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and a store. The two last mentioned structures were located on what is now north Phillips avenue, near three small houses Upon the map showing the survey made in August, 1859, this stone house is located on the northwest quarter of section sixteen, and was called the " Dubuque House, '' but the fact is, it was located on the southwest quarter of section nine, near the south line of the section, and was on what is now lot twelve or thirteen of block twenty-live in Syndicate Addition. Several of the party went back to Sioux City, leaving only six men in the settlement These pursued their labors undisturbed by the Indians, save once, when some of the men run across a small party near the settlement, but they retreated as hastily as the settlers, and so caused no alarm. On October 10, however. Towards evening, about a dozen Indians rode down over the bluffs, and terrifying the men with their yells, surrounded the one pair of oxen which had been left, and before the astonished settlers came to their senses, had driven them away Four of the men undertook to follow the Indians, leaving two to guard the camp, but their efforts to rescue the oxen were unavailing, and they soon returned to spend an anxious night The Indians were known to be hostile and another and more serious attack was momentarily expected. With the breaking day their fears were somewhat allayed, and the arrival of Mr. Brookings, who had been absent for some days, helped to encourage them. The days passed away uneventfully ally until the meddle of October, when the Dakota Land Company sent a party of seven men to look after their interests, and the entire population now began to make preparations for passing the winter at the Falls. At the time winter set in they were in a fairly comfortable condition, having besides the sawmill and store building, three dwelling houses, one of them the stone one already mentioned. The men who spent the winter at the Falls were as follows Messrs. W W Brookings, J. L. Phillips, John McClellan, L B. Atwood, A L Kilgore, Smith Kinsey, Charles McConnell, R B McKinley, S. D and E M. Brookings, representing the Western Town Company, and James L Fiske, James McBride, James W Evans. James Allen, William Little, James McCall and C Merrill representing the Dakota Land Company Sioux Falls settlement was under the jurisdiction At this time the lion of the Territory of Minnesota, and in what is known as Big Sioux county, which then comprised not only the present County of Minnehaha, but also a large portion of the adjacent region, and in December the governor of Minnesota appointed the following officers for the county, Sioux Falls being the only settlement James Allen, sheriff; James L Fiske, Judge of register of deeds, James Evans, sheriff probate, W W Brookings, destruct attorney; J L Phillips, Justice of the peace, Wm. Little, James McBride and A L. Kilgore, commissioners, but there are no records showing that the officials qualified or acted under their appointment. In May, 1858, Minnesota was admitted to the union, thus leaving
All the country west of it in an unorganized condition. During this spring a number of other settlers came, among them the first white woman who came to the Territory to settle. This was a Mrs. Goodwin who came early in May with her husband. Soon after, Charles White with his wife and daughter came.
In the latter part of June, the Indians again rose and drove all the settlers from the upper part of the Sioux Valley, including the settlement at Medary, burning all buildings and destroying property. They sent a message to the settlement at Sioux Falls, demanding its immediate evacuation, but by that time the population numbered thirty-five able-bodied men, who were not to be easily driven from the place they had hoped to make a home. A consultation was held, and it was decided to take measures for defense. A sod fort was built surrounding the house already mentioned as being near where The Burlington depot now stands, and here at picket the people gathered, and a guard was detailed, the men serving in turns. Scarcely were these preparations completed, when a delegation of Indians visited the Falls and advised the people to leave. The settlers pluckily " held the fort until the excitement was over, and the Indians once more quieted, but it is not to be wondered at, that many of them had too great a dread of passing through another period of such suspense and fear, and when they could at last withdraw without leaving their companions in danger, they did so, and the population of Sioux Falls City was materially reduced. A few years ago, a clipping from a newspaper. published some time during the seventies. came into the writer 's possession, and as it is a copy of a letter written by one of the occupants of Fort Sod, in June, 1858, giving a graphic account of the life led in Sioux Falls thirty-five men and one woman, it is transferred to at that time by thirtythis work. If this should happen to arrest the attention of any of the occupants of old Fort Sod, it would undoubtedly surprise them that they had forgotten so much of the sufferings they had passed through. But here it is just as we have it:
Cleveland, Ohio, March 8th. 1875
Friend Taylor : In looking over ancient home letters, I found the enclosed to my father which may give you an idea of what trials and difficulties the old settlers at Sioux Falls labored under seventeen years ago, when they treed to make homes there
Supplementary to the letter should be added, how we were confined six weeks at the old Fort. and how our provisions ran out-with the exception of a barrel of caked musty flour, which we chopped out and then pounded for use, and how we lived on that fresh pickerel and pike with out lard or salt-and how we daily grew poor In mesh and weak in spirits, and how at last DeWitt, Fort Edwards, N. Y ) made their appearance with a horse and and a companion (Brown, now at buggy bringing a sack of flour, a half bushel of beans, some pork, sugar and coffee , having circommented the Indians by taking a roundabout route through northern Iowa, and how the half Falstaff's army, to welcome. Even more starved garrison marched out in battle array, rivaling Falstaff could be said, but have you not ex-Mayor Dewitt, as a fellow citizen of yours to apply to for additional facts. and Major Evans to corroborate them.
Fort Sod, Sioux Falls, D T , June 17th, 1858
Dear Father. We are In a state of excitement at the present time Last Sunday a half-breed, who had been acting as interpreter at Medary reached here, stating that one hundred lodges of Indians (Yankonals) had arrived at that place and ordered our townsite men away.
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