'Ol Spot Mortimer's Cabin

Samuel "Ol Spot" Mortimer, a shoemaker from New York, came to Dakota Territory after hearing stories of the rich fur trade in the Big Sioux Valley and in 1869 reached Oakwood Lakes, where he found abundant otter, beaver, mink, muskrat, and fox. On this site he built a log cabin and lived there for the next five years. By 1874, as harvests from his traplines declined, he turned to the area's valuable timber, built a sawmill, and played an important role in providing lumber for houses and local businesses. After the death of his wife, Mortimer moved to Yankton, Dakota Territory, remarried, and returned to the cabin with his new wife and her children. They later arranged to sell the land, and a warranty deed dated October 20, 1886, records the sale of 1,200 acres of Mortimer land to Solomon Walters for $1,800. Mortimer's Oakwood Lakes homestead became part of the early Dakota frontier shaped by settlers who ventured into the region.

South Dakota · United States