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Welcome to the
Prairie Newsletter
Prairie Newsletter
This is the happenings specific to White River and stoires on people we know from surrounding areas and communities. If you'd like to help and send in memories of events and where you live, history of your family homestead, memories of main street shopping and visiting after church, those quilting bees, socials and more we'll be happy to put them up in their own section. Feel free to email in happenings and stories of what's going on today as well! If you need to get the word out without waiting a week this is the place to do it! Send it in.
This website is here for the community by the community... here to fill in the blanks... there is no website without you, sharing what's going on in your life and making sure everyone is up to date and aware of what's going on ! Thank you!
submission@
prairienewsletter.org
submission@
prairienewsletter.org
To White River
Updates on Community
People in the News
Copyright 2009 - 11 © "South Dakota Scripting" All Rights are Reserved -
E-mail: info@prairienewsletter.org
E-mail: info@prairienewsletter.org
Area Memories
WRSD Teachers of the Year
White River History
White River History:
The Jackson brothers, sons of a former governor of Iowa, and Don Foster, Opie Chambers and E.O. Patterson, organized the Western Townsite Company for the purpose of promoting and developing townsites on the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad through the Rosebud Country.
They, with the help of C.P. Jordan and several other men, selected the SW quarter of Sec. 35 42/35, which was one half mile east of the little White River, as the location for the town of White River. The first post office was located at Red Wing, with Jesse Brown as postmaster. In June of 1911, the name was changed to White River, and in January of 1912 the post office was moved uptown into the J.B. Brown store. In January of 1912 it was petitioned that White River be designated as the temporary filing point for homesteaders in Mellette County by the Land Office Department in Washington DC.
The filing on these homesteads begain in May 1912 and it is estimated that over 3,000 strangers were provided with food and lodging during this time. In March of 1912 White River boasted of the J.S. Hight Store, Tomsik Hotel, Steve Estes Livery Stable, a lumber yard, Rasmussen's Butcher Shop and Kaiser's Hardware. In a short time three general stores, an exclusive grocery store, a drug store, meat market, furniture store, two banks and other lines of business comprised the business interests of the town.
Two devistating fires, one in 1924 and one in 1971, wiped out one complete block of businesses on the west side of the street with the exception of one small concrete building. Only the WigWam store has been built to replace the 1971 loss. However, new busineses have located elsewhere within the city limits.
Taken from "Mellette County 1911 to 1986" , a book by the Mellette County Historical Society... copies of which can still be obtained in many places today. If interested I suggest starting with the Ranchland Drug Store and their selection of local history books written by local residents.
The Jackson brothers, sons of a former governor of Iowa, and Don Foster, Opie Chambers and E.O. Patterson, organized the Western Townsite Company for the purpose of promoting and developing townsites on the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad through the Rosebud Country.
They, with the help of C.P. Jordan and several other men, selected the SW quarter of Sec. 35 42/35, which was one half mile east of the little White River, as the location for the town of White River. The first post office was located at Red Wing, with Jesse Brown as postmaster. In June of 1911, the name was changed to White River, and in January of 1912 the post office was moved uptown into the J.B. Brown store. In January of 1912 it was petitioned that White River be designated as the temporary filing point for homesteaders in Mellette County by the Land Office Department in Washington DC.
The filing on these homesteads begain in May 1912 and it is estimated that over 3,000 strangers were provided with food and lodging during this time. In March of 1912 White River boasted of the J.S. Hight Store, Tomsik Hotel, Steve Estes Livery Stable, a lumber yard, Rasmussen's Butcher Shop and Kaiser's Hardware. In a short time three general stores, an exclusive grocery store, a drug store, meat market, furniture store, two banks and other lines of business comprised the business interests of the town.
Two devistating fires, one in 1924 and one in 1971, wiped out one complete block of businesses on the west side of the street with the exception of one small concrete building. Only the WigWam store has been built to replace the 1971 loss. However, new busineses have located elsewhere within the city limits.
Taken from "Mellette County 1911 to 1986" , a book by the Mellette County Historical Society... copies of which can still be obtained in many places today. If interested I suggest starting with the Ranchland Drug Store and their selection of local history books written by local residents.
Updates on friends and families! Click here to see what they are up to now!
Laura Kirsch Hall of Fame
Jan Rasmussen
Laura Kirsch again
Image curtesty of Kendra Becker
2010 BBB State B Champs!
Jerod S. showing
everyone how it's done!
everyone how it's done!
1998- Carrie Schumacher
1999- Carolyn Shouldis
2000- John Hockett
2001- Tracy Tucker
2002- Cella Hermsen
2003- Deb Zens
2004- Bobbi Kelley
2005- Dixie Linn-Norberg
2006- Dorothy Bligh
2007- Katie Jensen
2008- Michelle Levi
2009- Alice Cameron
2010- Helen Schwarting and ESA Region 6 Teacher of the Year
Staff Recognition:
Jeannine Woodward 30 yrs
John Hockett 26 yrs
Rose Hockett 22 yrs
Dorothy Richardson 21 yrs
5 years- Carol Powell, Charlene Arrow, Karla Heyduk, Bridget Williams, Shannon Olson, Kendra Earll, Kendra Becker
10 years- Peri Strain
15 years- Helen Schwarting
20 years- Cliff Shouldis
25 years- Leroy Morrison
1999- Carolyn Shouldis
2000- John Hockett
2001- Tracy Tucker
2002- Cella Hermsen
2003- Deb Zens
2004- Bobbi Kelley
2005- Dixie Linn-Norberg
2006- Dorothy Bligh
2007- Katie Jensen
2008- Michelle Levi
2009- Alice Cameron
2010- Helen Schwarting and ESA Region 6 Teacher of the Year
Staff Recognition:
Jeannine Woodward 30 yrs
John Hockett 26 yrs
Rose Hockett 22 yrs
Dorothy Richardson 21 yrs
5 years- Carol Powell, Charlene Arrow, Karla Heyduk, Bridget Williams, Shannon Olson, Kendra Earll, Kendra Becker
10 years- Peri Strain
15 years- Helen Schwarting
20 years- Cliff Shouldis
25 years- Leroy Morrison
WR Nazarene Church has visiting youth groups helping out!
The Nazarene Church is building a garage/compassionate ministries building. Half will be a garage for storage and the other half will be for clothing storage for the compassionate ministry program, as well as a space to use for VBS, or woman's ministry. PHOTO
The Nazarene Church is building a garage/compassionate ministries building. Half will be a garage for storage and the other half will be for clothing storage for the compassionate ministry program, as well as a space to use for VBS, or woman's ministry. PHOTO