“Jefferson”

Got its name when Edward M. Walters was postmaster on September 22, 1873. It was first named Willow, August 29, 1861, then Adelescat in 1869 and Walters was postmaster of Boreman when it was so called between May and September, 1873. (A marker near the post office names all postmasters).

This area has had a French-Canadian population for well over one hundred years. In 1859, Father Jeremiah F. Trecy, came in to temporarily minister to these people. It was on the military road from Sioux City to Ft. Randall, 1855 to 1872, which ran through town. The Dakota Southern Railway built through the town in 1872. The first permanent settlers were A. Christie, William Mather and Michael Ryan. In 1862 a log church was built and among the parishioners were the Beauchemins, Allards, Beaubiens, LaBreches, Limoges, Chicoines, Bernards, Conners, Currans, Dennisons, Fountains, LeFleurs, Rubidas, Ryans and Yerters. There was no regular pastor until Father Pierre Boucher came in 1867 to administer a parish that included most of southeastern Dakota.

The settlers were plagued with grasshoppers throughout the 1870’s and it was in May, 1876 that Father Boucher, determined to invoke divine intervention, organized a pilgrimage, including the Protestants, and led them on an eleven mile triangular march that included services and prayers and the erection of crude crosses at Montagne School, Morin home and cemetery in Jefferson, which have been replaced by huge wooden ones. The grasshoppers left the country and citizens here regard it as a modern miracle. Markers now point the way to the huge wooden crosses.

Union County, south edge of Jefferson