Ghost towns and almost ghost towns of Bon Homme County, South Dakota
Bon Homme County
ABOUT
Bon Homme County (/ˈbɑːn əm/ BAHN əm; French: Comté de bon homme)[1] is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,003.[2] Its county seat is Tyndall.[3]
HISTORYBon Homme County was created in 1862. "Bon Homme" was first used by Lewis and Clark in 1804 as the name for a 2,000 acre island in the Missouri River. When settlers arrived in the late 1850s they borrowed the name, and when the county was created it was named for the village of Bon Homme. A proposal to change the county name to "Jefferson" in 1865 was rejected. The French word "bonhomme" means "good man."[4][5] The original island is now submerged under Lewis and Clark Lake.[6] The village of Bon Homme was the original county seat until 1885, when it moved to Tyndall.[7]
Bon Homme County is the point of origin for the Siberian alien, Kali tragus, a type of tumbleweed, first reported here in 1877, probably introduced in a shipment of flax seed from Ukraine.[8]
Bon Homme county, named for Bon Homme island, was created by the first legislature on April 5, 1862. It was organized by Governor Jayne through the appointment of Byron M. Smith, Laban H. Litchfield, and Henry Hartsough as commissioners. Bon Homme village was made the county seat by the organic act. Being upon the Missouri river, it was explored by the earliest voyageurs. Lewis and Clarke, in 1804, who found the island already named and known by its present appellation. The first settler was Zephyr Renconter, who built a trading station on Bon Homme island in 1828. He and his half Indian offspring continued to live there and in the vicinity for forty years. The modern settlement was made July 10, 1859, upon the opening of the reservation, by John H. Shober and a party from Mantorville, Minnesota. Shober and his party had attempted a settlement the previous year, but their log buildings were destroyed and thrown into the river by a detail of soldiers from Fort Randall, sent down to keep trespassers off the Indian lands. Among the settlers of 1859 were Mrs. Rounds and children, Dr. Wallace, Mr. Gifford and family, Nathan McDaniels and family, Thomas Tate, L. H. Litchfield, William Hammond, and Daniel P. Bradford. In the spring of 1860 these settlers built the first school house in Dakota and established a school of ten pupils under Miss Emma Bradford. The towns of the county are Scotland, Springfield, Tyndall, and Avon. Tyndall is the county seat. Two lines of the Milwaukee Railway cross at Tyndall. A state normal school is located at Springfield, founded in 1898. It is a rich agricultural section. Samuel G. Irish was first territorial treasurer. Laban H. Lichfield, United States marshal, 1863-70. Robert Dollard was attorney general from statehood until 1893. George W. Snow is lieutenant governor. James D. Elliott is United States district attorney. Florenzo G. Hale was regent of education 1893-6. The county contains 569 square miles and had 9,570 people in 1900.
Source: History of South Dakota, Vol. I by Doane Robinson, 1904
TOWNS
Andrus
Post office 1889-1914. Location:
Latitude: 42.8805533
Longitude: -98.1125743
Springfield, Bon Homme Co., SD Centennial Book
This file contains part of the full text of the book,
"Springfield South Dakota Centennial July 1970".
Scanning and OCR by Joy Fisher, sdgenweb@yahoo.com This file
may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit
organizations for their private use.
Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval
system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other
means requires the written approval of the file's author.
Permission to post the full text of this book granted by
the editor of the Springfield Times.
This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at
http://usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm
Ghost Towns Revisited
A number of post offices and small towns were founded in the Springfield area over the years from early settlement of the county, many of these having since fallen victim of the changing times.
ANDRUS
Andrus, also having passed out of existence some time ago, was located on Choteau Creek, about 18 miles west of Springfield. Joseph Krejci managed a large flour mill there, known as the Andrus Roller Mill. It burned in 1894. Maj. W. D. E. Andrus had a small general merchandise store, later was succeeded by Andrus & Schwerdtmann and finally a Mrs. Tinker conducted the business.
George Trumbo was postmaster at Chouteau Creek, near Andrus at one time and also this was a stopping place for the stage and others on their way to Ft. Randall and the up hill country, as it was called in the early days.
Andrus, Bon Homme Co., SD - 1916 Business Directory
This information extracted from the "Northwestern Gazetteer and
Business Directory", vol. XX (1916-1917), published by R. L.
Polk & Co.
Data transcribed by Joy Fisher, sdgenweb@yahoo.com. This file
may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations
for their private use. All other rights reserved.
Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval
system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other
means requires the written approval of the file's author.
This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at
http://usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm
ANDRUS. Bon Homme County. A discontinued p o 11 miles s w of Avon on
the C M & St P Ry the banking and shipping point. Mail by R F D from Springfield.
(No businesses listed)
Blaha
Post office (1910/1927)
GPS Coordinates
Bon Homme
Post office (1861/1903)
Oldest of all was Bon Homme, which was settled in 1858 by George T. Rounds and others and the next year the first school house in Dakota Territory was erected there.
Bon Homme was 20 miles west of Yankton, the capital of the Territory; the first-class line of four-horse coaches ran regularly from Sioux City to Fort Randall via Yankton and Bon Homme, at which place there was a steamboat landing, the town being situated on a level plateau 30 feet above the Missouri river.
In 1861, when Dakota Territory was established, Bon Homme was on the way to becoming quite a metropolis. The act creating the county in 1862 located the county seat at Bon Homme. The town had been advertised throughout the East. Hugh Fraley and his son, Benton, arrived and built the famous Fraley Hotel. The year of 1864 was a crucial one. The rains did not come, but the grasshoppers arrived in hordes and cleared the country of all vegetation; many families left the village, among those who remained were the Bradfords, Rounds and Fraleys, who really took over the fatherhood of Bon Homme and began to prepare for the new type of settler who would make his way west after the war was over. They were rewarded in 1865 with a bumper crop; there were 25 pupils in school that year and $36 was paid out for the services of a teacher.
New settlers came by stage and by steamboat. Pilots often brought back from the upper Missouri over a million dollars worth of gold dust. In 1870, anticipating the Bon Homme boom, the townsite was replatted. New stores were added to the old ones; a public hall, church and blacksmith shop, and other business places were added. In the late '70's, a Methodist Church was built; a small Catholic Church, about four miles north of town, was served by a priest from Yankton; In 1877, a Congregational Church was organized.
The railroads became both a blessing and a menace to Bon Homme. In 1873. the Dakota Southern steamed into Yankton and stopped. This was a boom for Bon Homme, for people could come by rail to within 20 miles of town. The people of Bon Homme were certain that in a short time the railroad would be extended to their village; but when the branch road was built from Marion Junction to Runningwater, passing through Scotland and Tyndall, Bon Homme was left out, and changes began to occur. Business places moved to the railroad towns, and the exodus became greater. In 1885 when the county seat was moved to Tyndall, the downfall of the town marked the beginning of a country community.
Bonhomme, Bon Homme Co., SD - 1916 Business Directory
This information extracted from the "Northwestern Gazetteer and
Business Directory", vol. XX (1916-1917), published by R. L.
Polk & Co.
Data transcribed by Joy Fisher, sdgenweb@yahoo.com. This file
may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations
for their private use. All other rights reserved.
Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval
system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other
means requires the written approval of the file's author.
This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at
http://usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm
BONHOMME. Bon Homme county. A discontinued p o 7 miles s w
of Tabor on the C M & St P Ry, the banking and shipping point and
p o which see for names.
(No businesses listed)
Bonhomme City
Post office (1859-1861)
Choteau
Post office (1865-1868)
Choteau Creek
Post office (1870-1892)
Clarno
Post office (1873-1875)
Dalystown
Post office (1880-1892)
In the latter part of the 1870's a postoffice, known as Dalystown, was located at Egbert Hornstra's place west of Springfield and he was the postmaster. This was continued for some years. Part of the time this office was supplied with mail by voluntary messengers. It was finally discontinued for want of patronage.
Danbury
Post office (1879-1880)
Dayton
Post office (1873-1874)
Emanuel
Post office (1868-1871)
Hawlejek
Post office (1872-1892)
There were many stage coach stops along the way after the travelers left Yankton. The first stop west of Yankton was 9 miles at Lakeport which was established in 1861. Continuing on west for another five miles was
Hawlejek established in 1872 as a post office. Five miles west of Hawlejek was the village of Bon Homme platted out in the fall of 1858. Springfield was next along the bluffs of the Missouri River located 8 miles west of Bon Homme. Moving on west of Springfield four miles travelers came across Emmanuel Creek followed by Choteau Creek in 16 miles. (Source: Discover Bon Homme)
Kingsburg
Post office (1913-1940)
Post office (1874-1879)
Loretta
Post office (1882-1910)
Post office (1871-1877)
Mineral Springs
Post office (1871-1880)
Myrtle
Post office (1883-1902)
Perkins
Post office (1897-1907)
Perkins was founded by Capt. Joseph Leach of Running Water. There was a general store, postoffice, church. blacksmith shop and dance hall. The last operating business, the general store, closed over a year ago. Perkins is about five miles west of Springfield.
Pleasant Mound
Post office (1874-1876)
Running Water
Post office (1880-1940)
About January, 1860, Henry Brooks, at one time a member of the territorial legislature and for many years one of the leading citizens of Bon Homme county, settled at what afterwards became known as Running Water on the Missouri River, 14 miles southwest of Springfield, with the hope and confidence that it would one day become one of the large cities on the river, as the crossing point of one or more of the great railroad systems of the northwest.
He built his dwelling house and moved into it about June, 1860, and from then until his death was a resident there. He was the first postmaster of his settlement, which was called Mineral Springs, and continued in the office until the town of Running Water was platted In 1880, then becoming his own successor. Business establishments were the general store, founded by Brooks in 1884, the Running Water Hotel and a blacksmith shop. The town was the headquarters of the Missouri River Transportation Company, which had a fleet of steamboats running between Sioux City and up-river points, put in service by Capt. Joseph Leach.
When the railroad had been completed to Marion Junction, it was decided to extend a branch line to Running Water In 1879 with a view of bridging the Missouri as it was so narrow at this part. After being extended there, the project was abandoned and in its place the Niobrara transfer was established. It consisted of a large flat boat, propelled by steam and designed for transportation of emigrants' stock and movables. It plied between Running Water and Niobrara, which was very dangerous on account of treacherous sand, rapid current and floating debris, so those who could afford the fee chose the method of crossing by boat and soon the ford was abandoned, except by a stray horse thief or a few marauding reds from either shore.
Up to this time Running Water had consisted of a few frame dwellings, a veterinarian and 30 citizens. Upon the event of the railroad a sudden and remarkable change took place in this unpretentious spot. Rumor had It that the town was on the mainline of the railroad to the Black Hills, the price of land shot up to an exorbitant figure; land speculators and prospectors of all creeds and nationalities came to the neighborhood.
Many, after carefully surveying the situation, shook their heads and departed while others remained, deluded by the belief that they had found their Hesperides.
At that time there was a population of 1,800 persons in the neighborhood, composed of cattleman, land sharks, gamblers, a few outlaws and a sprinkling of murderers from Nebraska. In the early 1880 a newspaper was also printed in the town.
In the early 1900s the town contained about 20 houses and a population of perhaps 100. It had a postoffice, hotel, dry goods store, depot, two elevators, a Catholic church and a school located one-half mile northeast of the main part of town. Mrs. Brooks and son Frank ran the hotel and dry goods store.
The Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul line ended at Running Water and ran a passenger and freight train daily. Capt. Joseph Leach was the owner of most of the local river vessels and named them after his daughters, two of them being Susie B. and Little Maud.
Interesting places along the river included Brooks Cave, Hangman's Tree and the Devil's Nest. Henry Books was said to have hidden from Indians in the cave on the precipitous bluff, access to which was very difficult as the steep path had eroded badly.
Today a ferry plies between Running Water and Niobrara, Nebr., in season.
Some families live in the village but no businesses are operating.
Sipes
Post office (1901-1902)
Tacketts Station
Post office (1864-1865)
Vodnany
Post office (1892-1906)
Location: Latitude: 43.1319374 Longitude: -97.8822918
Post office (1874/1897)
(1877-1888)
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