Homesteaders of the Tyree Basin - Pioneer Review

Area News
General William S. Harney
Pennington County Courant • June 6, 2013 • Page 2
Letters to the Editor
Gen. William S. Harney and his
men swept through the heart of
Lakota country in the fall of 1855.
Harney was one of the bestknown
military figures in the
United States between the War of
1812 and the War Between the
States.
He chased the last remaining pirates
of Jean Lafitte in Louisiana,
fought in the Black Hawk War, led
the cavalry in the Mexican War, almost
caused a war with Great
Britain in the Pacific Northwest
and was both a fighter and peacemaker
with American Indians.
He was at Fort Laramie in
southeast Wyoming when he was
called upon to assert the might of
the United States government
against American Indians.
In 1854, a group of Mormons
that was headed west left a lame
cow untethered at Fort Laramie.
American Indians killed the cow
for food. Lt. J.L. Grattan led 29
men from Fort Laramie to the Indian
camp to find the guilty party.
Negotiations grew heated, and a
shot was fired. The result was the
death of all the soldiers and the beginning
of some 30 years of intermittent
warfare on the northern
plains.
Harney was sent to avenge the
killing of the soldiers. He and his
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Publisher:
Don Ravellette
General Manager of
Operations:
Kelly Penticoff
Office Manager/Graphics:
Ann Clark
Staff Writer:
Laurie Hindman
men arrived at Ash Hollow along
the North Platte River in presentday
Garden County, Neb., on Sept.
2, 1855, where Little Thunder’s
Brulé band was camped. Although
Little Thunder and other American
Indian leaders came forward
with a white flag, Harney refused
to talk peace with them, nor did he
shake Little Thunder’s outstretched
hand.
As the American Indian leaders
disappeared from sight, Harney
ordered the infantry to charge. In
the end, four soldiers and 86 American
Indians, including women and
children, were killed. Seventy
more American Indians, mostly
women and children, were taken
prisoner.
Harney returned to Fort
Laramie, but realized he had intimidated
only a portion of the
Lakota with this show of force. He
and about 425 troops left on Sept.
29, 1855, for Fort Pierre.
The federal government had recently
purchased the former fur
trading post north of the presentday
town of Fort Pierre.
Harney and his men arrived at
Fort Pierre in a sleet and snowstorm
on Oct. 20, only to find dilapidated
buildings and no nearby
hay and wood .
Harney abandoned Fort Pierre
in 1857. Before doing so, he had
called a peace council that included
all the western bands of
Lakota.
A treaty was negotiated which
for the first time provided an Indian
police force to preserve the
peace. The treaty was rejected by
the U.S. Senate.
While still at Fort Pierre, Harney
also found a suitable site for a
fort along the Missouri River. He
courant@gwtc.net
Pennington
County Courant
established Fort Randall about 110
miles by river above Yankton. Fort
Randall was a strategic site in
western frontier defense.
In order to end fighting throughout
the Great Plains, Congress established
the Indian Peace Commission
of 1867. Harney served on
this commission. American Indians
he had fought now saw him
come to make peace.
During the councils, Harney became
the defender of American Indians.
He stressed their need for
food and clothing.
He was later placed in charge of
the administrative district known
as the Great Sioux Reservation.
This included all the land west of
the Missouri River in present-day
South Dakota.
Overseeing the Great Sioux
U.S.P.S 425-720
South Dakota Newspaper Association
Subscription Rates: In Pennington
County and those having Kadoka,
Belvidere, Cottonwood, Elm Springs, Interior,
Philip, Midland, Milesville, and Cedar
Pass addresses: $35.00 per year; PLUS
applicable sales tax. In-State: $42.00 per
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State: $42.00 per year.
Periodicals Postage Paid at Wall, SD.
Postmaster
Send change of address notices to:
Pennington Co. Courant
PO Box 435
Wall, SD 57790-0435.
Established in 1906. The Pennington
Co. Courant, an official newspaper of Pennington
County, the towns of Wall, Quinn
and Wasta, and the school district in Wall,
SD, is published weekly by Ravellette Publications,
Inc. The Pennington County
Courant office is located on the corner of
4th Ave. and Norris St. in Wall, SD.
Telephone: (605)279-2565
FAX: (605)279-2965
E-mail Address: courant@gwtc.net
Copyrighted 1982: Ravellette Publications,
Inc. All rights reserved. Nothing may
be reprinted, photocopied, or in any way reproduced
from this publication, in whole or
in part, without the written consent of the
publisher.
College News
The following area student was
recognized by the Nebraska College
of Technical Agriculture for
her academic performance for the
Spring 2013 Semster.
Dean’s Honor Roll: To qualify a
student must earn a grade point
average of at least 3.5 on a 4-point
scale.
•Melissa A. McConnell,
Creighton.
Four hundred and thirteen students
participated in the Augustana
College Commencement ceremony
on Saturday, May 25, at the
Elmen Center.
•Hollie Bloom from Scenic,
S.D., was awarded a Bachelor
of Arts degree.
The University of Sioux Falls
has released its Dean’s List for
Governor Daugaard to appoint
Vern Larson as Commissioner
of School and Public Lands
Governor Dennis Daugaard announced
he will appoint Vern Larson
of Vivian as Commissioner of
School and Public Lands.
“Vern Larson is well-known to
South Dakotans, and the voters
have placed their confidence in
him again and again,” said Governor
Daugaard. “As State Auditor
and State Treasurer, Vern was a
prudent steward of state assets,
and I know he will bring that same
sound management to the Office of
School and Public Lands.”
Last month, Commissioner Jar-
Reservation was Harney’s last government
job. He died in Orlando,
Fla., on May 9, 1889.
His name lives on in South
Dakota. The peak he might have
observed in the distance as he and
his troops skirted the Black Hills
in 1855 was named Harney Peak
in his honor by Lt. G.K. Warren
while on a survey expedition in
1857.
This moment in South Dakota
history is provided by the South
Dakota Historical Society Foundation,
the nonprofit fundraising
partner of the South Dakota State
Historical Society.
Find us on the web at
www.sdhsf.org.
Contact us at info@sdhsf.org to
submit a story idea.
Conservation Stewardship Program
applications due by June 14
The Natural Resources Conservation
Service’s Conservation
Stewardship Program (CSP) will
provide about $175 million in
funding for up to 12.6 million additional
acres enrollment this year.
Although applications are accepted
all year, farmers, ranchers
and forestland owners interested
in CSP should submit applications
by June 14 to their local NRCS office
to ensure they are considered
for this year’s funding. The deadline
was extended from May 31.
“CSP is different than our other
financial assistance programs,”
said NRCS Acting Chief Jason
Weller. “It offers payments to producers
who maintain a high level
of conservation on their land and
agree to adopt higher levels of
stewardship. It’s about conservation
activities on the entire operation,
focusing on multiple resource
concerns.”
South Dakota CSP Coordinator,
Jessica Michalski, states “CSP has
been an extremely successful program
in South Dakota. Many SD
producers are interested in continuing
a tradition of improving our
states’ natural resources and increasing
productivity of their operations
by enrolling in this voluntary
program.”
Playing a significant part in conserving
and improving our nation’s
resources, producers enrolled an
additional 12.1 million acres in
CSP last year, bringing the total
number of acres to more than 50
million. South Dakota currently
has over 1100 contracts totaling
more than 2.9 million acres.
Many of the CSP enhancements
improve soil quality, which helps
land become more resilient to extreme
weather. Several other improvements
are available for producers,
including intensive rotational
grazing, intercropping and
wildlife friendly fencing.
Because of the extreme weather
in 2012, more interest and participation
in the cover crop enhancements
is expected this year, according
to NRCS experts.
A CSP self-screening checklist is
available to help producers determine
if the program is suitable for
their operation. The checklist
highlights basic information about
CSP eligibility requirements, stewardship
threshold requirements
and payment types.
For the checklist and additional
information, visit the CSP website
(http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/por
tal/nrcs/main/national/programs/fi
nancial/csp/), visit your local
USDA NRCS office, or contact
South Dakota CSP Coordinator,
Jessica Michalski at (605) 532-
3686 Ext. 4.
spring semester 2013. To qualify
for the Dean’s List, a student must
achieve a semester grade point average
of 3.5 or greater on a 4.0
scale.
The following local student
made the Spring 2013 University
of Sioux Falls Dean’s List:
•Jess Williams (sophomore),
Wall, S.D., Theology and Philosophy
Major.
Local graduates from Western
Dakota Tech
The following Western Dakota
Tech students from the Wall area
graduated during our May 2013
commencement.
•Bryn McKay, Welding Manufacturing.
rod Johnson resigned from office,
effective August 15.
The Governor’s appointment of
Larson will be effective at the
same time. Larson will serve out
the remainder of the term, which
ends in January 2015, but he will
not be a candidate for the office in
2014.
“I’m honored and humbled to accept
this appointment,” said Larson.
“I look forward to serving our
state in this office.”
Larson is a native of Vivian. He
was elected State Auditor in 1978
and re-elected five times, serving
from 1979-2003.
In 2002, he was elected State
Treasurer, serving two terms from
2003-2011.
A Letter to America
America is headed straight towards
destruction. And this destruction
will come as a judgment
from God. This judgment can only
be averted is we seek God and turn
ourselves and our country around.
Responsibility for the ungodliness
which now prevails in our
great country belongs to each one
of us. But why me, you are probably
thinking, to yourself. Because
God says so! You see, God is going
to hold us responsible for everything.
For what we have done and
for what we have failed to do.
In the Word of God (the Holy
Bible) it says, “Let us hear the conclusion
of the whole matter: Fear
God, and keep his commandments;
for this is the whole duty of man”
(Ecclesiastes 12:13).
We failed our duty in many different
ways!
We stood by as our nation was
being corrupted and perverted,
and we let ungodliness seep into
every aspect of our lives. Everything
which God considers abomination
is now accepted in America.
Some of our political leaders
now brazenly support things
which God Almighty called wicked
and abominable.
Letters policy
The Pennington County Courant welcomes letters concerning
comments on any news story or local happening. All letters must
be signed by the author. We reserve the right to edit any offensive
material and also to edit to fill the allotted space. The “Letters”
column is the reader’s chance to write to the rest of the
readers and to state their views on any subject. We believe this
column protects the First Amendment right of free speech and
urge you to make your feelings known.
Governor’s Mansion tours to resume
The third season of free weekly
tours at the South Dakota Governor’s
Mansion will begin next
month.
First Lady Linda Daugaard said
she and the Governor are happy to
again open the home on the shore
of Capitol Lake to the public.
“This home was built not only as
a place for governors and their
families to live, but also as a South
Dakota showcase for others to
enjoy,” Mrs. Daugaard said. “We
are pleased to welcome those who
wish to take the tour.”
Tickets for mansion tours must
be obtained in advance from the
Pierre Chamber of Commerce.
Beginning June 5, weekly public
Here’s a recap on what occurred
throughout the Rapid City community
Wednesday, May 29
evening/night:
•Flash flooding around 7:30
p.m. throughout the Arrowhead
Drainage Basin (along Sheridan
Lake Rd.) – streets and driveways
were impassible for a short period
of time
•Pennington County Sheriff
Deputies, Rapid City Police Officers,
Rapid City Firefighters, and
Emergency Management patrolled
known trouble spots and monitored
the local drainages
•The Rapid City / Pennington
County Emergency Operations
Center was activated to support
agency responses
•Runoff from the Jackson Boulevard
Drainage Basin followed an
atypical path into the Midwestern
subdivision (Judy Ave. area) resulting
in broken basement windows
and basement flooding in a
few homes. The Rapid City Fire
Department and Red Cross addressed
the immediate issues
•Around 8:30 p.m. water was up
three feet against Meadowbrook
School at Argyle Street
•When the flows at Founders
Park reach approx. 800 cubic feet
per second, the Water Rescue
Team assembles a squad and begins
a roving patrol around known
trouble spots
•Many groups of spectators
standing along the edge of the
water in the dark were encouraged
to keep away from the creek
•Rapid Creek crested in Rapid
City around 9 p.m. with a flow of
1,180 cubic feet per second and a
depth of about 7.5 feet (earlier in
the day the creek was steady at 25
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They are either not knowledgeable
in God’s word, or are defying
God.
The Holy Bible shows what happened
to nations who dared to defy
God, or that got so morally depraved
that God finally destroyed
them.
So we need to admit that America
is morally and spiritually corrupt,
and that it is time to turn
back to God. As a start, turn the
TV off, and then close your eyes,
sit back, take a few deep breathes,
and relax for a few minutes without
thinking.
Then believe the Bible truth
that there is a living God, our Creator,
who created everything that
was created and made, including
you, and that He loves you.
On a clear night, go outside
where it is dark and look at the
moon, stars, and the never-ending
universe. Everything you see before
you, stands, on God’s Word.
God wants us to love him, obey
him, and serve him, in return for
the life he has given us. To get to
know God, read the Word of God,
the Holy Bible, from beginning to
end.
/s/Manuel Ybarra, Jr.
Coalgate, Okla.
tours will be conducted each
Wednesday in June, July, and August
(with the exception of July 3;
no tour that week because of the
pending July 4 holiday).
The 30-minute tours, for groups
up to 30 people, will begin at 10
a.m. CDT, 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2
p.m., and will be conducted by volunteers,
including the First Lady.
Public tour tickets, at no charge,
must be obtained in advance and
will be available only from the
Pierre Chamber of Commerce.
Those people interesting in attending
a tour should call the
Chamber of Commerce at 605-224-
7361.
Rapid City area flooding event
cubic feet per second and 3.5 feet
deep)
•Some of the heaviest rainfall
occurred in drainage basins that
feed into Rapid Creek after it
passes under E. St. Pat. and before
it gets to South Valley Drive – the
flows at South Valley Drive were
significant and several homes in
the Melody Acres subdivision
(Melody Lane area) were evacuated
by the Rapid Valley Fire Department
and the Water Rescue
Team. The Red Cross was receiving
and processing displaced residents
at the Family Thrift Center
on E. St. Pat.
•Rapid Creek crested at South
Valley Drive around 11 p.m. at
over 15.5 feet deep.
•By 12:30 a.m. the next morning
the Water Rescue Team was released
from the South Valley area
as the water was subsiding
•Around 12:45 a.m., the Rapid
Valley Fire Department notified
residents in the Green Valley
Drive area that the high water was
moving through their area, no
evacuations were made
Communication and coordination
were superb during this event.
While there was some property
damage, there were no injuries.
This event highlights how rapidly
conditions in our local
drainages can become menacing,
however it also highlights the phenomenal
interagency working rel
a t i o n s h i p s , c o m m u n i c a t i o n
processes, specialized training,
and proper equipment that can be
brought to bear during emergency
situations in our community.
Dustin Willett:
Director Emergency Management
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