Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1892-01-01
Her Business Houses
And Business Men.

And Business Men.
Weary of labor, fired % rest, care-woru with
business, weak from, disease. anxious for
consigned To despair, or IA whatever
frame of mint or state of feeling these lines
lnay find the reader. We invite him to borrow
fancy IS sirgs and permit his Imagination, tobe
gulde3. perhaps, og reraGgy peaks ar lDo0nt-
passes, ripping ~riytlcts On rushing rivers.
valley ar marsiy moorelalla. v!!e>t
villages or most populous palaces, to the
confluence Of the crystal waters that have be-
come historic BY their Rowing over the magic
footsteps Of iiiawaiha, where he wooad agd
won young AinnelaIa, with the ran,'Iing.
dlsES waters Of the Biz Muddy on their way 10
greet the Father of Waters; aud, "beloid !
show gen u Gelightsome land.'
T1c freud Of the Missouri river at this place
is from northwest to southeast, and that Of ID"
Big Sioux fronl north 70 south. II the reader
has now 50 lar become obstyiotiS 10 former SUI
rouudiags and cares. 20 have rendered his mind
susceptible to thoughts concerning Objects III
hand only. the writer desires. as guide. To take
him up The grandest and most fertile valley In
the Northwest. located en- either side OF tie
sSI- EsJsN wa ''"'N ~ ~ F'N' 49,
county, South Dakota. from Woodbury.. Flynn
outli aud Sioux counties, iowa. the former he
lug geographically nearest the starting point.
Were It not winter we should prefer TO make
The Journey ina canoe, fishing, camping out
and sight seeing along the way; or. If the cold
weather did not render Il palace ear more com
Portable, the trip might more probably be made
in Il carriage over the unusually slnoo.le, well.
lar itisy,6 raY1S-h tIt InA SR Itrplrt+ fhn Snti
cushions of a coy car OF the Chicago, NIL
waukee & st. ran ra.Iroal- which wends ITS
way up the valley. now on this side OF the river,
now on the other, the train stopping at Elk
Point, the co lnts seat OF Union county. and nj
Westfeld. Akron. Hawurleu and Caliiope,
Iowa. all good trading points. drawing a good
share Of their trade frJnl. Union county. In
this valley and along this river We travel forty
eight miles frot our starting point before We
finally bid adieu TO the county that forms the
chief subject of interest To the reader Of tins
| sketch. This. valley IS from one to two miles
| OF a gentle slJpo toward the south. The soil is
q rich. black, sandy loan, and varies In depth
from one to four feet. Ii is capable or prodHc-
| ing the most hountiful erops-all the vegetables
and cereals peculiar to this latitndc. Corn.
S'. ~ tli@ N'"ts NhA h'iR fNi' ''A'' +f'''
has varied from fifty to seycniy-iye bushels per
acre. Frame farm residences. barns ,granarics,
| cribs, milk lianses and machiaery sheds. located
| on nearly every farm, relieve the eye by a
| change Of scenery from the almost continuous
| fields and meadows. whence the grain and hay
| with which the various store!!onses on the
| farms sroan, have been harvested.
Aloag the banks Of the river are many yari
| ~ iau af r,.attup tf,rftar anDunlt m G.f,ynty tba4t
with y ,sts and faal. who were fortunate enough
to BIZ on hand wilen those ialiAs were open t.
settlement. Beside the native timber there are
hundreds os acres of planted timber scattered
| in beautiful groves throughout the entire length
| OF the valley, aud these groves are highly valued
for shade In Summer AID wind breaks in win.
ter, most If them having been planted from ten
to twenty years ago.
III. waters Of the river also furnish motive
| power for several srist mills located in this
scenic aud productive valley, who're much OF the
corn and wheat prodneed ii. this valley is man.
| utactured into l,nr and feed for home cor-
sumption anu expectation. In m,st Of the
towns In this valley are also located creameries.
| at which the cream from the thousands OF con
tented herds Is gathered ,iarins the summer
months. to be manufactured into butter 1T the
eastern markets.
On hoti, sides o. tio valley AMI within easy
reach Of The ,s&Iu tn romantic knobs and
rayiass so characteristic of the Western rolling
prairie. IL tie raYtmes among these undula-
| ]latlons, isany ii creek steals its way to Join the
h~urrFiag waters Of the river. lrings In the
hlisldes are not nufrcqnent, though perhaps
| not so abundant as at similarly formed portions
| OF the East. The soil IN these ~rayires is. if pos
! ,;l,t, ,,,-a ,ntt,rf{y. uul i1nybontibIa tb,n
that OF the river valley, but the soil OF the hills.
thougl, capable Of producing paying crops, is
less productive.
Having thus viewed the scenes of nature. rem
dered attractive aud wonderful by the artful
Appliances aud contripMlces OF man in the turn
Ing of her resoarees to iheeleration and comfort
| Of himself and the lower animals 10y tie cree
ton OF houses, churches and school houses. we
retura Ia The growing city Of llawar!e.t Iowa,
ana there board the Chicago & Northwestern
tram, which line crosses the Milwaukee, Inue at
this point. to view the northern part OF the
coInty, the greatest width tAereoi--eighteeh
mdes-bcing across the north end. Following
the route OF this road through the raviaes and
across the loaiaisds, asnoas the pillows
OF th. dry oeeti, through a country f'ted
with prosperity and plenty for about nine miles.
/ w. ARRIVE al WIG tit1NNiI Ntii'sI "a SH"'
wll:c!. WAS plated and laid ont ~ the simmer
OF 1889. From a small flag station this village
has grown to an excellent trading point. 1t has
II population Of about 300, 4 neat church. school
Aouse and about ten or fifteen business houses.
There are GOOD prospects for the growth of the
village. being located in n fi5h farming com
mlnity. The largest inland stream in the
county. tic Brlle creek. has its source Il few
~ .,, - T. gF tI,fa f4.,, fr3A Ssr.ntt nxt.,,ta
south some twesty miles aud forms the WESTERN
boundary of the rolling lands described, finally
| fow ing into the Sioux river a few miles norti! nf
a line running .as, and west through Elk
| Point.
iseshiniug our trip OH til @ same road across a
tract of country that is nearly level. for another
| niae-.niies. We arrive AT the extreme Dort least
corner Of the county, where the prosperous
town of ieresford is located. This town does
more business IN proportion to its size than any
other town that ~ know OF. 1t draws an I'M
mense trade from the adjoining counties. Clay
and Lincoln, ana is surrounded by II class OF
farmers who produce and consume large qr.n-
| titles of marchan!able goods. This, with the
bounaless fertility of the soil. accounts for the
prosperity of the place. II has Ave churches,
Il schoo, OF three departments. doing good
work, two or three substantial brick buildings
and large lumber of frame ones.
AS tilerc IL no railroad alan the western
/ boundary, which separates this county from
| Clay county, we must be content to take pas
sage Oh the stage WHICH carries mail to The in
terror posto'lees: Elnmett, Nora. Sp,nk. Brnle
| and Richlald, aud connects with the railroad at
| Elk Point. Oar route takes rs across Il tract OF
country that is comparatively level. In other
resi- ects 1t does not differ materially frem That
| which is already described.
The village of Rich aud. located at the june
t!on Of the Big Sioux aud Missouri Valleys, Is u
small place and is without Il ratlrntd. II Is six
ala f.nn, RI. sbniIi md hi tAAn from N.At.