62 Sioux City Academy of Science and Letters. 



be said that the frontier was the best place in the world 

 to develop morals. Those pioneers, many of them still 

 living, but rapidly falling off, who came through it all 

 morally sound, were true men, indeed. 



Bruguier was a sociable man, rather talkative. I 

 think he was a little inclined to paint his stories to suit 

 the occasion in hand. He especially liked to tell what 

 "I done to the Injuns." 



One of the most influential men in Sioux City when 

 I came was J. B. S. Todd, early settler, trader, land 

 speculator, politician and soldier. He was elected first 

 mayor of Sioux City, but did not serve. Later he moved 

 across the Big Sioux, his object being to get land in 

 Dakota and become rich by holding it. He had seen 

 land values rise in Iowa and expected the same to occur 

 in Dakota. They sent him to congress as the first dele- 

 gate from Dakota Territory, after its organization in 

 1861. He didn't stay long, but soon came back, aijpointed 

 a brigadier general by President Lincoln. Todd was a 

 democrat in politics, but supported President Lincoln, 

 who was a relative of his b}'' marriage. 



Todd was in partnership with a man of means who 

 lived in St. Louis. The firm name was Frost, Todd & Co. 

 They had stores at Sioux Point, across the Big Sioux, 

 at Vermillion, at Yankton Agenc^^ and Ft. Randall. 



Todd was a tall man, but slender. His health was 

 not good. He had been sickly from birth. He wore 

 while here a full beard, reddish in color, like his hair. 

 Educated at West Point he was a very capable man. 

 He always passed as a gentleman, was sociable and 

 very popular. His one fault was a common one here at 

 that time, he couldn't let whisky alone. 



