Eden
Eden Township, Marshall County, South Dakota, USA
Town of Eden
from "Marshall County"
by the Marshall County Historical Society
©1979
pages 109 - 110
Although the town of Eden was incorporated in 1914, the first
documented records are for January 1916 when L. V. Warring, P. B.
Carlson, and Mike Snider were the board of directors and Oscar
Hagen served as clerk. Some of the early problems of the governing
body were to establish a school system, to find a suitable location
for dumpground purposes, building of streets, and trying to contain
animals in restricted areas and not to use street right of ways for
enclosed feeding grounds. Animals mentioned in the early assessor
books were horses, cows, hogs, and poultry. The first sidewalks
in the town were installed in 1916 at the property owner's expense
and the cross walks were paid for by the town at a cost of 25¢ per
square foot. No hitching posts were allowed on main street anymore
at this time. Jess Hanon and Toby Weyer served as the first town
marshalls in June 1916. Street building was done by manual labor
and horses. The wages for manpower was 50¢ per hour and $1.25 per
hour if a team of horses was furnished. The early town hall was
located on lot 14, block 18; this also housed the jail and
telephone office. In 1916 gas street lights were installed at a
cost of $14.80 per light. The first school in town was built in
the fall of 1916 for a cost of $2,200; money was obtained on a
20 year loan at 5% interest. The first franchise for electric
lights was granted to Mike Snider in 1917 at 4¢ per watt per
month and the lights were to be turned on from dark to midnight,
and 5:30 A.M. to daylight. 75 watt strenght lights were to be
used. The post cost $1.00 per post and the first complete main
street light installation cost $124.95. The streets were graveled
and street maintenance was done by dragging and the wages for this
was $3.50 per job. The first town hall was built in 1917, and the
first fire hall was built in connection with this for $107.00
labor and in 1918 the first Eden Volunteer Fire Department was
established. The fire fighting apparatus was a chemical tank
which cost $865.00. The fire department still has this tank. By
1918 when the draft system was set up, F. Jaeggi, then clerk, was
authorized by the War Department to register men of draft age
to enable them to avoid the costly trip of going to Britton to
do this. The first gasoline tank in Eden was erected by Mr.
Israelson in July 1920. At that time there were bowling alleys,
licensed at $10.00 per alley, billiards licensed at $5.00 per
table and there was a license fee for dogs of $5.00. The Eden
Weekly Times was established in 1919. Also the first regulated
motor vehicle speed limit of "slow down, 10 miles per hour speed
limit in city limits" was enacted in October 1919. At this time
an ordinance was enacted restricting cattle, hogs and other
livestock from roaming freely on the streets and around town.
Businesses in town at about this time were a drugstore, print
shop, 2 garages, 2 hardware stores, 2 banks, barbershop, pool
halls, 2 lumber companies, a veterinarian, a doctor, pharmacist,
a millinery shop, hotel and bandstand, and a little later the
North American creamery. The first bank was the Eden State Bank,
lumber companies were the Farmers Lumber Co. and the Interior
Lumber Company, and there was a Farmers Elevator Company. The
first town well was dug in 1920 at a cost of $500. In 1920,
$7,500 bonds were sold for graveling the streets, establishing
gutters, building sidewalks, and crossings between streets and
alleys. Also in 1920 public ownership of Electric Light and Power
Plant came into being. In 1920 the Langford Telephone Company
asked for a permit to establish local and long distance calling
office in town, and it took until 1923 until this became a
reality for the Langford Company. It had to be submitted to a vote
of the people before it could be approved and the telephone
company set up offices in the town hall. The big social event of
the year was the annual Firemen's Ball which took precedence
over all other activities.
In August 1921 a petition to obtain a rural mail route for and
around Eden was forwarded to the US postal authorities, by the
town board. In November 1921 the following "this community is
free of debts as nearly as free of necessary improvements"
appeared in the official minutes. By 1927, 24 hour light service
had been considered and by July 1928 a representative from
Ottertail Power Company met with officials and the question was
brought to a vote of the town residents. It was passed by
unanimous ballot, not one dissenting vote was cast, there were
a total of 43 votes. The minimum fee was to be $3.00 per unit
and the contract was approved by November 1928. There were
numerous tax deed sales for lots in town to be used for homes
and businesses to be established. The first "on sale" beer
licenses were approved in August 1933 and there were five
issued. The first workmen's compensation insurance on town
workers was taken out in 1934. About this time, in the midst of
the depression, the town board asked for WPA assistance to get
trees planted, privies built, and some street work done. The
first off sale liquor license was issued in 1938. The first
discussion on municipal liquor was held in December 1939 and
brought to a vote of the people in January 1940. The result of
this proposal was 61 voting for it and 21 against, so the first
municipal liquor went into effect in March 1940. A first revision
and setting up of complete new town ordinances was done in 1946,
the original detailed set of ordinances had been enacted in 1918.
In 1947 discussions were begun on pump, well, water tank, water
mains, hydrant and connections. Nothing came of this at that time.
In 1948 the town hall was moved to its present location and since
then a number of additions have been made to house the town hall
and fire department equipment. In 1949 discussions were started
on a sewer and disposal system. This was brought to a vote of the
people and passed in July 1950 and the work was completed in 1951,
the last payment on the project was made in 1955. City well,
pressure system, water mains, and hydrants for main street were
again in April 1955. A vote on this was brought to the free
holders in June 1955 and was passed. Work was done and completed
on this the same year. Up to this time individuals had to have
their own wells and pressure system for flushing and drinking
purposes.
Extensions of these facilities to the side streets was accomplished
in 1957. Mercury vapor lights were installed in 1962. A new curb,
gutter, and sidewalk project on main street was enacted in 1963.
Curb and gutter were paid for by the town and sidewalks were
constructed with property owners paying for this. The fiftieth
jubilee of the founding of Eden was held on June 30 and July 1,
1964. The proceeds of this function were used to buy a newer
and better fire truck. In 1971 all existing streets in the Town
of Eden were involved in an extensive upgrading and oiling project.
The town ordinances were completely revised in 1975. The Eden town
limits were the same from the first incorporation in 1914 until
1976 when approximately 1½ acres on the southeast edge of town
was annexed. There have been numerous changes of personnel on the
town council and other municipal jobs throughout the years. There
are too numerous to mention and no doubt have all spent many
thankless hours trying to do for the betterment of the community.
The information contained in this summary of the Town of Eden
was submitted by Pauline Michlitsch, the present municipal
finance officer, and was taken from offical records on file at
the Eden town hall.
E-mail: dwagner2@isd.net
©2002 DJW
Last Modified:
October 12, 2002