CHAPTER XXVIII
THE FIGHT FOR STATEHOOD
When Dakota territory was created in March, 1861, it comprised the land now occupied not only by the states of South Dakota and North Dakota, but also by part of Wyoming and most of Montana. In 1864 Montana was organized as a territory, and in 1868 Wyoming also was cut off, leaving only North and South Dakota within the territorial boundary.
As early as 1872 the pioneers, looking forward to the time when all of the territory would be populated, and solicitous for the convenience and interests of their children, began to agitate for the division of Dakota territory upon the 46th parallel, making two territories of equal size; and the territorial legislature petitioned Congress to take action in the matter. No action, however, was taken, and there was really no great interest in the subject until, in the autumn of 1879, some speculative gentlemen began to talk of buying the entire amount of school land in the territory at a low figure.
The school lands consisted of two sections in every congressional township, set apart by the United States government for the creation of a permanent public school fund out of the proceeds of their sale. At that time
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