| Summary: | And Its Pioneers 61 They were piloted by E. P. Wells, B. S. Russell, and John J. Nichols, of Jamestown. On July 26, 1881, Engineer J. F. Donnelly began surveying the line, but changed the route as later built to Carrington. In the spring of 1882, Engineer K. P. Crandall surveyed a new route for the Mouse River branch on an air line from Newport (Melville) to Pony Gulch and on to the big bend of the Mouse river. Gwynne City on the Pipestem and Villard on the Mouse river yvere boom towns that resulted from this survey. Scrip- town, the first county seat of McHenry county, founded by Jofins'o'i'i (• Nickeirs and Jamestown associates and so named because the site Was purchased with "Soldier Script", was also located near the Mouse river ends of these surveys. In 1883 the Sykeston branch yvas surveyed to the Mouse river via Ontario and Pony Gulch but later changed to extend from Pony Gulch to old Coal Harbor on the Missouri river. Another survey for a Mouse river branch was made northwest from Carrington along the old Mouse River Trail and is now closely followed by the Soo Line Railway. In 1883 the Northern Pacific constructed thirteen miles of new line from Carrington to Sykeston, the first train reaching there cm August 18th. Surveyor B. P. Tilden, of Jamestown, was the engineer of construction Walker & Bly, with Chas. J. Hutchinson, manager, were the grading contractors, and Conductor Barney McGhee, later a hotelkeeper in Nome, Alaska, was in charge of the construction trains and track laying. Richard Sykes platted a town on Section 13, Township 146 N., Range 69 W., and named it "Sykeston", to honor and perpetuate his name. The grand opening took place on July 4, 1883. The townsite of Sykeston was surveyed by Ed H. Foster, founder of the Jamestown Weekly Alert and the first secretary of the Jamestown Masonic lodge. He was assisted by George Taylor, who drove the survey stakes and earlier that spring had surveyed Gwynne City for J. Gwynne Vaughan. The Northern Pacific did not establish a regular train service between Jamestown and Sykeston until March 30, 1884. This was a tri-weekly service, leaving Sykeston at 5:00 A. M. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, with the Sunday layover at Sykeston. Scanned with a Zeutschel Zeta book scanner at 300 dpi. Edited with Multi-Page TIFF Editor.
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