Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1917-01-25
Observe Appreciation
Week In North Dakota
Second Annual North Dakota Appre.
citation Wcel. being Observed
Sioux County Resources

This is North Dakota Apprecia
tion Week.
The week of January 21-27, ha
been set aside by the proclamatio,
of Governor Frazier asa week durin,
which the people Of the state ma,
in various ways express their ap
| probation of its prosperity and op
portunities, and point out to tn
people of other states the splendit
advantages open in North Dakota.
\ The resources, development
growth and future possibilities o.
the state is this week being giver
wide publicity in a series Of specia
articles by leading state officers anc
newspaper writers in several hun.
dred North Dakota newspapers
Therefor this article will be devoted
to a brief story Of Sioux county.
Sioux county was organized in
the fall of 1914 by proclamation Of
Governor Hanna, following the fill
ing of a petition signed by the re-
quired number of residents Of the
unorganized territory desired to be
embraced in the new county.
The territory within Sioux county
includes all of the Standing Rock
servation in North Dakota, its area
being about 30 townships. The
first white settlers located in the
county in the spring of 1910, after
the opening Of part of the Standing
Rock reservation in the fall of 1909.
The opening affected the townships
south of the Cedar river, ranges 85
to so, inclusive. This portion
less than 10 full townships-settled
rapidly despite the bad crop seasons
Of 1910 and 1911. The census of
1915 gave this section of the county
white population of 628.
On March 19, 1915, President
Wilson by proclamation opened to
homestead entry the balance of the
unailotted land within the Standing
Rock reservation, about 800 quar-
ter sections. Filings were made
slowly during 1915, and not until
the Non Contiguous Additional Ho-
mestead Act was passed by Con-
gress during the summer Of 1916,
did the real influx Of settlers begin.
During three months last fall near
ly all the remaining homcsteads
were filed on. Today very few de-
sirable tracts of land are left in
Sioux county subject to homestead
entry.
In addition to the new settlers
drawn here by the homestead open
ing, thousand of acres of choice In
dian land has been sold to homc-
seekers during the past 18 months.
These sales includes some of the
best competent and inherited
Indian land on the reservation. Flu
ture sales will be held during the
coming year, complete list of which
will be published in this paper for
60 days prior to the sale.
The Indian land is appraised at
from So to $12 per acre and is scat
tered over the entire reservation.
These lands are sold on the follow
ing terms: One-fourth cash, and
one-fourth annually. Deferred pay
ments draw six per cent interest.
Conveyance will be made direct to
purchaser by patent-in-fee simple
from the United States when final
payment is made.
Tie soil is black loam covered
with a rich carpet of nuturious
grasses. The contour of the country
is broken by buttes and sloping
hills. The land is suited to all kinds
of grains, such as wheat, flax, oats
and corn, as we'll as alfalfa and
other grasses. The rougher land is
the best for grazing in the west,
and here for years roa2aed the large
herds of the cattlcmen who has CIV
en- way to the influx of Of the set
tier. Cattle and horses feed on the
range the year around without shell
ter of any kind, and bring better
prices at the big markets than STALL
fed cattle from the corn states.
There is running water on nearly
every section, while abundant water
is found everywhere at depth Of
from 20 to 40 feet.
High grade Ignite coal is found
in abundance. In fact the entire
reservation is underlaid with coal
and there are few places but where
ample fuel can be uncovered with
but little work. This is one of the
most valuable resources of this sec
ton and will save the new settlers
thousands of dollars annually.
Western North Dakota is enter
ing upon an era of magic growth
and wonderful development. 1t
has the last good, cheap lands re-
mainline nnoccuniod in the west