The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1909-10-21

proved = ana again the pioneers
were .ul that after all their labors
wou' S,e in vain. The contest no
doubt retarded the growth of the place
for two years as people would not
locate here because of the cloud on
the title to lots.
The original plat of Brookings was
made October 3 and 4, 1879, and in
cluded seven blocks and the triangle
on which the Masonic temple now
stands. The blocks were the ones
ON which the Brookings house and
Brookings Hardware company's build
ing stands, the four blocks Of the
present Main street and the first two
blocks west of Main street. The plat
was made on land then owned by
H. S. Abby and Lewis Limesand and
a half section was relinquished to the
railroad for locating the town and
establishing a depot.
The first settlers on coming here
took up the corner lots on Main street.
Mr. Shortley located on the corner
now occupied by the Brookings Hard
ware company, MI Roddle on the
corner he still owns and occupied by
Jarvis hardware store, Ed Williams es-
tablished a blacksmith shop on the
First National bank corner, George L..
Smith had drug store ON the present
site of Peterson's jewelry store, and
Kelsey e Higgins took SINNERS corn
er for drug store.
The county seat of Brookings county
was located at Brookings in the fall
of 1879. Nearly every town in the
county was candidate for the honor
and Brookings only won out by a mar
row margin.
To show how few people resided
here at that time we refer to the vote
in Brookings precinct which covered a
range of twelve miles north and south
by about seven miles east and west.
Only 40 votes were cast in this pre-
cinct at the county seat contest. The
election for this precinct was held at
Ole Mork's residence ON the present
site of the college farm buildings.
On November II, 1879, the railroad
was completed to this point and car
load of lumber for w. J. Lockhart was
the first delivered here. S. F. Henry
unloaded the lumber from the main
track.
The first store building built on
Main street was erected by G. w.
Pierce who tore down his building at
Fountain and moved it to Brookings
and established a general store.
G. w. Hopp, proprietor of the Brook
ings County Press, moved his printing
plant from Fountain, where it was To-
Gated, to- Brookings and issued the first
paper October 2S, 1879. He had his
plant in Mathews and Scobey's office,
which was located where Coles shoe
store now is, but he could not find
room for all his outfit and for some
time his job press stood out in the
street, but the Press flourished and
soon occupied a building of its own
which is now occupied by F. c. Neill,
the upper story of which for about six
months was used for church services,
dances and public meetings. R. H.
Williams also erected his store build
ing in 1879. This is now occupied by
the Lion drug store.
Mathews & Scobey moved their law
office to Brookings from Fountain in
the latter part Of October, 1879. G..
A. Mathews, still a resident Of Brook
ings, states that he does not know the
exact date, but remembers that several
business men of Fountain came to
Brookings the latter part of the month.
w. H. Harvey, who was then living
on a homestead near Lake Campbell,
informs us that he did most of the
moving of the store buildings from
Medary and Fountain and for several
weeks he had more business than he
could attend to.
The winter was one of the finest
this section has ever seen, according
to statements of old timers, who re-
port that building operations never
ceased day. VIM. Allison states
that he came up from Medary and
built The Brookings house in Decem-
CONTINUED on Page g.