The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1889-09-12
Mr.. Rich,s handsori i residsnes sui sj1I g
menced to build a great city.
wAHPETON AND RICHLAND COUNTY,

1t was the first year Of Mr.. Rtch'a
location that he and that pioneer
statesman, Enos Stutsman, then q
member Of the territorial Legislature
representing an immense section of
northeastern Dakota, which they had
maped out into counties, decided to
call this county Richland in honor
Of its pioneer settler. In 1871 came,
the influx of settlers, Messrs. NJ. r.,
Proper, Folsom Dow. VIM. Root,
D. Wilmot Smith, Ransom Phelps
Simon Woodsum, Matt Lawrence,
Albert Chezick and possibly a few
others, each, of these gentlemen
securing a claim surrounding Mr..
Rich, J. w. Blanding, we believe,
not coming on till ~. Mr.. Dow
was made postmaster, and Mr.. Rich
established ferry boat which did
good service to '76, when a bridge
was built over the Sioux by sub
scription, the settlers for miles
around taking lively interest in it (;
and John Kotschevar succeeded Dow
as postmaster in '73, when the name
Of the town was changed from Cha
hinkapa to Wahpeton. However,
these gentlernen had not been located
on their claims but few months of
III when the department at WASH
ington Informed them they were on
the Sisseton and Wahpeton Indian
reservation and would have to
move off. But these were wide
awake men and at once set about
having that portion Of the reserva-
tion extending from the James River
country in the west and the Goose
River country in the north and
down toward Watertown, thrown
open to settlement, excepting the
present Sissiton and Wahpeton res
ervation, which was accomplished
in 1928. But the st. Paul & Pa
cilic road not crossing the river as
was expected, a store or two was
put up at breckenridge, the end Of
the road, and it was "a before
Messrs. Sitterich & Morfn erected
the first store building in Wahpeton
and engaged in general merchandis-
ing, Mr.. Morlin being in
stantly killed by lightning with
in a month after opening the
store, when his interest was pur-
chased by John Kotschevar who SUBJ
sequently bought out Mr.. Sitterich
and finally closed out the store in
'SG, and went upon his farm near
Mooreton.
Notwith standing the store estab-
lished here in "a, much Of the trade
from this side continued to cross
the river up to '79 when Kraker &
Miksche located general merchan-
dising establishment here, which
was purchased in full by MI. Mix
sche in '93. T. L. French dropped
in in W and purchased large tracts
Of land and established the Pio-
neer farm machinery house in the
latter '7Os, with j. III. Miller mana
ger Of the same, Mr.. French coming
on about 80, being occupied be-
tween his Iowa interests and inter-
csts here all the time up to opening
the Peoples Savings Bank in 'S7.
Martin schott dropped in and built
the Commercial hotel in '78, which
was purchased by Michael Schmitt
in 80; Chas. Damerel established
his hardware store in 80, and the
First National Bank was established
in '8l-as was the mill and elevator
by the same men. Thus did the
sixty-niner and pioneer seventies
await ten years the advent of devel-
opement which ushered in 80 with
an abundance Of men and capital
which gave Wahpeton an impetus
sending it forward with bound.
The Manitoba road crossing the
Sioux in 'S1--and coursing off to
the northwest gave Wahpcton her
first railway facilities, and really
placed this superb town upon the
broad road to prosperity which now
promises such ultimate power for
good in the land.
wA1IPEToN's PRESENT AND FUTURE.
This city now has population of
twenty-five hundred, and is not
only situated at the confluence of
the Ottertail and Bois des Sioux
and at the head of navigation on
the Red river, but is about centrally
located in the county. north and
south, commanding from every direc-
tion the trade of as fine a section of
farming lands as the sun has ever
shown upon. The city is admirably
l (onrr1io1 y,itJ, ,.,,o :