USA > South Dakota > Faulk County > History of Faulk County, South Dakota, together with biographical sketches of pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 16
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quarter of section 3, township 118, range 68, which was twenty-five miles from the nearest railroad station.
Upon his arrival there he found that somebody had appropriated and removed the roof from his shanty and that it was already occupied by at least four feet of snow. After eating their dinner in the beautiful Dakota sunshine beside the shanty, and removing the snow from the inside, the roof of Judge Derr's unoccupied shanty was appropri- ated and a completed home was occupied that night. Up- on the arrival of his old friend and neighbor, Judge Derr, lumber had been bought and was on the ground for a roof to his depleted shanty.
Mr. Chapman was married in Cedar county, Iowa, to Miss Sara C. Golden, who was born in Pennsylvania, their marriage occuring September 2nd, 1875. To them was born January 5, 1882, a son, Delbert, who now resides with his parents, a source of great comfort to them.
Mr. Chapman in common with nearly all the pioneer settlers became perfectly familiar with privation, exposure and all the trials attendant upon drouth, hail and. storm, and suffered total loss of crops in 1888-89, yet he was able to adapt himself to the changing circumstances and condi- tions, and when, through climatic changes and larger ex- perience, the door to abundant prosperity stood open, he was prepared to enter in.
He has now at least four thousand dollars' worth of Norman Percheron horses and two thousand dollars' worth of neat stock, is satisfied with his experience in Dakota, and believes that it has been and still is among the most desirable places for a home and to accumulate property in the great north-west.
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THOMAS DEADY was born in New York City, April 18, 1844 and remained in that city and had the advantages of the schools until the fall of 1868, then went to the state of Illinois and remained there until the spring of 1883. In 1877 he married Miss Ada Tuttle. To them was born two children, John Thomas and Edward E. John Thomas is married and lives in Seattle, Washington. Edward E. is married and lives in Montana. In the spring of 1883 Mr. Deady came to Dakota and located in Faulk county where he has since resided. After the decease of his first wife Mr. Deady married Miss Lulu May Frink, of Emporia, Kansas. To them have been born three children, viz: Cora Lester, Dora May and Jennie May, who are yet mem- bers of his family.
Mr. Deady is now located upon the north-west of sec- tion 14, township 118, range 70 and has a fine farm and extra good farm buildings. Ninety-five acres are under cultivation, the remainder being in inclosed pasture.
He has refused seven thousand dollars for this farm, but on account of a year's severe sickness, sold the most of his personal property and spent the winter of 1908-9 in the south.
OSCAR VANMEERBECK was born in Belgium, in 1877 and came to this country six years ago. He is a mason by trade. Two years ago he engaged in his present business, the manufacturing of cement building blocks. Up to the present time it has been in an experimental stage but with the completion of a barn for Ernest Hulet and the fine Faulk County Abstract Co. building, with I. Allen Cornwell manager, it has passed the experimental stage and become an established business.
FRANK TURNER'S RESIDENCE, FAULKTON
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
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Mr. Vanmeerbeck has a contract with Mr. A. Colgrove to furnish blocks for a building 50 by 100 feet, which is now in process of construction. It will require about 5,000 blocks.
ALEXANDER GARRICK was born January 8th, 1844, in Delaware county, New York, where he resided, enjoying all the advantages peculiar to country life, in that old and well settled part of the country until he removed to the west in 1878.
In December, 1867, he was married to Miss Elizabeth Cowen and to them' have been born five children, viz: James C., Isabella .C., William R., Alex A., and Georgia May, who died when four years of age. The others are all valued citizens of South Dakota. William R. is now deputy sheriff of Faulk county and Alex A. cashier of the Security State Bank of Faulkton.
In the spring of 1883 Mr. Garrick came to Faulk county and located near Cresbard. Fifteen years ago he bought and moved onto the E. C. Sage farm one mile from Faulkton. This farm was bought for $1,400 and a few days ago sold for $6,400, a clear profit of $5,000. For the last five years Mr. Garrick has resided in the city of Faulk- ton. He has been elected to the board of county commis- sioners several times. He has taken a great interest in public affairs and at the age of 64 is a well preserved, active citizen. Only one mile from town Mr. Garrick owns an- other quarter section of land.
On January 8th, 1909, his life partner, the mother of his children, after several months of lingering sickness, passed to the great beyond, loved and respected by her family and her numerous friends.
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DOCTOR J. P. RATHBUN was one of the first settlers in Faulk county and was successful in his . practice as a physician and when the settlers by reason of drougths and failures of crops were unable to pay for his services, he was as ready to respond to every call, as though they had the money, and many a poor family have reason to remember him with gratitude, for his visits of mercy, to minister to the wants of the sick and suffering.
A few months ago Dr. Rathbun removed from Faulk- ton to Wecota, a new town ten miles from this city on the St. Louis & Minneapolis railroad, where he is enjoying a successful practice.
SAMUEL LOY, son of Samuel and Barbara (Henry ) Loy, was born in Stinesville, Berks county, Pennsylvania, November 27th, 1853. The family is of German descent and was founded in the Keystone state at an early day in the history of this country. When four years old he re- moved with his parents to Schuykill county, Pennsylvania, where he was reared on a farm and attended the county schools, until seventeen years of age, when he returned to Lehigh county and devoted two years to learning the mil- ler's trade. His salary the first year was forty dollars and the second one hundred and fifty dollars. He was engaged in the milling business in Berks and Lehigh counties for six years.
In 1875 he was united in marriage to Miss Janet Faust, who was of German descent and reared in Berks county. To them have been born two children, viz: Charles Samuel and Earl Richard. The oldest was the first boy to grow up in Faulk county and graduate in any school, he being a graduate from the Northern Indiana law school.
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On leaving his native state Mr. Loy in 1876 went to Kansas, where he was employed for one year as a house carpenter and during the following four years was engaged in the milling business at Fort Leavenworth and Norton - ville in that state, then after being on a farm for one year, he removed to Faulk county, Dakota Territory, in 1883, and on the 15th of March in that year took up his residence upon the present farm, being the first to locate in that township. Mr. Loy has had a full share of the hardships and privations, with hail and storm of the early and inex- perienced pioneer settler, with the nearest market thirty- five miles away.
He has been actively engaged in farming and stock raising, and has three hundred and sixty acres of valuable improved land located four and a half miles from the Chica- cago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad station in the village of Orient. He has also four hundred and eighty acres of rented land in an inclosed pasture, and is wintering nineteen head of horses, seventy-six head of neat stock, forty hogs and a big lot of chickens.
Upon coming upon his farm he built a house 16x22; additions were made to this until he had a comfortable home, a good barn, a granary 24 by 34, a corn crib 8 by 42. hog house 36 by 18, chicken house 40 by 15, and an artesian well 1122 feet deep with a good flow of water and 1200 feet of pipeing to carry water to his buildings and pastures.
Four years ago a tornado destroyed his barn, thereupon a new one was erected, 64 by 64 and 16 foot posts, and in the summer of 1908 he erected a new house 32 by 32, two stories, with concrete cellar under the whole house, six rooms on the first floor and five on the second, and a garret
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with three large dormer windows, where four more rooms could be finished if needed, to which, another year, steam heat and all modern improvements are to be added.
Mr. Loy is deeply interested in public affairs, especially on educational lines; has held several school offices. He has twice been nominated for county sheriff, and once for county treasurer, receiving more than the party vote, but the county being overwhelmingly republican, and he, a democrat, failed of election.
FRANCIS M. RAMSDELL, son of William and Mary A. (Nixon) Ramsdell, was born August 18, 1862, in Osage, Mitchell county, Iowa, and removed with his parents to Moody county, South Dakota, in 1879, and in April, 1884, located on the north-east quarter of section 7, township 117, range 71.
On December 25th, 1883, Mr. Ramsdell was united in marriage to Miss A. Laura Smith, who was born in Bata- via, Jefferson county, Iowa, on January 18, 1868. To them have been born six children, viz: William Francis, born December 18, 1884; Claud Leonard, born October 27, 1888; Sarah Leone, bori December 14, 1892; John Wesley, born July 5, 1896; Della Estella, born July 21, 1898, and Earle Vern, born August 19, 1907.
In addition to his homestead right, Mr. Ramsdell has located a tree claim entry upon the adjoining north-west quarter of the same section, which subsequently he proved up, giving him three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land. In the fall of 1891 Mr. Ramsdell moved with his young family to Moody county, but in the fall of 1893 he returned to his home in this county, happy and contented
FRANCIS M. RAMSDELL
MRS. LAURA RAMSDELL
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to again become a resident of central South Dakota. Here he remained satisfied with his farm life until the fall of 1902, when he being the republican candidate, was elected to the office of register of deeds for Faulk county, the require- ments of his office necessitating the removal of his fami- . ly to Faulkton. In 1904 Mr. Ramsdell was re-elected to the same office, rendering in all four years of faithful and successful service. For the better opportunity of educating his children, he continued his residence in his pleasant and commodious home at the county seat, and is now one of the successful business men of Faulkton.
A. M. STRACHAN was born in in Scotland, June 17, 1850, and immigrated to the United States of America in 1880 and located in the state of Illinois. In 1883 he moved to Faulk county, South Dakota, and located upon the south-west quarter of section 14, township 119, range 67 where he resided until 1896 when he located upon his tree claim on the south-east quarter of section 19, town- ship 119, range 66 where he now resides.
Mr. Strachan was married in Kalmarnock, Ayrshire. Scotland, to Miss Catherine Walsh, on September 25, 1873. To them have been born four children, viz: Samuel, born at Kalmarnock, Scotland, September 1, 1874; Jane, born at Kalmarnock, March 2, 1877; Jessie M., born at Kalmar- nock, May 22, 1879 and Thomas W., born at Del'oe, Faulk county, South Dakota, December 26, 1891.
Mr. Strachan is a practical mechanic and has worked at his trade as contractor and builder in connection with carrying on his farm. He was one of the early settlers of Faulk county to be contented with the amount of land he
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could successfully improve. He has built up a good home with a well cultivated farm and is counted among our suc- cessful and prosperous pioneer farmers.
Mr. Strachan always took a great interest in public affairs and an active part in the county and state organi- zation. A particular interest in public schools and in se- curing an education for his children.
JOHN A. BIXLER was born May 23rd, 1863, in Stevenson county, Illinois, where he resided until March, 1894, he then removed to Faulk county, South Dakota, and located about three miles north of Orient. Nine years ago he secured his present home, two miles east of Faulk- ton, where he now resides.
On April 8th, 1897, he was united in marriage to Mrs. Anna DeLapp, of Yankton, South Dakota, who is now living.
Mr. Bixler is engaged in stock farming, keeping on an average some two hundred head of neat cattle and is count- ed among our valuable and enterprising citizens. Mr. Bix- ler has served the county as county cattle inspector, is in politics a democrat and is to be commended for standing by his political convictions in a county that is overwhelmingly republican.
THOMAS PURCELL was born in Somerset, Penn- sylvania, August 15, 1837. He was of Irish descent. Subsequently he went to Medina, New York, where he was employed until his enlistment in the 28th New York In- fantry, to serve in the rebellion, on May 22, 1861. On September 17, 1862 at the battle of Antietam he was seri-
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ously wounded in his head and on account of his wound was mustered out of service on June 2, 1863.
After his recovery he served for three years as a governinent agent. Then he was a railroad conductor in the employ of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad on the run from Cincinnatti to Dayton.
Mr. Purcell moved to DeKalb county, Il1., and was among the first settlers in that county, where he was suc- cessful in farming and stock raising. In the fall of 1882, Mr. Purcell located land in Faulk county, and while he had interests that required his presence part of the time at Athol, Spink county, he held down the government land securing three valuable quarter sections under the then existing land laws. From 1885 up to the time of his death on September 22, 1900, he was one of the successful, pros- perous farmers and stock raisers of Faulk county. While Mr. Purcell was one of Faulk county's leading and pro- gressive farmers he was one of her reliable and active busi- ness men, taking an interest in the financial and political prosperity of our county.
On December 23, 1863, Mr. Purcell was united in marriage with Miss Emma Kline of Frederick City, Mary- land, who proved a devoted wife and mother. To them were born seven children. Soon after the birth of the youngest in 1879, she was called to surrender all the care and responsibility of her family into the hands of lier de- voted husband and take the journey to the unknown land from which none ever return, a duty which future events prove was well performed. After his family was grown up and several of them gone to homes of their own; the sun- ions came and the mortal was called to put on immortali-
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ty. His children who were then Mrs. J. A. Winerd of Northville, (now of the state of Washington); Mrs. W. T. Jackman, of DeVoe; Mrs. W. J. Price and Joseph T. Purcell of Fargo, North Dakota; Mrs. Nora McDearmon of Faulkton, Miss Maud Purcell now postmaster of Cresbard and Miss Rose Purcell, of this city.
While Mr. Purcell had large possessions both of per- sonal and real property, with valuable improvements, which under his able management yearly become more val- uable, for some time his failing health became a constant admonition but neither his family, nor the members of the Phil. H. Sheridan G. A. R., of which he was an honored member, realized that the end was so near and not until the end came did his family, friends or the community re- alize the large place he had filled.
WILLIAM B. VINTON was born March 11, 1852, in Wabash county, Indiana. Before his majority his parents removed to Kendell county, Ill., and from there to Berrian county, Michigan.
On July 2, 1872, he was united in marriage to Emily E. Colson, of Tama county, Iowa. There they continued to reside until 1884 when they came to Faulk county, Da- kota Territory. To them have been born seven children, viz: Elmer I., Alvin J., Floy M., Frank S., Maude V., Charles S., and Willard D.
On July 2nd, 1884 he filed a preemption claim on the north-east quarter of section 23, township 119, range 72. After proving up his preemption he used his homestead right on the north-west quarter of the same section and on the north-east quarter of section fourteen in the same town-
SAM LOV'S RESIDENCE IN ARCADE TOWNSHIP
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ship, he located a tree claim. After proving up his title to all the above government land, in 1892 they removed to Faulkton, on account of better advantages for educating their children and since that time have remained in the city. Mr. Vinton politically is identified with the republican party and always takes an interest in local political affairs. He is a member of the Independent Order of the Odd Fellows. Mrs. Vinton is a worthy member of the Metho- dist Episcopal church in Faulkton.
REV. J. K. FREELAND. Among the pioneer set- tlers of Faulk county Mr. Freeland and his young wife oc- cupied an important position while holding down their homestead claim. They always had a good and encourag- ing word for everyone. It was in the summer of 1896 that I became more intimately acquainted with them, and learn- ed to appreciate their earnest purpose, and active work among the pioneer settlers of our new settlement and as a well deserved tribute, and to bring out one remarkable event with which they were connected, I incorporate this tribute of respect, in the history of Faulk county. They have long since removed from this state and are counted among the useful and influential educators of California, Among the many with whom I have been acquainted and with whom I have associated this young Free Methodist minister and his educated, christian wife holds no second place.
Among the many that I located upon government land in 1884 and 1885, was Mr. and Mrs. Westfall and their niece, upon claims adjoining Mr. Freeland's. After a time Mrs. Westfall, who was quite advanced in years, was
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taken sick, and that she might receive better care and nursing, she was removed to her niece's shanty which was almost within speaking distance. Subsequently I was sent for to transact some legal business for Mrs. Westfall and found her confined to the bed and unable to move or change her position withont assistance. After performing the work for which my presence had been requested and getting ready to leave I was requested by her niece to look at Mrs. Westfall's feet, and upon doing so found them swollen almost beyond recognition and from the toe nails extend- ing up into her foot, to my unpracticed eye, the blood had settled and dissolution had already commenced. While ex- plaining to the niece what I thought, she heard her aunt call and going to the bed received this, to her remarkable request, that she "Send for Elder Freeland at once to come and pray for her recovery, and that she would get well." Her request was promptly granted. As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Freeland arrived they were told for what purpose their presence was requested. Subsequently Mr. Freeland told me that he then experienced one of the hardest strug- gles of his life; that as he believed her to be in a dying condition, if not already death struck, his first thought was that it would be sacrilegious to pray for her recovery. but while endeavoring to frame appropriate words to ex- plain his position, it came to him as plainly as though audibly spoken, "It is not my faith but hers." Instantly he fell upon his knees and earnest and persistent pleadings both by himself and Mrs. Freeland, went up to Almighty God for the speedy recovery of the sick woman. Soon after the prayers were ended and they regained their seats, Mrs. Westfall turned upon her side facing them and said:
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"I certainly feel a great deal better," and before night, Mrs. Westfall was out of bed and sitting in a chair. After her husband had proved up on his homestead, she removed to Faulkton and subsequently returned to New York where she died.
These facts coming under my personal knowledge and observation so impressed me that I have related them to both religious and irreligious, to the learned and to the 1111- learned, and after all that has or could be said pro and con, I believe it to be as really and truly a manifestation of the power of Almighty God as was ever performed by the lowly Nazarene, and worthy to be classed as one of the most remarkable incidents in the history of Faulk county.
OTIS A. SWIFT was born in Chautauqua county, state of New York, on September 15, 1857. His father, Jewel C. Swift, was a farmer and lived on the same farm from the time he was two years of age until he was sixty years of age. He was of English descent and his grandfather, Jacob Swift, purchased the old farm and settled upon it when Chautauqua county was a wilderness. Mr. Swift's mother was of Irish descent, though the family came to this country several generations before she was born. Her father was a Baptist preacher.
Mr. Swift was the second child in a family of four boys, and was reared on the old farm. He enjoyed good educational advantages so far as they were supplied by the common free public schools of that day, and at the age of sixteen entered the Forestville Academy, and after a three year's course there, at the age of nineteen he taught his first term of school, and from 1876 to 1888 he taught every
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winter, and during three years of that time he taught the entire year through. Until 1883 he was attending school, teaching school and farming. .
In March, 1883, he came to Dakota Territory, and from Mellette traveled overland to Faulk county, where he pre- empted the south-west quarter of section 30, township 120, north of range 67. He erected a board shanty and with his partner, John Day, broke fifty acres of land and put in- to crop. Between them they owned a team, wagon, break- ing plow and harrow. Mr. Swift worked during the sun1- mers on his claim and returned to New York during the winters, where he taught school. In 1885 he and his partner bought the south-west quarter of section 25, town- ship 120, range 68, and moved the shanty onto this land. At the time he took up his first quarter section and built the shanty, there were but three others in sight, and now within two miles eighty fine farin residences can be seen.
Mr. Swift now owns five hundred and sixty acres of land, two hundred and thirty of which are under cultiva- tion with a fine set of farm buildings, located only one mile from the new and growing village of Cresbard, an ini- portant station on the Minneapolis & St. Louis railroad. Three hundred and thirty acres of unbroken prairie is de- voted to pasture, and though until 1892 he gave his atten- tion chiefly to grain growing, since that time he has turned his attention largely to stock. He has been keeping a good herd of neat stock, horses and sheep. With other pioneer farmers, Mr. Swift has had a full share of liard- ships and privations, failure of crops, fire and stornis. In 1889 he decided to remove tò Mellette and accept a posi- tion as principal of the public schools of that city for two years.
FREMONT YOUNG'S RESIDENCE, FAULKTON
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR. LENOX TILDEN FOUNDATION8
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Since his return to his farm, by the introduction of nearly four hundred artesian well, with their abundant flow of water into the county, preventing the possibility of an- other siege of drought and a better knowledge of the clima- tic conditions, success and prosperity have steadily followed.
On March 27th, 1888, Mr. Swift was united in marri- age with Miss Julia H. Bryant. Mrs. Swift was born on a farm in Buchanan county, Iowa. Her father, N. B. Bry- ant, is a native of Ohio, of German descent and an early settler of the state of Iowa. Mrs. Swift is one of a family of four children and came to Dakota in 1885. To Mr. and Mrs. Swift have been born two children, viz: Clare, born July 22, 1880, and Martin, born October, 1892.
In political views Mr. Swift is a republican, and takes an active interest in local affairs. He is widely known and respected throughout Faulk county.
FREMONT YOUNG was born in Clearfield, Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, August 14th, 1861, and is the oldest of a family of four children, whose parents were John C. and Elizabeth ( Brickley) Young, also natives of Pennsyl- vania and of German descent. By occupation the father was a lumberman in the east, but after the removal of his family to Iowa in 1872, he followed agricultural pursuits. Mr. Young's great grandfather, John A. Young, emigrated from Germany prior to the Revolutionary War and was one of the men who fought so bravely for the colonies in that conflict.
On starting out for himself at the age of nineteen years, Fremont Young entered the office of the Atlantic Telegraph at Atlantic, Iowa, to learn the printers trade and served a three year's apprenticeship.
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In 1884 he came to Miller, Hand county, Dakota Ter- ritory, and was employed on the Miller Press until 1888, when he went to Huron, Beadle county, as a foreman on the Daily News. After the failure of that paper in the fall of 1888 he came to Faulkton and worked on the Faulk- ton Record for one year. At the end of that time he and A. E. Evans purchased the Faulk County Democrat and changed the name to the Faulk County Republican, which they conducted for four years. Until the fall of 1897 Mr. Young was identified with the publication of different papers in Faulkton. In 1897 he was appointed to the office of postmaster at Faulkton, which office he filled for four years. Upon his resignation, his wife, Eva M. Young, was appointed to fill the vacancy and is now the popular and successful postmaster in this city after five years service in that important position.
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