The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1898-06-24
Grant Center.
Historical paper on the early settlement
Of Grant Center township, read before
the Old Settlers gathering on June IA, by
Thomas Thrsk.

1
| Thomas Thirsk.
The first settlers in Grant Center
as far as | can CLEAN, were Hiram
Baxter and family, who filed in Sec
tion 6, and his daughter in section Z,
the present site Of the city of Mil
bank $50 much for the LADIES'. They
settled. with their families. May %,
1878. John Lockwood, Harry Cell.
and Geo FELTON, and others settled in
the southeast part of township and
the Oehlers in the northern part Of
the township.
Well do | remember when first
coming to Dakota territory in the
spring of 1889. | landed the lst of
May. / had never seen prairie be-
fore. Milbank was then small
town of a few wooden buildings most
ly covered with tar paper, with which
the wind was making great havoc.
Land speculation was all the rage
then, and | was beseiged by parties
saying. "come and see my place"
remember being driven northwest
by d. w. Diggs to look at some land.
and the same day was taken north
where Corona now is, by Mr.. Carver.
The next day was driven out to
Grant Center by A. J. Rickert. |
liked the lay of the country better
than any had seen. My family the
meantime was staying at the hotel.
located about where o. w. Antel-
mans store now is. | went out the
next day with my wife to look over
the place. Went back to Mil
bank and made a bargain with A. J.
Rickert for the NV IA of sec. %, pay
ing him 5000 cash.
A few days later ! purchased the
jeremiah Petus tree-claim, joining
on the west. for $500 cash and here l
filed my homestead right.
Grant Center at that time consisted
of the following land owners: w. II.
Koepke, f. J. koepke, John Bos-
worth; III. S. Jones, Aug. Fenner. +.
Medley, Gottlob Oehler, G. t. Oehler,
l.. Won Wald Old Mr.. Liebing, John
Neuenburg, ]. C.. Stanford, John
Buzzell. G. II. Rider, Geo. B. Isham,
Old Mr.. Fenner. Fred Liebing, Her
man Liebing, c. and f. Bracht,
Daniel Opperman, 2. E. Beardsley,
F. Bohn, John Rogers, Mrs. Putzke,
julius Rnnge, II. I. Blood, Ben
siers. Old Mr.. Wright, Thos. Smiley.
J. ID. Brown, w. II. kethke, and
myself. who still reside on their re-
spective farms in Grant Center.
Others were living here but have
moved away.
| remember of starting to Water
town to fight contest on Uncle Will
liam Thomson $ homestead in jan
uary. 1883. We got as far as Troy,
but could go no farther on account Of
the blizzard. SO came back to Mil
bank and telegraphed to WatertoWn
to extend the time. The parties
were, Geo. Mitchell. C. II. Rider.
Emmett Brown, Uncle William Thorn
son, myself and team. That was
our first experience in blizzard.
Our school orders were selling at
that time for from IS to so cents on
the dollar, and even less. We finally
bonded our school town for some
thing between $4,000 and $4,000 dol.
lars. About seven years ago we
payed off all but one bond of
$500, which was payed off the fellow
ing year, and now have six school
houses. seven months Of school in the
year, and from 300 to 700 dollars In
the treasury. No bonds on either
school or civil town at present. We
levied no civil town tax last year, as
we had plenty money in the treasury.
Land is selling for from Is to 90 dol
lars per acre now, according TO i'm
notice that a great many people
coming to Dakota from outside states
finally locate in Grant Center. Last |
year the German Eyangelicals built
a fine church in about the center of
the town. ard as nice a church as you
will find in the country. And it was
paid for the day it was dedicated and
about $500 over. Thus you see Grant
Center is not behind the times in any
but is progressive.
Church Notices.
Rev. @. Williams will preach