USA > South Dakota > Faulk County > History of Faulk County, South Dakota, together with biographical sketches of pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 15
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Since 1883 he has held the office of postmaster at the Ellisville postoffice to the perfect satisfaction of the sur- rounding community, and a few weeks since he received a very polite invitation from the postmaster general to file his bond for another four year's service.
Mr. Sangster has almost constantly filled the office of school township treasureror or clerk of Ellisville township and is now finishing up his second term of four years as treasurer. An illustration of Mr. Sangster's beautiful home may be seen on page 89 of this history.
JOHN H. FINLEY was born July 1861, in Guernsey county, Ohio, and came to Faulk county, South Dakota, May 1883, and located in what is now the town of Union. In March, 1893, he married Miss Cevilla Roth of Indepen- dence, Iowa. In common with all pioneers of this county he experienced all the hardships and privations from hail and storm, from hot winds and drouth, but with a great climatic change no doubt brought about by the great nun1- of artesian wells, bringing to the surface vast quantities of pure, clear water, forming beautiful lakes, abundant crops have followed, bringing prosperity, as indicated by
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his fine farm buildings and immediate surroundings.
He finds himself possessor of eight hundred and forty acres of fine land, three hundred and fifty acres of which is under cultivation. With thirteen horses, fifty head of neat stock and sixty hogs, with all necessary farm machin- ery, making a complete outfit for successfully carrying on his farnı work. Forty dollars an acre would be refused for this fine Dakota farm.
ELIAS ROSELAND was born on July 7th, 1866. When seventeen years of age he left home and cut loose from family relations and came to Marshall county, Iowa. In 1892 he came to Faulk county and located on a quarter section of land in township 117, range 71, and in 1893 he married Miss Ida Sangster who was born in Scotland, Janu- ary 13th, 1870, and came to Faulk county with her parents in the season of 1884. To them have been born two sons, Clarence and Earl. In 1900 they located their present home in the town of Seneca in this county. A view of which may be found in this history. ·
None of the pioneers of the county are deserving of more credit or better entitled to recognition than this young couple, who have succeeded by their own personal efforts in securing a most desirable and lovely home and laying the foundation for future wealth and prosperity.
GABRIEL T. ROSELAND was born in Norway, in 1857, and when fourteen years of age commenced a sea- faring life which he followed for ten years. In 1881, ar- riving at the port of Galveston, Texas, he decided to leave the ocean for a life upon the land. After a year with the
ELIAS ROSELAND'S RESIDENCE, SENECA, S. D.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX TILDEN FOUNDA IONS
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Santa Fe Railroad Company, in the spring of 1882, he went to Calmna, Iowa, and from there to Wisconsin, where he took a four year's course in the lumber woods. In the spring of 1886 he came to Dakota and settled upon section 20, township 117, range 71, in Faulk county.
In July of that year he married Miss Lizzie Linton who was born in Rondout, New York. Her parents re- mnoved to the state of Wisconsin when she was but three years old. To them have been born eleven children, eight boys and three girls who are all living at the present time, To the quarter section of land first taken, he has added by purchase eight more. Last year he sold from his stock ranch between five and six thousand dollars worth of stock, and now has upon his farm two hundred head of neat stock, fifty head of horses and thirty hogs.
He is not only a successful stockman, but a practical farmer. In 1907 he raised 1,300 bushels of wheat, 2,000 bushels of oats, 1200 bushels of speltz, 800 bushels of flax and 100 bushels of potatoes.
He has a beautifully and pleasantly located farm resi- dence, also a hotel and several lots in the village af Seneca, the important business center of western Faulk county. Here we have an illustration of what enterprise, perse- verance, and undying faith in his own judgment will do in making a man prosper in the settling and development of a new country.
FREDERICK D. PERSON was born September 28, 1854, in Clyde, Iowa county, Wisconsin, and on September 12, 1885, came to Faulk county, South Dakota, and located in what is now the town of Union. On March 14, 1889,
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he was married to Miss Amanda S. Larson, of Dodgeville, Wisconsin. To them have been born two daughters, the first died at the age of two years, the second, Lucile Irene, now sixteen years of age, is a graduate of the Aberdeen high school and now attending the normal school in that city. Mr. Person has had a full experience of the hard- ships and privations of Dakota pioneer life. For the first ten years it was a constant struggle with hail and storm, dry, hot winds and drought. With climatic changes largely brought about by artesian waters, producing beautiful lakes of clear pure water, abundant crops and unusual prosperity has followed. Mr. Person has a beautiful home, a cut of which may be found on page 251 of this history. Nearby is a beautiful lake of five acres of clear pure water surround- ed with a border of thrifty trees. He has six hundred and forty acres of the best of Dakota soil, seventeen head of horses, fifty head of neat cattle and thirty hogs. With three hundred and fifty acres under cultivation and all necessary machinery for farming, $40.00 per acre would not be considered a good offer for the farm. Mr. Person is also a stockholder and vice president of the Chelsea State Bank.
JOHN HARRINGTON was born 1854 in Freeport, Illinois, and in 1884 he came to Faulk county, South Da- kota, and located in the present town of Scatterwood. He then had seven hundred dollars, all of which was lost the first year by reason of hail storms and fire.
On June 1st, 1886, he was married to Miss Louisa B. Chambers, who was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1861,
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and came to Faulk county in June, 1883, and located on a homestead one and one-half miles west of Scatterwood lake. To them have been born eight children, seven of whom are now living, viz: Lawrence, Inez M., James Ray, Austa, Clara Edna, Mabelle, and John D.
Mr. Harrington had a large experience in the hard- ships and privations of Dakota pioneer life, for the first ten years, hail, dry, hot winds, drought and tornadoes all were in his pathway. Every dollar he could earn was expended in improving his land, in sinking wells and in exerting every effort to make a home, never loosing faith that it would be a Faulk county home. Passing over the inter- vening years we find one of the most complete and perfect farm homes in Faulk county. First of all he settled the water question. An artesian well, 1100 feet deep, was put down on the bank of a deep depression, covering an area of about thirteen acres, which in six months was filled to a depth of eleven feet, which has been stocked with black bass, from the United States fish commission to which has been added several other kinds of fish, and now he has sufficient fish for home use and will soon have them for the market. In addition to the supply of water for his beauti- ful lake, Mr. Harrington has installed a five horse power water motor which supplies power for his twelve thousand bushel elevator, together with mills for grinding corn and other grain for stock and house use. This elevator has scales for weighing and all improved facilities in modern elevators for handling grain. The barn, that years ago was destroyed by a tornado, has been replaced by one 48x60 feet with water piped to the barn and to the pastures. He has sufficient water for irrigating a small tree claim.
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In 1907 a fine residence, at a cost of $5000.00 outside of all labor of teams and personal labor, which was no small amount, was erected. A fine cut of his buildings, with all modern improvements, can be seen on page 99 of this history.
In addition to the usual plan of American farming, he has irrigated for his strawberries and other garden pro- ducts, raising at the rate of one hundred and sixty bushels of strawberries per acre; and sold from only a few square rods, $45.00 worth of cabbage, and from a car load of steers fed on Dakota corn he received $1400.00 on the Chicago market, and by actual experiment knows that more small grain can be raised in ten years from a given number. of acres if two of those years the ground has been planted and thoroughly cultivated to corn, than if it had been planted every one of the ten years to small grain.
Mr. Harrington has not only found time for the ac- complishment of all these lines of diversified farming but has done a large amount of work in the advancement of public enterprise. He has been chairman of the board of trustees of United Bretheren church in his own town and has been one of the principal promoters of the Mansfield & ·Scatterwood Telephone Company, incorporated with a capi- tal of $25,000.00. He has been on the board of supervisors for several years, and member of the school board and a road superintendent.
In the year 1906 he raised and sold from four acres of ground $400.00 worth of melons, and many were left to rot on ' the ground by reason of a lack of market and the time to gather them.
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ADAM FINDEIS was born in Germany, January 14, 1825, and was married in 1849, and in 1850 to them a son was born. After the decease of his wife in 1853, he came to America. After traveling in the east and south, he located in St. Louis, Missouri, and on the 30th day of September, 1861, he enlisted in the service of the United States and was mustered into service in Company I., First Regiment Engineer, Missouri Volunteers at St. Louis, Mis- souri, and mustered out of service at East Point, Georgia, on September 28, 1864, at the expiration of his service. On the 15th day of February, 1865, re-enlisted and was mustered into service as a private in Company F., Sixth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Cavalry for one year and was discharged on the 5th day of November, 1865. His resi- dence is stated as Clayton, Illinois.
On the 14th day of January, 1874, he was married to Miss Margaret Metz at Lacon, Marshall countv, Illinois, and in 1883 he removed to Faulk county, South Dakota. To them has been born one daughter who is now a resident of Wisconsin.
Mr. Findeis was an industrious hard working Faulk county pioneer who finished his earthly career and lay down for his final rest on January 16th, 1905.
JOEL RUSH was born March 8th, 1844 in Green county, Wisconsin. When twelve years of age his par- ents moved to Fillmore county, Minnesota, where he made his home until 1887. August 15th, 1862, he enlisted in Company E., 10th Minnesota Regiment Volunteer Infantry in which he served three full years and a few days, being mustered out at Fort Snelling, Minnesota, on the 19th of
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August, 1865. Although enlisted for service in the war of the rebellion, for a time, the regiment remained in their own state to settle with the Sioux Indians for their bloody massacre at New Ulm, his company doing valiant service, both in fighting, capturing and guarding the "red skins" until he saw twenty-eight of the five hundred captured suffer the full penalty of the law for the high crimes they committed. With the Indian outbreak suppressed, in 1863 the 10th Minnesota was ordered to join the depart- ment of the south at St. Louis and remained at barracks through the winter of 1863. This winter was no means lost time, thorough dicipline and drill were kept up and raw recruits soon became veterans. From that time to the end of the war the 10th was on duty in the army of the west, and proved worthy in every line of duty, an honor to the state and branch of service in which they served. At the battle of Tupelo, raid after Price, battle of Nashville, in pursuit of Hood, in its record in the 16th army corps, Company E., 10th Minnesota in which Comrade Joel Rush did his whole duty to the end of the war is one of which any veteran may well be proud.
On the 15th day of November, 1868, Joel Rush was married to Miss Victorena Ogg, who was born in Rasville, Iowa, February 22, 1850. To them have been born two children, a son who died when seven years of age, a daugh- ter, Mrs. Cora C. Bowers, who now resides in this city.
Conrade Rush has been a citizen of Faulkton since 1888 and a worthy member of Phil Sheridan Post, No. 72, Department of South Dakota of which he was past com- mander in 1903, until his death which occurred May 2nd. 1908.
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CARL NIEMEYER was born in Germany, May 1st, 1851, and emigrated to the United States in 1873 and located in Chicago, Il1., working at his trade as a tailor for twelve years.
January 26th, 1876, he was united in marriage with Miss Emily Wendt, who was born in Germany. To them have been born six children, viz: Carl Frederick, Lizzie, Arthur, William, Emma and Edgar.
In 1884 he came to Ashton and engaged in business as a merchant tailor, remaining there three years until 1887, when he located in the city of Faulkton, where he has since resided and continued in the business of merchant tailor and dealer in ready made clothing.
Mr. Niemeyer is one of our most reliable citizens, is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, an Odd Fellow, and in politics a republican.
D. ROY JONES, son of Robert and Catherine ( Hum- phrey ) Jones, whose parents were natives of Wales, and emigrated to the United States at an early day and located in the county of Oneida iu the state of New York.
Mr. Jones was born, November 19th, 1847, in the town of Steuben, Oneida county, New York, and remained with his parents, attending school and working on the farm un- til his majority. Mr. Jones remained a resident of Steuben until 1883. On December 22, 1874, he was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Humphrey of Ixona, Wis., and to them three children have been born, W. Forrest and W. Florence, who were born in Steuben, N. Y., and Edythe Lyle, who was born in Faulk county, territory of Dakota.
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In 1883 on March 22nd, Mr. Jones became a resident of Faulk county and located upon government land, being the south-west quarter of section 3, township 120, range 68, and remained on his homestead until 1889, when he re- moved to Faulkton on account of educational advantages for his children. Since that time Mr. Jones has been en- gaged in the ice and water business in this city.
Mr. Jones has been an active worker in public affairs, and both he and Mrs. Jones have been active workers in church circles, being members of the Congregational church, organized by Rev. Clinton Douglas, at Cresbard, and for several years Mr. Jones was superintendent of the Sunday school.
There had been no material change in family relations, save that incident to the passing years until September 10, 1906, when their son, W. Forrest, who had arrived at manhood, and was actively engaged in business as a con- tractor and builder in this city, and who from his fifteenth year had been a worthy member of the Congregational church in this city, was suddenly called, tho' well prepared for the great beyond, leaving a devoted wife and two small children.
HENRY A. WILKINSON was born December 10th, 1844, in Schennuta county, New York. When five years of age his father removed to the state of Wisconsin and his home was in the town of Gainsville in that state until he was sixteen years of age. In 1861 his father re- moved to Sangamon county in the state of Illinois, and in 1863 he enlisted in the 124th Illinois Volunteer Infantry to serve in the war of the Rebellion, and in 1865 he received
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an honorable discharge and was mustered out of the United States service at Springfield, Illinois.
In 1875 he removed to Butler county, Nebraska, and remained there until the autumn of 1882, and from there he came to Sanborn county, Dakota Territory, and took a homestead and after proving up his government land in 1884, he became a resident of Faulk county, and took a preemption claim on the north-west quarter of section 22, township 120, range 69, adjoining his tree claim that he had taken the year before. Since that time Mr. Wilkinson has been a resident of this county. Four years ago he sold his land and became a resident of the city of Faulkton where he engaged in the land business. For the last six months he has been at the National Sanitarium at Hot Springs, S. D., and has just returned to his home greatly improved in health.
WILLIAM J. DODDS was born October 15th, 1856, in the county of Wigton, in Scotland. In 1879 he emi- grated to the United States, and arrived at Lansingburg on the Hudson on July 4th and remained in the state of New York, working at his trade as a cabinet maker and carpen- ter until 1883, then he removed to the state of New Jersey, working at his trade until .January, 1900.
On January 1st, 1885, he was united in marriage to Miss Ursula Comptom of Millington, N. J. To them have been born seven children, viz: Wenona Louise, Agnew Comptom, William, Ina, Zelda Randolph, Kenneth Janie- son and Margaret Katherine.
On the 2nd day of January, 1900, Mr. Dodds, together with his family, became residents of the city of Faulkton, Faulk county.
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Since that time he has been engaged as a contractor and builder in this city. Mr. Dodds is interested in the school and in public affairs, is a republican in politics and a member of the Commercial club in this city. Among the residences and other buildings erected by Mr. Dodds in this city, illustrations of which may be found in this his- tory, are those of C. B. Chambers, A. M. Moore, the Catholic church and the Commercial club building of this city.
STEPHEN F. THORN was born February 15, 1860, in Hillsdale county, Michigan, son of Albert S. and Louisa ( Mosuer) Thorn. When he was but two years old his mother was called to Lexington, Kentucky, to visit and care for her sick and dying husband and she scon returned with his mortal remains. Then commenced her real life work in caring for, supporting and raising to man and womanhood her family of four children.
The subject of this sketch remained at home with his mother, enjoying the advantages of the school and assisting her as best he could until twenty years of age, at which time he was, on the 28th day of July, 1880, united in mar- riage with Miss Anne E. Gibson, of Ranson, Hillsdale county, Michigan. To them have been born seven children, Clark E., Norman S., Hamilton H., Springate L., Della A., Luna G., and Grace G .; the four youngest of them were born in Dakota after his removal here in 1886.
Mr. Thorn located his preemption on the south-west quarter of section 18, township 118, range 72, and after proving up under the United States land law, he took a homestead and in common with other Dakota pioneers,
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built a sod shanty, an illustration of which may be found in this history (taken on a Sunday morning as they were about to start to Sunday school) in which they resided for nearly five years. Five years later he sold his homestead. Six years ago he became a resident of Faulkton, on ac- count of the better advantages of education for his children. Since coming to Faulkton, Mr. Thorn has been engaged in a very good business, running a 'bus to the train and other places as circumstances demanded and doing a suc- cessful draying business.
Mr. Thorn is a democrat in politics and while being recognized by his party and receiving the nomination at the last election for sheriff, in a county overwhelmingly repub- lican, he failed at election. He is now city marshal.
MERILL S. McDEARMON is of a Scotch descent, tracing his ancestry to a period prior to the Revolutionary War, when they emigrated from Scotland and located in : Erie county in the state of New York. And when the Colonial struggle for independence commenced they prompt- ly took sides with the colonists to defend their manhood against the oppression of the mother county.
The subject of this sketch was born October 14th, 1843, 111 Erie county, state of New York. In 1844, his father with his family removed to Chicago, Ill., where he grew up to manhood and there enlisted into the 113th Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, which was organized under the auspices of the Chicago Board of Trade in 1862, and served until June 20th, 1865, when he was mustered out of service. His regiment saw active service, having been in sixteen engagements with the Confederate forces;
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the most strenuous being the battle under General Sherman at Vicksburg in 1862 and the capture of that city by Gener- al Grant in 1862, when he triumphantly marched into the captured city on July 4th, of that year.
Mr. McDearmon returned to Chicago after his dis- charge from the army. On November 30th, 1865, there he was united in marriage to Miss Charlotte Ann Russell of Chi- cago, Ill., and immediately took up his residence in Sterl- ing in that state. To Mr. and Mrs. McDearmon have been born five children, viz, Hattie, who died when eleven years of age; Mabel, who died in infancy; Harry E., who is a citizen of Faulkton and is married to Miss Nora Purcell of DeVoe, in this county. (He is station agent for the Chicago & Northwestern railroad company in this city. ) Allie, now Mrs. C. A. E. Whitton of the town of Fairview in this county, Ruby, who makes her home with her parents while for the last eight years she has been engaged as ste- nographer and typewriter in the law office of Frank Turn- er, Esq., in this city and is holding the office of notary public.
Mr. McDearmon, since 1883, has been a resident of Faulk county, and identified with its social and political affairs, and for four years was clerk of courts for this county. He is a contractor and builder and has done a good business in this city and the surrounding country.
ARTHUR W. PHELPS was born in Colfax, Wiscon- sin, February 11, 1873, and on July 11th, 1896, he was united in marriage to Miss Susie Howell of Deer Creek, Minnesota. To them has been born one child, Coila, born September 7, 1897. I11 1902 he removed
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to South Dakota and engaged in the lumber and coal busi- ness at Holmquist, in Day county. In 1906 Mr. Phelps became a citizen of Faulkton where he has since resided and on January 1st, 1909, he entered into partnership with Mr. A. D. Griffee and engaged in the general real estate business: Mr. Phelps is a veteran of the Spanish-Ameri- can War. He was a sergeant of Company F., 14th Minne- sota Regiment, and was appointed brigade quartermaster sergeant of the 30th Brigade Second Division First Army Corps, and is quartermaster sergeant of the 4th South Da- kota Infantry. Mr. Phelps is a member of the Masonic order and of the B. P. O. E. and the Modern Brother- hood of America.
FRANK A. PANGBURN was born on December 10th, 1856, in Fayette county, Iowa. His home with his par- ents was on a farm, yet he enjoyed an excellent opportun- ity for an education, completing a collegiate and commer- cial course and graduating from the Upper Iowa Univer- sity.
After being engaged in teaching school for one year, in 1882 he came to Spink county, Dakota Territory, and located government land and then went to LeRoy, Minn., and engaged in teaching for six months.
In 1883, Mr. Pangburn came to Faulk county and took a homestead six miles west of Faulkton, and for four years, while he was holding down his homestead he was en- gaged in the real estate business at Faulkton. On June 21st, 1887, he was united in marriage to Miss Minnie M. Johnson, from Cedar county, Iowa. To them have been born six children, viz: Jessie M., Paul W., Frank J., Mer-
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rill W., and a son and daughter who died in infancy. Soon after his marriage Mr. Pangburn moved on a farm one mile north of Faulkton where he has since resided.
At the first general election in 1884, after the organi- zation of Faulk county, Mr. Pangburn was elected clerk of court, but the presiding judge exercised his authority under the territorial organization and appointed a personal friend from Iowa to fill that position. In 1889 he became superin- tendent of the Faulkton public schools, and after teaching for four years he was elected county superintendent of the schools, which office he successfully filled for four years. Since that time he has been engaged in farming and stock raising and in teaching school winters.
While Mr. Pangburn is a loyal and influential member of the republican party he has never sought preferment, yet he has always been interested in the advancement of all educational interests.
Socially, Mr. Pangburn is a member of the order of United Workmen and the Degree of Honor, also a member of the Modern Brotherhood of America and at the present time is president of the latter organization.
EDWARD CHAPMAN was born in Tioga county, New York, December 20, 1852 and at the age of fourteen removed with his parents to Cedar county, Iowa, where he remained until the fall of 1882, when he came to this coull- ty and located a claim and built a shanty, after which he returned to Iowa. On February 15th, 1883, the land hav- ing come onto the market, he returned to Huron, Beadle county, and filed on the land and returned to Iowa for his family and on the 27th of March, was on the south-east
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