Going through South Dakota Notes - Vayland

I'm looking at bags of information and materials from our recent fact finding trip to South Dakota. Where to start? I'm making notes on the Blogsite as I go through all my treasures.

First out of my bag is "Vayland Memories: in a Broken Down Yard" written by Lora B. Karinen-Venjohn, an acquaintance of Clarence McGirr and a resident of this ghosttown. Vayland was a town in Grand township, SD that used to be a thriving community. It was located two miles East of miller. In the early 1900's there was a hotel, restaurant, post office, livery stable, bank, two general stores, lumberyard, area school, blacksmith, real estate office, barber shop, three grain elevators, to mention a few businesses. There was amunicipal band and community center, baseball team, and church. Now there is nothing but piles of scrapmetal and the home of Lora her husband Roger operating a scrap yard business.

Though there isn't a direct connection between Vayland and mom's family, it is an example of the changing environment of the Dakota Prairies. The Township map in the book is interesting and shows land owned by Mom's great aunt Hattie Daugherty Place, and the land of Sam McGirr.

The book is filled with journaling and poetry written by Laura. She's included interesting photos in a rather rambling, personal way. It's obvious that history has a huge hold on her. A Wilson relative, Donna Schiltz and squaredancing is mentioned in the book.

I got this copy from Art Cavenee. I'm not sure if I'm borrowing it or if I can send him a check for it. We did go to Lora's house to purchase a copy, but no one was home. I'm hoping to spend some quality hours enwrapped in the history of another time and place...one that was exemplary of the world in which my ancestors lived.