South Dakota State College - Jack Rabbit Yearbook (Brookings, SD)

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Another outbreak occurred in 1865, when several settlers were killed. Almost the last stand of the hostile lndian was the war with Sitting Bull. General Custer with his three hundred men was killed before peace was ob- tained. After that war, the Messiali War of 1890, the pioneers suffered but little from attacks by the Indians. Dakota Territory was created in March, 18615 it included all the land now comprising both North and South Dakota, and the land westward to the Rocky lvlountains. Doctor Williani Jayne, former neighbor and family physician of President Lincoln, was ap- pointed the first governor of the terri- tory. The temporary territorial capital, chosen by Governor Jayne, was estab- lished at Yankton. An election for mem- bers of a legislature and for a delegate to congress was called. The legislature called the Pony Congress, consisting of thirteen House members and nine Council members, convened on Marcli 17, 1862. After many heated discus- sions, Yankton was made the capital. Vermillion, determined to have some honor, was pacified by the promise of the territorial University. Nlost of the laws passed by this Pony Congress are still upon the statute books of North and South Dakota. The Dakotas remained uncle: terri- torial government until 1889. ln 1883, at a convention in Sioux Falls, a constitution was drawn up and a petition for statehood was presented to Congress. The measure met with no success. E In 1889 an enabling act was passed, which provided for the division of the Territory on the line of the seventh standard parallel, and the admission of the two states, North Dakota and South Dakota. South Dakota attained her statehood on November 3, 1889. She was the fortieth state to join the Union. WP ' I gi jcw rv'-113-5 lf, 'Qs-2 Nh w r. ,vc-f -5,1 f' fx N Q., rfxfiwm x -1 -1 f' ' F .... ei ,.jg'3 ' ' ' 4' fx' fer' es... -:gi-fi 6 uf ,-e'Q ?a2aJf-J'?'5i KC.-. a. .5557 .'f',-:f'--- 5 a: 5'4 'rvw.41f.'r.'4 1' 'Z' - - ' 3 is 'SE-, .ibiigfklfsfgi Rini . 'Wt sf - ,yr 1' 1: Tiligiflff-':zbd.L jfflfg ,qjeg 'i2 '.'1fiie f1'r' WE- . ' aj The constitution which was then adopted is regarded as one of the most stable and comprehensive in the United States. The first steamboat entered South Da- kota in 1831. The steamboat transpor- tion upon the lVIissouri river was very large from 1863 to 1880, but with the advance of railroads the river traffic practically came to an end. The first railroads were built in I872j after 1880 the settlement of the state was very rapid, largely because of the extensive building of roads. South Da- kota now has more than 48,000 miles of railway. Gold was discovered in the Black Hills by a soldier with Custeris troops,

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searched for the buried plate. ln 1913 zi group of young people stumbled upon this plate, which, it is evident, is the inscription which was placed there by Verendrye in 1743. It was a short distance from the city of Pierre. For the next twenty years, the title of France to this land seems undisputed, but for political reasons, in 1762 she ceded all of Louisiana, which then in- cluded South Dakota to Spain. In 1800 Spain secretely ceded the land back to France. The Americans a short time afterward learned of the secret cession. The people of the frontier-Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana-became much alarmed, because they feared the estab- lishment of a strong Napoleonic govern- ment in the lvest. Thomas Jefferson sent ministers to negotiate with France in regard to navigation and trade privileges on the Nlississippi. The ministers secured for the United States not only the desired rights on the river, but by the payment of fE27,500,000, the immense Louisiana Territory, extending westward as far as the Rocky lldountains. Thus in 1803 South Dakota became the property of the great American commonwealth. In 1804 Lewis and Clark were sent out by the National Government to ex- plore the unknown and trackless wild- erness that was inhabited only by beasts and savages. Their records show that in August of 1804 they camped at Yankton, where the Yankton or James River enters the Nlissouri. From that point they went up the lVIissouri, ex- plored through the entire territory of Dakota, and then proceeded up the Yel- lowstone and on to the Pacific. They returned through the state in 1806. The first white settlement of record in the state was made November II, 1794. by B. Trudeau in the present county of Charles Nlix. lt was not permanent, nor was the settlement by Loisel in 1797 on the Missou1'i River at Big Bend. Fort Pierre was established in 1817 by Joseph La Framboise. It was the first permanent settlement. lVIany hardships were encountered by these pioneers. lndian warfare interfered seriously with the settlement and development of the new land. By 1862 settlers had established homes along the Missouri and the Sioux Rivers. The Santee Sioux on the Nlin- nesota River suddenly became furious and killed white settlers wherever they could be found. A struggling band of bloodthirsty savages ruthlessly murdered sludge Joseph Amidon and his son in a hayfield near Sioux Falls. The neigh- bors left their stock and grain and, ter- ror stricken, fled to safety. The Indians destroyed their homes, stole the stock, and burned the grain which was just ready for harvest. Thus the permanent settlement of Sioux Falls was delayed for several years.

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in 1874. Immediately there was a rush of settlers. The Deadwood and Wliite- wood mines were opened. After a time, the Homestake mine was opened at Lead. It is one of the largest gold mines in the world. Gold has always been the leading mineral product of South Dakota. The land of most of South Dakota is well adapted to agriculture and stock raising. The extremes of temperature are not felt as they are in many other regions because of the condition of the atmosphere. Sunshine is most abundant. The state has fewer cloudy days than any other Northern State. It is there- fore called the Sunshine State. South Dakota has a pleasing variety of landscape. In the eastern part are the broad, rolling prairiesg in the cen- tral part are the flat plains, in the west- ern part are the Bad Lands, containing many interesting formationsg while the Black Hills occupy the extreme Western part. Harney's Peak in the Black Hills is the highest point between the Rocky Nlountains and the Alps. Wind Cave, Sylvan Lake, and Spear- fish Canyon are well known to anyone who has ever heard of the Black Hills. The Needles have been constantly re- garded as some of the best works of Nature. The river valleys, the lakes, and the little streams of the prairies are much loved by the people of the State. Big Stone Lake, Kampeska, Lake Andes, and Lake Poinsett are some of the largest lakes. There is near Watertosvn a small salt lake, called by the Indians Bitter Medicine Lake. The lliissouri River, with its con- stantly changing river bed, is often con- sidered the main source of the lower Biississippi. There are countless other things that make South Dakota the best state in the Union. The Indian word Dakota means leagued or allied All the people of the Sunshine State are leagued together into one large brother- hood wherein all men are equal. This brotherhood of friends will continue as long as the loyal citizens of the state uphold their motto, Under God the People Rule.