The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1926-02-25
Valuable Contribution to Early
History of State Made By
Sank Centre. School Students

claims for parties who were not in
terested in the progress in the town.
A post office was established In
Sank Centre and resulted in the
efforts of Mr.. S. Bruce. The first
store was opened by Pendergast and
Fish in the spring of 1861. This wa
located in what is now known as
the flames Addition.
"The Indians are marching on
Sank Centre! Get your teams out
and hurry to Sank Centre as fast as
you can" That was the message
which brought the first news of the
Sioux uprising in Minnesota to the
settlers of this locality in 1862. 1t
was this message which caused a
stampede of frightened people to
Sank Centre and resulted in the
erection of the historical stockade.
George Fairfield was the Paul Revere
of the Indian outbreak. He rode on
relay horses, travelling through the
country from St. Paul to Alexandria.
He stopped at every cabin alvng the
route, arousing the settlers, many of
whom had just left their cabins in
time to escape the ravages of the
Sioux, and at little distance to look
back and see them as a burning mass
and hear the war whoops of the
savages. Houses were built in the
stockade and a military post was es-
tablished here. Shortly after the
erection of the stockade a second
mercantile store was founded by JOS
eph Capser. He arrived too late to
get inside, but he built a log building
and residence on the northwest cor
ner of the stockade, close under the
protection of the fortress.
In July, 1867, the second catastro-
phe occurred. The dam and mill
were swept away and entirely de-
stroyed by great freshet. Water
ran through the streets and several
of the men were drowned. But moth
ing could subdue the unconquerable
spirit of the pioneers. A new dam
was constructed, which has remained
through all the years since. In March,
1870, the city was swept by fire; but
by the energy of the leading citizens
the buildings destroyed were speedily
replaced by others more valuable.
AS in all other American communi-
ties, the cause of education was
strictly in the mind of the people in
this settlement. Mr.. Tubbs bought
the commissary building from the
stockade for forty-fve dollars, and
it was hauled to the present location
of our school. Mr.. Moore gave the
lot and the ladies gave socials until
enough money was raised to plaster
the building, which was used for the
first school. However, it was not I'M
til 1869 that the independent school
district was organized. This is the
humble beginning of an institution
which has since developed to be one
of the best of its kind in the state of
Minnesota.
Among other ventures of this early
merchant, Capser, was the founding
OF the first fire department. The first
fire bell used was presented by him
to the school board, and used as a
school bell also in the old school
building which was destroyed by fire
in 1915.
There was a tinge of national
fame connected with the only steam
navigation ever undertaken in Sank
Centre. The steam tug was operat-
ing for the milling interests here in
towing logs down the lake and was
named for T. C. Calhoun, grandson
of j. C. Calhoun, the eminent Amer
lean statesman. In gratitude for this
title, T. c. Calhoun delivered an ad-
dress, which was a general gala oc-
casion in this community. Wage rates
and contract fees in early days are
OF considerable interest when COM
pared with the present prices of la
Dor. An old bill presented by Mr..
Whitefeld to Mr.. McNiece was for
$22. 80 for painting the Calhoun tug
boat.
But it was the "three stripped
novem" who were the center of So
clal interest among the society set
IN Sank Centre during the stockade
days. These were the boys who won
the hearts of the fair feminine in
early days; and they capped the eli
max with the organization of the
"Sergeant's Brigade" a social organ
ization in which all the Sergeants of
the post and their ladies were mem
bers and whose scheme of life con-
sisted of picnics, horseback riding,
parties, and general social gatherings.
They We're the "steppers" of the So
cial world in the stockade.
Another thing of interest was the
Red River carts. These We're two
wheeled, ironless vehicles, whose
squeak each summer announced the
coming of the fur caravans from Can
ada.
With the steady advance of civil
cation westward, Sank Centre form
ed link in the chain, which scattered
the doings of the world throughout
the northwest by it's little paper, the
Sank Centre Herald. It was founded
by j. H. and Sam Simonton. It was
not an easy task as transportation
was poor. Mail came by the way of
the stage coach, money was very
scarce, and newspapers We're consid-
cred a luxury, but later as a neces-
sity. The print shop later took on a
three-fold Importance of telegraph
office, newspaper, and post office. Be
ing the only print shop west of the
Mississippi it was sought by people
all through the west. All election
ballots were printed here.
1t was the soldiers of Fl. Aber-
crombie who were largely responsible
for the opening of the first mail
route through Sank Centre.