USA > South Dakota > Faulk County > History of Faulk County, South Dakota, together with biographical sketches of pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 17
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On first coming to Dakota in 1884, Mr. Young took up a preemption and built an 8 by 12 shanty thereon, but sold his relinquishment.
In 1889 Mr. Young wedded Miss Mary E. Kendall, who was born and reared in the state of Missouri, and is a daughter of D. F. Kendall, who was a farmer and an early settler in Faulk county. To them have been born two children, viz: Pearl J., now fifteen years old, and Madeline B., age twelve.
In his political views, Mr. Young is a pronounced re- publican, and is now editor of the Faulkton Advocate and has always taken quite an influential part in local politics. He lias served as delegate to numerous county conventions of his party, and was a delegate to the republican state convention in 1892. He was also elected alderman of
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Faulkton that year, and held that office five years, resign- ing upon being appointed postmaster.
Socially he is connected with the Knights of Pythias and the Ancient Order of the United Workman.
C. C. MOULTON. The records of the lives of our forefathers are of interest to the modern citizen, not only for their historical value but also for the inspiration and example they afford, yet we need not look to the past; al- though surroundings may differ the essential conditions of human life are ever the same, and a man can learn from the success of those around him if he will heed the obvious lessons contained in their history.
One of the most successful men in Faulkton, South Dakota, was C. C. Moulton, and through his entire busi- ness career he was looked upon as a model of integrity and honor, never making a contract that he did not fulfill, and standing as an example of what determination and force, combined with the highest degree of business in- tegrity can accomplish for a man of natural ability and strength of character.
Mr. Moulton was born in Hartford, Connecticut, De- cember 3rd, 1835, and was the son of Spencer and Cloe ( Willingston ) Moulton, the former a native of New Ilamp- shire and the latter of West Springfield, Massachusetts, where their marriage was celebrated. Both were of Eng- lish descent and belonged to families which were founded in this country prior to the Revolutionary War, in which struggle some of the ancestors of our subject, on the ma- ternal side, took part. The father was a paper and powder maker by trade, invented the machine for sifting powder,
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used today, and was foreman in a powder inill at East Hart- ford, Connecticut, for some years.
Mr. Moulton was next to the youngest in a family of twelve children and was principally reared in Springfield, Massachusetts. At the age of eight years lie commenced attending the common schools of Boston, and remained in that city until twenty-five years of age, which time was devoted to the study of architecture with different con- tractors, as he was a natural builder.
He then went to Springfield where he worked two years in the Wasson car manufacturing shops, and at the end of that time embarked in business on his own account, as a contractor and builder, being thus engaged in that city for twenty-two years. The largest building he con- structed was the Barney & Berry skate factory at Spring- field. He made the plans for the reform school in Hamp- den county, Massachusetts. In July, 1861, he removed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he erected the Kocken- dall building, owned by H. W. Phelps, at a cost of six- teen thousand dollars and during his stay there of two years he erected several other expensive buildings.
Mr. Moulton was joined by his family in Minneapolis in 1882 and in March of the following year came to Faulk county, Dakota Territory, to recuperate and locate his son, W. C. Moulton, on a farm. At that time Faulkton con- tained but one store and there was no railroads west of Redfield. All of his goods and supplies were hauled from Mellette, in Spink county, but in two weeks from the time he arrived at that place he had a six room house erected upon the land he had entered in Faulk county.
For two years he engaged in agricultural pursuits, and
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then removed to Faulkton where he had since made his home, being engaged in loaning money and looking after his property interests. Mr. Moulton had large interests in land and houses which together with his money interests required careful attention. .
Out of sixty contractors in Springfield, Massachussetts, he and one other contractor were the only ones who sur- vived the panic of 1872, and were able to meet all their obligations. He still owns a block of tenement houses and a store building in that place, and for the past year the most of his time was spent in the east visiting and looking after his many interests.
In 1862 Mr. Moulton married Miss Susan C. Chapin who was born in Warehouse Point, Connecticut, where her father, Henry Chapin, owned and operated the ferry be- tween Warehouse Point and Winsor Locks, but later was in the boot and shoe business at Springfield, Massachusetts, where she was reared. Her early ancestors were among the Puritans who came to New England in the Mayflower in 1620. She is of the ninth generation, in descent from Governor William Bradford who was for thirty years governor of the Plymouth Colony.
Of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Moulton, only one, W. C. Moulton, is living. He is married and has one child, and was in the employ of the Great Northern rail- road at Pipestone, Minnesota, for more than twelve years, and is now located in the pleasant home upon his fine farm near Cresbard in this county.
Since casting his first vote for John C. Fremont in 1856, Mr. Moulton was a staunch supporter of the republi- can party and served as chairman of the first republican
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county convention ever held in Faulk county. For two years he was a member of the board of trustees of the state reform school and in the spring of 1898 was elected mayor of the city of Faulkton, an honor entirely unsolicited on his part. The reins of city government were never in more capable hands, as he was a public spirited and progressive citizens, willing to do all in his power for the public good of the community.
He was a member of the Masonic order since 1864 and formerly affiliated with the Knights of Honor and the Knights of Pythias. At the age of eighteen he united with the Methodist Episcopal church, but since coming to Dakota Territory he was a member of the Congregational church. He took an active part in religious affairs, assist- ing in building the first church in Faulk county, and served as superintendent of several Sunday schools. His. estimable wife also took an active interest in Sunday school and church work, and on account of their sterling worth and many excellences of character, both were held in high regard. Mrs. Moulton is past department commander of the Woman's Relief Corps of South Dakota.
Mr. Moulton died at. Springfield, Massachusetts, May 26th, 1909.
L. T. WIGHT was born July 29, 1838. He joined. the Union Army in Company D., 17th Illinois. Volunteer Infantry and served three full years. In 1866 he married. Miss Julia Teachant of Cambridge, Illinois. Subsequent- ly he moved to Faulk county, South Dakota, where he has. since resided and is counted among our worthy citizens.
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EDWIN McCOMB was born October 4, 1840, in On- tario county, New York. In 1862 he enlisted in the Union Army, in Company F., 126th Regiment, New York Volun- teer Infantry and remained in service until the muster out of the regiment in 1865. While serving in the eastern di- vision or army of the Patomac, he was wounded at Martins Ford in 1863. He experienced a full share of the work that made the record of that celebrated regiment. After his return from the army he married Miss Catherine Bruglen of Ontario county, New York. In 1882 he came to South Dakota and in the spring of 1883 located in what is now the town of Fairview in Faulk county, where he has since re- sided. He has lately sold his homestead for $6000.00 and is living with his sister near his old home where his wife died March 10, 1896.
Mr. McComb has had the experience of the average pioneer settler. First hardship, privation and want, fol- lowed by abundant prosperity. He is a devoted Dakotian and interested in all that makes it one of the American Union of States.
J. S. NEVINS was born February 26th, 1843, in the state of Vermont and enjoyed the advantages of the com- mon school education. Left Vermont in his childhood with his parents to reside in Wisconsin. From Wisconsin he moved to the state of Iowa. After a residence of four- teen years in Iowa he came to South Dakota in the spring of 1885 and located in Faulk county, in what is now the town of Sherman, about one mile from the present town of Onaka, where he has since resided. On January 1st, 1864, he married Miss Margaret Kelley. To them have been
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born two children, one of whom died in infancy; the other, Miss Mamie, now Mrs. Wm. Crom, is now postmaster at the village of Onaka.
Mr. Nevins has a farm of three hundred and twenty acres of valuable land, ninety acres of which are under culti- vation, good farm buildings, and well watered. He now keeps nine horses. Eighteen inonths ago Mr. Nevins left his farm and went into the livery business at Onaka, where he has a large livery barn and has just completed a fine residence.
He has filled town offices and was for four years one of the board of county commissioners from the third com- missioner district of Faulk county. Mr. Nevins is counted among the best and most influential pioneer settlers.
MR. JOSEPH M. YOUNG was born in Iowa in 1873. At his majority he left Iowa for Kansas.
In November, 1905, he married Miss Hannah Rey- nolds and to them has been born one child. He is now well established in the hotel business in the best hotel in Faulk county, at Onaka, and is doing a prosperous busi- ness and proving to the public that he is an experienced and practical hotel man.
JAMES F. NESTOR was born in Caledonic county, Minnesota, on the 20th of March, 1868. He came to Faulk county in June, 1884, and located on the north- east quarter of section 21, township 120, range 70, in the town of Enterprise.
Mr. Nestor was married in July, 1903, to Mrs. Angerline Brenack of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. He is among the suc-
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cessful pioneer settlers of Faulk county, has good farm buildings and farm machinery, eighteen horses, thirty-five head of neat stock and fifty hogs.
He has served on the board of county commissioners for four years, and is counted among the reliable business" men of north-western Faulk county.
ALLEN LAW was born in 1868 in Scotland and came to America with his parents in 1869 and located in the state of Maryland. In 1871 moved to Lacona, Iowa, and in the spring of 1886 removed to Faulk county, South Dakota and located in the township of Clark and when twelve years of age moved to what is now the town of Enterprise. On October 16th, 1901, he married Miss Anna Freitag who was born in Ireland. To them have been born three chil- dren, viz: Allen Jr., Robert and Donald,
Mr. Law has one quarter section of land with good farın buildings, adjoining the townsite of Carlyle. He has twelve horses, twenty-five head of neat stock, ten hogs, and is counted among the enterprising and successful pio- neer farmers of north-west Faulk county.
GEORGE G. RILEY was born in Wisconsin, July 30, 1863, and came to Mellette, in South Dakota, in 1882 and after a few months visited Faulk, Edmunds and Brown counties. Mr. Riley has seen much of central South Dakota with which he has been pleased. He was in Brown county six vears and came to Onaka in July, 1907.
In 1888, Mr. Riley married Miss Addie May Moore and to them have been born eight children, viz: Maude, Grace, Blanche, Wesley, Ervin, Ora, Mabel and Ervia. Mr. Riley is now doing a good livery business at Onaka.
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HERMAN BERG was born in Germany on November 18th, 1867, came to America in 1886, locating in the state of Iowa. Removed to Faulk county, South Dakota in the spring of 1893 and took a homestead on the north-east quarter of section 33, township 120, range 72, in the town of Sherman.
On October of 1896 he married Mrs. Kate Heil. To them has been born two children, twins. He has now ad- ded to his homestead another quarter section of valuable land. He has good farm buildings, and one hundred acres under cultivation.
Mr. Berg has rented his farm and moved to Onaka where he has built the best house in that village. He also has a pool and billiard parlor and is doing a flourishing business. Mr. Berg's home is furnished with hot water, heat and all modern improvements.
H. M. DAHL was born September 20, 1851, in Nor- way and emigrated to the United States in May, 1872. His first location was in Wisconsin. Subsequently he moved to Minnesota where he remained three years and then came to Faulk county, in April, 1885, and located on a homestead on the north-west quarter of section 29, town- ship 118, range 71, where he has since resided. Mr. Dahl has had a full share of hardships and privations in his pioneer life, sharing his home with a brother, father and sister. The father has since died.
With the changing years and changed conditions, prosperity and comfort have come, as it has to nearly all of the pioneer settlers of this country. He now is the posses- sor of 640 acres of valuable land. good farm buildings,
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twelve head of horses, eighty head of neat cattle, and good farm machinery.
Mr. Dahl is one ef the most reliable and prosperous pioneer settlers of western Faulk county. He has been treasurer of the town of Latham since its organization and is now road commissioner for that township.
SELWYN WHITNEY was born January, 1847, in Al- legany county, New York. At the age of 21 he went to Madison, Wisconsin. After a few years residence in Illi- nois and Kansas, he returned to Rockford, Illinois, where, on October 8th, 1874, he married Miss Louisa Weeks and to them have been born five children.
After ten years residence at Rockford he again visited Iowa and Kansas, and made a five year residence at Bea- trice, Nebraska, but in in 1883 came to Faulk county where he has settled down for a permanent home.
He is a citizen of the town of Elroy, is chairman of the board of supervisors and is also on the school board and is active in all public affairs.
Mr. Whitney has one hundred and sixty acres of valu- able land, eighty-five acres under cultivation and the bal- ance is an enclosed pasture of native grasses.
Mr. and Mrs. Whitney have now five children living, one is married, one son who he claims is a native Dakotian, born in 1888, the year of the terrible blizzard, January 14th of that year. He stands six feet and one inch in his stock- ings and weighs 190 pounds.
J. H. WALLACE was the oldest of eleven children to grow up to manhood upon the old homestead in the Em-
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pire state. Aiding in the work on the farm in the summer, and attending country school during the winter months. At the age of twenty-two he went upon the great lakes as a sailor and remained upon the water ten years, first as sec- ond, then first mate, and later as master of a vessel. In one storm upon Lake Erie, October 10th, 1880, the "Valen- tine" a three mast schooner upon which he was then sail- ing foundered about forty miles from Cleveland and went down. The crew left the vessel in a life boat, and after drifting about from one o'clock a. m. until five o'clock p. in. the next day, finally reached land six miles below Fair- port, Ohio.
At the age of twenty-eight Mr. Wallace was united in marriage to Miss Viola Graves who was born and reared at Madison, Ohio, and was educated in the common schools and in a seminary that has been turned into a home for the widows and nurses of the civil war. On the paternal side she is of English descent and the family can be traced back for eight hundred years. Her father was Corlton Graves, who was the owner of vessels and for many years sailed the lakes as master both of sailing vessels and of steamers.
His father's family consisted of fourteen children, sev- en sons and seven daughters, of whom four sons have be- come sailors, and lake captains. The subject of this sketch has but one child, Blanche Estella, who is now twen- ty- one years old.
After his marriage Mr. Wallace purchased a farm near Madison, Ohio, though he occasionally made trips upon the lakes. His time was principally devoted to agricultur- al pursuits. He had an excellent farm with a stream run- ning through it and improved with fine buildings and ten acres of fruit.
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Selling his place in the spring of 1883, he came to Faulkton, in Dakota Territory, and took up a preemption in Faulk county. Previous to proving up, a man jumped his claim as a homestead and it went into lititagation where it remained for four years, Mr. Wallace being beaten in all the courts. Afterwards the homestead man left the claim, and after one year's absence Mr. Wallace filed on it as a homestead, having had possession of it for fifteen years prior to proving up. He also took a quarter section of land linder the tree clain law which he proved up, all of which he has since sold.
The same year of his arrival he embarked in the hardware and farm machinery business in Faulkton in a little building 20 by 40 feet. To meet the growing demand of his trade, he had to seek more commodious quarters, and now occupies a building 75 by 150 feet, well stocked with staple and fancy groceries, and all kinds of hardware and farm machinery.
During the early days the nearest railroad station was Athol, Spink county, a distance of thirty miles. At that time he also kept lumber, coal, flour and feed, and often had three or four teamis on the road hauling supplies and one in constant use. In 1887 he also conducted a store at Millard, Faulk county, but his stock was destroyed by fire on the 4th of July, that year, with a loss of two thousand dollars. In the spring of 1886 he lost a house, granary, and five hundred bushels of wheat in the same way. This loss amounted to between five hundred and one thousand dollars. Notwithstanding the reverses he has steadily pros- pered in business since coming to Faulkton and is today one of the most substantial citizens of this city. He is a
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straightforward, energetic and capable business man and carries forward to successful completion, whatever he un- dertakes.
In his political views Mr. Wallace is a democrat and has served as a delegate to the conventions of his party. He has been prominently identified with everything calcu- lated to boom the interests of the town and county. The first Fourth of July celebration in Faulkton was held in his uncompleted storeroom which was the fourth building erected in the new town. He was appointed postmaster under President Arthur's administration and filled that office from 1885 to 1888. He was one of the first county commissioners elected in Faulk county, and served in that position for one term. Religiously he is a member of the Congregational church, and socially is affiliated with the Masons.
Mr. Wallace has his own peculiar business methods, in all his own business transactions. For forty-six years he has been his own banker, never having given a check, handling all his own money, keeping his own books and paying all his liabilities in cash, and in sixteen years, prior to 1899, had taken in and paid out two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He has never been sued or sued any man and has never been in court as a witness but once, never tises tea, coffee, tobacco or liquor.
WILLIAM SPRINGATE THORN was born in Hills- dale county, Michigan, June 20th, 1857, where he remained with his mother until his marrriage, December 1st, 1880. His father gave up his life in the Union Army in 1864. To Mr. and Mrs. Thorn have been born five children ..
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Nina, now Mrs. Samuel E. Chapman of Del'oe; Wilford Springate, Montgomery C., Laura A., and Lester Price.
Upon coming to Faulk county in the spring of 1886, he was located by the author of this history on a preemp- tion on section 19, township 118, range 72. As soon as he could prove up his preemption, he took a homestead and a tree claim, both of these he has proved up and now has three quarter sections of valuable land, upon which he resides, about one and one half miles west of the village of Seneca. One hundred and seventy acres of this land is under cultivation, the remainder is a fenced pasture of native grasses. He now has fourteen horses, fifty head of neat stock, all necessary improved farm machinery, good farin buildings, and his last year's crop in the granary.
Mr. Thorn came to Dakota with less than one thousand dollars. Now he has property worth $25,000.00 and stands among Faulk county's prosperous and influential farmers.
DANIEL W. PILLSBURY of Centerville, Faulk · county, was born in Canness, New Hampshire, on the 30th day of June, 1847. He was the only son of Joseph D. and Claracy ( Abbot) Pillsbury. He lived there until his enlist- ment in the 57th Illinois Regiment Volunteer Infantry, April 27th, 1861, for three years. A re-enlistment in the veterans, extended his service until his final discharge, July 4th, 1865. After a residence in the state of Iowa for fifteen years, he came to this county and located upon the government land in township 118, range 67, which is the present town of Centerville. In the early years of pioneer
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life, his was little or no different from the common ex- perience of those who early came to Faulk county. Hard- ships and privation was the lot of all. The years of failure of crops, the dry and hot wind, the repeated hail storms, the inexperience in combatting with new conditions, made one continuous struggle. The changing years brought change of conditions until prosperity has finally crowned his efforts, and at the age of sixty-one he stands among the happy, contented, prosperous farmers of Faulk county.
Mr. Pillsbury recognizes the fact that in union there is strength and has full companionship with his comrades in the Grand Army Post of which he is an active member. He is also a member of the Royal Arch Chapter Free and Accepted Masons at Faulkton, South Dakota.
ANDREW T. ERICSEN was born in the state of . Wisconsin in 1862, of Norwegian parentage. In 1904 he located on a farm two miles east of Seneca. Was elected to a town office in 1905 and now holds the office of county justice.
He is now in the restaurant business at Seneca. Mr. Ericsen was married to Miss Bertha Anderson in 1882. To them have been born eleven children, now attending the common schools at Seneca.
WILLIAM BELL is one of the early and active pio- neers of west Faulk county. Has always been interested in political affairs and may always be depended upon to do good, square and upright work.
But for a most earnest protest much more would have been said of this active, rustling pioneer of west Faulk county.
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DOCTOR EDWARD ENSCH was born in Belgium, in 1846. Commenced his education in his native city, and after coming to the United States, studied in Chi- cago, Illinois. From there he located in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and practiced his profession for a time with a good degree of success. In 1884 he came to Seneca, Faulk county and commenced the practice of medicine. Here he built a store, put in a stock of medicine together with gen- eral merchandise, and did a successful and profitable busi- ness, yet was always ready to respond to a professional call,
Dr. Ensch politically is a democrat and soon after Cleveland's election in 1886 was appointed postmaster at Ellisville. In 1885 he married Mrs. Catherine (Deischi) Tescher, of Wisconsin, and with him she removed to Illi- nois, and from there to his new home at Ellisville, For two years this proved a pleasant and successful home, Upon the coming of the railroad to Seneca, he resigned his office as postmaster, packed up his goods, placed his store upon wheels and took a six mile journey to Seneca, where he was soon .reestablished in a prosperous and successful business.
Dr. Ensch is an active Mason and a member of the Faulkton Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons. Profes- sionally he is ready to attend to every call and to the poor- est patient is a ready and faithful attendent.
The Doctor has made many warm and reliable friends and at sixty is an active, business and professional man.
MRS. CATHERINE (DEISCH) ENSCH was born of German parentage in the state of Wisconsin, on October 7th, 1855, where she enjoyed the advantages of a common
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school education. At the age of eighteen she married Peter Tescher with whom nearly ten years of very happy married life, under the most favorable circumstances, were enjoyed. Five years after his decease a second marriage was contracted with Doctor Ensch and her real pioneer life commenced.
Mrs. Ensch has always been an active business woman. Her first husband left her with property and in comfortable circumstances and by careful and prudent management she has continued to look after her money matters with good success.
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