From Armour we continued West to the Fort Randall Dam and across the Mighty Mo to Bonesteel. Bonesteel sits right off Route 18, just inland from the Missouri River. That's the new Rte. 18, which shifted to west of town after Fort Randall Dam was built. Founded in the last decade of the 19th century, Bonesteel enjoyed a colorful beginning. Without an official name for several years, the citizens finally selected to name the town after X Bonesteel who donated the lumber to have a school house built. Bonesteel became the official land office for the 1904 homesteading stampede. At that time the population swelled to 17,000 people, who had arrived to either homestead or swindle a homesteader. Tensions between the two groups ran high ultimately erupting in pitched riot, that became known as the Battle of Bonesteel. After the riot, the good citizens of the new town loaded the 'hooligans' onto the train at the rail head and sent them packing. Life in Bonesteel settled down but did not become dull. A quick drive through the town reveals that half the streets bear women's names and the other half are numbered. In between is a narrow strip of empty land. This strip marks the boundary between two landowners that enjoyed a running feud to the point that they did not even want their land to touch. Today the area is divided between ranching and farming. With the consolidation of farms the productivity of the area and wealth is rising but the population continues to dwindle.
Annalies and I found our lodging without trouble at the Hertz Motel and then set out to tour the school. The building is a combination of new construction and older, existing buildings. Bonesteel houses K-6 grades and 9-12th grades. The Middle School students attend classes in Burke just down the road. Superintendent-Principal-Coach Tim gave us a tour and made lots of introductions. We got a chance to visit and catch-up with Maryann, Marilee, and Betsy the audaciously brave teachers who are facilitating the science classes in a school without a science teacher. The kids were just opening up and getting acquainted with their SeaPerch, remotely operated vehicle, project. This is all part of their bigger Dam Project (yes, they chuckle when they say it).
We also got to meet with a number of other teachers during our visit as well as sample the amazing soup and cinnamon rolls of the cafeteria chefs. After school some wonderfully informative townspeople met with us and shared the history of the town and their views of Bonesteel today. Kathy Devine, granddaughter of the Hertz' original owners of the Hertz Motel and Co-Owner with her husband of Devine Concrete (Bonesteel's largest employer) gave us a grand tour of the area. We got to see the latest high water marks, and lots of back country, including her family farm. She had a great description of her father, "He knew the River as a river." Kathy took us out to her family cabin and we got to sit on her deck and enjoy the view.
On Friday, we packed up and headed off to Colome, but have no doubt we will be back in Bonesteel.
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