The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1903-03-27
MRS. SOPHIA SLACK,
The First White Woman to Preside
Over a Household In the
Central James River
Valley.

Over Household In the
Central James River
Valley.
On the 18th of March. 1903, at her
residence in Mellette, Sphinx county.
Mrs. Henry II. Slack died, having
lived eight days beyond her seventy
fifth year. A sketch of Mrs. Slack's
life In Dakota, written as it should
be, would make one of the most in
teresting chapters in the history of
the settlement of the James river
valley. She was, as she sat down in
her pioneer home by the river bank.
surrounded by her husband and five
robust sons and daughters, the first
white woman to preside oyera house
house in the central James river val
Hey.
The maiden name Of Mrs. Slack was
Sophia Dewitt. She was born in
Perth, Ontarioy March 4th. 1928. Her
mothers name was Sophia Mckenzie,
who was born in Edinburgh, Scotland,
and her father was born in New
Brunswick. She was one of numer-
GUS family, eight girls and three boys.
The fourth birth in the family was of
twin girls, one of whom was the sub
ject Of this sketch and the other twin
became Mrs. Jennie Holt, who died in
Californiaithe same year Mrs. Slack
came to Dakota. Three sisters and
three brothers survive Mrs. Slack.
She was married to Henry II. Slack
October 22nd, l847, when she was
nineteen years old, at Perth, where
she was born, where she lived the
first twenty years of her married life
excepting one year spent in Iowa and
where all her children were born. 1t
was in the fall of '67 that MIR. Slack
resolved to again try the West, re-
moving from Perth to Plainview in
Wabasha county, Minnesota, where
! for little over ten years the family
resided.
On the 22nd day Of April, 1878, Mr..
Slack loaded his family and house,
hold goods into covered wagons, turn
ing their faces to the west heand the
family began their long drive Of over
three hundred miles to find a new
home on the frontiers of Dakota,
About the middle Of May, after hav.
: ing passed Marshall, Mimi, growing
n weary of the road and tempted by the
n unending plains, fair With the toucl
e of the early summer, where innumer
81 able fertile farms lay inviting
h claimant, they were about to settl'
h down, contented to go no farthe
b when fate ordered otherwise. Jane
n E. Humphrey, a former neighbor Q
s the Stacks, who left Plainview abou
& the same time they had, came BY raj
& to Marshall, going thence with a
3 possible speed in company with job
B Noehel, a Minnesota miller who wa
B looking for a water power on th
: E James river, had reached the rive
IA somewhere in Sphinx county and wer
q north as far as the foot Of Chedi lax
They had heard of a possible wat,
i Elpower at a point where the Elm riy
Hlemptied into the James, but by re
son Of the drivers's refusal to tai
b them farther they had to turn bac
On the way back, Mr.. Humphrey e
countered Mr.. Slack and family al
told them of the Jim valley in SUI
glowing terms that they finally agre
to push on with Mr.. Humphrey as
guide to the promised land.
The routewas by Kampeska, Bale,
< Ash Gulch and what was latter call
& Armidale. When Mrs. Slack wi
the party came out to the edge of
conteaux, where vast and beauti
the valley bench lands stretche daN
farther than the eye could see, .
faint in the distance the low grt
r. fringe of trees marked th wind
course of the river on the bank
which she she was to find a home
] last resting place, she was enraptur
and turning to the young man who 40
/ guided and urged them forw
y lsaid:5 Jim, don't wonder now
y your being SO enthusiastic over I
Jim river country. =
The party reached the river a
point now;calle eds Clyde. May 25
s 1873. The next day they journe
up the river to q spot where they
termined to make their home. w
- the land was subseq quently surve
it was on section thirteen, town
% range 63, in Rondell township.
~ spot was selected because Of the
ber. The ages Of the children OF
pioneer house hold at the datesof
- element in Rondell ranged from tv
ty-two, the age Of Benoni, the ole
lg Ito twelve, the age of Minnie,