The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1914-06-18
AN l. SETTLER
ON THE PICNIC
PIONEER WRITES OF THE
THRIFT AND PROGRESS
MADE BY THE TOWN OF
MT. VERNON.
(By a Dawson County Pioneer)

DSSPllC ulldNO aolS MSdtilSI, thd
materially reduced the attendance,
Mt. Vernon pulled off, the annual
Old Settlers gathering in the same
splendid form for which that spright-
ly little city is noted.
And right here it may not be "a
miss to say that Mt. Vernon is most
fortunately situated. Right in the
heart of the most productive portion
of IL county; surrounded with a
thrifty, wide-awake class of farmers
that farm. she is a live. hustling and
prosperous city, with electric lights,
w~aterworks, and splendid school
buildings, besides numerous church
es, and all the adornments that are
found in places many times its size.
Its citizens are noted for their hos
pitality, and also for square dealing;
two most desirable qualifications for
permanent success. 1t would be invid-
ious to mention names, unless the en-
tire population We're included, of
those who push in Mt. Vernon. Ev-
cry citizen is n booster and with
such a clientele is it any wonder
that they make good?
Mt. Vernon was settled in 1889,
when the Milwaukee built through
there. and barring one serious set
back, has gone steadily forward
through all the years. On April s,
1889, a most disastrous prairie fire,
that started in Emmons county N.
D., followed down through Mt. Yer
non, and actually reached Yankton
county before its fury was assuaged.
What there was left of Mt. Vernon
after that visitation, was but a frag-
ment of its former self; but. notwith-
standing the very heavy loss-with a
spirit of II will" that no calamity
could down, the citizens went to
work haroically to rebuild the town
and recoup their losses.
AS ii by magic the new-and bet
ter-huildings Don took the place
of those destroyed and in less than
a year hardly a sign of the disaster
was visible.
The city has always enjoyed q
liberal patronage from a large ra-
dius, and the rule has been that all
who opened up business relations
there continued, or were transported
to some other sphere of action.
1t has two strong banks that show
an aggregate of deposits of ovel
$350,O00, which for a town of less
than 600, evidences the stability OF
its citizenship, and is hardly eQualled
in any place of its size.
1t would be u pleasure to go into
details, and give the history of some
of its most progressive and up to
date citizens. but just whom to in
clude and who to exclude from such
a treatment causes the writer to
desist; but it would make mighty
interesting reading, just the same.
The old settlers gatherings, thai
have been regularly held there fol-
many years., are always an inspira.
ton.
There the good people of the coun.
ty assemble and often discuss the
early days, when wild rose bushes
were the largest trees on, the prairies
when sod houses. and, barns. were
the rule; when hay was burned fol
fuel, and when privations-known
only to new settlers-were eXperienc.
ed daily. And then these same pion.
GERS would look about them. wit
Messing the wonderful transforma.
ton that the years have wrought
and then pinch themselves to see il
they were still in the flesh.
A drive around Mt. Vernon, among
the farmers reveals the remarkable
change that has taken place; fine
buildings, beautiful fields of grain,
and all the evidences Of thrift on ev.
cry hand tell the story most forcibly
and explains why Mt. Vernon sits in
the midst of it all a very queen.
Here is hoping that the writer
may live a hundred years and never
miss the Old Settlers gathering at
Mt. Vernon.