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HISTORY OF Southeastern Dakota, Its Settlement and Growth, Sioux City Iowa: Western Publishing Company, 1881 transcribed by Karen Seeman SIOUX FALLS The "Capital of Minnehaha County," which—by way of parenthesis,—we may state, occupies an elevation of 87.1 feet above Sioux City, Iowa, 25.8 feet above Yankton, and 1413 feet above the sea-level, is located on sections sixteen, seventeen and twenty-one, of town one hundred and one, range forty-nine. As its name indicates, it is situated near the Falls of the Big Sioux River, which, being so uncommon in prairie countries, has given the place more than a mere local celebrity. When we speak of these Falls we mean falls, not mere rapids; the equal in beauty of St. Anthony's, and surpassed in grandeur only by Niagara. The general course of the river is south; but its direction through this township is to every point of the compass, flowing north through the village and finding its way through the granite, quartz-like rocks that mark its banks. Here the water comes gliding along down the incline worn in the solid rocks by the incessant wash of the ages of the eternal past, until it meets an obstruction, where it seems to pause just long enough to form a graceful curve, and then plunges with a roar into the abyss below, where it moves forward in a seething, boiling mass, until another obstruction is met, which it leaps with a bound, a portion of the volume rising in the form of spray, making rainbows in the sunlight and falling like rain on the adjacent rocks, while the greater portion rushes on, impatient of restraint, until, the last barrier passed, it moves off quietly to the Missouri. Just below the business portion of the town, the river divides and forms what is known as Brookings Island, an island containing about twenty acres. This island is thickly covered with a heavy growth of choice hardwood timber. Surrounded as it is with clear water and projecting rocks, and, during the summer season, covered with a thick shade, through which comes the music of the waterfall just below, it is one of the most desirable, if not the most desirable, resort for pleasure seekers in all the great Northwest. From 1871 the present town of Sioux Falls has had a very steady and constant growth, and here begins the following detailed history: The advent in the year following of T. Pomeroy and E. G. Hancock, jewelers; R. C. Hawkins, mason; 0. P. Weston and A. Petterson, carpenters and builders, and W. F. Kiter with a printing office, while it undoubtedly entitled them to the appellation of "first settlers," caused no such excitement as had the arrival of new settlers in previous years. The year 1873 was one of exceptional prosperity to the then young town. A second newspaper, the Sioux Falls Independent, was established May 15th, by C. W. McDonald; the U. S. Land Office was located here June 9th; the Sioux Falls mills were put in operation; a brick yard was opened by D. H. Talbot; hotels were built; business houses established; the old barracks were torn down in July, giving place to more modern architecture, and everything seemed to promise a brilliant future for Sioux Falls, without its having to pass through the customary stages of doubt and uncertainty so common at the settlement and building of .towns further east. The population of the town kept pace with the growth of the business interests, the school census taken in September showing the number of people residing in the town to be 593. During the winter of 1874, the brewery was built by Messrs. Knott & Nelson, the material of the old stone "hotel" which stood in the middle of Main Street, just west of the Island, being thus utilized. The grasshopper visitation of 1874 will long be remembered by the older inhabitants. Their ravages were so widespread in extent, and the destruction following in their wake so complete, that many families were left destitute of the means of subsistence, and a still larger number was left, unable to again seed their land without assistance. To meet this emergency the Minnehaha County Aid Society was organized January 25th, 1875, for the purpose of supplying the wants of the needy poor, and assisting those who were unable to buy seed for their next season's crops. During the time this society was in operation it distributed $534.68 in money, besides vast quantities of clothing, seed, Sc., sent out by the generous hearted people of the East. That the substance of all the people here was not destroyed by the voracious "hopper-grass," is amply proved by the fact that in the Spring of 1875, after all the ground was seeded, some 6,000 bushels of surplus wheat were sent to market in one train. In the spring of 1875, people went to work, the same as though they had never seen a grasshopper determined to surmount all obstacles and build a city. Gale's Grove was set out in May of this year. During the summer, Henry Calender's dwelling, Dennis' blacksmith shop and Sherman's postoffice building (now First National Bank building), were built, being the first brick buildings erected in Sioux Falls. The year 1876, was in a measure one of disappointment to the people of Sioux Falls, as many of them had confidently expected a railroad to the town during the Centennial year. When they found this was not to be, they at once turned their attention to the task of getting communication with the rest of the world by telegraph. This undertaking was completed in November, and E. W. Coughran was selected as operator. The first business message sent from Sioux Falls was by W. H. Corson; the first paid message received was for R. M. Clapp. Since this time Sioux Falls has enjoyed almost uninterrupted telegraphic communication with the East. Upon the removal of Mr. Coughran from the city, the office was placed in charge of the present efficient operator, E. J. Manix. During the summer of 1876, a sidewalk was built from the Land Office to Van Eps' store, which was hailed by the people with delight, as a token of the coming metropolitan greatness of the town. The bridge across the river at Eighth street was finished December 14th, at an expense of $1,750.00, nearly the entire amount being raised by private subscription. One of those little incidents, which show more forcibly than columns of figures can, the growth of a business, was told in the fall of 1876. While the workmen were cleaning up the rubbish that had accumulated at the back-end of Howard's store, they came upon an old greasy wooden box, almost fifteen inches square, and about three feet long. "Charley" being called on for an explanation, said: "I had that made to go around a tin can in 1871; then I was the only one in Sioux Falls who sold kerosene; the stage made but one trip a week. I used to strap that old box on behind the stage and have it brought up full of oil, and it used to last the whole town until the stage came up again. Now, just five years after, with seven other firms in the town selling kerosene, my last lot of oil was fifty barrels." The next improvement (?) in the town, of a public character, was the building of the calaboose in February, 1878, the village having been incorporated in 1877. This structure, built of 2 by 4's, spiked together, was used by the city until the completion of Sherman's stone building, corner of Main and North streets, in the fall of 1878, or spring of 1879, when the county exchanged with the Village, giving the use of the cells in the basement of Sherman's building for the use of the old calaboose, which was moved down the river below the Commercial House, and enlarged. This building served as the common jail of the county until the completion of the present handsome structure of brick and stone on Main street. After serving its day and generation this "noble" old building, hallowed with so many historic associations, went down stream, bugs and all, in the flood of 1881. The bridge at Tenth street was begun in March of this year, 1878, and completed September 1st, at an expense of $2,700.00. Like the bridge on Eighth street it was built mostly by subscription. Up to this time, the county officers had had no official home; the county books and records were to be found distributed among the various business houses of the town, wherever the official's private business interests happened to be located. At the April meeting of the Board of County Commissioners, E. A. Sherman made a proposition to the Board, for the erection of a suitable building for the county officers, provided the county would rent the same until such time as the county should be able to build a suitable Court House. The proposition was accepted, and Mr. Sherman at once proceeded to the erection of the stone building, corner of main and Fifth streets. The cells are in the basement; the ground floor has two commodious offices, one for the Register of Deeds, and one for the Clerk of the District Court, with a fire-proof vault attached for the safe keeping of the county records; while, on the second floor, are two more offices, one for the Judge of Probate, and one for the Superintendent of Schools, and a court room of ample dimensions. The Germania Verein Society was organized January 10th, 1880, and the building of Germania Hall began in July. The Hall will comfortably seat 550 persons, and is duly appreciated by the citizens. The cost of the building, when completed, will not be far from $7,000. In May, 1880, a hook and ladder truck was received, which was the first public acknowledgment that the city was liable to be damaged by fire. The expense of the truck and accompanying appliances was $1,200. A fire company was organized, but having no place in which to hold their meetings, it has been disbanded so that Sioux Falls is now depending on frequent showers of rain and the volunteer efforts of its citizens, for protection from fire. In May, 1880, the County Commissioners contracted for the building of a jail, to be erected on Ninth street, at a cost of $7,627, Messrs. McCormack and Stratton being the successful bidders. After the building had reached the second story, it was found that the foundation was not suitable; work was discontinued, and after discussion and consultation, the building was removed to its present location on Main street near Sixth. In June, 1880, the Cross Mining Company was organized, with a capital of $20,000. for the purpose of operating the Cross mine in the Black Hills, the officers being: R. F. Pettigrew, President; J. L. Phillips, Vice President; H. L. Hollister, Treasurer; B. W. Coughran, Secretary; V B. Phillips, Superintendent; and C. H. Vincent, T. H. Brown and E. Sharpe, Directors. The U. S. Census, completed in June of this year, showed Sioux Falls to have a population of 2,227, while in the county there were 8,222. The U. S. Land Office was closed September 11th, of this year, having been ordered to Mitchell. During the seven years and three months of its location in Sioux Falls, our people had formed so strong an attachment for it, and its gentlemanly officers, that, while admitting the justness of the order for its removal, they were sorry to see the office go. At the last session of the Dakota Legislature. Sioux Falls was selected as the location of the Territorial Penitentiary, and $60,000 was appropriated for its erection. The Directors named in the bill were T. H. Brown, K. H. Booth and W. L. Dow. At the organization of the Board, W. L. Dow was elected President; T. H. Brown, Secretary; and R. H. Booth, Treasurer. The site selected by the Directors, for the building, is on the bluff just north of the Falls, and east of the Southern Minnesota railroad track. After visiting various State institutions, the Directors adopted a plan, of which the following is the official description: "The Penitentiary will consist of a main building, 54 by 70 feet, and a wing, 51 by 774. feet. The main building is three stories high in front, and four in the rear. The first story is eleven and one-half feet high, and contains an entrance hall, lavatory, cook room cellar and two store rooms. The second story is eleven feet high, and contains the entrance hall, Warden's and Deputy Wardens offices, dining room and three guard rooms. The third story contains a chapel and two rooms for hospital purposes. The chapel is twenty feet high, the rear portion made in two stories, the upper story to be used for a female prison. The total height of walls above the grade line, is 45 feet; the wing contains a block of cells, four tiers in height, seventy-two in number. Each cell is five feet wide, by eight feet long, by seven feet high, and is designed for two prisoners. The cells ore connected by iron galleries and stairs. The corridor around the cells is twelve feet wide and thirty-two feet high. The walls of the building are to be of Sioux Falls The contract for the building was awarded August 30th, '81, to ft. D. Silver, of Lincoln, Nebraska, for $44,763. Work on the building has been commenced, and will be prosecuted with all reasonable despatch, until the work is completed. The snow fall of 1880-81 was unprecedented in the history of the Northwest From October 15th, 1880, the date of the first snow storm of the season, it seemed as though all the moisture then in the atmosphere, or likely to be in the atmosphere for years to come, had been inspired with an instinct to form itself into snow and precipitate itself on the prairies and in the valleys tributary to the Big Sioux River. Not only were the snow falls immense in volume, but they followed each other with provoking promptness, and a strife for ascendancy, worthy of a better cause. By the beginning of 1881, the railroad was hopelessly blockaded; the mails only came at intervals and provisions and fuel began to get scarce. By the middle of February, actual discomfort began to stare those in the face, who, under ordinary circumstances, were able to procure food and fuel. What shall be said, then, of the anxieties of those who had neither food, fuel nor money? It was indeed one of those seasons that recall to our minds, that in the great scale of existence, the whole family of mankind are upon a level with each other. The capitalist, as well as the dweller in the sod shanty, was compelled to take his coffee "straight"—sugar was a luxury not to be had. They each had to gather their robes around them, to keep warm, and in this regard, the poor man; having been schooled in privation, had not the dread of the keen wind blowing across miles of snow, that his more opulent neighbor had. When the wood and coal was consumed, the lumber yards were next attacked by those who could afford—rather, had the money to pay for—this kind of fuel. The Worthington & Sioux Falls Railroad Company had thousands of ties piled up along the track here, ready for the extension of its line as soon as spring should open. These were generously placed at the disposal of the citizens at actual cost; a committee was appointed to superintend their distribution, and they were carefully doled out to the inhabitant—the poor man without a cent of money getting his "rations" the same as the man with his pocket, filled with cash. Thus passed February and March, every one hoping that winter would let up with April—and it did. High water was expected when the vast body of snow should go off; it was the theme on every tongue; the possibilities and the probabilities were the staple subjects for discussion at every gathering, on every corner, at every table. As the middle of April came and went, the people began to get more anxious and uneasy, if possible: still the snow seemed to take all the water offered, apparently inclined to " bear " the market Not until the 17th of April did the river show any signs of the tremendous break-up that was so soon to come. The " old settlers " prophesied four feet of water where the lumber yards were located on the east side of the river, basing their prophecy on the fact that they had seen that much water there when there was less provocation than then existed. Their statement was believed—and yet was it believed? No effort was made to secure the property on the east side; all that was done, being to raise each of the wagon bridges a few feet. At half past two o'clock on the morning of Wednesday, April 20th, 1881, the ice moved out of the Sioux River, taking with it the Tenth Street, Eighth Street and Pembina Railroad bridges, Webber's restaurant and dwelling, C. O. Henjum's blacksmith shop, E. Price's barn, T. T. Cochran's stable, H. Gilbert's ice house, Ross & McKinnon s carpenter shop, the Badger lumber office, and office, building of the Queen Bee Mill. After this terrible outburst, and exhibition of power and energy, the river fell about a foot but on Thursday again began rising, and continued rising, until Saturday, about noon, when the river had reached a height of fifteen feet and six inches above its ordinary level, the water being five and a half feet deep on the grinding floor of the Cascade Mill. On Island Avenue the water came up to the front of Stringham & Gillets' block, stretching around just back of the Williams House, the Emerson block at Ninth street having about five feet of water in the basement, all the basements north of this being flooded. The water covered Phillips Avenue half way between the postoffice and Van Eps' corner; thence diagonally across the town, past Parker's lumber yard, toward Van Eps' residence, and thence to the bluffs south of the brewery. On the east side the water extended east of the buildings a block, east of the depot to the switch and thence down the track, past the Queen Bee Mill, The persons and corporations who were losers by this flood, to the extent of $1,000 and upwards, are as follows: Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul R. R.............................$27,000 Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha.......................20,000 Queen Bee Mill Co........................................................15,000 Oshkosh Lumber Co.....................................................12,000 E. Sharpe & Co., lumber.................................................8,000 A, A. Grout, lumber........................................................8,000 B. F. Roderick, lumber....................................................5,000 Webber, Shaw & Watson Mill.........................................8,000 Minnehaha County bridges..............................................6,000 E. Price, hotel.................................................................3,500 Ross & McKinnon, shop and planing mill........................2,700 C. A. Paulus, hotel..........................................................2,500 J. F. Webber, grain.........................................................2,000 Badger Lumber Yard......................................................2,000 Philip Plaster, saloon......................................................2,000 Village - Calaboose and damage to streets.......................2,000 Emerson, Sherman & Co., Mill.......................................1,500 T. T. Cochran, stable and stock damaged.......................1,500 Gilbert & Gilman, grain warehouse..................................1,500 Grout & Petterson, ice houses........................................1,400 Parmley & Davis, ice houses..........................................1,200 Other losses, smaller in amount, but in many incidents more keenly felt, perhaps, than any of these, bring the footing of the losses up to$140,000. Much of the work done on the east side during the past summer has been the repairing and replacing of the property swept away by this great flood.
TOWN PLATS.
The first recorded plat of the present village of Sioux Falls was made by Dr. J. L. Phillips, dated August 9th, 1871, and is entitled "J. L. Phillips' Sioux Falls." It consisted of nine blocks, in the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of section 16, town 101, range 49. and extending from Phillips Avenue on the east to Minnesota Avenue on the west, and from Sixth street (just north of the Merchant's Hotel) on the north, to Ninth street (just south of the Cataract House) on the south. Gale's addition to the town of Sioux Falls was recorded August 16th, 1871, and comprised twenty-one blocks on the north side of the northwest quarter of section 21, town 101, range 49. Since that time the following additions to the town have been made, platted and recorded, in the order named: West Sioux Falls, by John McClellan, January 5,1872. Brookings & Edmunds' addition, by W. W. Brookings and N. Edmunds, April 23, 1872. Shaw's Addition, by A. F. Shaw, July 22,1872. Phillips' Addition, by Dr. J. L. Phillips, September 10, 1872. Gale's Addition, No. 1, by A. Gale, July 22,1873. Grigbsy's Addition, No. 1, by M. Grigsby, July 23, 1873. East Sioux Falls, by I. Emerson, December 29,1875. Bennett's First Addition, by R. H. Bennett. May 26,1876. Bennett's Second Addition, by R. H. Bennett, October 11, 1877. Phillips' Addition to East Sioux Falls, by N. E. Phillips, L. T. Dunning and R. F. Pettigrew, February 18,1878. Gale's Third Addition, by A. Gale, May 18,1878. Emerson's Addition, by E. A. Sherman, June 8,1878. Sherman's Addition, by I. Emerson, July 18,1878. Pettigrew's Addition, by R. F. Pettigrew, December 9,1878. Millspaugh's Addition, by H. C. Millspaugh, March 25,1879. Folsom’s Addition, by Peter Folsom, March 29, 18T9. Morse's Addition, by Marshall Morse, R. F. Pettigrew, L. E. Gale and A. Gale, May 30, 1879. Gale's Fourth Addition, by A. Gale, April 4th, 1879. Other additions will undoubtedly follow as rapidly as there is a demand for the lots. All these various additions are included in the corporate limits of Sioux Falls, except those of Sherman and Emerson, which lie just outside the village limits, Sherman 's addition being on the south, and Emerson's on the west.
VILLAGE CORPORATION.
The government of the corporation was thus created, and the management of its affairs was vested in a President, who is ex-officio a Trustee, and four Trustees and other officers provided for. The first election under the charter was held on the third Tuesday of March, 1877, and resulted in the election of C. K. Howard, President; J. L. Phillips, Wm Van Eps, E. A. Sherman and H. Catleader, Trustees; C. O. Natesta, Clerk, and Geo. B. Sammons, Treasurer. The annual election of 1878 resulted in the choice of C. K. Howard, President; J. L. Phillips, E. A. Sherman, N. E. Phillips, Henry Callender, Geo. B. Sammons, Trustees; C. O. Natesta, Clerk, and H. L. Hollister, Treasurer. At the session of the Legislature in 1879, amendments were made to the charter, extending the boundaries of the village so as to cover all of section 16, the west half of 15, the east half of 17, the north half of 21, the northeast quarter of 20, the northwest quarter of 22, the south half of the southwest quarter of 10, the south half of the south half of 9, and the south half of the southeast quarter of 8, 101-49. Another amendment was also made providing for the annual election of a police justice. At the election of March, 1879, C. K. Howard was elected President; J. L. Phillips, C. H. Vincent, J. B. Watson and T. T. Cochran, Trustees; E. W. Caldwell, Clerk; H. L. Hollister, Treasurer and L. M. Estabrook, Police Justice. By the election of 1880, the affairs of the village government were entrusted to C. K. Howard, President; L. T. Dunning, O. P. Weston, T. T.Cochran and Andrew Petterson, Trustees; Wm. H. Holt, Clerk; H. L. Hollister, Treasurer; and R. C. Hawkins, Police Justice. The present Village Board, elected in March, 1881, are L. T. Dunning, President; J. B. Watson, W. E. Willey, F. Kemerth and Andrew Petterson, Trustees; Wm. H. Holt, Clerk; H. L. Hollister, Treasurer and R. C. Hawkins, Police Justice. The Board appointed E.D. Tracy, Marshal, and C. F. Jeffers, Assistant Marshal. The affairs of the village from the first have been judiciously conducted, and the people are to be commended for their choice of officers.
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