FIRST -- Election held in NW USA, Yankton SD USA - First of its Kind on Waymarking.com

Among many firsts on the map side of this state historical marker at the Dakota Territorial Museum, the first election in the northwestern United States was held on 22 August 1804 when Capt. Clark of the Lewis and Clark expedition decided to hold a vote among the enlisted men for who would be their new sergeant.

The marker reads as follows:

[front]
YANKTON
Mother City of the Dakotas
---...---

Frost, Todd & company, under the guise and license of trade stores along the Missouri and at the Struck by the Ree Camp at Yancton, were able to get in on the ground floor of potential community sites, when others could acquire no rights. A rival concern, out of Sioux City, "squatted" C. J. Holman in March, 1858 near the river at Yancton but Frost, Todd soon thereafter erected a post near the foot of present Walnut Street. John Ball surveyed the township in the fall of 1860 and soon thereafter Moses K. Armstrong platted the area up Walnut and on both sides. J. B. S. Todd had an office at 2nd and Broadway and H. C. Ash a hotel at 3rd and Broadway. Downer T. Bramble erected the first store in town near Walnut & Second and on April 17, 1860 was named Postmaster of the town of YANCTON. Charles F. Picotte, who had a land grant at Yancton by the Treaty of 1857 had a house in the east end of the town. Gov. William Jayne arrived in late May, 1861 and set up the territorial capital in a log cabin near Ash's Hotel, with William Gleason, Attorney General, as a water carrying cabin mate. Not long after, on June 6, 1861, Frank M. Ziebach started the Weekly Dakotian. There were 10 advertisers in that first issue including W. W. Marsh, who ran the Ft. Randall stage. When the Indian War of the Outbreak brought trouble in August, 1862, the Yankton stockade protected the settlers. There are 21 historic markers in and about Yankton.

Erected 1966 by the Yankton Chamber of Commerce and State Highway Commission

[Map on back]

THE MISSOURI RIVER WAS HISTORIC HIGHWAY

LEGEND

[Raised white square] Historic Points
[Triangle] Lewis & Clark Campsites
[Dashed line] Interstate highway
[Solid line] State Highway
[Boat shape] Steamboat Wreck
[Wide dashed line] Military Road 1855
[Raised black dot] map markers
[Ring and cross] Grasshopper Cross

HISTORIC SITES

1 Pacquette's Ferry 1855
2 Hotchkiss & Dexter Mill 1867
3 Willows 1861 Adelescat 1869 Jefferson 1873
4 14 Mile House
5 First Homestead in US 1-1-1863
6 Fort Brule 1862
7 First election in NW US 8-22-1804
8 Fort Vermillion Fur Post 1833
9 Vermillion Fur Post, School, Church, Paper
A First Catholic Church
B St. Paul Lutheran Church
C Lincoln P. O. 6-1864-00
D Post Vermillion 1823
E McClellan's Post 1805
F Fort Hutchson 1864
G Stanage Ferry 1859
I Frost-Todd Trade Post 1859
J There are 16 historic markers located in YANKTON, the "Mother City"
K Custer Campsite April 1873
L Jack McCall Hung 1877
M Custer Campsite 1873
N Lewis and Clark council with Sioux 1804
O Spirit Mound 1804

Erected 1966 by the Yankton Chamber of Commerce and State Highway Commission"

More details on this first election can be found in the journals of Lewis and Clark here: https://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/journals or here https://lewis-clark.org/day-by-day/22-aug-1804/

"[journal of William Clark]22nd August Friday 1804

Set out early wind from the South. At three miles we landed at a Bluff where the two men Sent with the horses were waiting with two Deer, by examonation of this (1) Bluff Contained alum, Copperas, Cobalt, Pyrites; a alum rock Soft & Sand Stone. Capt. Lewis in proveing the quality of those minerals was near poisoning himself by the fumes & task of the Cabalt which had the appearance of Soft Isonglass— Copperas & alum is verry pure, Above this Bluff a Small Creek Coms in from the L. S. passing under the Clifts for Several miles, this Creek I Call Roloje a name I learned last night in m[y] S[leep]. (2) Seven miles above is a Clift of Allom Stone of a Dark Brown Colr. Containing also in crusted in the Crevices & Shelves of the rock great qts. of Cabalt, Semented Shels & a red earth. from this the (3) river bends to the East and is within 3 or 4 miles of the River Soues at the place where that river Coms from the high land into the Low Prarie & passed under the foot of those Hills to its mouth.

Capt Lewis took a Dost of salts to work off the effects of the Arsenic, we Camped on the S. S. Sailed the greater part of this day with a hard wind from the S. E. great deel of Elk Sign, and great appearance of wind from the N.W.

Course Distance & refr. 22nd Augt [table]
S. 47° W 1 ¼ mes. on the S. point.
West 1 ¼ mes. to the lower point of a Bluff on the L. S.
N. 18 W. 2 ½ ms. to a pt. of high wood on the L. S. passed. a Creek
N. 56 W. 5 ½ Ms. to a Clift on the L. S. opsd. a pt. passd a Sand bar on both Sides of the river
N. 54 E. 2 mes. to a pt. of sand on the L. S. opsds. the R Souis is near the Missouries.
N. 48 W. 6 ½ Ms. to a Tree in the Prarie on the S. S. psd a pt. of Sand on the S. S. 2 Sand bars in the middle of the river—

ordered a vote for a Serjeant to chuse one of three which may be the highest number the highest numbers are P. Gass had 19 Votes, Bratten & Gibson"

FIRST - Classification Variable: Item or Event Date of FIRST: 08/22/1804 More Information - Web URL: [Web Link]

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   02/18/2023 Benchmark Blasterz visited it