The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1919-07-04
Indian School Closes.

Following is an interesting his
torical sketch Of the school for
Indian children at the Sisseton
Agency, now officially closed.
The article is taken from last
weeks Sisseton Standard:
o. the occasion Of the closing
eye .cises Of the Sisseton Indian
Industrial School last Thursday,
June 10, James H. Miller, the Ex-
aminer of Inheritance, spoke in
part as follows:
Mr.. Principal, Pupils Of the Sis
seton Indian Industrial School,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
If there is any man or woman
in this audience tonight, white or
Indian, who has ever heard the
school children Of any school. white
or Indian, acquit themselves with
greater credit than have the chill
dren Of this school this evening, |
would like to have him or her speak
M and inform me Of the name OF
the school those children were at
tending for would like to be pres
.ent at the closing exercises of that
school also. Certainly, Principal
Retz-.The last of the Mohicans'
his able ASSISTANTS, and the chill
dren of the school are to be congrat
ulated. They have furnished US
with most excellent program.
carried out without single flaw.
thoroughly appreciate the honor
and privilege Of talking to you, in
an informal way, about this school.
hut | am sure that there are many
others more competent to review
it's history than lam. have only
been located here for five years,
while there are many in this hall to
night who have grown up with the
school. Had had more time to
devote to the subject | would have
interviewed number Of people and
in that way Informed myself OF
euch events connected with the
school as would have made this re-
view less tiresome and prosa'c.
Urder authority OF the treaty OF
1867 this institution was establish
ed in 1870 and commenced opera
tions in 1871 under the name CT
the Sisseton Manual Labor Board
mo School, the name being chang
.ad in 1885 to the Siss aton Indian
Industrial School. The first princi-
n.l of the school was Congrega-
tional minister by the name Ct
Smith. who himself taught the pu-
nils twenty-five in number without
assistant teachers. The school was
onered and conducted in what is
now tie cast end Of this building,
then consisted ot clas5 room.
an oftice. and one or two other
rooms in which the principal !lVed,
I have tried to secure the names
of the twenty-five pupils who at
tended the school the first wear but
without success.
MANY of you viii remember that
the agencv building was burned on
Anril l.lesl. and all Of the records
DESTROYED. Tie list would have been
interesting one ! am sure. Few or
these first pupils are living un.
derstand that Susan Littlethunder
Jucg. Daniel Redaarth and Mary
Campbell, whom many OF you
tnow were among the number.
Rev. Smith. who is now dead.
was in charge of the school for SIX
wears. have been urao!e TO ind
ont who relieved him. but he was
followed by Mr.. Campbell, Char
les Newton, Mr.. Young. B. 5. Has
kell and Henry B. Knight, who
onlv had charge for about three
weeks. which brings Is down to
n883.84. The next principal OF
the school was Mrs L. B. Crossfield
of Washington, D. g.. who was IN
charge during the year of l884-85,
when she was succeeded by her hus-
hand, A. S. Cr,ssfield.
Mr.. Crossfiell was an employee
II the{Indian Office and first came
- South Dakota as a clerk at the
agency, married young lady VINO
hed also been clerk here but who
had been recalled to Washington.
~here the ceremony occurred, then
he succeeded in having her
nlaced in charge Of this school
lille he remained in the east to
lnish his education. He became
principal here in 1885. his wife $
position being changed to that OF
matron. Mr.. Crossfield was in
charge of the school for only about
year, as he became involved in a
huarrel with the agent, the result
being that both were relieved OF
Il