FARM HOME OF ALFRED ERDMAN
Topography—About one third of this township is covered by the three lakes of Waubay, Minniwaste, and Rush. The other two thirds, is slightly rolling land and very rich productive soil.
The earliest settlement of the county was made in this township. There are only a few of the original homesteaders, as follows: Mrs. Aug. Wolfe, Alfred Ehrdman and Phillip Pies.
The first child born was Lydia Wolfe, born to Mr. and Mrs. Aug. Wolfe, July 8, 1883.
The first deaths were those of Page Howe and Oscar Stevens, who froze to death March, 1883.
The first couple married. Matt Reese and Miss Anna Kurkowski, June, 1880.*
*This couple also have the honor of being the first married in the county. They got the loan of a team of horses and an open buggy from the lady's cousin and drove from Joe Gruba's dug-out to Marshall, Minnesota before they found a priest to tie the knot. The time consumed on the trip was one week. This venerable pair are still living on their farm on the east bank of Minne-waste Lake.
The largest family was born to Mr. and Mrs. Peter Alvin who were the parents of eleven sons and six daughters.
The first post office in Day county was established at Waubay, with D. W. Paul as postmaster.
The first store was established by Miss Lamreau, a half-breed Indian, who had a small store on her claim on the south bank of Minniwaste Lake. In October, 1880, she left in company with one Clyde Thompson, and has not been heard of since. Later it was reported they were married.
This township was named by the county commissioners on recommendation of T. A. Bones, after his home town in Wisconsin, which was Racine.
Dates of settlement of homesteaders:
1879—Theodore and Louis Schaffer, May 30, 1879, were the first white settlers in what is now Day
county. D. W. Paul, June 10, Matt Reese, John Hedke, June 12, Geo. and Thos. Burns, Oscar Stevens, W. M.
Paul, all put in winter 1879-80.
1880—S. J. Woodard, May 1st, 1880, Rock Citros, John Detiker. These three families put in the
winter of 1880-81.
1881—Alfred and Chas. Erdman, A. W. and Merd Flanders, (May 27) Frank Welsh, W. F. Osborn, Thos.
Brigham (first county auditor), Nels P. Peterson, Nels P. Johnson, Page Howe, John Horton, Silas and
Smith Germaine.
1882—Chas. Cromwell, Gust Huebsch, J. M. Harris. Alex Benson, Rudolph Mireau, Olaf W. Peterson,
Louis Johnson, Ed. Anderson.
1883—Anton Hanson, Aug. Wolfe, Sr. (May 1st), Jacob Schacher (May 10), C. C. Stone, Hugh Jones,
C. J. Schultz, Fred Huebsch, A. K. Ditmanson, D. A. Ditmanson, Auge. Ditmanson, Aug. and Fred Arndt,
Arne Anderson, A. Larson, Harry Koch, Hans Anderson, Miss Clara Koch, C. Krueger, Richard Frost.
1884-85—S. Premus, Frank Lipinski, Phillip Pies, Heinrich Bauske.
1886—F. Hinzman, Ernest Feske, Ben Olson.
Mr. Alfred Erdman came from Germany to St. Charles, Minnesota, 1880, at the age of 28. May, 1881, he came to Day county and filed his present homestead and tree claim, to which he has since added 320 acres in the same township. Before coming to America, Mr. Erdman was a machinist, but he has made a splendid success of farming, nevertheless.
In May, 1884, he was married to Miss Ida Hinzman, who came direct from Germany to Webster. To them were born eight sons and two daughters, all living in South Dakota except one son. Mrs. Erdman passed to her reward July, 1923.
His property is free of encumbrance and he has always managed to pay cash.
Phone and R. F. D., Webster, S. D.
Mr. Pies came to Day county 1885, from Washington county, Wisconsin and filed on his present homestead. To this he has since added 334 acres, practically all of which borders on the banks of Lake Minnewaste. He was married March 10, 1891, to Miss Caroline Frieke and to them were born a son and daughter. The son is married and works the farm with his father. Mrs. Pies died June 7, 1922.
Mr. Pies has always practiced diversified farming; milking about fifteen cows, markets about eighty head of Chester White hogs, and a good bunch of poultry, annually. He was the first farmer to own a steam threshing rig in the township. He has worn out two steam outfits and is now using his second gas engine. Mr. Walter Pies, the son, claims that he does most of the farm work with the tractor. He finds it possible to plow, seed and drag the land two times for seventy-five cents per acre.
Phone and R. F. D., Webster, S D.