The Daugherty Family & Ellen Landers - Part 4

I'm continuing the notes of Ellen Landers. Ellen is related to William Henry's sibling, Harriet Daugherty. She's a good researcher and has been to the Dakotas. This is a continuation of March 26th posting. We are still discussing William Henry Daugherty (my gggrandfather) and husband of Martha Pepper.

From the 1879-1900 Early Hand County Booklet (I have a copy if any reader is interested), by Mildred McEwen Jones, 1961...Page 27, Chapter 3..."To prove up his claim, one paid $14, when filing, then had to live on the claim for five years and pay $4 more for final proof...Ten acres of trees were to be put on tree claims with at least 2700 trees to the acre...These trees were to be cultivated for eight years. At the end of that time, 675 living trees to the acre were required to prove up...Not many tree claims have the original trees. One is in Nance Township - that of William Henry Daugherty."

From Early Beadle County, also by Mildred McEwen, 1961, "Nance Township, organized 1884 was named for J.D. Nance, one of the directors. Before being organized, it was eight miles squre, including two miles in Bonilla and two in Whiteside. Settlers were the families of Ambrose Barnes, Charles Brady, George Brown, David Brown, John Croes, Sr., ED Curtis, W.H. Daugherty, Herman Fritzche, Martin Keller, Fenton McNeill, Walter Parkeson, Carol Tipton, and W.W.Wilson. Note: Charles Brady is my great grand uncle in law and WW Wilson is my second ggrandfather. Many of these names are familiar and probably related in some way to our family. It is reported that William Henry Daugherty along with his oldest son, John arrived in South Dakota on July 5, 1882 and started farming with 3 horses later trading one of the horses for a yoke of oxen. The rest of the family moved to South Dakota in 1884.

Ellen write this paragraph, which I have seen numerous times: "Some sources stated that William H. Daugherty went to Wessington, SD from Mason County, Illinois via Watertown, SD. He is said to be the first man to file land in Watertown, SD on July 5, 1882. SE.1/2-14. Mother and I stopped at the History Museaum in Watertown and couldn't find any record of this. Perhaps the writer meant Wessington, SD.