Adkins, Mattas, Mize Family History

The Railroad

Part 1

The railroad created Parkston, South Dakota. Because of it, the little town on the prairie survived and grew. Also because of the railroad, Dakota City and Milltown did not. The railroads were a powerful entity creating wealth and sometimes tragedy for the history of our relatives and our communities. This is part one of that story.

Photo courtesy of the South Dakota Historical  Society Digital Archives

In 1879, John Dyer (J.D) Welch came to Liberty Township, Dakota Territory to homestead. His family had trekked from Iowa, leaving behind his half-brother and my great grandfather, William J. Mize. There was sparse settlement on the unbroken prairie then, but in a few years, more settlers came. By 1883, they created the community of Dakota City. 

Mary, J.D. Welch and children, David and Eva. Circa, 1870s 

The community boasted a newspaper, “The Dakota City Advance." In an 1885 entry, then editor Frank  Simmons wrote, “The city has substantial business firms and there is room for more. It is sure to have a railroad in the near future.”


In the 1880s, the coming of the railroad meant the promise of growth.


J.D Welch, who was now proprietor of the Ash Grove Stock Farm, knew that it would open the market for his cattle company.


The Liberty Township community pinned their hopes on the railroad.

Ash Grove Stock Farm. Circa, 1880s

Milltown was an older community. Situated along the James River, it was part of a stagecoach line that connected Yankton to points north. One route led to Dakota City. Its post office existed as early as 1872.

In the 1800s, Milltown boasted the businesses of Brassey’s Saloon, Fonslow’s Blacksmith Shop, a shoemaker, Shearer’s Hotel, a church, and  a school. It was lucky enough to have a doctor, the first one being Anna Offison, who townsfolk described as a fine lady and an excellent physician. 

Map courtesy of  the South Dakota Historical Society.

M.E. Spooner ran the Spooner Drug and Dry Goods Store. He also served as postmaster.

A flour mill just down the road, was owned by the Shearer brothers. According to community stories, the brothers sold flour to the United States government for use on the then established Rosebud Indian Agency.


The people in Milltown thought the railroad would follow the stagecoach line and perhaps thought, with their government contract for flour, it would give them an edge for its route.  

M.E. Spooner. Circa, 1880s

Photo courtesy of the family.

In the southeastern half of Dakota Territory, the railroad was complete from Sioux City through Yankton and on to Scotland by 1880. Further north, in the spring of that year, the railroad arrived in Mitchell. By 1881, there was talk of a new line that would connect Scotland Junction to Mitchell.


Local speculators thought to cash in on the railroad dream of prosperity. Alan Ladd’s father built a country store in Milltown. Alfred Wright created Dakota City on previously purchased land, believing it was the spot the railroad would pass. But these local folks were up against a formidable competitor, the Milwaukee Railway. 

The railroad “insiders” knew that there was money to be made by establishing townsites and then selling the lots.


If they controlled the townsites, they also could plat the town to their liking. Their surveyors controlled where the railroad would go.


In 1884, David Kirk acquired acres of land just a little over 2 miles northwest of Dakota City.


In the next couple of years, he sold land there to various people. By February 1886, the land was transferred to A.M. Bowdle of Davidson County. 

Bowdle was a business associate of J.D. Lawler, who just happened to be the son of a prominent railroad bridge builder and investor of the Chicago, St. Paul, and Milwaukee Railroad. As vice-president and president of the First National Bank in Mitchell, Bowdle and J.D. Lawler had access to ready cash. 

Not to leave any of the “insiders” out, Bowdle sold part of his land to Joseph Lawler, brother of J.D. in 1886.

June of 1886, the big announcement came. The route was established. It did not go through Dakota City. Milltown, and the stagecoach line choice appeared never to have been considered.


A new town would be created on the land owned by Joseph Lawler and A.M Bowdle.


 It was named “Kirk.”

The potential new citizens of Kirk were pleased with the possibilities of a new community, but they were not pleased with its name. The railroad said it was named after a wealthy Chicago Soap Factory owner and Milwaukee Railroad Director. 

Some were not sure that it hadn’t been named after David Kirk, the speculator that made money selling the land to the railroad. 

Either way, they wanted the name changed. Green, Vale, Emerald and more were suggested - anything but Kirk. 

Presented with a petition from the townsfolk, the railroad agreed to change the name - but to one of their own choosing, Parkston. It was created from the name of Edwin Parks, a railroad employee, but the potential new citizens seemed to approve.

Articles from the Dakota City Advance. Circa, 1886

The citizens of Dakota City and Liberty Township were opportunists and entrepreneurs. They had come to Dakota for a new future, and they were not about to let it go. They waited eagerly for lots to become available in the new town.

Edwin Parks started the survey in May, 1886, commissioned by the town proprietors, notably Bowdel and Lawler, again.

The business area was surveyed first, the Dakota City Advance leading the way to grab prime lots. Hoisting their businesses up on flatbeds, they moved to Parkston.

By July 1886, Parks completed his survey. 

In August, Parkston was calling itself, “A town of unparalleled growth and unequaled importance as a site for a major city.”


The Parkston Advance, formerly the Dakota City Advance, heralded the town’s accomplishments in that August issue:


“Businesses of every kind is now, or soon will be represented here.”

The railroad route was completed from Scotland Junction to Mitchell in the last months of 1886. 

By 1887, the predictions of the Parkston Advance seemed to come true.

Photo Courtesy of the South Dakota Historical Society, Circa, 1887

Because of the railroad, Parkston thrived. Dakota City did not. 

Article published in The Sioux Falls Argus Leader. Circa, 1903

Milltown survived, albeit with very little growth, perhaps because of the strong farming community surrounding it. It kept a few businesses alive like the local creamery, the flour mill and the dry goods store. However, after the turn of the century, most were gone.

Photo courtesy  of the South Dakota Historical Society Digital Archives. Circa, 1880s

J.D. Welch, who had witnessed the move of Dakota City out of his own Liberty Township, embraced the new community of Parkston. Keeping his cattle company, he established a dry goods store, actively got involved in the new creamery and served as its President.


He too left the township and moved to the newly plated Elm Street of Parkston.

Dakota City may have died, but the entrepreneurial spirit of the people who had moved on was alive and well in Parkston at the turn of the century.

Parkston picture taken looking west from the railroad.

Photo from the Adkins Family Archives. Circa, 1909

The railroad story will continue in the next edition.

Special thanks to these resources:

Julie Herrboldt and Laurie Souhrada at the Hutchinson County Register of Deeds, South Dakota State Historical Society, Lyle Weekly at the Parkston Public Library, Mitchell Area Historical Society, Parkston Historical Society, archives of the Parkston Advance, the Wi-Iyohi Bulletin, Adkins Family Archives, Ray Doering, Terry Grajkowske, and Donna Stainbrook.

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