The Dickinson press. (Dickinson, Stark County, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1883-1927, 1910-07-02

Miss Johnson Tells of Develop.
iment of Western North Da-
I ~
kota in Accurate and In
teresting Manner.

The following essay, given by Miss
Mareery johnson at her graduation or
June 3. is graphic description of the
development of Western North Dakota
'"And the desert shall blossom as the
rose
If ever this prophecy was fulfilled. it
has been in the almost sudden trans
formation of the Missouri Slope from
desolate cattle range to prosperous and
well peopled farming region.
Little was known of this section of
the country until about the time of the
Civil War when the soldiers were sent
here to subdue the Indians after the
massacre in Minnesota in 1862. These
soldiers endured many hardships. 1t
was a dry season, and both they and
their horses suffered from the lack of
good water to drink. In travelling
through the country, great clouds of dust
and alkali enveloped them, parching
their threats and almost choking them.
Their report of the country upon their re-
turn to civilization was anything but fiat
tering. They considered it an arid region
and truly part of the great American
Desert as it had then been designated
by the writer's Of Physical Geography !;
they deemed it entirely unfit for agri-
cultural purposes and only adapted for a
grazing ground for the vast herds of
buffalo which, at that time, roamed
over the plains.
But this did not prove to be the case.
AS early as 1911 a colony of Scotchmen
had settled in the Red River valley.
This was the beginning. After the
Civil War when the population in the
east became more dense. the people
pushed restlessly westward in search of
free lands and began taking claims on
the prairie. Opportunity did not knock
at the door of these early settlers in
vain. Coming to this new country with
little or nothing. with no conveniences
for transportation, nothing but sod
houses to cover them and nothing but
river water to drink, they endured these
and all the other hardships incident to
pioneers life. But they were brave
and persistent in the fight and the
victory was theirs. Now they are blest
with good schools. pleasant homes. all
the necessities and many of the Juxuries
of life.
As an example of the progress that this
immediate community has made, we
only have to 60 back about three years to
reach the time when there were but five
organized counties west Of the Missouri
River. All the vast territory north to
the Big Missouri and south to the Stale
line was unorganized and attached to
Stark County for judicial purposes.
Now this territorty has been divided
and five new and prosperous counties
organized theretrom and in these
counties. villages and cities have sprung
up and grown with marvellous rapidity
for example. Hettineer, Bowman. Mott,
Reeder and others.
The Milwaukee Railroad has extended
its line through the southern portion of
the State and immigration has followed
to an extent that has far surpassed the
expectations and hopes of the most san
guine. Indeed at one point on this line,
every quarter section within radius OF
thirty miles has been filed on.
What is the reason of this? What
great inducement is there in this west
ern land to draw people in such mum.
bers? There are several solutions of
these questions. One, the most import
ant reason with many newcomers, wat
the, cheapness of the land of the
Missouri Slope. Another is its srea,
fertility and the apparent inexhausti.
bility of the soil. It is deep, blacL
loam. suited for raising all. cereals
adapted to this latitude, and the crops
that have been grown on it during the
last few years have rarely been ex.
ceeded. sss "
At one farm near Bismarck, the owae,
has had three hundred and twenty acres il
wheat ior fifteen years in succession
and his crop during those years ha,
ns0er failed to yield an, average .ol
twenty-eiaht bushels to, the acre, while
solke years this rate has been surpassed
The country 10 also well adapted I.
stock raising. The prairie, formerly tn
i 6razin1 Ground Of the huffain drnyva tll