Brule County, South Dakota Census
NEWSPAPER ITEMS
Thursday, December 5, 1956
The Daily Plainsman, Huron, S.D.HURON SPEAKER IS DRAMATICS CHAMP
WESSINGTON SPRINGS, Dec. 5 -- Mitchell High School took top honors in District 3 declamatory contests here yesterday afternoon and evening, winning two superiors, single superior ratings were awarded contestants from Kimball, Huron, Parkston, Bancroft, Platte and White Lake.
Superior awards went to Duane Gall, Mitchell, and Robert Heck, Kimball, in oratory; Carol Erickson, Huron, and Mary Ann Luebke, Parkston, dramatics; Arlo Duba, Platte, and Donna Lou Star, Mitchell, poetry, and Edith Larkins, Bancroft, and James Mahoney, White Lake, humorous.
11 May 1903
Aberdeen Daily NewsKimball – United States Marshall Petrie arrested John Engbard here, charged with opening a letter from Judge E. L. Drury of Chamberlain, addressed to Engbard’s brother-in-law, Fred Runge. The complaint was made by the latter. Engbard had his hearing before United States Commissioner Tidrick at Chamberlain, who let him go under $200 bail while taking the case under advisement for ten days.
The Dakota Huronite, Huron, South Dakota
July 9, 1908, page 7
Contributed by Suzanne Folk
Pukwana DisasterLittle Town of Pukwana Nearly Laid Waste by the Tornado; Great Damage Done on the Ranch of Carpenter and Sanborn
Later reports from Pukwana say that about fifteen horses were totally wrecked and that every house in the town sustains some injury from the storm which struck there Sunday. Two elevators on the Milwaukee were blown down and covered the tracks so that traffic was stopped for a whole day.
The ranch of Carpenter & Sanborn suffered great damage, as many lately completed improvements amounting to about $100,000 were nearly destroyed. The Sanborn interested in this farm in Harry Sanborn formerly assistant superintendent here. The Sanborns are living on the ranch at the present time but are practically uninjured. A peculiar fact about the storm was that no one in the town was seriously injured and no one killed. The tornado was severe but luckily the inhabitants of Pukwana were not hurt.
Mitchell Daily Republican; Mitchell, (South) Dakota
November 10, 1886, page 2
Contributed by Suzanne FolkEQUAL RIGHTS IN DAKOTA.
Details of Miss Sanborn's Election in Brule County.
Gifford's Majority Too Solid To Be Overthrown.
WOMEN IN POLITICS.
Some Details of the Interesting Contest for Superintendent of School in Brule County
Special correspondence of the REPUBLICAN.PUKWANA, Nov. 9.—The most notable political contest ever carried on in Brule county was the one for county superintendent of schools which has just terminated in the election of Miss Alice J. Sanborn by an overwhelming majority. The putting forward of a woman for office was a new thing here, and there was much speculation and a variety of opinion as to what would be the result of the innovation. Miss Sanborn was nominated by the democrats on October 5th. She also received the nomination from a farmers' committee, but the "farmers' party" petered out early and cut no figure in the election. A good many people, perhaps a majority, shook their heads at first, said it would never do, and predicted her defeat. In due time she commenced a personal canvass of the county, accompanied by her staunch friend and supporter, Miss S. A. Richards. Together they went about the county getting acquainted with the voters. It soon began to be whispered by the knowing ones that they were making a most effective canvass, gaining friends everywhere. These ladies went with their own team, which they hitched and unhitched, harnessed and unharnessed, and fed and watered with their own hands. Such pluck and independence captivated the rural voters. They soon discovered, as one of their number expressed it, that Miss Sanborn was "no chicken;" she was in fact a "rustler!" "Rustler,"—magic word, dear to every true western heart! (It is applied to whosoever is possessed, according to the western idea, of enterprise, energy and grit.) From the moment the people discovered that the "lady candidate" was "a rustler," they were with her, and remained with her to the end.
Never did cause or candidate have an abler or more persuasive champion than was Miss Richards. Her eloquence silenced all objections. She became so identified with the cause that people became to regard her as a candidate as well as Miss Sanborn. One enthusiastic supporter declared that the people in his township, democrats and republicans alike, had "jest made up their minds to vote for them wimmin’" It must not, however, be supposed that there was little or no opposition. The opposition was active, persistent intense and bitter. Prof. H. H. Hiatt, the republican candidate, is a gentleman of ability, education and experience. That he was deemed worthy of the office by those who know him best, is shown by the fact that he carried his own township by a vote of 41 to 21. Upon the nomination of Miss Sanborn, Hiatt concluded that he had a walk-away, and that it was unnecessary for him to do any more work. He soon changed his mind, became alarmed, and henceforward was the most persistent worker in the county. He went from house to house, working early and late. There were other adverse influences at work. Some of the school teachers of the county evidently thought their merits had been overlooked in the nomination, and took sides against her. Every consideration that partisanship, prejudice, jealousy even malice could suggest was used by those opposed to her and pushed to the utmost. Following are samples of the arguments urged against her: that she was a woman; that she was for temperance and against saloons; that she couldn't endure the cold weather; that she was too young, (she is 25;) that she lacked ability; that she lacked experience; that she was a nonresident; that she came to Dakota just to get an office; that she would not be able to inspire the respect of the teachers; that she had better be washing dishes; that she was so little thought of in her own town, Pukwana, that she couldn't carry it. All these shafts "fell harmless and broken at her feet."
The most astonishing incident of this remarkable contest occurred on election day. The township of Richland is made up almost exclusively of Bohemians and there are three or four other large Bohemian settlements in the county. Soon after Miss Sanborn's nomination it was reported that under no circumstances would the Bohemians support a woman for office, and that the entire voting strength of that nationality would go to Hiatt. As the Bohemian voters are all democrats the defection seemed serious and likely to endanger Miss Sanborn's chances of success. There resides in this town, Pukwana a Bohemian merchant of intelligence, a democrat, who, it is said, could "control" the votes of many of his countrymen. He took a hand in the fight against Miss Sanborn, and gave out that he would go to Richland on election day to work against her, and that she would not have a vote in that town. On election morning Miss Sanborn and Miss Richards hitched up their ponies and themselves drove down to Richland. They remained at the polls nearly all day and say they were never in their lives treated with more politeness and kindness than by the Bohemians. The prominent merchant was there according to programme working against her. But he failed to "control" even his own brother who voted for the lady. The vote in Richland stood: Miss Sanborn, 37; Mr. Hiatt, 4; scattering, 2. The merchant came back sadder and wiser. He isn't "controling" so many Bohemian votes as he was.
The ladies spoke at three meetings and were as successful here as elsewhere in making friends. Republicans and democrats alike came to the support of the lady candidate; a corps of enthusiastic workers sprang up for her unsolicited, at every polling place, and she swept the county. The three railroad towns, Chamberlain, Pukwana, and Kimball gave majorities for her of 148, 31 and 39 respectively. The vote, unofficial, of the county is as follows: Miss Sanborn, 942, Hiatt 506. The count may vary these figures slightly. On the general ticket the democrats carried the county by only a small majority.
The superintendent elect is a native of the state of Wisconsin. She first came to Dakota and settled on the Crow Creek reservation a year ago last February. She is a graduate of Madison University, an experienced teacher, is possessed of fine abilities, good judgment, energy, a conscientious devotion to duty, and a temperament peculiarly fits her for the sometimes perplexing duties of the office she is to fill. That she will prove equal to the requirements of her new and responsible position those who know her best fully believe.