Early History of Getting from Place to Place in Aberdeen from before Statehood

Horse and Bobsled

When Aberdeen was a new town in the Dakota Territories, it was small enough that people could walk from place to place. However as the town grew larger, the distance between places also became greater. People needed transportation to get from place to place when it was too far to walk.

 They

Livery Stable

either rode the horses or hitched the horses to a wagon or carriage. In the winter, the horses could pull a bobsled. People coming to Aberdeen on the train could rent horses and wagons at a livery stable to use while they were in town.

Bicycle Club

During the summer, people rode bicycles. There was even a bicycle club. People in the club would ride together to another town for a picnic and then ride home again. Some people rode bicycles as part of their jobs. Delivery boys would take written messages called telegrams from the telegraph office to the person the message was for. Sometimes mailmen would use bicycles to travel their mail routes. 

People in Aberdeen saw their first car at a special exhibit at

Brown Brothers Car

the Grain Palace in 1897. This car came to Aberdeen on the train. After seeing this car, people wanted one of their own to drive. In 1900 two brothers who were bankers were the first people in Aberdeen to buy a car. Four years later there were 20 cars in Aberdeen. Women were even driving small electric cars at that time.

The first mass transportation for Aberdeen started in 1910

Streetcar on Main Street

when streetcars took people all over town and even as far as Wylie Park. Streetcars were electric so they were connected to wires that ran above the street. The cars were like train cars and traveled on tracks that were put in the streets. There were places in the streets where two sets of tracks were laid so streetcars going in opposite directions could pass each other. The fare to ride the streetcar was 5 cents for adults. Children under five could ride free. Dogs were charged full price unless they rode on their master’s lap. The streetcars stopped running in 1923 because more and more people were buying cars.

A city bus company was started after the streetcar company closed. These buses would take

Aberdeen City Bus

children to school each day for 5 cents. Adults could travel most places in town on the bus, and a ticket cost them 10 cents. Buses left the depot on two routes, one that went north and one that went south. These buses left every twenty minutes from 7 in the morning until 11:20 at night.

Airplanes became popular in Aberdeen in the 1920s. Back then, not very many people flew unless they owned their own

Airplane

airplane. The first airport was small and was located at the fairgrounds. A larger airport was built in the 1930s so bigger planes could use it.

Think about all the places you have to go today. Imagine using a horse drawn carriage or a streetcar to get there. 

1883 Map of Aberdeen, Dakota Territories, 6 years before Statehood

Map of Aberdeen, Dakota Territories

Courtesy of Dakota Prairie Museum

A special thank you Carole for introducing me to Richmond Lake by Rory King

Carole, You and John Hendrickson were the ones who introduced me to Richmond Lake. Unbelievably, I had never been out there. I have such warm memories of the lake that summer of my senior year. I remember

Richmond Lake

that your Dad had one of the first pontoon boats on the lake (now they are more popular than speedboats), a home-made model built by his good friend Lloyd Fluke, with old oil barrels welded together. I remember John Hendrickson and John Ridgeway trying to teach me how to water-ski. I remember when we swam at your cabin, Bud would have all of us line up and pick up sharp rocks from the swimming area, as our little contribution to upkeep. I remember having lunch with you and your folks in the bright lakeside front room of the cabin--Ruth decorating the table with just the right touch of colorful wildflowers. They made me feel so welcome and grown up. I remember picking you up in the old rusty pickup to go to the American Legion races (we got my Dad to put our money on the horses). Your folks truly did share their cabin, and I would guess that it was the source of warm memories for many of your friends. The beautiful trees that we enjoy on the way to the dam and the spillway were planted by Bud--maybe with the help of you and Butch?

When I was at USD, my Dad bought a cabin on Richmond, and after Susie and I got married in 1975, we bought it from him, winterized it, and lived there for the first three years of our marriage (we had one floor furnace and a fireplace to heat the place). We

Richmond Lake Sunset

then kept it for our family, and my kids grew up on the lake. It was a rite of Spring for my sons, Alex and Patrick, to camouflage themselves, and sneak into the girl scout camp to ring the bell. My good friend, and our classmate, Jerry McNeary bought a place right next to ours, and our children grew up virtually as brothers and sisters. After Jerry died (he had a heart attack at the lake, and he died as I drove him into town), his wife, Cathy sold the house in town and moved to the Lake. Now our daughter, Caroline, and her husband and four children bought and remodeled an old cabin one lot from ours, and the two cabins combined are a treat for all six of our kids and our 13 grand kids, who are at the lake many weekends. I putz around in the garden, read, and just slow down--taking in the beauty of God's creation around me.

So, Carole, thank you for introducing me to Richmond Lake. It's been at the center of our lives, and probably will be of our children.

The Slamming Porch Door by our own Digital Diva Carole Tonigan

As my brother and I were sitting and sipping coffee at our cabin on Whidbey Island, we started laughing as the screen door slammed noisily.  We both felt so nostalgic for our youthful Aberdeen summer days spent at the family cabin on Richmond Lake.  We have always felt so fortunate to have had those days.  Our cabin was far from fancy, rather it was a cabin that the family built together.  I recall helping my parents with the project when I was

Whidbey Island

only about seven.  Initially there were no trees on the lot as it was among one of the earlier cabins and most of the cabins were small weekend places. My parents put a lot of sweat into making a fun retreat that we would use during the summer months.   We would wake up, put on our swimsuits, play all day, and then change into our pajamas at night.  The days were full of many outdoor activities such as boating, skiing, swimming off big inner tubes, fishing, playing hide and seek, volleyball, etc There were lightening bugs which we would put in a jar. We were always barefoot and sometimes too sunburnt. Often we would play on the spillway and were so fortunate that we never fell in. Sometimes the lake would turn a mucky green due to algae, but we would swim anyway. Our parents had a fairly open door invitation for friends as they loved to have the cabin filled with friends and laughter. There were baskets that contained orphaned swimsuits, sunglasses, and towels which guests could always use.  And they did.

In high school there were times that I felt that I might be missing out on some of the mischievous summer fun in town. We heard that friends were tee-peeing each others homes in town so some of Richmond lake classmates had to try it too, however we were caught, had to clean the cabin, and decided that was not much fun after all.

Our 'wild adventures' also included sneaking into the Youth Camp, ringing the large camp dinner bell, and then escaping by boat.

I know that both my brother and I have always wanted to find that "lake life" quality again.  Now we have an old, funky cabin on Whidbey Island in Washington state.  The floor is uneven. It is decorated with hand me down, thrift store and/or garage sale furniture and other items.  There are tables, hutches, wicker chairs, etc. that we brought here from Aberdeen.  Many items are from farm auctions that Mom and Dad used to go to.  Nothing is fancy and we don't want it that way.  Many classmates have asked me to describe the island. Whidbey is a beautiful place to spend time., particularly in the summer.  It has wonderful quaint port towns, farmer's markets, barn tours, garden tours, fun restaurants, beaches, blackberry bushes, etc. It is not quite the same as the lake life we

Flower Power Carole

grew up with, but we do love it and the friends we have made here. It all takes me back to my fun days growing up on the lake in South Dakota with friends and family...especially sitting sipping coffee and hearing the slamming porch door.

There are many of you classmates that have also spent or still do spend summers on a lake in the Aberdeen area. Or perhaps you have a memory of a summer at camp, playing at a local park or at the municipal pool.  Perhaps you were a lifeguard, a camp counselor, or had another fun summer job.  We would love to hear your stories. Please share your memories from the early days in Aberdeen or consider telling us your more current stories, travels, hobbies, or adventures. We hope you might have something to share in our blog. It is so easy to do if you are interested. Simply email Terry.  He can do the rest.