The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-02-24
SOUTH DAN. SCHOOLS
BI ENNIAL REPORT OF SUPT.
OF INSTRUCTION.
RECORD SINCE The YEAR 1912.
Complete Review of the Growth
of South Dakota's
Schools.

In the recent biennial report of the
state superintendent OF public in
struction, Supt. Nash gives a most
interesting review of the growth of
our school system, and from it we
have arranged in chronological order
certain facts which may be called
the mile stones of progress.
l842-Auduobn, the great natural
list, journeyed up the Missouri, met
William Laidlaw, of Ft. Pierre TAX
ing his children to St. Louis to
school.
1857-8-rhe first regular school in
South Dakota was opened at Ft.
Randall. A relative OF Capt. Todd
was teacher, pupils, the white child
rem of the fort and several half breed
children.
1860-Dr. Franklin Caukins taught
a school in room oyer McHenry s
store in Vermillion; and later in the
year. Miss Hoyt, (now Mrs. A. Liv-
ingston, Of Yankton) taught school
in the little Presbyterian church
just erected in that village through
the efforts OF Father Charles ID.
Martin.
Is6O--That same spring the settlers
at Bon Homme built a little log
school house with dirt floor and roof
and in May, Miss Emma S. Bradford
began a three months term with ten
pupils. This was the first school
house in South Dakota,
1962-The first territorial legis-
lature adopted complete code OF
laws for the conduct of the common
schools. The schools were open only
to white children.
The University of South Dakota was
located at Vermillion, but nothing
was done toward building and main
tainancc until 1883.
1864-After the Indian trouble had
been settled and Company A was
encamped at Vermillion, Capt. Miner
proposed the building of school
house there, and the soldiers put up
a comfortable log building in the
ravine, where Amous Sh.w, one OF
their number, conducted a school
through the winter. This was the
beginning of the regular school
system at Vermilion.
I865-The ladies OF Yank ton
started o fund to build a school
house, and the Brown school house
on Walnut street was the result
The same year Professor james S.
Foster arrived from New York with
a colony of sixty families, and Gov,
ernor Edmunds appointed him sup
erlntendent of public instruction.
His salary was 800 year, and the
schools were scattered here and there
between Fort Randall and Sioux
City.
/ 1867 Professor Foster conducted
the first teachers institute in the
territory. Rev. E C. Collins, the
father of ex-State Supt. Collins, was
one Of the instructors, and Judge
Wilmot W. Brookings and Hon. S.
L. SPHINX delivered addresses.
187l-Yankton Agency was
founded through the efforts of DR..
Joseph Ward. The building stood
upon the sight OF the present central
schoo at Yankton.
l875-The legislature organized
the independent school district o
Yankton; the Yankton high schoo
was established and the property o
the Academy was purchased for the
public schools.
| 1881 -Yankton College was
founded and received its first classes
in September Of that year. Clay
county voted $4,000 worth OF bonds
the proceeds OF which were used t,
erect building for the University
1882-University received its frs
classes.
1883-Thelegislature appropriated
$50, 900 for building and maintaining
of the university at Vermillion, ant
located the agriculture college d
Brookings. and the normal school
at Spear6sh, Madison and Spring
field. 1t appropriated funds 70