Beadle County History

First Settlers:	County residents during 1879-80: Mr. Sweetzer and his son, and the Neilson brothers near Cavour; two families of Baums on Pearl Creek; John Kauf and Pat Kearney in Valley township. They lived in a dugout.
First Church Services:	Preached by Rev. Melancthon Chapin, a Presbyterian missionary, on May 6, 1880, in Wheeler's drugstore.
First Established Church Denomination:	Baptist - the first sermon was preached in July 25, 1880. A church building was erected in the fall, costing $2,000.
First Church Bell:	Grace Episcopal Church. Upon completion of their church building in November 1881, the North Western Railroad gifted them with the bell.
First Catholic Church Services:	Preached by Father Robert Haire, in the spring of 1881, held at the Dakota House hotel. Fr. Haire rode from Aberdeen by horseback.
First Methodist Services:	Preached by Rev. Snyder, in 1880, in the old depot building. Rev. Snyder came from Watertown to preach.
First Congregational Church Service:	Preached on March 2, 1884, in Campbell Hall.
First Brick Schoolhouse in Huron:	Erected in 1882, on Illinois Avenue SW, the future site of Huron High School/Huron Middle School. There were 3 teachers and 140 students.
First Teacher:	Maggie Milne, first teacher of the Milne school in Liberty township. She was the future Mrs. J. E. Mattice. The school was build in 1884.
First Rural School in Beadle County:	Partlow School on Cain Creek. Teacher was Kate Malloney.
First Term of School in Huron:	Taught by Watson Weed. School located on Wisconsin Avenue, between 1st & 2nd streets, on the east side.
First Rural School with a Belfry and Bell:	Michigan Settlement school northeast of Broadland in 1882. Taught by Wilbur Page.
First Railroad Locomotive:	June 25, 1880, at 12:30 in the afternoon, of the Chicago & North Western Railroad.
First Stake in the townsite of Huron:	1879, on the east bank of the James River, driven by John Cain.
First Railroad Bridge over the James River:	Completed in 1880.
First Postmaster in Broadland	Charles Burke (later became a senator)
First Claim filed on Beadle County land:	Charles Miner, on April 14, 1879, on Pearl Creek. He built a "home" out of limestone, with clay to hold the rock together. The land was still in the family as of 1955.
First Residence in Huron:	A shanty, present in April of 1880, owned by a Mr. Cameron.
First Lumberyard:	Owned by Laird Norton, and located on 1st St & Illinois Ave., SE corner, in 1880.
First Children in Huron:	The children of Mr. and Mrs, John McDonnell, in early 1880. Two years later, the family moved to Custer twp., Sec. 17
First Beadle County Assessor:	Edward C. Issenhuth; brother George was deputy.
First House in Huron:	Owned by Major Fred F. B. Coffin
First Railroad Superintendent for Huron:	T. J. Nicholl
First Doctors:	Drs. Farrington, Russell, Dickinson, Moody.
First Postmaster in Huron:	John Cain, in the newly opened postoffice on April 6, 1880; started as a 4th class postoffice.
First Shingles:	on the roof of the Charles Lampe cigar and confectionery store; 1880.
First Hotel in Huron:	The Jim River House (later became The Dakota House); 1880.
First Frame House in Custer twp.:	Constructed by William and John McCoy, brothers, who came from Sheelsburg, Iowa, on May 12, 1881. They each had a quarter section of land, and built the house on the line between the properties.
First Steam-Powered Train to come to Huron:	June 25, 1880
The first Store in Huron:	"Terry and Clark", general merchandise, just west of the future location of the Great Northern Depot.
First Homesteader in Valley Township:	E. C. Lyman, on the SE1/4 of Sec. 32.
First Saloon in Huron:	A wagon, that moved with the railroad.
First Licensed Saloon:	Operated by G. Labes
First Telephone Exchange:	by Sam Snedigar, 1882.
First Dray Line in Huron:	Started by Maurice Dinneen, shortly after his arrival in May of 1880.
First Hardware Store in Huron:	Allen Risdon, first part of 1880.
First Bank in Huron:	Opened by C. C. Hills on July 4, 1880.
First Building in Cavour:	Boarding House, in February, 1880, operated by Mrs. Sadie Ebert.
First Newspaper in Cavour:	The Cavour Independent, began by T. J. Connelly in 1881.
First Furniture and Undertaking Business in Huron:	Started by the Richardson Brothers, 1880; later sold to George Kelshner.
First Cigar Factory in Huron:	John Sauer, 1881.
First Hotel in Bonilla:	Built by Mr. Hill, sold to Luke James shortly thereafter.
First Shoe Store in Huron:	Owned by C. C. Dunlap, in 1883, on the site of the future State Theater.
First Land Filing in Liberty Township:	The first file on land in Liberty Township was by William Medbery, whose son was later mayor of Huron. He filed in 1890. Their claim shacks were located on the flat by Shue Creek and mornings when they looked out of their windows they could see antelope looking down at them from the edge of the bank. In 1881 when the families arrived, cows were almost non-existent in the township. Mesdames Medbery and George C. Barrett often walked three miles to the Pete Stoke place for milk. (contributed by Suzanne Folk, from "The Huronite and The Daily Plainsman, Huron, South Dakota, June 28, 1955, Section F, Page 5)