The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1909-08-07
G. S. .Cryne's Annual c Contribution
for Old Settlers Of Stark County.
Early Ry. Construction and
Development of Country. i
The following is the paper read by G.
S. C,yne at the Old Settlers picnic on
I,,1,, @on0.

The following ls the paper read by 9.
S. C,yne at the Old Settlers picnic on
July 70. 1909:
Old Settlers, Ladies and Gentlemen =
In the paper that read before your
association last year brought out the
history of the country. or at least this
part of the country that lies west of
the Missouri river in North Dakota. to
the point where settlement began to be
made in 1882. In this paper l propose
to 60 back and take up the thread of the
story al the point where the idea Of the
building of the great transcontinental
railway known as the Northern Pacific
railway was first th0uaht of, and bring
the history of the building up to the
time when the golden spike was driven
in 1884.
Somewhere in the SOS there was
inaugurated series of surveys across
the territory west of the Mississippi
river with view to eventually build
transcontinental railways.
The Union and Central Pacific rail-
ways were the first lines thus surveyed
and built. To Gen. Isaac l. Stevens
was entrusted the northern route and in
1871 there was Typographical survey
made through this part Of the country
by Capt. Jenny of the U. S. Topographic
cal corps. He was accompanied by a
military escort of some three or four
companies of the 9th u. S. cavalry,
and he had with him some three noun
tain howitzers as added security against
the Sioux and other marauders of the
plains
In 1870 the work of building the main
line of the Northern Pacific was begun
across the prairies of Minnesota and the
city of Duluth took on airs of importance
from the fact that it was the eastern
terminus of the road. The financing of
the undertaking was intrusted to the
banking firm of Jay Cooke & Co. of
Philadelphia. r.. 49,.
They at once began to advertise the
country and the enterprise in such an
aggressive manner as to bring decided
results almost at once although they
went down with very many others in
the panic Of 1873. +,
The northwest was, by this firm,
advertised everywhere in this country
and in Europe and the result was that
the stock of the road was floated and the
road was built as fer as Fargo and
Jamestown at once. Many of the state
ments made by Jay Cooke & Co. were
contradicted and ridiculed. They were
accused of deception and Justification
but they told the exact truth as has
been so often proven since that time.
With q view to prove the truth of the
statements of Jay Cooke & Co.. Gen.
Cass and, MIR Cheney of the Northern
Pacific bought large tract of land in
the Red River valley between Fsrgo and
jamestown and jointly hired Oliver
Dalrymple of st. Paul to thoroughly
test the question of wheat raising on
these northern prairie lands. This was
successfully done, and the result was
the world famous Bonanza farms of
North Dakota.
In 1869 it was the purpose of the N. P.
directors to cross the Red river at or
near the village of Grandin, striking
the Missouri river a: the big bend and
follow that stream to Ft. Benton. In
accordance with that plan, the location
of the bridge across Red river was
staked at Elm river or Grandin, and a
settlement of townsite speculators
gathered at this point. The plan,
however, was changed in the spring of
1870; line was staked to M0orhead.
known at that time as Oakport. Here
bright little village of temporary
named for W. G. Moorhead and Fargo
was 11du1CU 4OA A4OA4s W. VI oA6O Va
the Fargo Express Co.
At that time 81. Paul had popula-
ton of some IS, 600 and Minneapolis
about 10, 600 and it was believed that
Moorhead and Fargo would make towns
of equal importance
After the railway had progressed
west of Fargo attention was centered in
the crossing of the Missouri river. John
j. Jackson, q member of the surveying
party, knew the exact point of crossing
the river and induced James j. Hill to
finance q scheme to obtain the toWnsite
at that point. The town was named
Bismarck, after the great German Chan
cellor. The N. P. company agreed to
establish shops at this point but failed
to make good their contract. One of the
last battles of the Indian war of 1862
was fought near Bismarck, on the
present site of Fort Lincoln, the Indians
making their escape. across the river.
Before reaching the river there was a
battle fought near Dawson, known as
the Dead Buffalo battlefield and another
as the Battle of Big Mound. Lieut..
Freeman was killed in this battle.
In 1876 the great Sioux treaty was
made with the various Sioux tribes.
AS result of this treaty. the Black Hills
were opened to settlers. An interesting
incident of the opening of the Black
Hills was Gen. Custer's reconnaissance
~ Ah0 in.