WATAUGA, SOUTH DAKOTA

Watauga, South Dakota made possible by act of Congress in 1908, opening certain designated Indian lands of the Standing Rock Indian reservation to settlement by the lottery system.
Therefore both women and men of various trades and occupation who had drawn numbers in this lottery were permitted to make homestead entries on this land commencing May 2nd, 1910.
The population of this community represents various creeds, nationalities, and over three-fourths of the states of the United States.
Watauga, Corson County, South Dakota is located 180 miles west of Aberdeen, and 10 miles from McIntosh, its county seat, and on the main line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Ry., from Chicago to Seattle, and on the trans-continental highway, The Yellowstone Trail which crosses the United States, from Plymouth Rock to Puget Sound, and in the much talked of Oil Basin, which is now rapidly being developed.
Watauga and community, but 13 years old this spring 1923-is one of the busiest villages and most productive communities in western South Dakota. Among the various religious, educational and commercial enterprises Watauga has both Protestant and Catholic churches, a good school, lumber yards, bank, postoffice, general store, hardware store, hotel, meat market, livery and feed barn, well equipped blacksmith shop, elevators, a flour mill and an up to date brick and tile manufacturing plant, a pool hall and a large community hall.
The community surrounding this prosperous village is noted for its mammoth growth of prairie grass, affording pasture and hay for thousands of stock, and with the rich deposits of Lignite coal scattered throughout the country, which can be purchased at from $1.00 to $2.00 per ton, the high cost of fuel is solved to a minimum. Corson County in which this community is located in is one of the largest, and newest counties in the state. Nevertheless the county and this community can boast of being one of the leaders in miles of graded roads per capita in the whole state.
With our good roads, R.F. Deliveries, Telephone lines and numerous Radio receiving sets throughout our community, can you blame us for feeling proud of our 13 years of development and prosperity in Western South Dakota? The year just passed 1922-marked in the history of the United States, some of the most distressing conditions that the American farmer and business men ever saw. Although our crops were not up to the standard of some past years, we were able in this community to produce Rye which made 20 to 30 bushels and Wheat that made 15 to 30 bushels, Oats 50 to 75 bushels and flax 10 to 15 bushels per acre, and Corn which averaged 50 bushels per acre. With prices low and the farmers holding part of their crops nevertheless 150,000 bushels of these grains, were marketed at Watauga, to date. The sweet clover and alfalfa fields in this community which are increasing in number yearly produced two heavy crops and the third was light due to our exceptional late spring, however, at least one third of the feed raised this year will be left over in spite of the fact that thousands of head of stock were wintered and the dairy cattle well fed. Watauga's cream shipments amounted to more than 20,000 gallons, besides the butter that was sold and shipped out of here, while 32 cars of cattle and 4 cars of hogs were shipped out of here.
With land prices ranging from $20.00 to $45.00 per acre and considering our past production, are we not justified in calling this portion of Western South Dakota, the land of opportunity and plenty

SMALL GRAINS WHICH THRIVE IN THE COMMUNITY

The soil formation of this community, is of a chocolate and black loam, the lay of the land is slightly rolling and practically free from stone, whole quarters have been broken without moving a stone, making this an ideal country, for both tractor and horse farming.
Wheat ranks first in acreage of the small grains, in this community, the principle varieties are Marquis and Amber Durum, which the past season yielded from 15 to 28 bushels per acre. In the 13 years, that wheat has been raised in this community there was, but one year that the rust did serious damage to wheat, in this vicinity.
Of the varieties of Rye, winter Rye has excelled, the spring rye and winter killing is unknown, in this community. In the year just past, rye excelled our wheat crop, by from 5 to 10 bushels per acre, this crop produced from 20 to 30 bushels of rye weighing as high as 60 lbs. to the bushel.
New ground is generally sowed to flax, which is one of the greatest money crops in the Northwest, often one crop of flax more than pays the purchase price of land, in this community, this can be sown any time between the 1st of May to June 15th and produce a good yield. Flax the past year sown the first week in June produced 15 bushels per acre.
Oats and barley are produced in quantities for home consumption making from 50 to 75 bushels per acre, but owing to the past high prices of wheat, rye and flax, these crops have not been sown, in larger acreages.
Many of the accredited herds of dairy cows in this community, one of the principal dairy centers in the State, two of these cows Eunice Glista DeKol and Freda Glista Pontiac, owned by R.W. Webb of Watauga, South Dakota, led the state with a production of 51.238 and 50.056 for the month of October 1922.
The records at the bank show that the cream checks cashed during the summer months amount to from $400.00 to $500.00 per day, for this community, which goes to show what the dairy industry is doing for the people of the vicinity of Watauga. Dairying in Corson County, South Dakota will net more net profit than any part of the United States, owing to the feed value of the native grasses and the nutritious native hay which has a greater feed value than thimothy and clover hay, of the more eastern states, coupled with our high production of sweet clover and alfalfa.

HOGS

Owing to the splendid success, we are having with alfalfa, sweet clover and corn, hog raising has grown to be one of the best sources of profit, on account of the excellant climate, diseases of hogs are unknown in any part of the county, and some of the best hogs, in the United States, are raised right here in this community.

CORN

Corn is becoming the principal crop in this community, and a failure of a corn crop is practically unknown, the dent corn varieties are the leading kinds adapted to this community.


Some of the various farm homes in the vicinity of Watauga, South Dakota. With modern conveniences, which will compare favorably with the homes in the older settled communities, farther east.
The climate here is excellent and the water here is the best that can be found anywhere, and is obtained anywhere at a depth from 40 to 150 feet.
These modern homes coupled with telephones, radio receiving sets and rural free delivery, make this community an ideal place to live in, compared to any place, in the state.
With our school at Watauga and 13 district schools in our surrounding community, the educational welfare of the children is well taken care of.
Watauga has a town hall, 24 x 60 feet, used for public gatherings and various other entertainments, such as dances, moving pictures, band concerts and all other amusements, that the people desire.
For summer entertainments, we have the Grand and the Cannonball Rivers, with their freak formations and beautiful trees, which provides ideal picnic and bathing opportunities. These rivers, together with various lakes and reservoirs, which makes this one of the best fishing and duck hunting grounds of the northwest.
One of our greatest sports, is our fall shooting of grouse and prairie chickens, which are to be found, in large numbers, in all parts of our country.
The Watauga Community club will be glad to answer all inquiries and give any information asked for.

THE WATAUGA COMMERCIAL CLUB

Watauga South Dakota.