1DUYJ 7/fj{)@ V@#J!t1~ @J@UYJ@ fJJW

l ·

)

1·

l

DEDICATED IN

MEMORY OF THOSE SAINTS

WHO HAVE GIVEN

SO WHOLEHEARTEDLY OF THEIR

TIME AND TALENTS

"IN THE YEARS GONE BY"

"Copyright 1969 All Rights Reserved"

Edith J . Maude Anderson Vermillion, S. Dak.

-·~-~

Introduction To The Book

GREETINGS:

It is with pride and much happiness that we offer this history of Vermillion and St. Paul's Episcopal Church to you. It represents over two years of work and research by Mrs. Edith Maude Anderson to whom we are deeply in­debted.

It aids the community of Vermillion by placing a bound, published edition of its history into t .he hands of those who helped to shape Vermillion. It allows those who are not natives of Vermillion to share in its colorful and intriguing history.

For the first time we have the history and story of St, Paul's Church told in accurate - vivid terms. It tells of a little church struggling to witness and serve the com­munity and University. It tells of its joys and sorrows and of its goals and objectives for the future.

It is an inspiring little book and captures much of the mood and feelings of the people and events of Vermillion's history. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we en­joyed writing it.

Faithfully,

Douglas Hiza - Vicar

- 2 -

From The Author

FRIENDS:

The History of the Church was prepared by Edith J . Maude Anderson, daughter of Mr . and Mrs . T . C . Maude , who joined the British settlement near Le Mars , Iowa, in 1881.

In the year of 1890 my parents moved to South Dakota and located in Clay County near Vermillion .

I have been a life long member of the St. Paul's Epis ­copal Church . It is with gratitude that I am able to pre~ pare this book in an attempt to set in order those events which occured , "In the years gone by . "

Sincerely ,

Edith J . Maude Anderson

- 3 -

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS 1804 Lewis and Clark - first visit

1846 Mormons - spent one year here

1859 McHenry built the first store

1859 A. C. Meter erected the first house

1860 Presbyterians held the first church service ever held in Vermillion in McHenry's store

First Episcopal church service 1860 School - first class held in McHenry's store

1861 Dakota Republican - . first newspaper put out in July

Marriage - first one recorded

1862 University - first located here

1864 School House - first built

Vermillion opened as a mission by Hoyt 1866

1867 Stage Line - first one instituted

1870 Clay County Fair - first one held

1872 Railroad - reaches Vermillion

1875 Fire - main business district destroyed

1877 Gold Rush

1880 Diptheria Epidemic - many die

Chapel is moved up-the-hill on Church Street 1881 near the school

Flood - Entire town destroyed River reroutes to leave town

1882 Town relocates where presently located

Chapel sold 1888

New church and Boy's homes constructed on 1889 High Street north of present Court House

Boys homes and land sold 1890

Church building moved from High Street to 1893 Dakota Street where Julian Hall is presently located

Lots bought on Main and Linden Street and 1f29 Rectory built

Sold land and church on Dakota Street to the 1947 Un iv ersity

Built present church on Main and Linden 1951

- 4 -

LIFE IN VERi\IILLION BEFORE THE 1881 FLOOD

The average person standing on the hill on the south side of Vermillion and looking over the array of elevators, junk yards, alfalfa mills and storage tanks on the bottom below would hardly sus­pect that at one time the business sec­tion of Vermillion was located there. That was prior to the great flood in the spring of 1881 when the Missouri river changed its course and the greater part of Vermillion-under-the-hill was washed away.

Before the flood the Missouri came across the bottom from the south and struck the hill just northeast of the pre­sent Airline bridge. The river then veer­ed to the southeast, following the present course of the Vermillion river. During periods of high water, a whirlpool form­ed where the river struck the bluff.

Vermillion was a river town at that time, the steamboat landing being a short distance west of the foot of Ravine hill. The mouth of the Vermillion river was not far from this landing.

The old town had a population of around 7 00 in 1881. The railroad was in approx­imately the same place as at present, with the depot near the foot of what is now Chandler hill. The main street of the town was called Broadway, which ran east and west. Other streets included Depot, Main, Chestnut and Michigan, A stairway led up the hill to what is now the foot of Market street, and in the year 1880 if one had climbed this stairway and looked back he would have seen the whole town.

The bend of the Missouri touched the south~a~t_ern edge of the town and extend­ed to the south 1uld east, Just below the stairway was a photograph gallery oper­ated by Henry Butler. South of this was Broadway, which was dominated by three two-story brick structures -- the Lyons Building, the Clay County Bank, and the Lee and Prentis Store.

On the south . side of the street, be­sides the Lee and Prentis Store, were a number of one-story frame buildings in­cluding the D. M. Inman bank, later the First National Bank. To the west and

north of the railroad track were three large elevators, two of them oper::-ited by Jones and Lathrop and Thompson and Lewis. To the east and north of the track was the Miner hotel, which was located on higher ground.

A row of trees lined the river south of Broadway. There were two roads up the hill, the Ravine road and the road at

· the end of Walnut Street. Including the residences, there were approximately 200 buildings in Vermillion at the time of the flood.

BEFORE THE COMING OF THE SETTLERS.

This section, with its once beautiful ravine and the junction of two rivers, was once a popular gathering place for the Indians, Franklin Taylor, one of the early settlers in Clay County, wrote of this many years ago:

"Where the town of Vermillion now stands had for generations been the camping ground of one of the bands of Yankton Sioux. Here on the bottom they cultivated their little fields of corn, and on the bluff may be seen traces of their caches where they stored their winter supplies. Here their tepees were stretched on the hill to catch the summer breeze or on the bottom to shelter from the winter's storms, and along the bluff was the silent resting place of their dead."

The first party of white men to visit what is now Vermillion, of which there is any record, was the Lewis and Clark expedition, which camped one night, Au­gust 24, 1804, near the mouth of the Ver­million river. They had shot their first buffalo before landing here and no doubt salted the meat down for future use. On the 25th they tramped across the country to visit Spirit Mound, reported by the ·Indians to be the abode of little devils. No little devils were found, and all the party had to show for their hot and dusty trek was a fine view from the top of the Mound. At that time the Mound was in clearviewfrom miles around, there be­ing no trees to block the view.

Following the Lewis and Clark ex­pedition, trappers and fur traders went up and down the river and in 1827, the

- 5 -

Columbia Fur Co. established a trading post at the mouth of the Vermillion. In 1843 John James Audubon, the famous artist and naturalist, visited the Ver­million ravine to check on the abundance of bird life there .

The first white settlers to locate in the Vermillion viCinity were a party of Mormons who were seeking a new home in the West after being driven out of Il­linois. They set out from Cathrage, Ill. in August, 1844, spent a winter in Iowa and reachec:l Dakota the following spring.

When they arrived at a point north of Vermillion they encountered some trad­ers who had a fur station and fort at the mouth of the Vermillion. These traders induced the leaders of the colony to set­tle on land near the juncture of the Ver­millic_m and Missouri rivers . A letter received from Franklin Taylor in 1902 from Isaac Riddle , a young member of the party, had this to say of the expe­dition:

"From the time we started until we reached the Missouri river there was much hunger among our people. But when we reached the Missouri River we got into the buffalo country and got plenty of meat and wild honey and far­ed better. In the spring of 1846 we laid out a large farm and calculated to raise some grain in a bend of the river a few miles below the old fort. Word then came from the leading men of our church to pull up stakes and move down the river to join the main body of the church about where Sarpy's old trad­ing point stood.

"Thiswedid and arrived there early in May, getting there ahead of the first emigration from Mauvoo. There we worked and traded for grain and cloth­ing and loaded our wagons and pulled back to where Omaha and Council Bluffs now stands , "

After joining the company from Nau­voo they crossed the Missouri and trav­eled up the Platte to wait for further or­ders. They spent the following winter at the juncture of the Niabrara and Mis­souri Rivers. From there they journeyed westtothevalleyof the Great Salt Lake, which they reached on July 24, 1847 .

McHenr y constructed the first stor e building in Vermillion and became the village's first merchant. He later built the first flour mill in the territory on the Vermillion river near the old village of Bloomingdale.

The first .physician was Dr. Frank Calkins and he also taught the first school in the winter of .1860-61. School was held in a room over McHenry' s Store and later in the Presbyterian church.

The first bank was organized by Henry Newton and V. E. Prentice in 1871 and was named the Clay County Bank. It was continued until 1878, when the depositor.s were paid in full and the doors closed. The second floor of the build­ing was named Bank Hall and was used as a theatre. Traveling shows and home talent productions were given there as well as other public gatherings and dan­ces ,

The first Clay County Fair was held inl870underthenameof the Clay County Agricultural Society.

The first recorded marriage was that of A. A. Partridge to Miss Cassan­dra Shriner , which occurred in 1861.

The first ne\vspaper , the Dakota Re­publican, was issued in July, 1861, by T . Ellwood Clark and Jam es Bedell. The paper's first years were extremely pre­carious and it had several editors until Charles H. True took it over in 1868. He guided the paper's destinies until his death in 1875.

FIRST CHURCH SERVICES HELD IN 1860

The first church services were held in Vermillion in March, 1860, and con­ducted by Rev . C . D. Martin. Extracts from letters written by Rev . Martin to Franklin Taylor in the 90's tell of this first church:

"I went to Vermillion in March, 1860. According to my recollections, I first held services in James McHenry's un­finished store building. In August of the same year the people turned out and hauled logs for the church. It was raised during the month and a bell se­cured from Cincinnati.

"The Presbyterian board of church

- 6 -

extension at Philadelphia sent out $50 and the people did the work. We had a small church organization and met at that time. Gen. John Todd threw his whole influence in favor of the upbuild­ing of a Presbyterian church in Ver­million . It is true that I organized the church in the building of logs as well as a Sunday School in the summer of 1861 . When I was there the duty of superintendent of the school fell on me. ''

FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS

Vermillion's first observance of In­dependence day was in 1860, and the following on the doings was written by Mr. Taylor many years after: "We shall not attempt to tell of the incidents or festivities of that day. Some of the scenes would not look well in print at this time. Suffice it to say it was a wild event in the little village, one of those days which were not infrequent in those wild and wooly times. When a drunken rough would go tearing through the streets on the back of an untamed steer or engage in boxing bouts , the first blood for the whiskey. "

VERMILLION'S FIRST .SCHOOLHOUSE

The famed "Old Log Schoolhouse" was built in November , 1864, near the f9ot of Ravine hill by a company of sol­diers under the direction of Capt. Nel­son Miner. A replica was placed on the University Campus which was later mov­ed to the original location of the building. It was built of logs, said to have been floated down the Missouri river, had a sod roof, later changed to shingles . Primitive as the building was , it was used at different times as a court j10use, city hall , general meeting place and church. It was last used for school purposes in the winter of 1871-72. A monument marks its location at the foot of the ravine.

The original building was about 15 x 20 feet and the floor and desks were made of cottonwood planks. After the ereetion of a brick building on the hill in 1873, the old schoolhouse was aban-

- 7 -

doned and its timbers used as firewood by unsympathetic citizens . Amos Shaw was the first teacher in the old building and John L. Jolley , pioneer Vermil­lion lawyer , taught there during the win­ter of 1866-67 .

RAILROAD REACHED VERMILLION IN 1872

The first railroad to enter Dakota Territory reached Vermillion in the early winter of 1872 , the first train steaming into the village on December. An item concerning construction of the railroad appeared in the Dakota Republican Sep­tember 5, 1872:

"Work on the Dakota Southern rail­road is being pushed vigorously along. Grading has commenced in this county about one mile below town , and it is all under contract from the Vermil­lion bridge to the Union County line. In about two weeks more cars will be r unning to Elk Point and then they will soon be here.

OLD SETTLERS ORGANIZE IN 1876

Clay County pioneers organized 'way back in 1876, the only qualification for membership being that one come to Da­kota prior to 1868 . The 1876 reunion was held in January with about 200 old settlers attending. An account of the festivities started as follows : "At 9 o'clock Miles Rusell , president of the Old Settlers Society, called the meet­ing to order. The first order given was for the married persons present to charge on the tables , order being per­formed with alacrity, and at once they preceeded into action. The inner man soon became satisfied and the feast of reason of flow of soul commenced. "

A program of speaking followed, among the speakers being Judge Jef­ferson P . Kidder , Capt. Nelson Miner , James McHenry, and M. S. Burr . Mr. Burr responded to the toast, "Vermil­lion in 1869, "with a poem whose first line was "Ye veterans gay who grace this spacious hall , and went on to the extent of seven stanzas , with numerous references to local people.

McHenry constructed the first store building in Vermillion and became the village's first merchant. He later built the first flour mill in the territory on the Vermillion river near the old village of Bloomingdale.

EARLY CHURCHES IN VERMILLION

The spiritual needs of the populace was taken care of by four churches - ­Baptist , Methodist , Congregational and Episcopal. -

LOCAL PIONEERS JOIN GOLD RUSH

The gold rush was on in the Black Hills in the 1870's and numerous Clay Co. residents got the fever . Getting to the Hills was a major project in those days . It invoLved hundreds of miles of tra\• el over trackless prairie. The near­est railroad was at Sidney, Neb. , and that place was 300 miles from Dead­wood . One of the larger expeditions from Clay Co. was headed by J.B. Daily, a one-time grocer in Vermil­lion.' The Standard of Feb. 1 , 1877 stated :

"The Daily train consisted of eight teams and 16 m en. The wagons be­longing to Mr. Da ily , fiv e in number, will be frei ghted with groceries , pro­v isions and general m erchandise for

- 8 -

the Black Hills trade. The others are loaded with furniture , household goods , mining tools, etc., to be used in the Hills. The train will take the Ft. Pier­re route, generally considered to be the best route opened.

"The outfit got to the Hills safe and sound , as is testified in this item in the Standard of May 19:

"J. B. Daily, who took a wagon train loaded with provisions to the Black Hills , returned last week. He seems well satisfied with tue results of the trip and comes back with empty wa­gons and a well-filled purse. "

The Standard told of a number of other Hills expeditions , one described as follows: "Sila s Kidder and George Porter started for the Hills last Mon­day. Their wagon was loaded with but­ter , eggs , brooms, etc., for the Hills trade . Seven other wagon trains started from this place. Nick Hanson s ent fiv e and J . Kimball two . The wagons wer e

_J

loaclecl \\·ith prodsions and other arti­cl<.:s."

.\ :\l;irch '.2 8 item stated "Black Hil­]l'rs pass through the to\\·n d;iily. Dur­ing the \H·ek, l::J teams and :13 men hm·e passc•d this \\·a.1-.

\\.hik there \1·as "gold in them thar l!ills," it \\·as t·\·ident thnt many of the \1·oulcl-iw miners \rould not strike pay dirt, as it stated in the follo\\'ing i tern:

,\pril 14 -- "Black Hillers are re­turning en.·ry clay, after having found out that life among the Indians and ·out­la\\'s appears more sublime in the pages of a novel than in -the realities of life."

VERMILLION WAS A RIVER TOWN

While the Dakota Southern ·reached Vermillion in 1872, much freight was handled by the steamboat route before the great flood. There was no regular schedule for the boats, but they carried passengers and much freight to and from Vermillion, The following item on river traffic appeared in the Standard of May 1, 1880:

"The steamboat Nellie Peck touched at this point last Monday evening on her way to Pierre. Just after she got under way again, several men appear­ed at the landing and swore big round oaths for her pulling out and leaving them behind. They ~tated that the captain told them tha("he had a large amount of freight to 4ike on here and would stay here oven an hour. The last we saw of theffi.....'they had gotten across the Vermili"ion and were strik­ing through the woods at a 2:40 gait in a vain attempt to overtake the boat."

The Nellie Peck and the Far West were probably the last boats to vi£it Vermillion . They both landed here the latter part of October at the beginning of the most severe winter that ever struck this section.

STAGE LINES OUT OF VERMILLION

There \\'ere several stage lines run­ning out of Vermillion in 1880. There \l"nS one to Sioux Falls daily, and one \\'ent to Bloomingdale, Lodi and Center­\'ille on :\Ionda_I', \\'ednesday, and Fri­da.I' a trip \\·as made to Clay Point and

Dalesburg. Fe\\· of the roads \\'ere g-rad­ed, and after a long period of \H't \\·enth­er many "·ere impassable eyen for a team nnd eyener \\·agon. In \\·inter no attempt \\'as made to clear the roads of snow. Sleighs were used and traffic \\·ent around the drifts and over the fences.

The first stage line was instituted in 1867, when a government wagon road was completed between Sioux City and Yankton. This probably followed about the · same route as the old Military road.

VERMILLION'S FIRST BIG FIRE IN 1875

While Vermillion was still located on the bottom it experienced its first big fire. The following account of this dis­aster appeared in the anniversary edi­tion of the Dakota Republican:

''Vermillion'sfirst disastrous fire, · one that destroyed the main business part of the town, occurred January 13, 1875. It was a bitter cold day, the ther­momenter registering 16 degrees below zero and the wind was blowing a gale from the north. The weather conditions, together with the inadequate fire fighting equipment and a shortage of water, made the battle with the flames doubly ineffi­cient and difficult, and it was only by superhuman efforts that any of the busi­ness places were saved.

"The fire started on the second floor of the Lyons block in an office occupied by Judge R. J. Simonsen of the probate court. Smoke was seen issuing from the building and a rush was made for this room. When the office was broken into, the room wa.s found to be a mass of flames, and it was seen that the build­ing was doomed.

"The store of the Grange Bros. occupied the first floor of the building, and the crowd assembled started to re­move the goods. But the fire spread so rapidly that little was saved and all hands worked to save what they could in the adjoining buildings. These were occu­pied by Hayward's boot store, Hodgin's market and the Adelphi hotel. By ex­traordinary efforts on the part of the fire fighters the greater part of the hotel was saved .

- 9 -

"The flames spread fast and jumped across the street to the Prentice and Newton bank, the Russell meat market, the Thompson and Lewis office and the C. I. K. building, and they were soon go­ing up in smoke. Next went Ashard's bakery, Wheeler's barber shop, Carr's store, Hansen'sfurniture store, the Ma­sonic and Odd Fellow Hall, Mcomber's drug store, the Dakota Republican office, the postoffice and the office of Drs. Bur­dick and Dawson.

"In the burning of the probate judge's office, the entire set of tax books were destroyed besides numerous other books and records. About $3, 000 in county money was in the office at the time of the fire and this also was lost. Just how the fire started was never found out, but it was thought to be of incendiary·or­igin. Accusations were made at the time against Simonsen, the probate judge, in whose office were kept the files and where the blaze started. He was accus­ed of having stolen the funds left in his care and setting the fire as a means of covering the theft. The charge was never proved, but Simonsen's resignation was asked for by the board of county com­missioners a:nd he complied with the re­quest.

"Had the Adelphi hotel burned, it was stated that nothing could have been saved of any of the buildings on each side of the street so far as the street 1 eading to the depot. "

ST ATE UNIVERSITY ESTABLISHED

The State University was established at Vermillion at the first meeting of the territorial legislature held at Yankton in 1862. Vermillion and Yankton had been contenders for the capital location the previous ·year, with Yankton winning out after a bitter fight, the University, not supposed to be a plum worth scrap­ping about, was turned over to Vermil­lion as a sort of consolation prize. Yankton lost the capital but the Univer­sity is a thriving and growing institution.

An item appeared in the Standard of March 10, 1881, concerning the Univer­sity that stated:

"Judge Kidder has written a letter home stating that Congress has appro­priated $35, OGOfortheState University located at Vermillion. Now the people should get together and move the busi­ness part of the town on to the bluff. Then the future of Vermillion would be assured."

What happened to this appropriation; if it was ever made, is a mystery, but it was never used for the University. The citizens of Clay County voted at a special election in the fall of 1881 to bond the county in the amount of $10, 000 to erect the first building at the Univer­si:ty. Judge Kidder donated 10 acres of

- 10 -

land for the campus and 10 adjoining acres were purchased from G, B. Bige­low. The judge's suggestion that the town be moved onto the hill was acted upon, but it took the flood to get the job done,

SEVERE WINTER PRECEDES THE FLOOD OF 1881

The town of Vermillion, situated at · the juncture of the Vermillion and Mis­souri rivers, had survived several floods but it took the 1881 disaster to move it off the bottoIP · and on to the hill. The first recorded flood to inundate the town was in ,1862, when water covered the bottoms from Yankton to Sioux City. There were other floods in the 70's and a disastrous overflow in 1897.

An item in the Dakota Republican of April 29, 1875, stated:

1

"The Missouri has been on a ram­page and seriously threatened to over­flow the entire town. A quarter of a mile dyke was hastily thrown up and the water was kept out of a large por­tion of town. 11

The set-up for a flood of major pro­portions was just right following the winter of 1880-81, which had been long and severe. That winter was off to a good start with an early snow about the middle of October which left a foot of the wet stuff on the ground. Trains did not run for three days and thousands of head of livestock were reported lost.

Frigid weather persisted in Novem­ber and on the 27th the Missouri river was reported frozen enough to support teams and wagons. On December 4th the Standard editor reported:

''We ·have aiready had six weeks of good solid winter, something which never before occurred in the memory of the oldest inhabitant. 11

The first day of January, 1881, a wind came from the south with snow, changed to the northwest and assumed the proportions of a blizzard. On the 9th thermometers ranged from 34 to 40 degrees below zero. Some 12 to 15 in­chJ'S of snow fell during the first week in February. The Standard editor stated in the February 17 issue:

"Last Friday and Saturday were the \\·or st two days of the winter. The wind blew a gale for 60 hours and on l\Ionday there were four more inches of snow on the ground. More snow fell in March and there was a blizzard on the 14th that closed the railroad again, "

So the prospect for a flood .of major proportions was just right. Much snow on the ground and ice on the rivers was two feet thick. Melting weather arrived in March and on the last Sunday in the month the break-up came.

Vermillion had gone through the other floods without suffering a great deal of damage, and most of the inhabitants figured that the 1881 overflow would be no exception. One lumber dealer board­ed up his sheds when the water started to rise in order to keep the lumber from floating away. But when the ice came into the town both the shed and their con­tents went down the river.

THE CHURCHES PRIOR TO THE FLOOD

Five churches had located in Vermil­lion at the time of the flood: Indepen­dent, W. E. Walker, pastor; Methodist, O. S, Bryan, pastor; Congregational, G, S. Bacomb, pastor; Univ.ersalist, S. Wakewall; pastor;and the Baptist church, which had no pastor at the time. The Baptist and Methodist churches surviv­ed the flood because they had been built on higher ground. The Congregational church went down the river during the flood, its bell tolling dolefully.

The exact location of the Episcopal chapel is not known. Apparently it was also located on higher ground because following the flood it was moved up the hill during the relocation of the town.

- 11 -

Where the Missouri and Vermillion Rivers once flowed along the east side of Old Vermillion.

The Jolley house now standing next to the Court House. This house survived the flood of 1881 and was moved to its present location.

- 12 -

The old Missouri Riv er bed as it left the town of Vermillion. Today it is only partly used by the Vermillion river .

J

A GRAPHIC STORY OF THE FLOOD

A loud grinding noise, and then the wild clanging of a Church . bell. It was almost midnight Sunday, March 27, 1881. Those who had not retired in the town of Vermillion - under - the - hill were filled with men, women and children hurrying to the bluffs above the town. Some were leading horses and cattle and others were carrying whatever clothing they could lay their hands on during the fur­ried exit. The flood waters of the Mis­souri were rushing on the town! The breakup of the ice had come before it was expected . A gorge had formed be­low the island south of the city and the water was rapidly flooding the streets.

The prophecy for the town of V ermil­lion situated at the juncture of the Ver­million and Missouri rivers was happen­ing. The following graphic story of what happened was taken from the files of the Vermillion Standard, Judson Graves, editor ~

Boats were brought into requisition, and those who had heard _the alarm too late to escape were taken off to a place of safety. Some, however , believing like the sinners of Noah's time that it "wasn't going to be much of a shower after all," walked upstairs and remained in their residences the remainder of the night .

Bymorningthe water had gone down, so that all that part of the city east of the depot was clear of water except for some distance along the railroad track. All of the city west of a line from the depot toReeve's corner was under three feet of water.

By Tuesday morning the water had subsided to about the same depth as Mon­day, but raised slowly until Wednesday when it began to rise more rapidly. Thursday morning the river also com­menced moving and by 1 a. m . nothing could be seen but floating ice except in the bend fronting the city ~ The timber in Van Meter's grove kept most of the ice out of the city, so that little damage was done by it during the day.

About nine in the morning the build­ings commenced moving, Butl er's pho­tograph gallery moving first and going

to pieces in the rapids \\'hich extended from Depot street to the riv er . Others followed in quick succession during the day and night , until 40 buildings had b een carried down and smashed against the ice. Thursday night the \\'ater rose three feet higher than during the day · previous, and the Dakota Republican printing office was taken down stream. This additional rise subsided towards morning. The water tank from the rail­road crossing of the Vermillion river above the city came down in the moving ice, and in the afternoon Mr . Pinkham' s house moved off.

To add to the horrors of the situa­tion, a terrible blizzard prevailed dur­ing the day, making it almost impossible to row a boat against the fierce north­west wind. About a dozen persons, in­cluding women and children, slept in Bank block Wednesday night and were caught there by the rising waters. They were subsequently rescued. Towards night the solid ice in front of the city moved out and gorged below the Island, and in an incredibly short space of time the ice had packed the riv er channel full back to the ferry landing.

Friday the water remained about the same as on Thursday except that it rose a few inches during the day 'and carried away several buildings. The inhabitants busied themselves meanwhile saving all the property that could possibly be res­cued from the general destruction.

Saturday, Sunday, Monday and Tues­day the water lowered a few inches, and from Depost street east to the gorged ice1 in the bed of the river ran like a mill­race. The work of saving property con­tinued and hundreds gathered on the bluffs and watched the whirling, eddying waters. Wednesday the water continued rising and by 11 o'clock in the morning the ice commenced moving. The alarm was given and· the boats engaged in sav­ing property pulled speedily to the shore.

By 12 o'clock the buildings com­menced moving out, mostly to the cur­rent in the Vermillion, some six or very possibly seven being in the bed of the stream at the same time. The water continued rising until it was at least a foot in height greater than the highest

- 13 -

point previously . reached. Fifty-six buildings \\'ere carried do\\'n and smash­ed to pieces against the gorged ice be­low, among them being the St. Nicholas hotel , the railroad depot, the Congre­gational church, Scharfer's large store and other large store buildings.

The water carried the Chandler House. about 15 feet. The north and northeast corners were knocked out then and the lower story smashed. The Masonic and Odd Fellow building was carried off its foundation and badly wrecked. Every residence on the bottom, except a half­dozen , were either carried away or bad­ly damaged. When the water was at the highest at least 20 buildings were float­ing off at the same time.

During the rise the channel was con­stantly filled with great bodies of float­ing ice, which broke down everything it came in contact with. It packed up again­st the gorged ice in the channel of the space below Depot street. West of the railroad track it had packed the entire distance to Van Meter's grove, so that people could walk on it without difficul:­ty.

Tuesday morning, April 5, the Ver­million river had again cut a channel through the gorged ice to the center of the Missouri , and a strong current car­ried away the backwater which had run up to Vermillion. At the place where the Vermillion entered the Missouri, a large hole was worn in the ice and an eddy formed, in which large ·quantities of broken timbers and immense cakes of ice were .constantly floating around. The main channel of the Missouri and the channel south of the Island were packed full of large cakes of ice from the bend 5 1/2 miles below the city up to Doug­las landing. The water that came through Vermillion ran over the bank east of Judge Kidder's residence, passing along the bluff to the Big Sioux river . The water on the track north of Elk Point at one time being three or four feet deep.

The river above Douglas' landing, as far as could be seen with a field glass was clear of ice. The bottom between Vermillion and Meckling was covered \\'ith ice 6 to 2 0 feet deep. The city

bridge at the mouth of the Vermillion, the government bridge at Miles Rus­sell's , the railroad bridge, the Lee & Prentis bridge, the Bond's bridge were swept away.

On April 14 the snow commenced thawing and weakened the ice in front of the city, so that VermilUon broke through the icy barrier to the narrow open chan­nel along the north of the Island. This allowed the water which covered the city to the depth of from three to ten feet to drain off, leveling ice from one to six feet deep in the streets. By Saturday morning the water had all drained off from that part of the city south of the railroad track and east of the depot street.

The scene from the bluff presented a sickening sp.ectacle. The remaining wooden buildings were, most of them, badly twisted and wrecked, while the streets were covered with the debris of the wrecked buildings strewn around on the slimy, muddy ice. In the upper part of the city, where the buildings were mostly swept away, nothing could be seen but water and ice, the latter being packed up to the roofs of some of

·the remaining buildings.

The terrible calamity which drown­ed and crushed Vermillion seemed in­sufficient to satisfy the fates and it was left to the Vermillion river, swollen to the proportions of the · Missouri at high water, to complete the work of destruc­tion. The · deluge and ice left a good many buildings in Vermillion, but the river "stepped in" and took about 16 of these. The first house to go was Cal Shaw's on April 17. Others followed in quick succession, the awful water fall­ing just in time to save the Chandler House, Col. Jolley's house and Cope­land's house froni a like fate,

Three-fourths of Vermillion was des­troyed . One hundred and thirty-two buildings were totally destroyed and many others wrecked. The total value of the buildings and other property des­troyed in Vermillion, . as estimated by George Wheeler, was $142, 260.

- 14 -

I

' i

' J

RfVER CUTS NEW CHANNEL AND . LEAVES VERMILLION

The Big Muddy ably aided by the Ver­million riv er washed away the town of Vermillion and then left figuring , no doubt, that it had done enough damage.

· Before the flood Vermillion was on the river; after the flood the river was so far away that a steamboat whistle could be heard only when the wind was right.

What happened was that a neGk of land a half-mile across was cut through and a bend in the river a dozen miles long was eliminated. The actual cuttirig of the new channel was described in the Ponca Journal of April 28 . Part of an · eye witn~ss story of the actual act of cutting follows:

''With a mighty roar that could be heard for miles the river broke through and a new channel was made. The pen­insula the Great Bend was one of the lar­gest on the river and was a great burden to the steamboats. Across its neck was only a half-mile. Water ·through the new channel is said to run with immense swiftness. One spot in the course of the new channel was higher than the sur­rounding bottom, and here some 16 to 20 cattle had collected. Rod after rod of the earth on which the animals stood were e~ten away. At last but a few feet of the was left for them to stand on. All at once that little was undermined and with a mighty crash pitched into the seething waters , hurling the cattle into the air for a moment then they disappeared be­neath the waves . "

With the business and residence sec­tions of. Vermillion practically demol­ished, it was the general opinion that it would be wiser.to rebuild on the hill and thus avoid simil11-r disasters in the future . A public meeting was called for May 2 to be held in the Methodist church, which was one of the few buildings on the hi11. At this meeting rebuilding plans were discussed and a majority of those attend­ing were in favor of the move.

A meeting of the city council \\'as called by :\Tayor F . N. Burdick and \\'as held on l\Iay 18. At this meeting neces­sary steps we r e taken looking toward the building of the business section of the town on the hill.

A FINAL NOTE CONCERNING VERMILLION 'S PRESENT LOCATION

A number of the store buildings on the bottom were repaired and moved on to the hill. Lee and Prentis tore down their brick building and used the material to rebuild on the hill. Thompson and Lewis purchased the Jensen drug store building and moved it to their new loca:­tio~ at the corner of Mafh and Market. The Baptist church, which escaped dam­age by the flood , . was moved to the cor­ner of Church and Main street. Many of the buildings that were moved were des­t:royf:rl by the fires of 1883 and 1890. ·

The name of the principal business street was changed from Vine to Main. Some figured that Market street would furnish plenty of room for the new build­ings, but it being only two blocks long most of the stores were located on Main . The section of south Main street was platted before the flood and early sur­veys were not always accurate, as wit­ness the following item in the Standard:

"A new survey of the streets made by Mr. Austin develops the fact that the old survey was radically wrong, and that many of the property owners lose 10 feet off the sides and ends of their lots . There is some grumbling ·arid the end is not yet. "

The above account of the early years of Vermillion serves to reflect some of the labor and toil of the early settlers of Vermillion "In the Years . Gone By."

- 15 -

ST. PAUL'S

EPISCOPAL

CHURCH

Introduction Page 19

Early History - Edith Maude Anderson Page 22

Present History - Rev . Douglas Hiza · Page 25

- 16 -

Wi lliam Hobart Hare

Hugh L. Burl eson

Conr ad H. Gesner

BISHOPS

Frederick Foote Johnson

William Proctor Re mington

Ly man C. Ogi lby

(Bishop Coagutor)

- 1 7 -

George Biller, Jr.

William Blair Roberts

Fl-------,-------- ------- --- --· ··-···

PRtE·stS

' Rev. A. E. Fi 11 more

Rev. Budlong

Rev. E.W. Greene

Rev. James Henderson

Rev. Rainsford Boag

Rev. Graeme Davis

Rev. Dr. John K. Burleson

Rev. J.M.S. McDonald

Rev. A. N. Gilbertson P. H.D .

Rev. Russell B. Hubbard

Rev. D.G.L. Henning

Rev. John W. Schmalstieg

Rev. John R . Caton

Rev. Francis Carri_ngton

Rev. Franz A. Ollerman

Rev. Francis Carrington

Rev. Robert D . Crawford D.D.

Rev. Douglas W. Hiza

- 18 -

1892

1905

1906

1909

1915

1916

1921

1924

1926

1929

1933

1934

1943

1946

1948

1951

1952

1965

1905

1906

19 07

1914

1916

1920

1923

192·6

1929

1932

1936

194.2

1946

1947

1950

1952

1965

~9-t.7

' \

(

-~

1

!

]

l

An attempt has been made, from the various sources available, to construct the history of the Episcopal Church in Vermillion. No complete record has been kept by the Church. However, from existing articles a history of the developments can be established.

The period of 1860-1865 marks the beginning of mission activities in this area of Dakota, and more particularly in and around Vermillion. The follow­ing article gives us some details:

"The activities of the Episcopal Church in Dakota began in 1860 with the influx of settlers into Union, Clay and Charles Mix counties.

"These new settlers arrested the attention of Bishop Joseph C. Talbot, Missionary Bishop of the Northwest, in whose Episcopal territory they had set­tled. In April, 1860, the Reverend Mel­ancthon Hoyt, who held a parish at Sioux City, made a survey trip through the settlements, traversing as far as Ft. Randall, a distance of about 140 miles. He found about 125 families in the dis­trict. Hoyt did not feel that religion was a vital factor to the settlers. It appear­ed to him that the work could best be carried on by a door to door canvass of the homes, preaching where and when it was convenient. At Yankton, Vermillion and Bon Homme. the most promising settlements, Hoyt was promised building sites for churches and parsonages.

"Later in the summer Hoyt, accom­panied by Bishop Talbot, again visited Dakota. They traveled up the river on the Nebraska side and found one Church family, As they returned on the Dakota side, they found three Church families. The first Episcopal services were held during this visit of Bishop Talbot. The Bishop arranged for Hoyt to continue the work through monthly visits to Dakota. Hoyt began his visits at once and during the next few months made three similar trips.

"Interest increased and plans were laid for church edifices at Vermillion and Yankton. A log building, costing $250 and seating 80 people, was com­pleted at Yankton. The people at Ver­million delayed work on their church until the site of the territorial capital was selected. At Elk Point, twenty­two miles up the r~ver from Sioux City, Hoyt found a small group interested in the Church. With these people as a. nu­cleus a promising new station was added in the Dakota field. In all the stations there were very few communicants to be served, but the congregations were large, Nearly every religious person in the settlements showed interest in the work.

"A good harvest and increased im­migration built hopes very high among these s~ttlers in the summer of 1862. To meet the growing demands of the mission, Hoyt moved to Yankton to de­vote all his time to Dakota."

ST. PAUL'S CHOIR

- 19 -

c H

u R c H

0 N

D A K

0 T A

s T R

E E T

- 2(1

The Reredos above the altar was carved out of oak by Rev. Hubbard and the

painting.

..

- 21 -

c I-!

u R

c I-!

0 N

L

I N

D

E N

A

N D

M

A

N

According to all available records , Episcopal church services were first held in Vermillion in 1860 when the town was located on the bottom at the juncture of the Vermillion and Missouri rivers . Rev . M. Hoyt was the first rector , ap­pointed by Bishop W . H. Hare to. take charge of the Mission, as it was then designated • .

The church has been located in five different places since it was established: Under the hill when Vermillion was lo­cated on the bottom; on Church street after the town moved; on High street; on North Dakota street; and finally on Linden avenue.

The first church services of any kind were held in the James McHenry store in March, 1860, and ·were conducted by a missionary.

Episcopal church records up to the year 1879 are rather sketchy. In:Septem­ber, 1872, an item appeared in The Da­kota Republican, Vermillion' s first news­paper:

"The Rt. Rev . Bishop Clarkson of Nebraska will visit this place and preach in St. Paul's church on Sunday. The convocation will meet on Monday at ten o'clock for divine services and Holy Communion. There will be public ser­vices again on Monday evening. On Sundaymorning, baptism, confirmation and communion will be administered."

Rev. P. B. Morrison was rector at that time.

In 1879 Rev . Joshua Vaughn Himes took charge of the church and told as follows of his early experiences:

"I had but few reliable families to take any interest in the Mission. I was kindly received by Captain Runyan , Mr. Shurtleff and Judge Copeland and their families. But the chapel was not fit for use and I held no services there-in, II

His plan was to remove it to the north part of the village, but the flood of 1881 interfered with this idea and the chapel was taken down and removed to the bluff along with the rest of the buildings that survived the flood.

According to Rev. Himes, the chapel

was r econstructed with much labor and located on a beautiful site near the pub­lic school building. The first service in the new chapel was held on June 13 , 1883 , and the sermon was preached by Bishop Clarkson.

The rector was allowed a stipend of one hundred dollars a year and the con­gregation was expected to pay a like amount.

Five churches were located in Ver­million at the time of the flood: Inde­pendent Congregational, Methodist, Con­gregational , Universalist and Baptist, which had no pastor at the time.

Rev. Himes also was in charge of the Episcopal church at Elk Point and conducted regular services there. He held services and conducted Sunday school at Vermillion every two weeks .

In. the spring of 1889 Rev. I. Bingley Garland, an Easterner, was appointed· rector. Rev. Garland had plans for a new parish which were ambitious if not practical. He envisioned a group of buildings that would include a place of worship, a boy's dormitory, class rooms and a residence for the rector.

A half-block on High street, a block north of Main, was obtained and other necessary arrangements were made. A contract was let to a Vermillion con­tractor and work got underway. The buildings were rushed to completion and the church consecration services were held on December 13 . These were at­tended by Bishop Hare, church dignitar­ies and many others.

But this project, which had so aus­picious a start, soon ran into financial difficulties. Many of the outstanding bills had not been paid and action was started by some of the creditors. The boy's school and dormitory had to be given up, and in the early 1890s the church proper and rectory were removed to a five-acre location on North Dakota street. Outside financial help had been obtained and the property on High street was liquidated.

Rev . Albert E. Fillmore was ap­pointed rector in November, 1894, and he was followed by Rev. Budlong and he by Rev . Greene. Rev. James Henderson

- 22 -

The Clark house which was con­structed from the material of the old Church building which stood on Dakota Street.

The Church building which stood on Dakota Street.

Julian ~all, located on the University Campus, now stands where the old Church was located.

- 24 -

(" I

I ...

I. I I !

I

I !

1

The Church, in order to meet the changing needs of its time , began look­ing in 1927 for a new location. The University wanted the property upon which the Church on Dakota Street North was located . After due consideration it was decided to sell the Church and pro­perty to the state of South Dakota for $25, 000. 00. This action took place in 1947 and soon after a new site was pur­chased on the south east corner of Main and Linden.

Additional money was needed to build the new Church. The good people of Ver­million worked hard and gave much of their time and money in support of the Chtirch. $15, 000 was also received from the Women's Unitect Thank Offering nationally. fudividuals and Churches from all over South Dakota contributed to the building of the Church. For example, pews were given by: Mr . and Mrs. J . H. Julian; Mr. and Mrs . J. R. '.Brice; Wo­men Auxiliaries of the Black Hills; Wo­men Auxiliaries of Northern Deanery; Boys of Bishop Hare School; University Students; Women Auxiliaries of Emman­ual Church - Rapid City; Women Auxili­aries of Eastern Deanery; Christ Church Yankton; by the children of Mr. and Mrs. T. C. Maude; Women Auxiliaries of Rose­bud - Central and Southern Deaneries . How fitting indeed to have other Churches in South Dakota support th~ mission of St. Paul's Church. For when students come to the University from all over South Dakota this becomes their church - onetowhichfunds from all over helped to build.

On this well-chosen land three blocks south of the University work began on the new church in 1950. The follow~ year, 1951 , St. Paul's Church was ·de­dicated.

The Rev. Franz A. Ollerman was then Vicar. Father Ollerman was a man of vision and clearly saw the role and pur­pose of the Church when in 1950 he wrote:

"The work in Vermillion must of ne­cessity be of two main types: work with the students and with the people of the town_ . The ministrations to the students must be of one type and to the towns­people of another. Both groups come together in those corporate acts of

worship which never permit ·of division; but the problems that each group faces are of differing character and so are met in different ways . Since the work was or gin ally started by ·Bishop Hare for s tudents primarily, and since they represent the forge majority of active participants in services and in study groups it is only logical that they should receivethevicar's first consideration . The ministration, to the local people has been and will continue to be of equal, even if secondary, importance. "

Father Ollerman accepted a call and left in 1950. His successor was the Rev . Dr. ;Robert D. Crawford, a learned man , who came in the same year. Dr . Craw­ford.has had the longest tenure of anyone serving St. Paul's Church. His ministry lasted thirteen years and will be remem­bered for many years to come for his outstanding preaching ability.

Upon the retirement of Dr. Crawford the Rev. Douglas W. Hiza was sent by Bishop Gesner to be the new Vicar. He arrived and had his first services in June, 1965. He is presently vicar at this time and like those before him wears two hats - one with the University and one with the town.

College work is moving in a different direction at the present time. What used to be thought of as "student work" or Episcopal Chaplain to the church students no longer exists. No longer does one ask how many Episcopal students there are on campus nor is there the need for the traditional Canterbury Club. The reason i s twofold: first the ministry is a TOT AL ministry to .the University and this in- · eludes faculty, administration, graduate students, married students, Christian and non-christian alike - in other words a total ministry to all segments of the University community. Secondly, there are no longer any clubs and few programs since these approaches no lon~er fulfill a need that once existed. Groups of stu­dents and faculty do get together to dis­cuss issues and common concerns but they always do it on an ecumenical basis .

The campus ministry is now a TEAM MINISTRY consisting of the United Churcl¥ the American Baptist , the Methodist and

- 25 -

Mrs. Mary E. Lathrop, an early resident of Vermillion and a member of St. Paul's, was the church organist when the town was on the bottom and later when it moved

onto the hill.

- 26 -

Episcopal Churches. There is one full time chaplain and two men \\'ho sen·e both the L'niversity and a local Church . The Unitecl Campus l\1inistry approach has proven to bP more effective in terms of purpose, better use of available re­sources, and witness on the University campus .

The local congregation of St. Paul's Church is moving in the same direction. It will engage itself in an experimental ecumenical Church School one day during the school week. This is a first for both

THE CHURCH LIBRARY

the comnnmity and \dthin the state of South Dakota, and \\·ill be Yie\\·ed as a dramatic step tm,·ard Church lmity on a gTass roots level. It is also indicative of the openness and honesty that is pre­sent among the people of St. Paul's . They are willing to accept the challenge of the twentieth century and move ahead to ex­citing and demanding new forms of mis­sion . This attitude and responsibility they have accepted and demonstrated in the past and it is with certainty that it will continue in the future .

- 27 -

St. Elizabeth's Mission Home for In­dian boys and girls has been caring for Indi.an children on the Standing Rock Re­s ervation in South Dakota since 1890 . The establishment of St. Elizabeth's Mis­s ion by the Rt. Rev. William Hobart Hare, first Protestant Episcopal Bishop of South Dakota was in 1883 .

The year of 1890 was memorable at St. Elizabeth's for another reason : on July 4 of that year Chief Gall, leader in the spectacular victory of the Sioux at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, where General Custer fell , appeared at the mission to be baptized and brought 29 Indian families with him . Chief Gall is buried in our cemetery and a number of his grandchildren and great grandchil ­dren have attended St. Elizabeth's . Thus during n early three-quarters of a cen­tury this spiritual and educational Chris-

tian center on the great plains west of the Missouri has served and nurtured well over 1, 000 Indian children.

Today the work at St. Elizabeth's a­mong its 40 children is perhaps more important that ever in its history. Sev .,.­enty years ago life on the reservation was largely agricultural , quiet and re­mote. Today our children are challenged with the same problems as other children all over the country in a changing world.

In addition to their Christian edu­cation children at St. Elizabeth's are taught manners, rules of hygiene , mod­ern methods of housekeeping and a sense of responsibility toward jobs to be done, all quite different from the background to which many of them are accm~tomed ,

but most necessary if they are to achieve the goals to which they aspire.

ST . MARY'S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL FOR INDIAN GIRLS -- Established in 1873 , Springfield , South Dakota.

- 28 -

/

ALL SAINTS DAY SCHOOL Sioux Falls, South Dakota

- 29 -

RECOGNtTtONS

Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. Maude, longtim e m emb ers of St. Paul's Episcopa l church, were born in England and came to this country in 188 1. They first liv ed in Le Mars and came to Clay County in 1892, living in th e Burbank vicinity and Vermillion until th e ir de aths. Both Mr. and Mrs. Maude were staunch supporters of the Church. Mr. Maude was a warden and a memb er of the Church vestry for over 40 years.

\\i ll i :-i m L Sh:-!\\ .\ col\tc , 1947

Th e above picture is Ti ev . Herbert Noel Cunnington who through Bishop Rob erts ha d arranged, wh en Trinity Church in Hartford, Conn e cticut, w a s be ­in g r emodell ed and r e furnish ed , to have th e ir old alt a r s ent to th e church in Ve rmillion, South Da kota .

- :rn -

H. W. Frankenfeld Lay Read er 1946

RECOONtTtONS

Edw in H. Shaw Jr. Lay Reader, 1943

to 1945

Robert L. Slagle Lay Reader President of the U.

of South Dakota

Mrs. Anderson was assisted in preparing the history by Austin H. Lathorp, who formerly was a m ember of St. Paul's Church.

A name which stands out in connection with th e Boy 's Home at Mission, South Dakota, is that of Captain Fred M. Nussbaum. ft is an honor to include his name in this book as on e to be rem embered.

- 31 -

liev. C:1rrington

,. .... .... . ~-·.~ ~ . .:,Jo:

Rev. F ill more

\~ '~~-­llrt· ~-:· - _ .. "'-'.-

\l1rn , . is :1 pit" l lll'l' <> f till' f o 1· m< 'I" .\.II.

:1i111"0Jl hnrn ,· i n \""rmiliinn . This housl'

"'. ~ l1u ilt i11 I ~7 :2 . . \lrs. 1.:1i!ffnp "' :1s :1

1• ''"! 1 ,· 1· of :-;t . l'·1ul ' s 1·11is c op:1 l church

'.'. l:-- it~ 111 ·~ !lli:-.;t rn1· ! Jll l1 11 11l ' l' of_'• l':t l'S.

! 'j ..... !11Hl:--:t· i~ ....:lif1Jln~1·tl ~ll ht• till' nJ d('S l ! . t ..... : I ! t 1: (' l ' i tl \ ~ 1 · i' I ! ! l ' ) I

He\·. Henning

Hev . Hencl e rson