Known by railroad graders as station No. 70.
The first building on the town site of Bristol was the Brokaw hotel, constructed by R. P. Brokaw in 1881 (still run by a younger son, Will). The first general store was built and run by Matt Evans, 1882. The first hardware and implement store by Ochsenreiter and Smail, C. B. Knott, manager, 1883. In this same year E. W. Smail started the first lumber yard, succeeded in this year by John Evans. Furniture store by M. Knapp, land office by J. O. Tronson, blacksmith shop by Jack McKennett, saloon and livery barn by J. L. Paul. The first postmaster and station agent was F. W. Lowell. The first newspaper, The Bristol Herald, established by G. L. Sharretts.
In 1885 was built a general store by Bennett and Case, who also carried a small stock of drugs. Harness shop by George Ford, (better known as Peter Kill-fobe-kack.) In 1886 came the first State Bank by T. E. Egge. In 1887 the Madison to Bristol line was constructed with Bristol as the end of the division.
From this time forward Bristol continued in its steady growth. It was incorporated as a village in 1889 with Timothy Lowell as president, and incorporated as a city in 1921 with Mike Meuer as its first mayor. It is today the third largest city in Day county, having a population of 675.
Bristol has: four grain elevators, two banks a national and a state, two hotels, two distributing oil stations, six protestant and one catholic church, a hospital under the management of Dr. Adams, manufacture of rugs by Mrs. Ole Roseth. The present postmaster is Truman C. Knott, a World War veteran.
School. The first school building was a frame building covered with tar paper, built 1884 and located on the lot where the present postoffice building stands. The teacher was Miss Kate Northrup. This building was also used for Sunday school. A few of the pupils were: Will and Lawrence Brokaw and the two Lowell brothers. In 1885 the first public school building was erected on the lot south of Will Knott's present home. The population increased and there was need of more school room, so in 1902 the first half of the present school building was completed. In 1924 the entire building was completed. This building contains four grade rooms, four high school rooms, a boiler and coal room.
Status of school in 1925: total enrollment, 230, with 30 tuition students; graduates, 9 boys and 5 girls; faculty, 3 men and 5 women. This is an accredited school.
The school district is three miles square.
The Bristol Creamery Company was organized in 1923 and a new plant was built, as shown in the picture, since the old plant had served its purpose. The capacity of this new plant is 20,000 pounds per day. In 1925 1,500,000 pounds of butter were produced. The company has established up to date, 30 cream stations at points throughout South and North Dakota. Each year has shown an increase of about forty per cent. The product of this creamery is shipped to Milton Dairy Co., St. Paul, Minnesota and Boston Massachussetts.
President—C. H. Johnson, of Milton Dairy Co.
Vice President and manager—J. W. Reynolds, who has had twenty-six years of experience in the
creamery business, his first creamery job having been at Thule, Campbell County, South Dakota.