USA > South Dakota > Faulk County > History of Faulk County, South Dakota, together with biographical sketches of pioneers and prominent citizens > Part 20
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And here we have always thought that Captain Hum- phrey made the mistake of his life, so far as political preferment and advancement was concerned. If Captain Humphrey had said to the party that had been selected to negotitate for the Times, "no, the Times is not for sale, it is a republican paper and will give the most hearty support to the republican ticket, especially to our townsman and fellow citizen, Major Pickler," the writer of this sketch is in a position to know, that while some particular plans might have been upset and political disappointment fol- lowed, the assurance would have been accepted and Captain Humphrey been in line for political preferment, with an open door to the highest office within the gift of the people of South Dakota.
BUTLER LAMBERT was born May 8th, 1858, in Lafayette county, Wisconsin. His parents were living on a farm where he assisted in making a living and attended the public schools, remaining at the home of his birth and
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boyhood until twenty-three years of age. At that time he came west with Robert Young, arriving in Faulk county on the nineteenth day of August, 1882, and took possess- ion of unsurveyed public land by driving a stake and nail- ing a board to it, upon which notice of possession was posted. In about one month he returned to his former home in Wisconsin for a car load of supplies, including a team, which was shipped to Ashton, in Spink county, the nearest railroad point, having left the young man who came with him to hold posession of the land and look after their interests. The land in the meantime having been surveyed, a shanty was built across the line in which they were able to hold down their claims, being on section 22 and section 21, in township 119, range 67. At the time of settlement the nearest neighbor was nearly five miles away. This was on the last of October, 1882, and in December nearly all the land in sight was held by squatters rights, although the land had not yet come upon the market. About this time Mr. Abbott settled at DeVoe and established a board- ing tent until he could erect a home to accomodate the new coming settlers. That winter Mr. Abbott and the subject of this sketch were the only ones to have teams, by which communication could be kept up with the railroad station.
In February the land having come into market a re- turn trip to the Huron land office was made to file on their land. Mr. Lambert was able to add to his preemption a tree claim, which he held until 1887, subsequently in 1885 he filed his homestead right on the south-west quarter of section 20, township 119, range 67. Nine years ago he sold his homestead for his present place of business in this. city where he has since been engaged in harness making.
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On November 22, 1887, he was united in marriage to Miss Nellie E. Moulton, who was born November 22, 1869, in Allegan county, Michigan and came to Faulk county with her parents, who settled near LaFoon, on the 24th of April 1883. To them have been born three children, viz: Furness W., born the 28th of January, 1889; Bessie B., born April 12th, 1897; Ervin B., born November 14th, 1905.
Mr. Lambert is one of the successful business men of our city, owning his place of business and a fine home with modern improvements, and is free from debt,
EPHRIAM COLE was born August 10th, 1854, in Starksborough, Vermont. When two years of age his par- ents moved to Dodge county, Wisconsin, where he made his home until he came to Faulk county, Territory of Da- kota, in March, 1883, and located upon what proved to be township 120, range 68, where he resided until 1891, when he purchased a farm near the city of Faulkton, being the north-west quarter of section 15, township 118, range 69, with his farm residence within eighty rods of the center of the city of Faulkton. Upon his present location Mr. Cole has erected a fine set of farm buildings, a house at a cost of $3,000. In addition to his home of 160 acres of improved land he has 480 acres in the township where he first located. In addition to his regular farm machinery he has a full out- fit of steam plow machinery.
In 1874 Mr. Cole was united in marriage to Miss Ly- dia Downey, who was born in Syracuse, New York, and died in Faulkton, South Dakota, on the 19th day of March 1903. A second marriage was contracted with Miss Louise Johnson, of Colorado. To them have been born one child Leona, who was born December 19, 1906.
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Socially Mr. Cole is a member of the M. B. A., the Workman, and the Degree of Honor, and carries insurance in all but the Degree of Honor, with accident insurance in the Woodman. Politically Mr. Cole is a republican.
SHELDON J. STEELE was born at Suspension Bridge, New York, in 1858. In 1873 his parents removed to Albion, Michigan, and in 1883 he immigrated to Dakota Territory, locating in Faulk county, exercising a squatters right north of LaFoon, the government survey not having been made at that time. In 1887 Mr. Steele removed to Faulkton and engaged in the livery business. In 1890 he was appointed deputy sheriff in which office he continued to serve until 1892, when he was appointed postmaster for Faulkton un- der the Cleveland administration. In the spring of 1897 Mr. Steele resigned the office of postmaster in favor of Fre- mont Young who was immediately appointed, he removing to LaFoon township in this county, where he has since re- sided and been engaged in farming.
In June 1883 the subject of our sketch entered into the marriage relation with Miss Marie Shelton, who had just arrived from her home in Springton, Michigan, this being the first marriage in Faulk county. After the brief period of a few months on the 31st of December of that year, that happy union which had been entered upon with fond expectation of years of mutual enjoyment, came to a sad and sudden end, the cold and relentless hand of death was laid upon the young wife, and she was removed to the unknown land from which none return.
On the 30th of October, 1887, Mr. Steele contracted a second marriage with Miss Mary Truesdell, of Millville,
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Iowa. To them have been born ten children, viz: Albert, William L., Anne Florence, Walter S., Claud, Ella, Clif- ford, Gladys, Mary and Ethel.
Politically, Mr. Steele is fully identified with the demo- cratic party, and is one of our successful farmers.
ANDREW BOLLER. Everywhere in our land are found men who have worked their own way from humble beginnings to leadership in commerce, the great productive industries, the management of financial affairs, and 'in con- trolling the veins and arteries of traffic and exchanges of the country. It is one of the glories of our nation that it is so, and it should be the strongest incentive and encour- agenient to the youth of the country. Prominent among the self-made men of Faulkton is the subject of this sketch, a well known undertaker and furniture dealer.
He was born in the town of Hohenthengen, Baden, Germany, November 28, 1856, and on both sides is de- scended from highly respected old German families. His father, Andreas Boller, was a farmer and cattle dealer by occupation. Our subject, who is the fourth in order of birth in a family of six children, attended the schools of his native town until twelve years of age, and completed liis education by a four years course in a high school in Switzerland. At the age of sixteen he entered a store to learn the mercantile business, for which privilege he had to pay two hundred dollars, and the only compensation he received during his three years' apprenticeship was his board. For five years thereafter he engaged in clerking in his native land, and in the fall of 1880 sailed for America. On landing in New York he proceeded at once to Iowa,
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but not finding employment during the month spent in that state, he came to Yankton, South Dakota, in December, 1880, though he had to pawn his watch to get the money to bring him here. He made his home in that city for four years, working in a soda water factory most of the time, and in a furniture store for nine month.
In 1884, Mr. Boller married Miss Carrie Klimisch, who was born in Germany but was reared in this country. Her father, Anthony Klimisch, was a farmer in Yankton county. The children to our subject and his wife are Fred, now twenty-four years of age; Andy, Carrie, May, Bertha, and Adelaide. ·
Soon after his marriage in 1884, Mr. Boller went to Highmore, South Dakota, where for a year and a half he conducted the National Hotel. At the end of that time he returned to Yankton, where he remained during the winter of 1885-6, and the following spring went to Redfield to take charge of a hotel, to which he gave the name of National. After six months spent at that place he came to Faulkton in the fall of 1886 and established a furniture store in a building 24x40 feet. He has had to enlarge his- stock to meet the demands of his growing trade and has. also added to his building, making it 46x60 feet, and has many modern improments in his store, including a Kimball elevator. When he makes the contemplated repairs, he will have the largest and finest store in the town. He does. purely a furniture and undertaking business and receives a liberal share of the public patronage. Besides his business. property he owns one of the best residences in Faulkton and a half section of land in the eastern part of the county for which he has refused forty dollars an acre.
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Mr. Boller is an ardent republican in politics, and has taken part in municipal and county affairs, serving as mayor one terni and as alderman for eighteen years with credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of his con- stituents. Socially, he is a member of the Knights of Pythias, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Modern Woodmen of America.
AMON L. ALLEN was born December 3rd, 1847, in Harrison county, Ohio, when three years old his parents moved to Iowa, in the spring of 1851, and located in the town of Washington, where he enjoyed a happy home and farm life until the spring of 1882, when a removal was made to western Iowa and a location in Pottawattamie county, where he resided and engaged in farming until 1902, when he took advantage of selling at the high price that Iowa land commanded at that time and removed to Faulk county, South Dakota, and invested in five quarter sections of valuable prairie land in the township of Myron, seven miles north-east of Faulkton, where his son resides and is making it more valuable.
On March 8, 1872, he was united in marriage to Miss Maria A. Maxwell, of Washington, Iowa, and to them have been born two sons, viz: Isaac Sheldon, and R. Leroy, who are both married and with families, reside in Faulk county. Since coming to this county Mr. Allen has re- sided in Faulkton and been engaged in mechanical work.
Mr. Allen sold his Iowa farm for $110 per acre and bought Faulk county land for $22 per acre, and now after six years ownership and experience with Dakota land and climate, has no land to sell, but if he wanted to sell he
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would not consider $10 per acre a reasonable price for the farm. In addition to his farm land he bought a small house and stable with four lots, upon a desirable resi- dence street in the city. In the summer of 1908, he erect- ed practically a new house of twelve rooms, with all modern improvements, and is now in a situation to enjoy, with his devoted companion, the reward that industry, intelligence and good judgment has secured.
JOSEPH L. GRATER was born in Switzerland, June 26, A. D., 1842, and when twenty-nine years of age he im- migrated to the United States and located in the city of Buf- falo, state of New York, where he resided until 1885, when he came to Dakota and located in Turner county, where he rented a half section of land, and commenced farming with one yoke of oxen. At that time he was in such straight- ened circumstances, that he had to borrow money to pay for the oxen. His farming enterprise was a success, but 011 April 2nd, 1889, prairie fire wiped out all his posessions, causing a loss of more than two thousand dollars. Ten days after the fire, he purchased, all on credit, a quarter section of land on which he had to erect a house and barn. The first year on the farm the crop was nearly a total fail- ure, the second year it was only a little better, and the third year was a bumper crop, which enabled hiin to pay all his debts and buy two more quarters of land. In 1893 Mr. Grater sold his farm for twenty-two dollars per acre, and in the fall of that year removed to Redfield, in Spink county, where he bought six hundred and forty acres of prairie land, erected a house and barn, and commenced improving his farm. After nine years upon his Spink
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county farmi he sold his land for $8,000 or $12.50 per acre. He next moved to Faulk county, in 1902, and bought twelve hundred and eighty acres of land six miles south- west of Faulkton, for five dollars and thirty cents per acre. He had to build a house and two barns and make improve- ments at a cost of about eight thousand dollars. Three years ago Mr. Grater sold 480 acres of unbroken prairie at fifteen dollars per acre, $7,200. In 1908 the remainder of his land was sold for $35.00 per acre, amounting to thirty- two thousand dollars.
He immediately bought a half section of prairie land two and one half miles from Faulkton, a baru was erected, an artesian well 1280 feet deep, was put down, with an ex- cellent flow of water.
In the spring of 1909, one of the best farm residences in Faulk county, at a cost of about five thousand dollars, was erected.
In 1868, Mr. Grater was united in holy matrimony to Miss Anna Mary Buchlman, who was born in Switzer- land. To them have been born twelve children, viz: Joseph Leo, who died at the age of seventeen years and seven months; Rosa M., who is proprietor of the Gem Hotel in the city of Faulkton; Joseph, who died when nineteen months old; Edward Lewis, William Joseph, Anna Mary, Clara Amelia, George, Gertrude, Jolin, who died in infancy; Frank Aloysius and Agnes Theresa.
REV. ERNEST HOLGATE, the subject of this sketch, was born in England in January, 1879, and was educated in the common and high schools of that country. In 1898 he commenced his study for the ministry and in
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1901 he was appointed assistant pastor of the First Metho- dist church of Brighton, England, where he continued to serve until his departure for America in October, 1903.
The Dakota Annual Conference of that year, while he was upon the Atlantic ocean on his way to the United States of America, appointed him to the pastorate of the Letcher Methodist church. At the next session in 1904, he was appointed to the Methodist Episcopal church in Chamberlain, and in 1905 to his present pastorate in Faulkton.
October 3d, 1903, three days before he sailed for America, he was united in holy matrimony with Miss Mary Hartley of Burnlay, England. To them have been born three children, viz: Clare, Everett and Francis.
HON. S. WESLEY CLARK was born December 28tlı, 1872, at Plattville, Grant county, Wisconsin, of English ancestry. His father, Samuel P. Clark, was born in the state of Vermont, and his mother Lizzie O. (Hunting- ton ) Clark was born at Liverpool, England.
The family moved to Dakota Territory, in July, 1882, and located in township 118, range 66, in Faulk county. There were only four other families in the county at that time, their nearest neighbor being three miles distant. Mr. Clark, Sr., stood among the most active and influential of Faulk county pioneers. A post office was promptly estab- lished and he became the first postmaster. A legal township organization was effected. Both the postoffice and town ship were named after the subject of this sketch, ( Wesley ).
In 1890 both Mr. and Mrs. Clark, Sr. on account of ill health, went to California wherethey made their permanent
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home and where Mrs. Clark died in 1906, and the follow- ing year Mr. Clark, while east on a visit, died at Glenwood, Wisconsin. They were both buried at San Jose, California.
The subject of this sketch, then in his eighteenth year, was left in this county to look after their property in- terests, and enjoy the school advantages that had been built up in the new town of Wesley and subsequently finished his education at the college, at Redfield, where he has since made his home.
In 1887 he was admitted to the bar as a practicing at- tory; in 1900 he was elected states attorney of Spink county and served four years; in 1906, Mr. Clark was elec- ted attorney general of South Dakota and in 1908 he was reelected to that office.
MRS. LOUISE BATTEEN was born in Germany. When only one year old her parents moved to Berlin, Wis- consin. In 1886, she married Jolin Batteen and came to Faulk county, South Dakota. They located in what is the present township of Pioneer where she has since resided, On the 5th day of October, 1904, Mr. Batteen died, leaving his wife with eight minor children, two having died in in- fancy. Since that time Mrs. Batteen has administered on the estate, consisting of six quarter sections of land, to which she has since added three inore, built a fine new house, and managed all her own business affairs. When they came to Dakota they were without any property. Now her 1440 acres of beautiful prairie land is all enclosed with good fences, and all but 400 acres under cultivation. With the experience of the average pioneer contending with drought and storms; climatic changes have brought
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abundant prosperity. Her personal property consists in part of twenty head of horses, forty head of neat stock and fifty hogs, three good buggies, with all farm machinery neccessary to carry on her extensive farm interests. Mrs. Batteen in addition to caring for her household affairs, has hauled grain to market, and is ever ready to assist her sons, the oldest not yet twenty-one, to carry on the farin, and now without any hired help.
WILLIAM R. HALL was born August 1st, 1858, in Carthage, New York. When eight years of age his parents removed to Wayne, Du Page county, Illinois, where he en- joyed the advantages of the public schools, until fifteen years of age, at which time his parents removed to Ser- geants Bluff, Iowa, where his home was until he was twenty-six years of age, employed in clerking, and em- ployed by the railroad company one year on the Pacific coast.
In 1884, he came to Faulk county, Territory of Dako- ta, and located on a homestead on the south-west quarter of section 8, township 118, range 69. After proving up his homestead, Mr. Hall removed onto his tree claim, being the north-east of section eighteen, in the same township. where he yet resides.
Mr. Hall is one of the early pioneers that passed through sunshine and storm, through hardship and privations, that none but those who start out in pioneer life' can fully rea- lize; and now with his 480 acres of improved land. with a good set of farm buildings, and all necessary farm machinery and a well stocked farm, is counted among the reliable. 11ospercus farmers of the county.
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On February 13, 1883, Mr. Hall was united in marri- age to Miss Lizze Wolf who was a resident of Sergeants Bluff, in the state of Iowa.
To them have been born two children, viz: May E., now Mrs. J. J. Champlin, who now resides in the state of Oregon; and William J., who is still residing on the family homestead.
Mr. and Mrs. Hall are members of the Faulkton Congre- gational church, and he is a memberof the Modern Brother- hood of America. In politics he is identified and in sym- pathy with the republican party.
HENRY F. REED was born March 22, 1866, in How- ard county, Iowa, and in April, 1882, came to Faulk county, with his father, who located in what is now Pioneer township. In 1889 he filed on his present homestead in the town of Wesley, where he has resided ever since and has the longest continuous residence in Faulk county of any of its citizens.
On January 26, 1893, he married Miss Margaret Hol- land formerly of Rochester, Minnesota, and to them have been born five children, viz: Henry E., Agnes E., L., Ger- trude, and Louise Frances.
Not only in his boyhood, but since his majority. Mr. Reed has known the struggles and privations of the pioneer settlers. For the last twelve years lie has en- joyed a full share of Mckinley prosperity. With his farm of 320 acres, all under cultivation, including hay land and pasture, he has made a success. With a happy home and each year increasing prosperity. Another four years along Mckinley lines, and he will be satisfied,
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REV. JOHN T. DAVIS was born at Somersetshire, England, November 20, 1838. He came to New York in 1846, and soon afterwards moved with his parents to Can- ada, in 1851. In 1856 he entered the ministry of the Meth- odist Episcopal church and for thirty-eight years he was actively engaged in the regular work, but in 1896 on ac- count of advancing years and impaired health, he was compelled to ask of the Hamilton conference, of which he was a member, a superannuated relation and retire from the active work of the ministry.
Mr. Davis, having two sons residing in South Dakota. decided to come to Faulk county and located at Orient, where he and his estimable wife have since made their home. In April, 1909, fifty years after they were united in holy matrimony, they celebrated their golden wedding at their pleasant and happy home which is located near the Methodist Episcopal church in the village of Orient.
REV. ANSON HART ROBBINS was born in Bristol Connecticut, on November 23, 1837. When three years of age his parents moved to Peoria county, Illinois.
In February, 1860, he went to Oberlin, Ohio, to per- tect his education for the ministry, graduating from the college in 1865, and from the theological seminary in 1870. During that time he served in the army of the Union for two years, going out as a private with a company of col- lege students and coming home as a first lieutenant.
Mr. Robbins served in the pastorat = in Ohio twelve years,. coming to Dakota Territory in 1882, where he continued in that work thirteen years. After twenty-five years in the active work of the ministry, he was conscious that his,
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physicial condition demanded a change, he then came to Orient and accepted the position of assistant cashier in the Orient bank, but after one year was compelled to give up active, steady employment on account of failing health.
On December 30, 1870 Mr. Robbins was married to Miss Lucy Kinney and to them have been born five children, four of whom are now living: A son at Bozeman, Montana; all- other who is a graduate of Yankton college and two daugh- ters: Mrs. Edwin Gooder of Orient, and Mrs. Owen Jones, of Sisseton, South Dakota.
WILLIAM McKAY was born in Scotland in 1858. In 1873 his parents emmigrated to the United States and lo- cated in the state of Minnesota. In 1885 he camne to Da- kota Territory and located in Arcade township, Faulk county. For the past seven years he has been general manager of the business of Conway Bros., at Orient in this county. In 1899 Mr. Mckay was united in marriage with Mrs. Lorena Runnels of Red Oak, Iowa. To them have been born two children, Milton and Dorothy, aged respec- tively 17 and 14 years.
SAMUEL E. CHAPMAN was born in Moskoka, On- tario, Canada, November 22, 1878. When eight years of age his parents moved to what is now the town of Wesley, in Faulk county, South Dakota. When nineteen years of age he commenced working from home and received his own wages. When twenty-one years old he filed on a home- stead on the north-west quarter of section 30, township 119, range 66 (now the town of Wesley). At the age of twenty-four he married Miss Nina E. Thorn, who was
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born in the town of Ransom, Hillsdale county, Michigan. To them have been born three children, viz: Laurene Eva, Maurice Edward and Helen Violet.
In addition to his homestead he has two other adjoin- ing quarters of the same section, in all 480 acres, two hundred of which are under cultivation. Mr. Chapman has principally confined himself to mixed farming, making a specialty of raising hogs and now has fifty head, and has just disposed of twenty-five more. He has twenty horses, good substantial farm buildings, and a fine flowing artesian well with a water motor for grinding feed. This year's crop yielded 4000 bushels of small grain and 100 tons of hay. He has all the necessary machinery to work his farını and is counted among the independent and reliable farmers in east Faulk county.
THOMAS NESTOR was born in Limerick, Ireland, in the year 1826. At the age of eighteen he came to the United States and located in Kentucky, where he remained for five years. He then came to Caledonia, Minnesota, where he married Miss Elizabeth McNevin, and resided in that town until June 16, 1894, when he removed to Faulk county, South Dakota. Uncle Tom, as he was familiarly known among his friends, would change sorrow to gladness with his jolly and kind disposition. With his family he was one of the first settlers located in Enterprise township. He drove overland from Athol in Spink county, forty miles from the railroad station and eigliteen iniles from the post- office. At night the ceyotes could be heard in all directions . and by day the antelopes were seen wandering over the prairies. All went well until June 10th, 1898, when his
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