Bell, Fire Department, Garretson, South Dakota
Posted by: 
NGComets
N 43° 42.960 W 096° 30.115
14T E 701237 N 4843363
Retired fire department bell.
Waymark Code: WM9G1J
Location: South Dakota, United States
Date Posted: 08/16/2010
Views: 6
Garretson is located just northeast of Sioux Falls, in Minnehaha County. As of July 2009, it had a population of 1,115, which reflects a decrease of about 4% since the 2000 census.
The town was settled by German, Norwegian, Irish, Dutch, and Swedish immigrants and was incorporated in 1891.
The city started as a village in Palisade State Park in 1872. The railroad company decided to build a diversion point, (joining of two railroad tracks) and switching yards where Garretson is now located. Railroad officials offered the business people of Palisades free lots if they would move their business to the new town site. The new city was named after A.S. Garretson, a millionaire railroad investor from Sioux City, Iowa. The City of Garretson began in 1889, the same year South Dakota became a state. Some buildings and homes were moved from Palisades and many new ones built. Several businesses were built of hand quarried quartzite blocks. Many of these unique quartzite buildings were on the east side of Main Street and were destroyed in a fire in 1971. They were replaced by brick buildings.
Jesse and Frank James were perhaps the most famous outlaws of the Old West. The brothers were born in Clay County, Missouri in the 1840s. Frank was the older of the two. During their teen years, they joined Confederate guerilla bands in the Civil War.
After the war, the James brothers formed an outlaw gang in 1866. They used the experiences they had during the Civil War of sneak attacks on Federal forces to make a living in robbery. The James gang robbed small banks in small midwestern towns, trains and stage coaches. They became heroes to many, because some folk believed they only robbed from the rich and gave to the poor. It is estimated the James gang had taken over $300,000 in their 15 year robbing career.
The James gang met their match in 1876 when they tried to rob the bank in Northfield, Minnesota. Two members of the gang were killed by Northfield residents in the attempt. Jesse and Frank were the only members of the gang that escaped the posse due to Jesse's famous jump on horseback across Devil's Gulch at Garretson, South Dakota. The James brothers had little success in forming a new gang and robberies after the Northfield attempt because they were recognized everywhere.
In 1881, Jesse took on the name of Frank Howard and posed as a cattle buyer at St. Joseph, MO. He was shot in 1882 by a young man, Robert Ford, for $10,000 ransom money. Frank gave himself up and was found not guilty for his crimes by a sympathetic jury. Frank held a variety of jobs until he died peacefully in 1915. A Jesse James weekend is held annually in Garretson with many family activities. Jesse James weekend is the last weekend in June.
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