The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-07
TOWNS THAT DISAPPEAR
FRONTIER SETTLEMENTS OFTEN
FORCED TO SEEK OTHER SITES.
Local RivaIries and Feuds-some Ex-
Have Invested i'm Western Lands.
New York Times.

novelty in the East but II is not rare
occurrence on the Western frontier. There
are many people in New York with invest
ments in North Dakota who know. to their
sorrow. that towns out there have an un-
pleasant habit of disappearing. If their
surroundings do not suit them they simply
move on.
Every frontier community feels at the
outset that it is destined TO become a coun-
ty seat and metropolis. If the time ever
comes when it is rudely awakened from
the roseate dreams of infancy by some
hated rival securing a railroad station
ahead of it. the best thing is 10 move"
Every live town in the West has rivalries
on hand, and without them existence would
sometimes be exceedingly dull.
The railroads have nearly everything to
do with shaping the destiny of a town.
They practically make villages and cities
of their own. Instead of the towns draw
ing the railroads to them. the situation is
reversed. comparatively worthless tract
OF land suddenly becomes of decided value
If IL is chosen for a railroad station and
town site. Fortunes have occasionally been
made by enterprsfng individuals who
guessed correctly as to the logical and in
evitable location OF the railway; but where
one man has found wealth in this way, a
thousand have suffered disappointment and
loss.
HOSKINS HOPED IN VAIN.
No prettier town site was ever laid out
in the Dakotas than that which was named
in honor of George CT. Hoskins, of Wyoming
county. New York. The town of Hoskins
had its rise and fall in Mcintosh county.
Its founders came across beautiful oval
lake, embracing something like 600 acres
fhn
beach was lined with sand and pebbles, and
the shore sloped upward at just the right
pitch for an attractive town. Hoskins was
established in 1885, and in the first six
months acquired bank n newspaper, two
hotels, three or four stores. and a variety
of small shops. 1t fourished for a couple
of years, mainly on expectations. for it was
fifty miles from a railroad, and there were
no crops TO speak of in the neighborhcod.
II reached the dignity CT two newspapers
in 1886. and the community kept up a bold
and even cheerful front. Hoskins was be-
ieved by everybody TO be a coming town.
a railroad line had been surveyed from
Aberdeen to Bismarck, but despite the
beauty of the town site and the earnest
ness and hopefulness of the little band of
boomers, when the unsentimental railroad
finally came along ii was four miles away
and would not make a curve to Hoskins
despite every advantage that appeared in
the waters Of that beautiful lake. There
Another embryo metropolis thus disap-
peared in a day. Not even the name was
retained. The railway people had started
the town of Ashley and Hosl1ins swal-
lowed whole-an but the fresh water
"A case almost equally striking was that
OF Port Emma, on the James river This
town occupied a picturesque spot on the
west bank of the stream in the southeast
part of Dickey county. II had hopes of
Emma attained some prominence through
a lively newspaper and an incessant row.
1t was always in a clash with some of
its neighbors over politics. taxation or rail-
road bonuses. The Chicago q Northwest
ern was building northward in the valley
from Columbia TO effect a junction with
extend it's. James river valley branch
southwark to the middle of Dickey coun-
Port Emma and perfected their union at
place called Cakes. which was named
after the president OF the Northern Pa
cifc.
1t can be said for the Port Emma town
site. however. that IL raises excellent crops
IN. Inc iarmer who owned most of the land in
the immediate neighborlOod reaped some
advantage by the collapse of the village
1t was impossible to move the business
buildings across the river. and most of them
were secured for farm use. The newspaper
office where w. H. Ellis was accustomed
to throw out his challenges to the world
ent doing excellent service as a sheep pen
THE MARQUIS DE MORES.
The Marquis De Mores, who was we'll
known in New York, founded the town of
Medora in the heart of the Bad Lands
The place is on the Little Missouri coup-
lie of hundred miles west of Bismarck. De
Mores opened his cattle ranch there about
the time that the Northern Pacific Railroad
was built. The company gave him a sta
ton and he proceeded to build a town.
1t is picturesque spot. The valley of
the Little Missouri at that point is wide
and picturesque. The direction of the
| granite walls rise to "A height of three or
| four hundred feet. These might be taken
for castles and strongholds, and indeed,
| In the days when the white man was con-
testing the ground with the ferocious
Sioux. All around are the ill-shaped buttes
when characterize the Bad Lands. These
| nils are sterile and often covered with
ashy deposits. The country is vast Ignite
| bed. and the buttes show the effects of
| long-smoldering fires in their interior. In
| some instances there are fires there TO this
day, which have been in existence for ten
| canic appearance.
De Mores opened a cattle ranch of ten
thousand acres along the Little Missouri
| river. He built an enormous slaughter and
| packing house The town of Medora was
| one of the liveliest in the West IL those
| times. To-day it is chiefly a name Theo-
dore Roosevelt's large cattle ranch adjoins
| the De Mores place. The country is ex-
| cellent for live stock. and there is gradual
=.
| any material stimulus for the village
| which the Marquis named in honor of his
| wife, who was Miss Medora Hoffman, of
| New York.
| YORKTOWN-KEYSTO RIVALRY.
Along in 1888 when the middle portion
| of the Red river valley was rapidly de-
veloping. a colony of intelligent and pro-
| Gressve farmers from the vicinity of SYRIA
cuse, y. Y. founded a town in the geo
| graphical center of Dickey county, North
| Dakota. There were sixty or seventy fam
were well-to-do most of them having CAPT.
| tai enough TO make an excellent start in
! putting up buildings and breaking land.
| Nearly all took live stock and household
| effects from their old homes in the East.
They called their village Yorktown. and
| in sixty days after it was plotted there
were two general stores, a hotel several
| small shops, law offices, and agencies, and
| the like. A DoStOffice was secured. town
library was started, and the community felt
| a common and deep-seated enthusiasm over
the outlook. The men had the York State
skill in farming and raising stock. The
women were unusually good looking, and
soon became noted for their superior cook
| ing and housekeeping methods Next year
| Yorktown got its neWSpaper-and, although
| there were five excellent patent-inside
| newspapers in the county. this was the big
| gest of all. 1t was a ffty-siX-coumn
weekly. well edited and neatly printed.
| Most of the settlers were proving up on
their prescriptions that year. and the land
notices gave the new journal healthy
| patronages.
There was as yet no railroad, but the
signs were good. and town lots were worth