Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1913-06-19
MIR. Montgomery was the First
Man to File on a Homestead
in Codington County.
LAKE KAMPESKA HIS CHOICE
An Interesting Bit Of Early History
Taken from an Old Water
town Newspaper.

We are under obligations to Post
master c. B. Williamson for copy
of the Codington County Courier, pub
lisned IN Watertown in the year of
1881 by Geo. Edes as editor and pub.
Usher. The paper is yellow with age
but it gives little history of the
first white settler in Codington coun-
ty and establishes the fact beyond a
doubt just who was the first white
settler in Codington county to actual
ly take a government claim and who
can truthfully be called bona fide
settler.
Below we give a history of the first
settlers of this portion of the country,
which our readers will find very in
teresting. We are under obligations
to Mr.. c. C. Wiley for furnishing US
the copy.
The first settler in Codington coun
ty was Joel B. Montgomery, who
located the first claim. coming here
from Yankton, D. t. He located
here in the fall of '7s, picking out 2
claim near the outlet of Lake KAN
peska, it bordering on the lake; made
his entry at the land Office in June
'73 and helping to make the govern
ment survey Of a larts portion OF the fg
county. He was joined in August.
1873, by Geo H. Stoddard, who locat
ed claim south of the lake, but be
ing engaged in the government sur.
vey, his stay was short, he wlnterlns
in Yankton Mr. Montgomery winter
ed here the first winter alone, with
the exception OF a small and faithful
dog, which, by the way, was very
plucky, and lost a large portion OF his
tail in trying to drive a badger from
its hole The railroad was complet-
ed to the lake this season. The fol,
lowing season, 1874, David D. Keller
of Yankton, joined Montgomery and
spent that winter and the following
summer. and winter of rs and loca-.
ed a claim south Of the lake, and has
since proved up on the same They
improved some sixteen acres of Mont
gomery's claim, raising a good crop
of corn, potatoes and garden Vege
tables, and also did some work on
government survey about four months
each year of IA and rs, trapping II
the fall and winter, foxes, mink
muskrat, otter and badger, which al
that time were very plenty, also, some
beaver. James P. Warner put in an
appearance sometime in the year OF
1873, taking a claim on the north side
of the lake, did breaking for Mont.
gomery, and also coming in for his
share of the trapping, Keeler and
Montgomery dividing up the trapping
ground with him. The Sisseton and
Wahpeton Indians visited our pioR
eers very often, always on the most
friendly terms, trading fuFs for flour.
or awhay as they called It.
and for powder and shot, which the
boys took pains to keep on hand.
and of course, made a good profit on
their trade. Sometime in the year
1874 our three, settlers succeeded ii
getting a mail route established. and
a postoffice at Lake Kampeska, and
postmaster appointed with service
once week. Montgomery secured
the appointment, with Keeler as as.
s;stant. These parties remained I'M.
til the spring of 1875, and no others
coming to stay, although several lc,
\ Gated claims, and it being in the
midst ef the grasshopper scourge, oul
first settlers took their departure fol
season. Keeler and Montgomery go
ing to Marshall, Mimi, to dispose OF
their winters catch OF furs, themes
to Yarkton, D. 7. Montgomery made
y final preof en- his claim, and soon
after went to the Black Hills. where
Il he has since rem aimed but sa Us when
4 he has made his pile he shall return
to5s odd silsake Kan peska to spend his
days KeeIeI. remained IN nkton.
being the head eleI III Branble q
4 Miners wholesale grocery doing q
Il heavy business in Yankton and the
y Black Hills. and is still in their en-
10y Essoth Seelsr and Montgofnaly
4 q re trile gentlemen, af,d would DC
lionos To any aoeiety IN fl es laisd
am 81 *. j, I, e, ~, n