Early History of Elk Point, S. D.

On the morning of the 22d of July, 1859, not a settler's cabin was to be seen from the Big Sioux River to Green Point, nor any improvements made by civilized man. Here and there a solitary moccasined savage wended his way upon the trail of his fathers, or lay concealed in the rushes of the lake watching for some wild fowl to appease his hunger. Silence reigned upon these broad and beautiful prairies. The noble red man of eastern imagination was the only occupant where now thousands of intelligent, industrious, and enterprising white men have their happy homes.

On that day Eli B. Wixson, a New Yorker by birth, but a genuine Yankee in character, took his "claim" at Elk Point and commenced erecting his house, a round log building, 12x16 feet, one story high, with Mother Earth for a floor and a roof of the same material. The next month, August, Mr. Wixson moved into his house and opened it to the public as a hotel and grocer's store. Settlements having already been made above Elk Point, Mr. Wixson's house was well patronized. The ensuing winter the society of Elk Point was more original than select, Mr. Wixson's only neighbors being some seventy-five Santee Indians who camped at Elk Point for the purpose of hunting. With these Indians Mr. Wixson's trade was good during the winter and report says he lost nothing in his bargains.

In the spring of 1860 several families began to settle near Elk Point and the settlement prospered. This year Mr. Wixson erected the Elk Point House upon the townsite, and plowed, fenced and cultivated upon his own claim sixty acres of land. The crop was most bountiful, yielding per acre forty bushels of sod corn and four hundred bushels of potatoes. Thus Mr. Wixson was the first man to demonstrate, by cultivation, the fertility of the soil in this section of Dakota. This year Mr. Wixson opened the Elk Point House to the public as a hotel and store.

In the year 1869 Mr. Wixson built the large and commodious three story house he now occupies, and opened the same to the public as a hotel. This is Elk Point House No. 3, erected by this good man. It is a well-kept house; here the traveler will always find a good table, clean rooms, and downy beds, and while "mine host" will attend to the wants of his guests he will also see that his team is well provided for. This house is well patronized.

In the winter of 1860 Joseph La Barge and family lived in the hotel and Mrs. La Barge was the first white woman resident upon the townsite. In 1860 W. W. Adams erected the "Old Adams House," so noted as having had born under its roof five pair of twins. (It is now proposed to rent it to those not blessed with "little responsibilities.")

The first meridian line of the government survey was run through what is now Elk Point. In the summer of 1861 the townsite was surveyed, and at the first session of the Dakota legislature, on the 24th of April, 1862, the town was incorporated, with John R. Wood as president, E. B. Wixson as recorder, and Myron Sheldon, William W. Adams, and Preston Hopkins as the town council of said town.

The first school house was erected there in 1861; the present large and well-arranged house was erected in 1869. The first school was taught by the Hon. N. J. Wallace, the present receiver of the U. S. land office at Vermillion. Since then the following named persons have taught school at Elk Point: Annie Hoyt, Nora Sullivan, Mrs. Rachel J. Rowley, Mrs. Wood, Mrs. Mills, Miss Williams, Darion Phillips, Calvin M. Bryan, J. Lackey.

The first sermon preached at Elk Point was by the Rev. C. D. Martin, of Dakota City, Neb., in the winter of 1860. In that meeting Mr. Martin truthfully predicted the progress of religion that has since taken place. The first lecture delivered at Elk Point was by Hon. J. P. Kidder, who also delivered the first oration here on the 4th of July, 1867.

In the fall of 1862 much excitement existed throughout Dakota, occasioned by Indian depredations at Sioux Falls. A company of volunteers was organized at Elk Point during the ensuing winter. Mr. Wixson's hotel was turned into barracks, and the whole town assumed a military air; woe to the peaceful passerby at night who could not give the countersign of these embryo soldiers. In the spring of 1863 the company was mustered into the U. S. service as Company B, First Dakota Cavalry, with William Tripp, Captain; John R. Wood, First Lieutenant, and did valiant service with General Sully in his expeditions against the Indians.²

The history of the Elk Point post office is as follows: The office was established in 1860, on a petition of only thirteen persons. E. B. Wixson was appointed the first postmaster. He held the office until 1863, when, having enlisted in the U. S. service, he resigned, and Hon. A. L. Edwards, late U. S. assistant assessor of internal revenue, was appointed. On the mustering out of Company B, Mr. Edwards resigned the office and Mr. Wixson was reappointed. On the resignation of Mr. Wixson in 1869, C. M. Northup, the present incumbent, was appointed. When the office was established in 1860, the mail was carried once a week each way by a four mule team from Ft. Randall to Sioux City, there being no established mail route in Dakota. Now we have a daily mail each way to Yankton, the capital of Dakota, carried in the large, comfortable four-horse coaches of Hedges & Co. The box rent of our post office in 1860 was small, all the letters being kept in a cigar box. Now we have a large and well-arranged office with 175 boxes.

The first regular store kept in Elk Point was by Fairchild & Green, and was opened in 1865. After about two years Fairchild sold out, and the firm became Green & Rowe. Mr. Fairchild then engaged in the manufacture of brick. The next store opened was by J. W. Vandevere in 1866. In a little over one year he sold out to Joseph Stringer.

Footnotes

1 The above article appeared in the "Sioux City Journal" of August 20, 1914, which said:

The following-article was published in the "Dakota Blizzard" of Elk Point (M. Stone, editor and publisher) April 30, 1886, with the introductory note:

"The following graphic and interesting history of the early settlement of Union County and Elk Point will be enjoyed by both old and young. To the pioneer it will revive many sacred memories and perhaps a few ludicrous incidents, and to the late arrivals in Dakota it will afford a pleasant source of reflection. The history is gleaned from the initial number of the first paper published in Elk Point, and which bears date of March 17, 1870. Frank O. Wisner was the editor. Ed. 'Blizzard'."

2 For further information on the history of Co. B, see the account of Corp. W. H. H. Fate, elsewhere in this article and Kingsbury's "History of Dakota Territory," vol. 1, p. 249; S. D. "Historical Collections," vol. IX, pp. 270-307, 321-35; Doane Robinson's "History of S. D.," vol. 1, p. 208, foil.