Greetings from Kernville California. Thank you to AbarJ8, Rudy7Kid, AFcacher, Prairy Hound, and BAwags75 for agreeing to helpout maintaining this geocache. Growing up I didn't know many folks on my mothers side of the family. Recently I started researching my ancestry and gained alot of knowledge about my family I didn't know before. During the first great migration Ottmar Saughter and Gerhard Hinker came to the United states and ended up in the Woonsocket area. My great grandparents, Mary Hinker and John Sauter, are layed to rest in this cemetary just east of this geocache. My great great grandparents are also nearby; Garhard Hinker and Elisabeth Bechmand. It is my understanding that decendants of the Hinkers still live in the area. If you know any of my cousins, I would love to hear about it. I just met some cousins in Sioux Falls and would love to connect with more. This is my first visit to South Dakota and I have imensly enjoyed this state. I wanted to plant a cache in Woonsocket in honor of my liniage and enhance geocaching in my families home town. I will look forward to reading the logs of you awesome South Dakotians! Hope you enjoy the cache.
Woonsocket was developed in 1883 as a railroad town because of its location at the junction on the Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul Railroad. C.H. Prior, the superintendent of the railroad, named the town Woonsocket after his home town of Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The town was incorporated in 1888.
The population grew from 500 to 800 people in two months. The first business establishment to be located in Woonsocket was a saloon. Three days after the sale of the first lot, the first church services were held in a carpenter’s shed, which had recently been moved in.
Since Woonsocket was in the geographical area of artesian wells, there was an ample supply of good water.
Woonsocket is the county seat of Sanborn County and is home to the Sanborn County Courthouse.
Looking ahead, it has, and shall always remain “Woonsocket, South Dakota — The Town with the Beautiful Lake.”