Emmons County record., 1909-06-03

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~ co00eaeenent Exer.
cises, Last Saturday.
EARLY HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
OF OUR STATE.
During remote ages q great gla-
cial river spread its broad expanse
over q vast territory which was des-
tined to become. in the ages which
followed. the greater part Of the
greatest country the world has ever
known.
Slowly. very slowly. this vast gla-
cial river was forced ever toward
the south, carrying with it deposits
of stone and detritus which it depos-
tied in its path. Then followed re-
peated inundations Of great inland
lakes or seas, which in their turn
left rich deposits Of mud and glacial
drift. This process continued until
. vast continent was formed. ON
which in time grew numerous varie-
ties Of plant life.
After many changes this vast con-
tinent became q land suitable for
the habitation of man. Thus was
formed the land so dear to US all.
Nature dealt kindly. wisely. lavish
ly with this vast territory, and out
of its heart was carved our beloved
state. North Dakota, with its great
rolling prairies. rich soil. placid
lakes, winding rivers and vast re-
sources.
Our state was part Of the great
Louisiana purchase made in 1903,
with the exception of the northern
part. which was settled by treaty
between Great Britain and the
United States in 1918. The terri
tory was named Dakota. an Indian
name signifying Confederate" or
''leagued together" Dakota was
first explored by Lewis and Clark in
1904. They built q fort near Mandan,
where they spent the winter. Lord
Selkirk had obtained a grant Of
land from the Hudson Bay Company.
and, thinking he was within its limits,
he led a band Of Scotch and Irish
settlers to the vicinity Of. Pembins
in the year 1873. Thinking that q
religious influence would benefit his
people. he had Father Provincher
come to Montreal. He arrived in the
summer Of 1878 and held the first
mass religious service that was ever
held in what is now the state.
Because of Indian troubles and
failures Of crops. this settlement was
abandoned little later. A few
families returned. and at various
times others were added to their
number. Father Provencher estab-
lished q church and schools, the in
fluence Of which is still felt through
out the state.
During the years that followed,
the population SO increased that in
1861 the territory Of Dakota was es-
tablished. This territory comprised
both South and North Dakota, with
the capital at Yankton until 1888,
when it was moved to Bismarck.
The first territorial governor was
William Jayne. Of Illinois. appointed
by President Lincoln in 1861. He
served a term of two years. The
first legislature met March II. 1862.
and passed ninety-one general laws,
twenty-five of which were private
laws and twenty-one memorials to
congress.
The Indian outbreak of 1862 nearly
depopulated the new territory, but
| in 1867 new settlers commenced COM
ing in again. During the twenty
seven years Of territorial life our
officers were largely eastern men ap-
pointed by the president. some Of
them caring more for their own ad-
vancement than for the interests Of
the territory.
Governor Ordway was an excep-
tion. He served from 1880 to 1884.
His ambition was to build up what
he believed would become one Of the
Igrandest states in the union. He
favored the admission Of Dakota as
one state; yet. when it was decided
that there should be both North
and a South Dakota. it was also
through his influence that North
Dakota was named first in the bill.
It was also through his influence
that q fixed minimum of $40 per
acre for school lands was estab-
lished.
Indian outbreaks occurred at vari-
Gus times during the territorial his
tory. Probably the worst was the
outbreak Of 1876. during the time Of
the Custer massacre. Even after
this, settlers were killed by the In.
|dians-almos in the suburbs of the
lpresent capital, Bismarck.
M,.>h noLo<a u,oo admitted ;nfn