Argonne Ghost Town
Printed in the October 17, 2024 issue of the Miner County Pioneer, in recognition of the "Argonne Ghost Town" historical marker installed on Highway 25 North, just south of its intersection with 229th Street:
In 1886, the town of St. Marys was platted by Dr. Louis Gotthelf and named for his daughter Mary. According to a notice of his death in 1905, Dr. Gotthelf was born in Berlin, Prussia, in 1821, graduated from medical college in 1843, and was brevetted by King Wilhelm IV for outstanding military service during the revolutions of 1848. Gotthelf immigrated to the United States in the early 1850s and practiced medicine in Missouri and then Minnesota. In 1881, he and his family came to Miner County and filed land claims in Sections 14 and 15 of Green Valley Township. Gotthelf eventually became disenchanted with the lack of progress in St. Marys and moved to Parker, S.D. in 1889.
The town’s name was changed from St. Marys to St. Mary’s (with an apostrophe) sometime during the 1890s or early 1900s.
In 1919, a post-WWI land boom spurred the establishment of new businesses, and St. Marys began to see significant growth as a trade center on a Chicago and Northwestern Railroad branch line. In 1919, a railway depot, lumber yard, farmer’s cooperative and general store were building the town. A bank, blacksmith shop and several other businesses were built in the early 1920s. At its height during the 1920s, Argonne had about 100 residents.
In 1920, because a St. Mary’s post office already existed, the town's name was changed to Argonne to honor the American soldiers who died in the World War I battle of Meuse-Argonne. Lewis H. Canfield, formerly the postmaster of Canova, S.D., became Argonne’s first postmaster.
In February 1920, the town dedicated a new $100,000 consolidated school. On January 17, 1933, the Argonne Consolidated School was destroyed in a fire that displaced 116 students and their six teachers. The town remodeled the Argonne Farmer’s Cooperative and a former pool hall building to serve as makeshift classrooms until they finished rebuilding the school later that year. The new school was a slightly smaller version of the 1920’s school that was destroyed by fire earlier that year.
Twenty years later, in 1953, the Argonne Arrows high school basketball team made South Dakota sports history when they played the Canova Eagles. Delbert Gillam, the “Argonne Ace,” scored 72 points against Canova and shattered the state record for the most points scored by a player in a single game. Gillam made 31 field goals and 10 free throws, which helped the Arrows defeat the Eagles 126-81. At the time, that game was also the highest scoring game in state history. Although other high-score games have now replaced that, Delbert Gillam’s 72-point record apparently still stands.
The 1952-53 basketball season was probably the best in school history. Prior to a road game in Fedora, Delbert was suspended from the team for “violating team rules,” and the Arrows struggled without their senior star. At halftime, a group of school board members pulled aside coach Louis Cullen, who also happened to be the superintendent, for a quick discussion. They told him that maybe Del’s suspension should be over right then. When he agreed, they sent someone to find Gilliam. He joined the team for the second half of the game and his second-half performance was spirited enough to lead the Arrows to an impressive comeback victory, 54 – 50.
The graduating class of 1954-1955 was the last to graduate from the Argonne school, which closed in Spring 1955. The final graduating class included Donald Ommen (class president), Raymond Selken (class vice president), Renee Lembke (class secretary and treasurer), Delda Kuhle, Raymond Buthe and Kenneth Uherka (student council president). The year the school closed, the basketball team was a 50-50 team. Out of the 22 games played, 11 resulted in victories.
Unfortunately, in the 1970s, the grade school also closed, the railroad ceased service, and the last resident moved out of Argonne—leaving it a ghost town. No buildings remain although remnants of the bank vault are still visible. The actual Argonne town site is located 4.3 miles west and 0.4 miles north of the intersection of 229th Street and 433rd Avenue (Highway 25 North).
In 1886, the town of St. Marys was platted by Dr. Louis Gotthelf and named for his daughter Mary. According to a notice of his death in 1905, Dr. Gotthelf was born in Berlin, Prussia, in 1821, graduated from medical college in 1843, and was brevetted by King Wilhelm IV for outstanding military service during the revolutions of 1848. Gotthelf immigrated to the United States in the early 1850s and practiced medicine in Missouri and then Minnesota. In 1881, he and his family came to Miner County and filed land claims in Sections 14 and 15 of Green Valley Township. Gotthelf eventually became disenchanted with the lack of progress in St. Marys and moved to Parker, S.D. in 1889.
The town’s name was changed from St. Marys to St. Mary’s (with an apostrophe) sometime during the 1890s or early 1900s.
In 1919, a post-WWI land boom spurred the establishment of new businesses, and St. Marys began to see significant growth as a trade center on a Chicago and Northwestern Railroad branch line. In 1919, a railway depot, lumber yard, farmer’s cooperative and general store were building the town. A bank, blacksmith shop and several other businesses were built in the early 1920s. At its height during the 1920s, Argonne had about 100 residents.
In 1920, because a St. Mary’s post office already existed, the town's name was changed to Argonne to honor the American soldiers who died in the World War I battle of Meuse-Argonne. Lewis H. Canfield, formerly the postmaster of Canova, S.D., became Argonne’s first postmaster.
In February 1920, the town dedicated a new $100,000 consolidated school. On January 17, 1933, the Argonne Consolidated School was destroyed in a fire that displaced 116 students and their six teachers. The town remodeled the Argonne Farmer’s Cooperative and a former pool hall building to serve as makeshift classrooms until they finished rebuilding the school later that year. The new school was a slightly smaller version of the 1920’s school that was destroyed by fire earlier that year.
Twenty years later, in 1953, the Argonne Arrows high school basketball team made South Dakota sports history when they played the Canova Eagles. Delbert Gillam, the “Argonne Ace,” scored 72 points against Canova and shattered the state record for the most points scored by a player in a single game. Gillam made 31 field goals and 10 free throws, which helped the Arrows defeat the Eagles 126-81. At the time, that game was also the highest scoring game in state history. Although other high-score games have now replaced that, Delbert Gillam’s 72-point record apparently still stands.
The 1952-53 basketball season was probably the best in school history. Prior to a road game in Fedora, Delbert was suspended from the team for “violating team rules,” and the Arrows struggled without their senior star. At halftime, a group of school board members pulled aside coach Louis Cullen, who also happened to be the superintendent, for a quick discussion. They told him that maybe Del’s suspension should be over right then. When he agreed, they sent someone to find Gilliam. He joined the team for the second half of the game and his second-half performance was spirited enough to lead the Arrows to an impressive comeback victory, 54 – 50.
The graduating class of 1954-1955 was the last to graduate from the Argonne school, which closed in Spring 1955. The final graduating class included Donald Ommen (class president), Raymond Selken (class vice president), Renee Lembke (class secretary and treasurer), Delda Kuhle, Raymond Buthe and Kenneth Uherka (student council president). The year the school closed, the basketball team was a 50-50 team. Out of the 22 games played, 11 resulted in victories.
Unfortunately, in the 1970s, the grade school also closed, the railroad ceased service, and the last resident moved out of Argonne—leaving it a ghost town. No buildings remain although remnants of the bank vault are still visible. The actual Argonne town site is located 4.3 miles west and 0.4 miles north of the intersection of 229th Street and 433rd Avenue (Highway 25 North).
Printed in the February 2022 issue of the Miner County Pioneer, as start of fundraising for the Argonne historical marker:
The town of St. Mary's was surveyed and platted on the homestead of Dr. Louis Gotthelf on October 6, 1886, by A.K. Gault of the Western Town Lot company.
Dr. Gotthelf was born in Berlin, Prussia, on May 5, 1821. He graduated from a medical college in Berlin in 1843 and served in the 14th Infantry Regiment of the Prussian Army during the Revolutions of 1848. He was later brevetted by King Wilhelm IV of Prussia for outstanding military service.
Gotthelf immigrated the the United States in the early 1850's and practiced medicine in New York, Ohio, and Minnesota before staking claim on what would become the town of Argonne in Miner County in 1881.
Following the establishment of the town site on the Northwestern Railway line in 1886, Gotthelf named it St. Mary's, after his daughter Mary Gotthelf.
Sadly, population and business growth in St. Mary's never really took off and the Gotthelf's became the first family to leave St. Mary's. They moved to Parker, SD, in 1889, where Dr. Gotthelf practiced medicine until his death in 1905.
The name of St. Mary's was changed to St. Mary's, with an apostrophe, sometime during the 1890's or early 1900's.
It was not until a land boom in 1919 that St. Mary's began to thrive. In 1919 alone, a railway depot, lumber yard, farmer's cooperative, and general store were built in St. Mary's.
In 1920, the citizens of St. Mary's voted to change the name of the community to Argonne, in honor of the battle of Meuse-Argonne in World War 1. During the same year, a consolidated school was constructed in Argonne at a cost of $100,000 and was dedicated in February of that year. A post office for Argonne was constructed in 1920. L. H. Canfield, a local store manager, served as postmaster.
A bank, blacksmith shop, and several other businesses were built during the early 1920's in the booming town of Argonne. At its height during the 1920's, Argonne had around 100 residents.
On January 17, 1933, a fire completely destroyed the Argonne Consolidated School. The blaze was discovered around 2 a.m. but, by the time firemen arrived, it had already been destroyed. Only the walls of the two-story structure were left standing and it was declared a total loss. It was general opinion among local residents that the fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring.
The enrollment of the school at the time consisted of 50 high school and 66 grade school students. Following the fire, the Argonne Farmer's Cooperative and a former pool hall building were remodeled to serve as makeshift classrooms until a new school could be built.
James Robertson, a contractor from Madison, was given the general contact for the construction of the new school in May 1933. The new school was completed in the fall of 1933, at a cost of roughly $14,000.
The Argonne Arrows basketball team had a star player during the 1951 to 1954 seasons. Delbert Gillam, also known as the Argonne Ace, led the Arrows to a 10-1 start in his junior year. On February 10, 1953, in a game against the Canova Eagles, Gillam shattered the state record for the most points scored by a player in a single game. That night, Gillam made 31 field goals and 10 free throws, scoring a whopping 72 points. The Arrows defeated the Eagles with an impressive 126-81 win.
Gillam's record has been disputed with Frederick High School, where supporters claim Bob Wolff scored 72 points in a game in 1952. But it is a disputed record, with some stats from the game showing that Wolff scored 70 points, not 72. Delbert Gillam's record still stands to this day with his iconic 72 points.
The Argonne High School closed in 1956 but the grade school remained open until 1970. The Northwestern Railway stopped serving the town at around the same period.
The population of Argonne fell from around 100 residents in 1920, to 65 in 1930, 8 in 1970, and finally became a ghost town sometime during the 1970's.
Nearly nothing remains of the former town of Argonne, located roughly seven miles northeast of Howard. Today, Argonne is nothing more than a memory to some Miner County residents, even though Argonne was an important part of the founding and history of the Miner County area.
To help preserve the important history of this area, the Miner County Historical Society is collecting Argonne stories for the archives. The MCHS is also collecting donations to fund a historical marker for the Argonne location. Donation can be sent to the Miner County Historical Society at P. O. Box 245 in Howard. The Miner County Historical Society will also have a booth at the Farm and Home Show in February at the Miner County 4-H grounds to collect input and answer questions.
-Written by George Justice Forster, originally printed in the Miner County Pioneer.
The town of St. Mary's was surveyed and platted on the homestead of Dr. Louis Gotthelf on October 6, 1886, by A.K. Gault of the Western Town Lot company.
Dr. Gotthelf was born in Berlin, Prussia, on May 5, 1821. He graduated from a medical college in Berlin in 1843 and served in the 14th Infantry Regiment of the Prussian Army during the Revolutions of 1848. He was later brevetted by King Wilhelm IV of Prussia for outstanding military service.
Gotthelf immigrated the the United States in the early 1850's and practiced medicine in New York, Ohio, and Minnesota before staking claim on what would become the town of Argonne in Miner County in 1881.
Following the establishment of the town site on the Northwestern Railway line in 1886, Gotthelf named it St. Mary's, after his daughter Mary Gotthelf.
Sadly, population and business growth in St. Mary's never really took off and the Gotthelf's became the first family to leave St. Mary's. They moved to Parker, SD, in 1889, where Dr. Gotthelf practiced medicine until his death in 1905.
The name of St. Mary's was changed to St. Mary's, with an apostrophe, sometime during the 1890's or early 1900's.
It was not until a land boom in 1919 that St. Mary's began to thrive. In 1919 alone, a railway depot, lumber yard, farmer's cooperative, and general store were built in St. Mary's.
In 1920, the citizens of St. Mary's voted to change the name of the community to Argonne, in honor of the battle of Meuse-Argonne in World War 1. During the same year, a consolidated school was constructed in Argonne at a cost of $100,000 and was dedicated in February of that year. A post office for Argonne was constructed in 1920. L. H. Canfield, a local store manager, served as postmaster.
A bank, blacksmith shop, and several other businesses were built during the early 1920's in the booming town of Argonne. At its height during the 1920's, Argonne had around 100 residents.
On January 17, 1933, a fire completely destroyed the Argonne Consolidated School. The blaze was discovered around 2 a.m. but, by the time firemen arrived, it had already been destroyed. Only the walls of the two-story structure were left standing and it was declared a total loss. It was general opinion among local residents that the fire was caused by faulty electrical wiring.
The enrollment of the school at the time consisted of 50 high school and 66 grade school students. Following the fire, the Argonne Farmer's Cooperative and a former pool hall building were remodeled to serve as makeshift classrooms until a new school could be built.
James Robertson, a contractor from Madison, was given the general contact for the construction of the new school in May 1933. The new school was completed in the fall of 1933, at a cost of roughly $14,000.
The Argonne Arrows basketball team had a star player during the 1951 to 1954 seasons. Delbert Gillam, also known as the Argonne Ace, led the Arrows to a 10-1 start in his junior year. On February 10, 1953, in a game against the Canova Eagles, Gillam shattered the state record for the most points scored by a player in a single game. That night, Gillam made 31 field goals and 10 free throws, scoring a whopping 72 points. The Arrows defeated the Eagles with an impressive 126-81 win.
Gillam's record has been disputed with Frederick High School, where supporters claim Bob Wolff scored 72 points in a game in 1952. But it is a disputed record, with some stats from the game showing that Wolff scored 70 points, not 72. Delbert Gillam's record still stands to this day with his iconic 72 points.
The Argonne High School closed in 1956 but the grade school remained open until 1970. The Northwestern Railway stopped serving the town at around the same period.
The population of Argonne fell from around 100 residents in 1920, to 65 in 1930, 8 in 1970, and finally became a ghost town sometime during the 1970's.
Nearly nothing remains of the former town of Argonne, located roughly seven miles northeast of Howard. Today, Argonne is nothing more than a memory to some Miner County residents, even though Argonne was an important part of the founding and history of the Miner County area.
To help preserve the important history of this area, the Miner County Historical Society is collecting Argonne stories for the archives. The MCHS is also collecting donations to fund a historical marker for the Argonne location. Donation can be sent to the Miner County Historical Society at P. O. Box 245 in Howard. The Miner County Historical Society will also have a booth at the Farm and Home Show in February at the Miner County 4-H grounds to collect input and answer questions.
-Written by George Justice Forster, originally printed in the Miner County Pioneer.