills. The site is a most magnificent
one, lying on dry, almost level ground,
with slight declination toward tho
creek, giving the best of facilities for
drainage. There is plenty of room for
growth, as the valley in which the town
is situated is wide and peculiarly adapted
for the site Of large city.
The town lies at the point Of con-
vergence Of all the important roads ira
yersing the county, and as a consequence
is tho headquarters of all settlers in the
surrounding country when they desire
to transact business OF any nature what
soever. 1t is reported that the first set
tier located on the present site in June,
1876. Major Wilcox, J. NJ. Rodebank, A.
Buckbee, Major Lazelle, B. G. Caulfield,
Judge Dudley and j. w. Caldwell
formed a company and proceeded to Sc
lect site and lay out a town. It is
said Major Wilcox selected the site.
Eighty acres were originally plated, but
since then, to keep up with tho incroas-
ing demand for residence property, SOW
eral additions have been made. The
town was christened Sturgis, after Cen
eral Sturgis, of the regular army. The
first postofIice was opened in the winter
of '78-9.
Since then the town has exceeded the
expectations of it's most ardent friends
and supporters. 1t has increased in
population, wealth, intelligence and
morality. At present it boasts Of four
churches, two schools, four hotels, a
national bank, lumber yards, planning
and feed mills, stucco and plaster works,
nearly hundred mercantile establish
ments and trades represented, Masonic,
Odd Follows and G. A. r. societies, daily
mail in all directions, direct telephone
communication with every town in the
Hills, both in Dakota and Wyoming, the
control of the immense trade Of Fort
Meade and the thickly settled farming
community beyond it; steam fire en-
CINE; hook and ladder company, hose
company, engine company, a system of
fire cisterns, live, rustling board OF
trade, fire protective association, hack
lines to Deadwood and Fort Meade;
lastly, and best of all, debt OF only
$1,000, payable in twenty years, against
an assessed valuation of S205,O0O.
Some improvements now under way
are: The building of an Episcopal
church; a ladies' seminary to cost s15,-
coo; city hall and engine house; a street
car line to Fort Meade; the boring of an
artesian well; the laying of a system of
water mains, and the grading of our
side and residence streets
The above readily shows what Sturgis
has done and what it intends doing in
the near future An unprejudiced mind
cannot but acknowledge the superior
position Of Sturgis as regards the farm
ing community surrounding it. By
studying the map of the Black Hills it
can be readily seen that tho facts APP
pearing in the preceding columns are
literally true. The secretary of the
Sturgis board of trade, Mr.. Max Hoehn,
can readily impart and will do go
willingly any information concerning
Sturgis, tho Key City Of the Hills. and
the surrounding country.
FORT MEADE.
This we'll known military post is stu
ated one and half miles east OF Sturgis.
The first military camp was established
in the spring of 1876, on Spring creek,
north of Bare Butte. This camp was
called Camp Sturgis," in honor.of Lcu-
tenant Sturgis, killed in the Custer mas
sacre The present fort was established
in the August following and named after
the celebrated Union general, George G.
Meade. Tho site is most magnificent
one. On one side rises the foothills of
the Black. Hills covered with their dark
pines, while on tho other hand stretches
away toward the east the rolling pralr-
les. Bare Butte, just north of the post,
rises straight out of the level prairie and
stands like some lonely sentinel watch
ing over soldier and citizen alike. The
buildings comprising the post are new
and elegant, and from tho lips Of officers
who have seen the majority Of the posts
of the country we have heard that Fort
Meade is one OF the most desirable ioca-
t;ons in the entire war department. The
post is ten-eompany post, and ut pres
ent is occupied by the Third infantry
(white) and the Eighth cavalry, who rc-
Gently moved here from Montana and
Texas, respectively. Until NAY this
post was occupied by the Seventh caval-
ry and Twenty Fifth infantry.
The post requires enormous quantities
of supplies, all Of which are furnished by
the farmers of the country contiguous.
An idea OF the amount of material used
can DO gathered from scrutinizing the
following figures: Hay, 1,700 tons; corn,
10000 pounds; oats, 100000 pounds;
wood, 5000 cords, and other supplies in
proportion. The original cost 81 the
post buildings was $4,000. but each