Historical source written January 14, 1974, by Ruby M. Frye, Postmaster at Pringle, South Dakota. Peter Zeimet scanned and emailed pages 12–13 to Danielle on March 10, 2007. The transcription below preserves the wording, capitalization, and apparent spelling in the surviving pages rather than silently modernizing or correcting it.
HISTORY OF PRINGLE SD 57775
The first known white person to come to the territory now known as the Pringle area was a man by the name of James Monroe, a pony express rider. When riding through the area one trip he broke his leg, and had to stay here until it healed. Stories are he existed on prairie dog meat, no other food being available.
The first settlers were Jake Skinner, his wife and a child. Mr. Billy Fewmock, his wife and three children came shortly afterwards in 1883 hoping to farm. Mary Elizabeth, his daughter spent her entire life here and served as Postmaster for seven years. A man by the name of Cunningham who passed through here, William Fewmock was appointed Postmaster of Rocks in Custer County, Territory of Dakota on July 14, 1888 by William F. Vilas, Postmaster General of Washington D.C. Mail at that time was carried on horseback or by stagecoach from Buffalo Gap to Custer and back to Rocks. Fewmocks lived in a log house a quarter of a mile from the present town and is remembered as the first post office.
The Pringle family came here from Iowa on May 16, 1886 and settled on Shinner’s old placer claim. Mr. Pringle died a few years later leaving his widow and two children, Charles and Myrtle (Mrs. Joe Conlon). The B & M Company started building of the railroad through here from Edgemont to Deadwood and the surveyors boarded with Mrs. Pringle and lived in tents. All the men liked her so well they named the railroad station “Pringle” for her. A large water tank and a coal shed was built near the track and Pringle’s residence (with a chute) and water station for many years. The railroad changed their company name to the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (C.B.&Q.) and when the road was completed in the fall of 1890 the post office was moved nearer the railroad and both the name of the office and town was given the name of Pringle.
The townsite was on the Nevada placer claim and entirely east of the railroad. The town was laid out in blocks with streets and alleys by the Lincoln Townsite Company with surveying being paid for by the railroad company. Several buildings were then moved and faced the streets as they now exist. Railroad was discontinued for passenger service in September 1950.
Between 1889 and 1891 there was an Indian scare resulting from the battle of Wounded Knee. People would often go to Custer at rumor of Indians coming this way.
Other early settlers that still have descendants here are Kirk, Zeimet, Barnes, Tanner, Conlon, Havor, Scofield and McClaren families.
The first school was in a Farmer’s field about one mile north of town. Each time as the building was destroyed the school was moved closer and then built in town. High school was started in 1921–first class graduating in 1925 with six members.
In the fall of 1897 a Church for the Community was started and they are still having services, which makes it the first and last in the Community. It was dedicated by Rev. R.O. Butterfield as a Methodist Church. The Catholic was built sometime later and the Assembly of God Church in the 1930’s.
Sawmilling and mining were some of the industries in the early history. The first mill was just west of the railroad track and logs were skidded right to the mill. Making lime for use in plastering and for the Homestake mine at Lead was also profitable. Miners and prospectors played an important part in the growth and decline of the town. At one time the Custer County Bank opened a branch at Pringle with Lloyd Sutherland as Cashier.
Several fires also destroyed buildings which have never been replaced.
We are the only Pringle in the United States at this time. The other Pringles in Texas, Georgia, Pennsylvania have been absorbed by larger cities or abandoned.
Written by Ruby M. Frye, Postmaster at Pringle, SD
on January 14, 1974.
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