Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1892-01-29
Official Paper Of City and County.
Or fhinc Aaa Another.

t~nlljshnlellt of the Leader IN Elk
Point, Of soon after, we have heard
i great deal about ring rule" md
lie enormous debt Of Union county.
Having lived within the borders of
old Union for q quarter OF a century
NJ think we know something Of the
development Of the same. II the
careful, conscientious reader Of the
CoURIkR will follow lis for a few
moments, we will try TO discuss this
subject III d fair, candid manner.
Union county was organized MS
Cole county il 1862. Cole county
Was somewhat shorter than Union
county, rs ,,ow constituted, Union
county is about fifty miles long
north and south and eighteen miles
wide at the north end. Although
e. b. Wilson took up his residence
at Elk Point on the 22nd Of July,
1862, and built the first cabin be-
tween the Big Sioux and Green
point, it WINS not until 1866 that
the county seat was by vote located
ut ELK Point. The first report Of
the tax collector was made for 1869.
when less than $1,000 was collected
From the geographical location Of
the county it is necessarily an ex-
pensive one to manage. Tie mile
nge Of jurors, witnesses, and all
those having business with the
courts have always been large
and it has the same expenditure for
offices rs a large county has. Again,
tie southern end Of the county was
for years a vast wood camp, inhab-
tied during the winters by large
numbers 0. reckless, drinking men.
and ii il q matter Of well known
history to many that for many years
during our early history, ninety
per cent. Of our court expenses were
rom this locality-the results from
drunken brawls. Thanks to adj
vancing civilization this is change,
now and Big Sioux township is on
OF the most law abiding portions Q
j our county. Furthermore, Uniol
county was developed from tli'
soutl, end, being bounded on th'
two sides by large rivers, and he
territory being watered by Union
Brulc, and a large number ofsn,nli
er creeks, it has been a great ex
pense TO keep these water course
properly bfidged. These bridge
have been swept away byl,igh waite
several times. Not only on til
high land III north Union count,
i.rnt also over the grades leading
the bluffs from tLis city has thi
: been the case. TO the averag
reader, 1t may not be known thf
there are over seyen huhdfe
bridges and cnlyerts CT considerable
size in the county. In the earl
days We had to keep bridges in n
pair for uli the vast freight an
grain business coming from the Yves
aud north. Again, the sewers
bridges over the Government sloug'
the slough south Of the city and IL
bridges upon the three grade roao
that have been built from this cit
!. to the high lands have been repea
eddy swept away. bitches ofdife
ent sizes have been dug through tx
bottom lands ut great cost, bot
= OF labor and money. Three ver
costly ditching machines have bee
purchased by the county, also
pile driver and a number Of scral
ers. Who can ever forget the effor
! Of such NE as j. w. Hoffman,
B. Slough, NJ. W. Sheafe, Geo. !
Freeman, G. II. Freeman, e. "
Beggs, NJ. Hoffman, A. O. Ringsru'
j. nj. Talcott and others, SO far ,
their financial ability went, in r
claiming the low lands to the mort
at us, and makin g Elk Point Wh'
il Ia day is. Mighty little, yea, N
anything does the Leader ma
know OF the back aches it has Co
the early settlers Of Union count
to develop it. Bridges costin
thousands Of dollars have also bee
swept away from over the Big Siou,
A short time since the leaLt
made tile assertion indirectly til,
:, Union county had never lost a croI
A more untruthful assertion coul
). not be we'll conceived. The crol
Of 1859, 10, n, and II e yer
nearly total failures. As late {
1876 aud 1877 the crops were a
most entire failures from grasshol
pers. II was III these years til,
the late Gen. Pattee had q reli'
room on upper Main street, whent
seed wheat and clothing were issue
: In large quantities, to the needy Sc
tiers. Why bless you, the Leadt
man don't know any more abot
: the l.ardships and privations Of til
early settlers than a man in tn
moon. and he ought to be asllame