Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-06-30

along the route but the sprinkling of
timber along the Big Sioux and the
magnificent distances across the
seemingly unbounded waste. Yank-
ton and Sioux City were the nearest
sources Of supply. The nearest rail-
road station being Dennison, Iowa,
from which place a tri-weekly mail
piled between that place and Sioux
City and now behold what meets u
vision today.
This whole country had no Facilities
for communication at that time and
l was detailed by the commanding Of
ticer at Sioux Falls, then known as
Fort Dakota, to carry post, company
and other mail, as was necessary,
from Sioux City once a week for n
year, so that 1 had ample opportuni-
ty to know what occurred in Lincoln
county in early days. In October In
that yea A. j. Linderman settled in
Highland township on M of Sec. IL,
II. 81, Range 40 :, and gave me his
name and asked me to get his mail at
Sioux City. I found mail for him,
letters, papers, and complied with his
request, he having put a post In The
ground and nailed a box thereon, thus
was established the first post office in
Lincoln county and this was h first
settler In Lincoln county, South Da-
kota, and the date was October 10,
1866. In the month of July another
man by the name of Hyde laid up
some poles in the shape of a shanty
| l2xl6 on the corner of Main and 10th
street in Canton, about where DIR.
Noid's residence is now located and
broke about an acre of ground. He
soon abandoned this and never re-
turned, THESE premises were pre-
! empted by Wm, Hill in April 1877.
About the first of April 1877. a gov
eminent mail route was established
from Blue Earth, Mimi, by way OF
| Sioux Falls to Yankton and my mali
carrying was discontinued. In Octo-
Der 1877, the commanding officer di-
rected me to proceed to Yankton in
quest of potatoes, for the command
during the winter. Upon reaching
Yankton and making inquiry, no po-
tatoes could be found. 1 proceeded
toward Sioux City, finding a few set
tiers along the Missouri river. Stop
ping at Vermillion | went into a
store and found a barrel of potatoes.
l was told that a man by the name OF
Taylor a mile or so from the village
had 200 bushels, the only ones In the
country. / made post haste and found
them, contracted for so bushels,
bound the bargain by paying five dol
lars down, with three days grace to
get them away. Finally a four mule
government team was loaded and
started back for Sioux Falls, reaching
the bend Of the river where Canton
now stands the next night. The
next morning while making ready to
start a man by the name Of j.. @.
Fitzgerald came to meet me and
wanted to buy my potatoes and l told
him they we're the property of the
government and 1 could not sell them
but would give him a dozen and did
so. He saved them and planted them
the next spring. Thus were the first
potatoes grown in Lincoln county.
1t is proper to here state that by
act of the Territorial legislature in
session at Yankton during the win
ter Of 1~867-1S68, the county of Lincoln
was organized and Canton established
as the county seat in pursuance Of an
act Of Congress to locate such county
seat under a county seat commission
plan composed OF a body Of citizens
for such purpose and the Sc t Of the
Sc t Of Sec. ID. Twp. SO, r. 40, being
40 acres. At the same time the civil
administrative officers were appoint
ed by the then Gov. Faux, consisting
of John Q. Fitzgerald as Judge Of
Probate and Ex-Ohcio County Treas
urer; Werter S. Smith, as Justice Of
the Peace: Chas. H. Swift, Sheriff,
thus was enacted and put in force the
first civil administration in the coun-
W. I'll Wv. II lCOC UuO hLoO CiOSGAoa
was held In Lincoln county. I voted
then and have at every election since.
Hon. S. L. Sphinx was elected to con-
gress, Werter S. Smith, representa-
tive to Territorial legislature; Hon.
VIM. M. Cuppett, Register Of Deeds;
Samuel 9. Lashley, Judge of Probate
and Exc ficio County Treasurer; w.
S. Smith Justice OF the Peace; John
w. Hewitt, Sheriff; Benjamine f.
Hill, Thos. Sergeant and jacob e.
Hotter, County Commissioners; and
Canton was the only voting place in
the county. The first mail route was
established in October 1868 from Elk
Point to Sioux Falls to run once a
week and Frank Weston Of Elk Point
was mail carrier and B. f. Hill was
appointed the first postmaster at Can
ton.
In the month Of July 1 was dis
charged from the service and came to
Canton to make my home. On the
first day Of September of that year |
started a store at Canton. At this
time there we're about IS to IS people
settled here, among whom I today
recO0niZp a numhQr then in THAR