From Dauntless Dunn, 1970, Dunn County Historical Society, pg 20-21:
VERN A. BAKER
Pioneer of Dunn County
by Mrs. Delry Webster (Oct. 1969)
In the fall of 1901, E. O. Baker stopped out in Dickinson enroute to Newcastle, Nebraska. He liked the country and decided to locate somewhere near th town of Dickinson. Therefore the next spring he sent his oldest son, and family, by train to Taylor, N. Dak.
Vern was born September 3, 1877 at Newcastle, Nebraska. He was married to Caroline Bertha Taylor, March 8, 1897. Three children were born while they still lived in Nebraska. The oldest one, Edward , died at a few weeks of age. The other two were Ruth and Roy.
On March 1, 1902 Vern and his family were taken by team and sled to Rock Springs. They purchased a cattle ranch, located on section 28, township 143, range 94, from Frank Roquette. This was in Dunn County. Their home was made of sod and frame. It became known as the Horseshoe Bend Ranch. A few days after their arrival they experienced a terrible three day blizzard. He stayed at the Baker home for a week before he could get back to Dickinson. This was March 16, 17, and 18, 1902.
Theodore and Frances were born on the Horseshoe Bend Ranch.
Some of the Baker's neighbors were Will Christ, Ole Peterson, Ole Ziner, Paul Ziner, and A.L. Watkins. Later came the Eberhards, Websters, McConnells, Browns, Morrells, Baileys, Smiths, and many more.
Rock Springs was a popular Post Office in early days. Sunday School and church services were held at the Watkins home, some 3 miles away.
Dad, Vern, homesteaded on NE1/4?, 142,94, but, relinquished his homestead rights to Ira Crawford. He later built his farm three and one-half miles southeast of Emerson, near the Twin Buttes on railroad land. Later he built another home about one-fourth mile south which the present time is the home of Tony Jordan. We walked from here to the Emerson school despite the weather.
Vern's father, and his other two sons came in August 1902 and located in the Emerson region. E.O. Baker, my grandfather, had a sheep ranch about two miles south of Emerson, part of which is now owned by George Miller and the other part by Jerry Meduna. Oscar's home was about one-half mile east of Emerson, now owned by J?? Degele?, and Lewis' home was about 4 1/2 miles southeast of Emerson. It is now owned by Delmont Galyen.
The Baker's were very industrious people. They branched out into various enterprises. They had a hotel and store in Taylor (1906-1910), a store in Emerson (1909-1919) and store in Old Halliday. (1910- ). The store in Halliday was bought from John Bang.
They bought their supplies from the Bismarck Grocery, Nash-Finch, and a company from Fargo. One of the brand names was Argood. These supplies were shipped to Taylor, and then brought by team to Emerson and Halliday. These stores were the real old-fashioned variety selling everything from soap to threshing machines (International Harvester.) Crackers were bought in bulk quantities, as was sugar, salt, coffee, peanuts, ca?? and so on. Cheese came in huge wheels. Horseshoe ??, Bull Durham, and Spark Plug were favorite tobaccos. Coffee $.15 per pound, sugar 20 lbs per $1; good work shoes $2.25; dress shoes $5.00; calico $.05 per yard, muslin $.10 to $.20 per yard; gingham $.10 per yard. Long streamers of sticky flypaper hung from the ceiling. Daisy fly paper was scattered about, but, early stores knew little of sanitation. Local butter was bought, but spoiled quickly without refrigeration [sic]. Mrs. Baker made some of it into soap, but, the rest was dumped into barrels and hauled into Dickinson to George Berzel, who had a renovating plant. Cream and milk were handled in the same way. Every thing from baby shoes to mice were found in the cream. One old bachelor brought in cream thick with fuzzy mold. Baker Brothers bought it and gave groceries in exchange, regardless of the condition. It made for good business relations.
Some of the clerks working for Baker Brothers were Sig Evenson, August Wagner, and Ethel Eberhard.
The Baker Brothers also owned a lumberyard, community building, and a flour mill run by Otis Evenson, as well, as a small bank. Other buisinesses in Emerson were a doctor's office and home, a real estate office, high school, printing and newspaper office, hotel, two blacksmith shops, pool hall, and church.
The postoffice was located in the rear of the store a few months after the store was built. It was first known as the Connelly Postoffice, and later changed to Emerson. The Emerson store was sold to James Mullany in 1919 and it exchanged hands several times, until finally it just died out because of the arrival of cars and better means of transportation. It just couldn't compete anymore with the surrounding towns.
Lewis and Oscar Baker bought a store in Dickinson about 1915 or 1916. it was located about where the Home Furniture store is now. They bought it from Guy Dickinson. The Baker store in Taylore burned in 1909 and was not replaced. Between 1906 and 1910 Baker's owned the old Berry Hotel. They had Mattie and Ada Baker running the place.
John Stordahl was the mail carrier in these days. His route was from Manning to Emerson; Rocksprings to Marshall. His method of transportation was team and buggy.
I remember going to Dickinson once, a distance of about thirty or more miles, by lumber wagon, with my dad and the rest of the family, to see a circus. We stayed at the old Gem Hotel, where the Lamp Post is now. We were simply thrilled. We thought Dickinson was huge. We were afraid of getting lost. I was about four years old at the time. I really did get lost at the circus. I thought I was following my father, Vern, and instead of that I was following another man, who looked like dad from the back. Was I happy when my brother Ted found me!
[rest of this page unreadable]
[page 2]
...Gladys and Caroline.
After Vern sold the Emerson store he moved to the badlands, about eight miles north of Medora. Oscar Baker bought land about two or three miles north of us. Lewis Baker moved to Billings. At this time the depression struck, good and hard. Vern had more land than he needed for the amount of cattle he had at first. Then the drought came and the cattle had little or nothing to eat. Vern sold out to the Merlien-Stackhouse Land Company in 1925. He moved to Dickinson for awhile and then to Oregon. He farmed there until the death of his wife and son. Theodore, in 1941. After two years of living alone on his small farm he sold it, and moved to The Dalles, Oregon, where he was night clerk in The Dalles Hotel for about three years. The hotel exchanged hands, so he decided to come to North Dakota and live with his daughter until he passed away in January 1962, at the age of 84.
While he was living north of Medora, two more sons were born, Vern and Taylor. His children are scattered far and wide. Ruth, Mrs. William Horstman, lives at Creighton, Nebraska. Roy lives at Portland, Oregon, Frances, Mrs. Walter Schwartz, lives at Sun City, Arizona. Gladys, Mrs. Delry Webster, Gladstone, North Dakota is the only one still living near the old stamping grounds. Caroline, Mrs. Virgil Roberts, is at Silverton, Oregon; Vern is at Orange City, California, and Taylor is at Spokane, Washington.
I forgot to mention that in 1915 that Vern bought a house on Fifth Avenue West in Dickinson so that Mrs. Baker could move in with her children to be able to give them a necessary education. After moving to Medora, Frances and Gladys attend a year of High School at Belfield. Then Frances went out to teach and Gladys attended one year at Medora and two years in Dickinson, and she too, went out to teach. Ruth graduated from High School in Dickinson and went to college in Jamestown and later in Dickinson. She also turned out to be a teacher. Caroline attended High School after she was married at Grass Valley, Oregon. Her little boy began grade school the same day Caroline entered high school. She later became a beauty operator. Of the boys Ted was the only to take up teaching as his occupation. Roy became a farmer and rancher in Oregon. Vern is an electrical engineer in California. He was foreman on the huge hotel in Disneyland that has just been completed. Taylor became a bodyshop man in Spokane. He now has a tree farm at the edge of Spokane.
In the last few years of his life, Vern was very happy to spend them near his first beginning in North Dakota.
VERN A. BAKER
Pioneer of Dunn County
by Mrs. Delry Webster (Oct. 1969)
In the fall of 1901, E. O. Baker stopped out in Dickinson enroute to Newcastle, Nebraska. He liked the country and decided to locate somewhere near th town of Dickinson. Therefore the next spring he sent his oldest son, and family, by train to Taylor, N. Dak.
Vern was born September 3, 1877 at Newcastle, Nebraska. He was married to Caroline Bertha Taylor, March 8, 1897. Three children were born while they still lived in Nebraska. The oldest one, Edward , died at a few weeks of age. The other two were Ruth and Roy.
On March 1, 1902 Vern and his family were taken by team and sled to Rock Springs. They purchased a cattle ranch, located on section 28, township 143, range 94, from Frank Roquette. This was in Dunn County. Their home was made of sod and frame. It became known as the Horseshoe Bend Ranch. A few days after their arrival they experienced a terrible three day blizzard. He stayed at the Baker home for a week before he could get back to Dickinson. This was March 16, 17, and 18, 1902.
Theodore and Frances were born on the Horseshoe Bend Ranch.
Some of the Baker's neighbors were Will Christ, Ole Peterson, Ole Ziner, Paul Ziner, and A.L. Watkins. Later came the Eberhards, Websters, McConnells, Browns, Morrells, Baileys, Smiths, and many more.
Rock Springs was a popular Post Office in early days. Sunday School and church services were held at the Watkins home, some 3 miles away.
Dad, Vern, homesteaded on NE1/4?, 142,94, but, relinquished his homestead rights to Ira Crawford. He later built his farm three and one-half miles southeast of Emerson, near the Twin Buttes on railroad land. Later he built another home about one-fourth mile south which the present time is the home of Tony Jordan. We walked from here to the Emerson school despite the weather.
Vern's father, and his other two sons came in August 1902 and located in the Emerson region. E.O. Baker, my grandfather, had a sheep ranch about two miles south of Emerson, part of which is now owned by George Miller and the other part by Jerry Meduna. Oscar's home was about one-half mile east of Emerson, now owned by J?? Degele?, and Lewis' home was about 4 1/2 miles southeast of Emerson. It is now owned by Delmont Galyen.
The Baker's were very industrious people. They branched out into various enterprises. They had a hotel and store in Taylor (1906-1910), a store in Emerson (1909-1919) and store in Old Halliday. (1910- ). The store in Halliday was bought from John Bang.
They bought their supplies from the Bismarck Grocery, Nash-Finch, and a company from Fargo. One of the brand names was Argood. These supplies were shipped to Taylor, and then brought by team to Emerson and Halliday. These stores were the real old-fashioned variety selling everything from soap to threshing machines (International Harvester.) Crackers were bought in bulk quantities, as was sugar, salt, coffee, peanuts, ca?? and so on. Cheese came in huge wheels. Horseshoe ??, Bull Durham, and Spark Plug were favorite tobaccos. Coffee $.15 per pound, sugar 20 lbs per $1; good work shoes $2.25; dress shoes $5.00; calico $.05 per yard, muslin $.10 to $.20 per yard; gingham $.10 per yard. Long streamers of sticky flypaper hung from the ceiling. Daisy fly paper was scattered about, but, early stores knew little of sanitation. Local butter was bought, but spoiled quickly without refrigeration [sic]. Mrs. Baker made some of it into soap, but, the rest was dumped into barrels and hauled into Dickinson to George Berzel, who had a renovating plant. Cream and milk were handled in the same way. Every thing from baby shoes to mice were found in the cream. One old bachelor brought in cream thick with fuzzy mold. Baker Brothers bought it and gave groceries in exchange, regardless of the condition. It made for good business relations.
Some of the clerks working for Baker Brothers were Sig Evenson, August Wagner, and Ethel Eberhard.
The Baker Brothers also owned a lumberyard, community building, and a flour mill run by Otis Evenson, as well, as a small bank. Other buisinesses in Emerson were a doctor's office and home, a real estate office, high school, printing and newspaper office, hotel, two blacksmith shops, pool hall, and church.
The postoffice was located in the rear of the store a few months after the store was built. It was first known as the Connelly Postoffice, and later changed to Emerson. The Emerson store was sold to James Mullany in 1919 and it exchanged hands several times, until finally it just died out because of the arrival of cars and better means of transportation. It just couldn't compete anymore with the surrounding towns.
Lewis and Oscar Baker bought a store in Dickinson about 1915 or 1916. it was located about where the Home Furniture store is now. They bought it from Guy Dickinson. The Baker store in Taylore burned in 1909 and was not replaced. Between 1906 and 1910 Baker's owned the old Berry Hotel. They had Mattie and Ada Baker running the place.
John Stordahl was the mail carrier in these days. His route was from Manning to Emerson; Rocksprings to Marshall. His method of transportation was team and buggy.
I remember going to Dickinson once, a distance of about thirty or more miles, by lumber wagon, with my dad and the rest of the family, to see a circus. We stayed at the old Gem Hotel, where the Lamp Post is now. We were simply thrilled. We thought Dickinson was huge. We were afraid of getting lost. I was about four years old at the time. I really did get lost at the circus. I thought I was following my father, Vern, and instead of that I was following another man, who looked like dad from the back. Was I happy when my brother Ted found me!
[rest of this page unreadable]
[page 2]
...Gladys and Caroline.
After Vern sold the Emerson store he moved to the badlands, about eight miles north of Medora. Oscar Baker bought land about two or three miles north of us. Lewis Baker moved to Billings. At this time the depression struck, good and hard. Vern had more land than he needed for the amount of cattle he had at first. Then the drought came and the cattle had little or nothing to eat. Vern sold out to the Merlien-Stackhouse Land Company in 1925. He moved to Dickinson for awhile and then to Oregon. He farmed there until the death of his wife and son. Theodore, in 1941. After two years of living alone on his small farm he sold it, and moved to The Dalles, Oregon, where he was night clerk in The Dalles Hotel for about three years. The hotel exchanged hands, so he decided to come to North Dakota and live with his daughter until he passed away in January 1962, at the age of 84.
While he was living north of Medora, two more sons were born, Vern and Taylor. His children are scattered far and wide. Ruth, Mrs. William Horstman, lives at Creighton, Nebraska. Roy lives at Portland, Oregon, Frances, Mrs. Walter Schwartz, lives at Sun City, Arizona. Gladys, Mrs. Delry Webster, Gladstone, North Dakota is the only one still living near the old stamping grounds. Caroline, Mrs. Virgil Roberts, is at Silverton, Oregon; Vern is at Orange City, California, and Taylor is at Spokane, Washington.
I forgot to mention that in 1915 that Vern bought a house on Fifth Avenue West in Dickinson so that Mrs. Baker could move in with her children to be able to give them a necessary education. After moving to Medora, Frances and Gladys attend a year of High School at Belfield. Then Frances went out to teach and Gladys attended one year at Medora and two years in Dickinson, and she too, went out to teach. Ruth graduated from High School in Dickinson and went to college in Jamestown and later in Dickinson. She also turned out to be a teacher. Caroline attended High School after she was married at Grass Valley, Oregon. Her little boy began grade school the same day Caroline entered high school. She later became a beauty operator. Of the boys Ted was the only to take up teaching as his occupation. Roy became a farmer and rancher in Oregon. Vern is an electrical engineer in California. He was foreman on the huge hotel in Disneyland that has just been completed. Taylor became a bodyshop man in Spokane. He now has a tree farm at the edge of Spokane.
In the last few years of his life, Vern was very happy to spend them near his first beginning in North Dakota.
From Dauntless Dunn, 1970, Dunn County Historical Society, pg 20-21:
VERN A. BAKER
Pioneer of Dunn County
by Mrs. Delry Webster (Oct. 1969)
In the fall of 1901, E. O. Baker stopped out in Dickinson enroute to Newcastle, Nebraska. He liked the country and decided to locate somewhere near th town of Dickinson. Therefore the next spring he sent his oldest son, and family, by train to Taylor, N. Dak.
Vern was born September 3, 1877 at Newcastle, Nebraska. He was married to Caroline Bertha Taylor, March 8, 1897. Three children were born while they still lived in Nebraska. The oldest one, Edward , died at a few weeks of age. The other two were Ruth and Roy.
On March 1, 1902 Vern and his family were taken by team and sled to Rock Springs. They purchased a cattle ranch, located on section 28, township 143, range 94, from Frank Roquette. This was in Dunn County. Their home was made of sod and frame. It became known as the Horseshoe Bend Ranch. A few days after their arrival they experienced a terrible three day blizzard. He stayed at the Baker home for a week before he could get back to Dickinson. This was March 16, 17, and 18, 1902.
Theodore and Frances were born on the Horseshoe Bend Ranch.
Some of the Baker's neighbors were Will Christ, Ole Peterson, Ole Ziner, Paul Ziner, and A.L. Watkins. Later came the Eberhards, Websters, McConnells, Browns, Morrells, Baileys, Smiths, and many more.
Rock Springs was a popular Post Office in early days. Sunday School and church services were held at the Watkins home, some 3 miles away.
Dad, Vern, homesteaded on NE1/4?, 142,94, but, relinquished his homestead rights to Ira Crawford. He later built his farm three and one-half miles southeast of Emerson, near the Twin Buttes on railroad land. Later he built another home about one-fourth mile south which the present time is the home of Tony Jordan. We walked from here to the Emerson school despite the weather.
Vern's father, and his other two sons came in August 1902 and located in the Emerson region. E.O. Baker, my grandfather, had a sheep ranch about two miles south of Emerson, part of which is now owned by George Miller and the other part by Jerry Meduna. Oscar's home was about one-half mile east of Emerson, now owned by J?? Degele?, and Lewis' home was about 4 1/2 miles southeast of Emerson. It is now owned by Delmont Galyen.
The Baker's were very industrious people. They branched out into various enterprises. They had a hotel and store in Taylor (1906-1910), a store in Emerson (1909-1919) and store in Old Halliday. (1910- ). The store in Halliday was bought from John Bang.
They bought their supplies from the Bismarck Grocery, Nash-Finch, and a company from Fargo. One of the brand names was Argood. These supplies were shipped to Taylor, and then brought by team to Emerson and Halliday. These stores were the real old-fashioned variety selling everything from soap to threshing machines (International Harvester.) Crackers were bought in bulk quantities, as was sugar, salt, coffee, peanuts, ca?? and so on. Cheese came in huge wheels. Horseshoe ??, Bull Durham, and Spark Plug were favorite tobaccos. Coffee $.15 per pound, sugar 20 lbs per $1; good work shoes $2.25; dress shoes $5.00; calico $.05 per yard, muslin $.10 to $.20 per yard; gingham $.10 per yard. Long streamers of sticky flypaper hung from the ceiling. Daisy fly paper was scattered about, but, early stores knew little of sanitation. Local butter was bought, but spoiled quickly without refrigeration [sic]. Mrs. Baker made some of it into soap, but, the rest was dumped into barrels and hauled into Dickinson to George Berzel, who had a renovating plant. Cream and milk were handled in the same way. Every thing from baby shoes to mice were found in the cream. One old bachelor brought in cream thick with fuzzy mold. Baker Brothers bought it and gave groceries in exchange, regardless of the condition. It made for good business relations.
Some of the clerks working for Baker Brothers were Sig Evenson, August Wagner, and Ethel Eberhard.
The Baker Brothers also owned a lumberyard, community building, and a flour mill run by Otis Evenson, as well, as a small bank. Other buisinesses in Emerson were a doctor's office and home, a real estate office, high school, printing and newspaper office, hotel, two blacksmith shops, pool hall, and church.
The postoffice was located in the rear of the store a few months after the store was built. It was first known as the Connelly Postoffice, and later changed to Emerson. The Emerson store was sold to James Mullany in 1919 and it exchanged hands several times, until finally it just died out because of the arrival of cars and better means of transportation. It just couldn't compete anymore with the surrounding towns.
Lewis and Oscar Baker bought a store in Dickinson about 1915 or 1916. it was located about where the Home Furniture store is now. They bought it from Guy Dickinson. The Baker store in Taylore burned in 1909 and was not replaced. Between 1906 and 1910 Baker's owned the old Berry Hotel. They had Mattie and Ada Baker running the place.
John Stordahl was the mail carrier in these days. His route was from Manning to Emerson; Rocksprings to Marshall. His method of transportation was team and buggy.
I remember going to Dickinson once, a distance of about thirty or more miles, by lumber wagon, with my dad and the rest of the family, to see a circus. We stayed at the old Gem Hotel, where the Lamp Post is now. We were simply thrilled. We thought Dickinson was huge. We were afraid of getting lost. I was about four years old at the time. I really did get lost at the circus. I thought I was following my father, Vern, and instead of that I was following another man, who looked like dad from the back. Was I happy when my brother Ted found me!
[rest of this page unreadable]
[page 2]
...Gladys and Caroline.
After Vern sold the Emerson store he moved to the badlands, about eight miles north of Medora. Oscar Baker bought land about two or three miles north of us. Lewis Baker moved to Billings. At this time the depression struck, good and hard. Vern had more land than he needed for the amount of cattle he had at first. Then the drought came and the cattle had little or nothing to eat. Vern sold out to the Merlien-Stackhouse Land Company in 1925. He moved to Dickinson for awhile and then to Oregon. He farmed there until the death of his wife and son. Theodore, in 1941. After two years of living alone on his small farm he sold it, and moved to The Dalles, Oregon, where he was night clerk in The Dalles Hotel for about three years. The hotel exchanged hands, so he decided to come to North Dakota and live with his daughter until he passed away in January 1962, at the age of 84.
While he was living north of Medora, two more sons were born, Vern and Taylor. His children are scattered far and wide. Ruth, Mrs. William Horstman, lives at Creighton, Nebraska. Roy lives at Portland, Oregon, Frances, Mrs. Walter Schwartz, lives at Sun City, Arizona. Gladys, Mrs. Delry Webster, Gladstone, North Dakota is the only one still living near the old stamping grounds. Caroline, Mrs. Virgil Roberts, is at Silverton, Oregon; Vern is at Orange City, California, and Taylor is at Spokane, Washington.
I forgot to mention that in 1915 that Vern bought a house on Fifth Avenue West in Dickinson so that Mrs. Baker could move in with her children to be able to give them a necessary education. After moving to Medora, Frances and Gladys attend a year of High School at Belfield. Then Frances went out to teach and Gladys attended one year at Medora and two years in Dickinson, and she too, went out to teach. Ruth graduated from High School in Dickinson and went to college in Jamestown and later in Dickinson. She also turned out to be a teacher. Caroline attended High School after she was married at Grass Valley, Oregon. Her little boy began grade school the same day Caroline entered high school. She later became a beauty operator. Of the boys Ted was the only to take up teaching as his occupation. Roy became a farmer and rancher in Oregon. Vern is an electrical engineer in California. He was foreman on the huge hotel in Disneyland that has just been completed. Taylor became a bodyshop man in Spokane. He now has a tree farm at the edge of Spokane.
In the last few years of his life, Vern was very happy to spend them near his first beginning in North Dakota.
VERN A. BAKER
Pioneer of Dunn County
by Mrs. Delry Webster (Oct. 1969)
In the fall of 1901, E. O. Baker stopped out in Dickinson enroute to Newcastle, Nebraska. He liked the country and decided to locate somewhere near th town of Dickinson. Therefore the next spring he sent his oldest son, and family, by train to Taylor, N. Dak.
Vern was born September 3, 1877 at Newcastle, Nebraska. He was married to Caroline Bertha Taylor, March 8, 1897. Three children were born while they still lived in Nebraska. The oldest one, Edward , died at a few weeks of age. The other two were Ruth and Roy.
On March 1, 1902 Vern and his family were taken by team and sled to Rock Springs. They purchased a cattle ranch, located on section 28, township 143, range 94, from Frank Roquette. This was in Dunn County. Their home was made of sod and frame. It became known as the Horseshoe Bend Ranch. A few days after their arrival they experienced a terrible three day blizzard. He stayed at the Baker home for a week before he could get back to Dickinson. This was March 16, 17, and 18, 1902.
Theodore and Frances were born on the Horseshoe Bend Ranch.
Some of the Baker's neighbors were Will Christ, Ole Peterson, Ole Ziner, Paul Ziner, and A.L. Watkins. Later came the Eberhards, Websters, McConnells, Browns, Morrells, Baileys, Smiths, and many more.
Rock Springs was a popular Post Office in early days. Sunday School and church services were held at the Watkins home, some 3 miles away.
Dad, Vern, homesteaded on NE1/4?, 142,94, but, relinquished his homestead rights to Ira Crawford. He later built his farm three and one-half miles southeast of Emerson, near the Twin Buttes on railroad land. Later he built another home about one-fourth mile south which the present time is the home of Tony Jordan. We walked from here to the Emerson school despite the weather.
Vern's father, and his other two sons came in August 1902 and located in the Emerson region. E.O. Baker, my grandfather, had a sheep ranch about two miles south of Emerson, part of which is now owned by George Miller and the other part by Jerry Meduna. Oscar's home was about one-half mile east of Emerson, now owned by J?? Degele?, and Lewis' home was about 4 1/2 miles southeast of Emerson. It is now owned by Delmont Galyen.
The Baker's were very industrious people. They branched out into various enterprises. They had a hotel and store in Taylor (1906-1910), a store in Emerson (1909-1919) and store in Old Halliday. (1910- ). The store in Halliday was bought from John Bang.
They bought their supplies from the Bismarck Grocery, Nash-Finch, and a company from Fargo. One of the brand names was Argood. These supplies were shipped to Taylor, and then brought by team to Emerson and Halliday. These stores were the real old-fashioned variety selling everything from soap to threshing machines (International Harvester.) Crackers were bought in bulk quantities, as was sugar, salt, coffee, peanuts, ca?? and so on. Cheese came in huge wheels. Horseshoe ??, Bull Durham, and Spark Plug were favorite tobaccos. Coffee $.15 per pound, sugar 20 lbs per $1; good work shoes $2.25; dress shoes $5.00; calico $.05 per yard, muslin $.10 to $.20 per yard; gingham $.10 per yard. Long streamers of sticky flypaper hung from the ceiling. Daisy fly paper was scattered about, but, early stores knew little of sanitation. Local butter was bought, but spoiled quickly without refrigeration [sic]. Mrs. Baker made some of it into soap, but, the rest was dumped into barrels and hauled into Dickinson to George Berzel, who had a renovating plant. Cream and milk were handled in the same way. Every thing from baby shoes to mice were found in the cream. One old bachelor brought in cream thick with fuzzy mold. Baker Brothers bought it and gave groceries in exchange, regardless of the condition. It made for good business relations.
Some of the clerks working for Baker Brothers were Sig Evenson, August Wagner, and Ethel Eberhard.
The Baker Brothers also owned a lumberyard, community building, and a flour mill run by Otis Evenson, as well, as a small bank. Other buisinesses in Emerson were a doctor's office and home, a real estate office, high school, printing and newspaper office, hotel, two blacksmith shops, pool hall, and church.
The postoffice was located in the rear of the store a few months after the store was built. It was first known as the Connelly Postoffice, and later changed to Emerson. The Emerson store was sold to James Mullany in 1919 and it exchanged hands several times, until finally it just died out because of the arrival of cars and better means of transportation. It just couldn't compete anymore with the surrounding towns.
Lewis and Oscar Baker bought a store in Dickinson about 1915 or 1916. it was located about where the Home Furniture store is now. They bought it from Guy Dickinson. The Baker store in Taylore burned in 1909 and was not replaced. Between 1906 and 1910 Baker's owned the old Berry Hotel. They had Mattie and Ada Baker running the place.
John Stordahl was the mail carrier in these days. His route was from Manning to Emerson; Rocksprings to Marshall. His method of transportation was team and buggy.
I remember going to Dickinson once, a distance of about thirty or more miles, by lumber wagon, with my dad and the rest of the family, to see a circus. We stayed at the old Gem Hotel, where the Lamp Post is now. We were simply thrilled. We thought Dickinson was huge. We were afraid of getting lost. I was about four years old at the time. I really did get lost at the circus. I thought I was following my father, Vern, and instead of that I was following another man, who looked like dad from the back. Was I happy when my brother Ted found me!
[rest of this page unreadable]
[page 2]
...Gladys and Caroline.
After Vern sold the Emerson store he moved to the badlands, about eight miles north of Medora. Oscar Baker bought land about two or three miles north of us. Lewis Baker moved to Billings. At this time the depression struck, good and hard. Vern had more land than he needed for the amount of cattle he had at first. Then the drought came and the cattle had little or nothing to eat. Vern sold out to the Merlien-Stackhouse Land Company in 1925. He moved to Dickinson for awhile and then to Oregon. He farmed there until the death of his wife and son. Theodore, in 1941. After two years of living alone on his small farm he sold it, and moved to The Dalles, Oregon, where he was night clerk in The Dalles Hotel for about three years. The hotel exchanged hands, so he decided to come to North Dakota and live with his daughter until he passed away in January 1962, at the age of 84.
While he was living north of Medora, two more sons were born, Vern and Taylor. His children are scattered far and wide. Ruth, Mrs. William Horstman, lives at Creighton, Nebraska. Roy lives at Portland, Oregon, Frances, Mrs. Walter Schwartz, lives at Sun City, Arizona. Gladys, Mrs. Delry Webster, Gladstone, North Dakota is the only one still living near the old stamping grounds. Caroline, Mrs. Virgil Roberts, is at Silverton, Oregon; Vern is at Orange City, California, and Taylor is at Spokane, Washington.
I forgot to mention that in 1915 that Vern bought a house on Fifth Avenue West in Dickinson so that Mrs. Baker could move in with her children to be able to give them a necessary education. After moving to Medora, Frances and Gladys attend a year of High School at Belfield. Then Frances went out to teach and Gladys attended one year at Medora and two years in Dickinson, and she too, went out to teach. Ruth graduated from High School in Dickinson and went to college in Jamestown and later in Dickinson. She also turned out to be a teacher. Caroline attended High School after she was married at Grass Valley, Oregon. Her little boy began grade school the same day Caroline entered high school. She later became a beauty operator. Of the boys Ted was the only to take up teaching as his occupation. Roy became a farmer and rancher in Oregon. Vern is an electrical engineer in California. He was foreman on the huge hotel in Disneyland that has just been completed. Taylor became a bodyshop man in Spokane. He now has a tree farm at the edge of Spokane.
In the last few years of his life, Vern was very happy to spend them near his first beginning in North Dakota.
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