Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1904-06-09
cARR|NGTON town
GROWTH OF THE THRIVING
LITTLE CITY IN LAST TWO
YEARS.
EARLY SETTLEMENT OF FOS-
TER COUNTY. LANDS ALL
EARNED.
DESCRIPTION OF THE FINEST
RESIDENCE IN THE STATE
DAVIDSON HOUSE.

. \ a
RESIDENCE IN THE STATE
DAVIDSON HOUSE.
Darlington, N. d., June 2, Special
Correspondence of the Alert: The
last two years have shown steady
growth in the town Of Darlington
both in business and residence re-
spect. 4 number of new and SUBJ
stantial stores and bank buildings
have been erected and business en-
terprises Of all kinds are on a per-
manent and growing basis. There
are several problems that the citi-
ems will have to meet to Argument
the development of the little city,
the matter Of water supply, and
sewerage being at present the most
important; out that the enterprising
residents of the town will solve
these problems is not to be doubted.
The future of Darlington is in good
hands and its march of improve
ments may be confidently expected to
continue. Darlington has fine
public school building and the school
affairs of the county are in the
hands of Miss Zerlina S. Eakin as
county superintendent, who gives
general satisfaction. The town has
grown to contain a population of be-
tween 1900 and 1880 people. The
secret of its steady growth is the
cultivation of large amount of good
land in the country tributary and to
the excellent railroad facilities afford
ed by the Nothern Pacific and the
500 roads.
Foster county was fortunate in
early days not. to. have. been surveyed
when the first settlement came to
the James River valley and which
settlement took all the good surveyed
government lands up to the south
line of the county. Stutsman county
on the south got great many specu-
lativc settlers which was not the case
in Foster, The later settlers who
took the lard after the government
had surveyed it, generally came to
stay and were actual residents,
many Of them living in the county
today, well-t0-do farmers. and resi-
dents of Darlington.
There are many living in the state
who remember the first settlers CT
Foster county. In 1882 William
Larrabee became.the first squatter in
the county. He started ranch in
the northern part of the county near
the James river. H. A.. Soliday
built the first store building in Car
Iington. in 1882 and William Keepers
the first farm residence near Melville.
He was squatter waiting for the ad-
vance of the government surveyors
and the railroad from Jamestown.
In May 1882 Ex-senator Casey of
Jamestown made his first visit to the
county and somewhat later laid out
and named the town Of Darlington,
after a member OF the late firm of
Darlington & Casey which had In
vested in some 10000 acres of rail-
road land in the county. The larg
est farm in the James River valley
was soon opened by the above CON-
pany near Melville under Mr.. Casey's
supervision. Over ten thousand
acres were rapidly brought under a
high state of cultivation. Farming
operations have been conducted ever
since and are fl0urisbing today as
never before, the total acreage being
1880 acres. The farm buildings
are among the most extensive in the
state. Mr.. Casey lived in CARING
ton three years and superintended
the erection of the first hotel which
was. burned soon afterwards, and
rebuilt Immediately. The hotel un-
der the management Of Landlord
Green is one of the we'll known
hostelries of the state. The only
other large farm in the valley at the
time of the opening Of tho Caring
ton & Casey farm was the Sykeston
ranch west of Darlington, on the
Sykeston branch OF the N. F..
opened by Mr.. R. Sykes Of Manchest-
er England. The farm contained
about 1900 acres.
The advance in land values of Fos-
Ter county has been steady during
the last few years. The county
geaerally has excellent land in its
entire area and it is nearly all under
cultivation. The trade OF the county
will make the county seat, Caring.
ton,a good town at all times, and