Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 84, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1911 — Western Town Moved Away on Wheels [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Western Town Moved Away on Wheels

SIOUX FALLS, S. D.—Lamro, a town of 2,000 inhabitants and several hundred houses, was put on wheels the other day and moved over to Winner,' where, as the result of a bitter county scat war and agreement between the two towns, it was consolidated with Winner and as a town ceased wholly to exist. Store buildings, with their valuable contents, were moved intact. Banks, with their cash in the vaults, were put on wheels and-made the trip across the prairie. Without disturbing the officials, the county court house was hitched to two of the largest traction engines ever built and was hauled from Lamro over to Winner, where it was placed on a foundation previously prepared for it. The Lamro hotel, drawn by 72 teams of horses, made the trip without so much as ceasing business during hi single meal. Lamro was unique in being a town built by Indians for the use of white men. Indians promoted the town, sold lots, opened business houses, and

finally elected themselves to office. Indians were elected to the offices of county commissioner, county judge, county treasurer and to all other places. / However, the Indians were at last outgeneraled by the white men. The red men were familiar with many things, but they did not understand the ways of the American railroad builders. Lamro was promoted while the railroad was still 20 miles away, but headed in that direction. In fact, the survey ran through the spot upon which the Indians built the town. But the railroad made, a detour just great enough to.put Lamro off the line of road and the white men built the town of Winner on the road and only three miles from the In-, dian town. In the meantime Lamro had grown rapidly and was a town of 2,000 people, with all sorts of business houses. The people living at Winner organized a county seat fight and carried the matter before the voters at the November elections. By agreement between the two towns the loser agreed to abandon Its site and move bodily over to the winner of the fight. True to its name. Winner won out by a small vote, and the very next day arrangements were begun for the house moving.