USA > South Dakota > Minnehaha County > History of Minnehaha county, South Dakota. Containing an account of its settlements, growth, development and resources Synopsis of public records, biographical sketches > Part 63
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SOULE, IRA T., was born in New York, November 14, 1848, and attended school and worked on a farm until he was twenty-one years old. He then engaged in farming on his own account, residing sev- eral years in Lake county, Illinois. On the 27th day of December, 1875, he arrived in Delapre township, Lincoln county, where he en- gaged in farming until 1890, when he removed to Sioux Falls and opened a livery and feed stable. While in Lincoln county he held township offices, and since he became a resident of Sioux Falls has been street commissioner two years, and in 1899 was elected alder- man from the Sixth ward. He is a good citizen, and well liked.
STANFIELD, JOHN A., a few days after the 23d of February, 1846, a little boy in the State of New York was named John A. Stan- field. After he was grown up to manhood he resided for awhile in Minnesota and came to Dell Rapids in the fall of 1883, where he filled the position of station agent for the Milwaukee Railway company. In 1889 he removed to Sioux Falls to perform the duties of auditor of Minnehaha county, to which office he had been elected at the general election in 1888. He was re-elected in 1890, and again in 1892, at which time he was nominated by the Independent party, and was elected by a plurality of three hundred and eighty-six. Only one
J. A. STANFIELD.
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
other of the nominees of that party was successful. Mr. Stanfield was the great vote-getter of that campaign. In 1894 the Democratic and Independent parties in Minnehaha county united upon a county ticket, and Mr. Stanfield received the nomination for treasurer, but it was a Republican year and he was defeated. In March, 1895, his term of office expired, and since then he has resided only a part of the time in the state. Mr. Stanfield made a competent official.
STERN, ALEXANDER, is a native of Germany, and was born No- vember 5, 1851. When about fourteen years of age he entered as an apprentice in a cloth house, where he remained three years, and then was employed in a broker's office. In 1870 he came to the United States, and lived a few months in Ohio, but engaged as clerk in a store the same year at Neenah, Wisconsin, where he remained about one year and a half. He then went to Waupaca, in the same state, and entered a store as clerk, but soon after bought an interest in the business. In 1876 he sold out and went to Yankton, S. D., where he was engaged for six years as clerk in a store. In the spring of 1882. he came to Sioux Falls, and took charge of a store for a firm whose principal place of business was at Council Bluffs, Iowa. In 1884, he married Miss Augusta Blum of Sioux Falls. In 1885 he went to Pipestone, Minnesota, and engaged in business until 1890, when he returned to Sioux Falls and engaged in the clothing business. In 1894 the firm of Buxbaum & Stern was formed, and they have now one of the largest clothing establishments in the city. Mr. Stern is a good fellow socially, a good business man, and a good citizen.
STEVENSON, THOMAS YOUNG, was born May 25, 1859, at St. Charles, Minnesota; was reared on a farm and educated in the dis- trict and high schools; studied medicine and was graduated from the Bennett Medical College of Chicago in 1885; practiced medicine at Fulda, Minnesota, and at Wentworth, South Dakota, about seven years; came to Sioux Falls in 1891, where he has since been practic- ing medicine; was county physician in 1895-6; in 1897 was graduated from the Harvey Medical College. Dr. Stevenson belongs to the Masons, Odd Fellows, and A. O. U. W., and takes a lively interest in public affairs, as well as attending carefully to his large practice.
STEVENSON, ROMEO R., brother of Thomas, was born at St. Charles, Minnesota, July 16, 1865. He studied medicine and was graduated from the Northwestern University of Chicago in 1893. He is now located at Sioux Falls, and makesa specialty of diseases of the eve, ear, nose and throat. He has been abroad twice since com- ing to Sioux Falls, and has taken post-graduate courses in London. Germany, Norway and Sweden. He has already established a repu- tation as a skillful physician in his line of practice.
STICKNEY, MOSES A., was born in Athens, Windham county, Vermont, on the 10th day of November, 1846, and was reared on a farm. After he became of age he went to Minneapolis, Minnesota, and entered a commercial college, where he graduated. He then learned the miller's trade, and for seventeen years worked at the same in Minnesota and Dakota. In August, 1877, he came to Sioux Falls and engaged in milling in the Webber & Shaw mill until that
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HISTORY OF M MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
concern was swept away by the high water of April, 1881. He was employed at the Queen Bee mill from its start, and when that stopped doing business Mr. Stickney's milling career was at an end, except to go to Minnesota for a few months to start up a new mill. When L. D. Henry removed from Sioux Falls he purchased his real estate and loan business in which he still continues. He was appointed city justice to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Mr. Henry, and held the office for five years and a half; was assessor of the city of Sioux Falls in 1886 and 1887. Mr. Stickney is a good neighbor, an honest man and an exemplary citizen.
STINSON, DANIEL SYLVESTER, was born in New York, March 4, 1854, but came with his parents to Dodge county, Wisconsin, in 1856. He worked on a farm, attended the common schools, graduated from the high school at Columbus, Wisconsin, and attended the uni- versity at Madison, in the same state, for two years. He was en- gaged in teaching school before he was twenty years old, and fol- lowed that vocation in Wisconsin until he removed to this county in July, 1879, and located at Dell Rapids, where he taught school two
vears. In 1881 he built a ferryboat at that place, and took in $87 during the afternoon of the first day he run it. It continued a pay- ing business for some time, the receipts running from $16 to $45 per day, but early in July a bridge was built, and the suspension of the ferrying business and the laying of the last plank on the bridge were concurrent in point of time. Mr. Stinson took up a tree claim and homestead in March, 1878. Except two years, when he was deputy sheriff under Sheriff Joseph Dickson, he has been engaged in teach- ing school, and is recognized as one of the most successful teachers in the county.
STITES, ALBERT H., was born in Millerstown, Pa., March 2, 1858. During his youth he attended the public schools, and graduated from the high school at Millerstown in 1875. He was naturally attracted to the study of medicine, his father being a physician, and after graduating from the high school he went to Philadelphia and entered a drug store as clerk. In 1879, he graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy, and continued in the drug business in that city until 1881. In June of that year he came to Sioux Falls and opened a drug store in the old land office building then located where the Masonic Temple now stands, and when that building was removed to give room for the present structure, Mr. Stites moved his business with it, and remained there until in 1885, at which time he moved back to his first location and since then has occupied the northeast corner of the Masonic Temple. From 1885 to 1889, Frank S. Kim- ball was associated with Mr. Stites in the drug business, but since that time he has carried on the business alone. He has been very successful and is considered one of the best business men in the city. He has been president of the territorial and state Pharmaceutical society six years. In 1895, was elected county commissioner, and assumed the duties of this office in January following. In April, 1896, was elected mayor of the city of Sioux Falls, and in 1898, was elected to the state senate. He is very popular in this city and has given good satisfaction in the discharge of his official duties.
A. H. STITES.
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY
STITES, WILLIAM D., was born in Strassburg, Penn., in Septem- ber, 1844. At the age of twelve years he moved to Rockford, Ill., and in 1861, enlisted in the Eighth Illinois Cavalry and served until July, 1865. He then entered a drug store in Chicago as clerk, and re- mained there until he went to Sioux City, Ia., and formed a partner- ship with C. K. Howard in the drug business. In 1872, he came to Sioux Falls and became bookkeeper for C. K. Howard, who was then doing an extensive business. He was deputy county treasurer sev- eral years, and in 1888, was appointed clerk of the district court, and held this office until 1891. In 1894, he was elected police justice of the city of Sioux Falls, and held this office until 1896. He is now em- ployed in the register of deeds office. Mr. Stites is prominent in Masonic circles, and has been honored by this order with high official positions. He has also been prominent in political affairs, and is an enterprising citizen.
STODDARD. W. H., is a native of Liberty, Sullivan county, New York, and was born February 15, 1843. He worked on his father's farm until fifteen years old, when he entered the Liberty Normal school, graduating in 1859. He taught school two years. After the outbreak of the war he enlisted for three months in the 10th New Jersey regiment, and then in Company H, 143d New York infantry, and served to the close of the war. He was in the army of the Poto- mac until after the battle of Gettysburg; went West in 1863, was at Lookout Mountain under Hooker, and was with Sherman in the At- lanta campaign and on the march to the sea. He was color sergeant of the regiment in the Peninsula campaign, and orderly sergeant for a long time, then lieutenant, and at the close of the war was brevetted captain. That he was at the front, the fact that he was wounded five times, is ample proof. He was discharged on the 21st day of August, 1865. In 1866 he commenced to read law with Judge L. D. McKoon of Long Eddy, New York, and was admitted to the bar at Binghamton, New York, November 14, 1868. He practiced law at Middletown, New York, for fourteen years, and removed to Sioux Falls in 1883, where he opened a law office, but soon after entered into a copartnership with Judge Parliman under the firm name of Parliman & Stoddard. This copartnership existed for about two years when Captain Stoddard went to Kansas and practiced law for awhile, but returned and resumed his former relations with Judge Parliman. In 1889 he became a member of the firm of Bailey, Stod- dard & Wilson, where he remained until 1891 when the firm of Stoddard & Wilson was formed and continued in the practice of law until early in the year 1895, at which date the firm removed to Buffalo, New York, and engaged in the law business at that place. While Captain Stoddard resided in Sioux Falls he was nominated by the Democratic party for judge of the supreme court of South Dakota, and was the candidate for state's attorney of Minnehaha county in 1892, but re- ceiving his nominations from a party largely in the minority was de- feated. He was well informed and could talk, and talk eloquently too; it made no difference with him what the occasion was Decora- tion day, Fourth of July, G. A. R. assemblages, picnics, banquets, conventions, on the stump or to a jury - he was at home, and the
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people liked to hear him. He was a genial companion and a good neighbor, and left home and a good law practice when he left Sioux Falls.
STRAHON, JOHN G., was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, February 9, 1844; moved to Harding county with his parents in 1857, where he attended school and worked on a farm until he was twenty- one years old, and then engaged in farming for himself; in October, 1878, came to Sioux Falls, bought some lots and built four houses, and then commenced draying, in which he has continued since then, and has the largest draying outfit in the city. He has received two elections as alderman, made a good official. and was not afraid to have his vote recorded with the minority. He is an industrious, hard working man, a good neighbor, and a good citizen.
STRASS, JOHN F., was born in the city of Trondhjem, Norway, November 1, 1862. In 1878 he emigrated to the United States and settled at Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Immediately thereafter he com- menced to learn the printer's trade, and has since then been contin- uously connected with newspaper work. In 1881 he started a Scan- dinavian newspaper at Fergus Falls, North Dakota, which he pub- lished for one year, when he sold the plant. Early in 1894 he came to Sioux Falls, and thinking there was a good field for a Populist newspaper printed in the Norwegian language organized the Fremad Publishing Company, and commenced the publishing of the Fremad on May 17, of that year. The success of the Fremad under his bus- iness and editorial management establishes the fact that Mr. Strass is a good business man. He is well liked, and is a good citizen.
STRINGHAM, NICHOLAS E., was born in Huron county, Ohio, on the 30th day of April, 1850. When six years of age he removed with his parents to Iowa, where they remained one year and then removed to Minnesota. During his youth he attended the common schools, and finished his school education in the city schools at Lake City, Minnesota, at the age of seventeen years. He then learned the black- smith's trade, and worked at this business until he removed to Sioux Falls, where he arrived on his 28th birthday, April 30, 1878. He then entered into a copartnership with Frank H. Gillett in the black- smith and farm implement business under the firm name of String- ham & Gillett, which copartnership continued until 1882. From this time until 1898 he was engaged in the fuel and implement business in Sioux Falls. He has been a member of the city school board two terms, and, although he has been nominated for other official posi- tions, he has not been elected for the reason that his party has been largely in the minority. He has always been an independent, up- right, industrious citizen, and a thoroughly good neighbor, as the writer can attest.
SUBERA, DR. HARRY W., was born at Picton, Province of On- tario, Canada. April 2, 1847; was reared on a farm and received his early education in the public schools. Upon attaining his majority and until he commenced studying medicine was a "Knight of the Grip." In 1877 he entered the office of Dr. Farnsworth at Clinton, Iowa, and remained with him in his practice until 1883 when he
W. H. STODDARD.
JOHN SUNDBACK.
OLE S. SWENSON.
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
graduated at the Keokuk Medical college at Keokuk, Iowa. In 1885 he came to Sioux Falls, where he has since been engaged in the prac- tice of his profession. He has been president of the Minnehaha County Medical Society, and is its present secretary; was president of the County Board of Health two years, county physician one year. and has been city health officer since June, 1898; is a member of the Masons, Odd Fellows, Elks, and Modern Woodmen. Dr. Subera is a good physician, has a good practice, is a pleasant, sociable gentle- man, and a highly esteemed citizen.
SUNDBACK, JOHN, is a native of Sweden and was born Decem- ber 21, 1850. He came to the United States in 1868, and lived in Iowa until the spring of 1872, when he came to Minnehaha county and took up a homestead in Edison, filing on the south half of the southeast quarter of section 34, and the south half of the south- west quarter of section 35, which was the first home- stead filing in that town. He engaged in farming upon this land until the spring of 1881, when he moved to Sioux Falls and en- gaged in the sale of flour and feed and farm machinery. He was as- sessor one year in Edison, and was constable and on the police force in Sioux Falls when it was a village. In 1886 he was elected sheriff. and continued to hold this office until the 10th day of January, 1893. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias, and has taken nearly all of the degrees in Masonry, is also one of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine.
He made an excellent sheriff; always level-headed, sagacious and honest, he performed his official duties without fear or favor to any one. For several years he was prominent in political matters. Until 1896 he was a straightout Republican, but after the adoption of the national platform that year by the Republican party he became a Silver Republican. In January, 1897, he went to Nicaragua, Central America, where he had a large interest in a steamboat. In Decem- ber, 1897, he sailed his boat around Cape Horn for the Klondike re- gion, with the intention of engaging in traffic on the Yukon river. He is now residing at Vancouver, B. C., where his family joined him during the summer of 1898, and the state has lost one of its most enterprising and influential citizens.
SWENSON, OLE S., was born in Norway, November 9, 1845; was reared on a farm and attended school until twelve years of age, when he emigrated with his parents to the United States, and settled in Nicollet county, Minnesota; in 1863 he went to St. Peter in the same state, and engaged in clerking in a general store; in 1800 opened a hardware store, but after doing business one year at St. Peter, re- moved his stock to Grand Meadow, Minnesota, and remained there in trade until he removed to Sioux Falls, where he arrived Septem- ber 15, 1880, and engaged in the same business until he sold out in 1893. He then secured an interest in the flour mill at Valley Springs, in this county, which interest he still retains; was elected treasurer of Minnehaha county in 1886, and re-elected in 1888, and is at the present time chairman of the Republican county committee. Mr. Swenson is a good business man, an adroit politician, a good neigh- bor and an esteemed citizen.
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
TABER, EDWARD J., is a native of Canada and was born January 11, 1859. He was reared on a farm and educated in the public schools. On the 20th day of June, 1878, he arrived in Sioux Falls, and the first thing he did was to take a contract to shingle a roof for four dollars. He shingled the roof, but did not get the four dollars. He soon after went to Cameron, McCook county, and opened a feed store; in 1880, went to Salem and entered into a copartnership with (). S. Pendar in the mercantile business, but at the end of two months sold his interest to Mr. Pendar and removed to Bridgewater where he went into trade in company with a Mr. Barry under the firm name of Taber & Barry. In December, 1889, he returned to Sioux Falls and engaged in the real estate business and was for some time connected with the Citizens State Bank, and was assessor of the city of Sioux Falls three years. When the State Banking and Trust Company was organized he became connected with that insti- tution, where he has since remained, acting as its vice president. He is a good citizen, and highly respected.
TALCOTT, RANSOM WILLIAM, was one of the early settlers of Minnehaha county, coming from Ohio to Sioux Falls, November 10. 1871, accompained by his wife and twin girls two years of age. He resided in the barracks for awhile, and then made a homestead filing upon the north half of the south half of section 6 in Sioux Falls town- ship. In 1878, he sold out and removed to Lake county, S. D.
TATE, SAMUEL LIVINGSTON, was born in Leed, County of York- shire, England, January 14, 1839; emigrated with his parents to the United States in 1842, and settled first in Massachusetts, but re- moved to Perry, Ill., in 1853, and from there to Lee county in the same state, in 1857. During the civil war he enlisted in the 132d Illinois Infantry. He was graduated from Albion College at Albion, Mich., and in June, 1869, received the degrees of B. A. and B. L. Soon after he got married, and commenced the practice of law at Evansville, Wis., but remained there only three months and then re- moved to Grand Haven, Mich., where he remained until 1884. While residing at Grand Haven he was court commissioner and injunction master two years, judge of probate twelve years, and either alder- man or mayor nearly all the time of his residence there, as well as being the president of the board of education several years. In the fall of 1884, came to Sioux Falls and opened a real estate office. Sep- tember 1, 1886, formed a copartnership with R. F. Pettigrew in the real estate business, and for several years the firm did a large busi- ness. Mr. Tate is now (1899) about to engage in the same business again. He is a thoroughly honest, upright man, and has well earned the high esteem in which he is held by all who know him.
TAYLOR, FRED W., was born at Ormo, Wis., February 22, 1856; was educated in the public schools and in the preparatory depart- ment of the Northwestern University at Evanston, Ill., and gradu- ated from a commercial college in Chicago. When seventeen years of age he went into his father's store as a clerk two years, and was in the employment of Field, Leiter & Co. in Chicago two years, and with Ware & Co. a little over a year as bookkeeper and cashier.
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
Came to Sioux Falls February 28, 1880, and formed a copartnership with Justin Graves, and the firm bought the hardware busines of I. K. Buck. At the end of one year he bought Mr. Graves' interest and since 1881 has been engaged in the hardware business by himself. In 1880-1, in connection with Charles K. Howard, he built the How- ard-Taylor block; was alderman from the First ward two years; president of the Masonic Temple Association at the time the Masonic Temple was built; is a thirty-second degree Mason, and has been Eminent Commander of Cyrene Commandry No. 2, Knight Temp- lars. Mr. Taylor is a good business man, and an enterprising, popu- lar citizen.
THOMPSON, KNUT, is a native of Norway, and was born March 20, 1848. He came with his parents to the United States in 1852, and settled on a farm in Dane county, Wisconsin, where he was reared and received his early education. He afterwards attended a com- mercial college in Madison, Wisconsin, and then was employed as bookkeeper in an agricultural house for five years. He came to Sioux Falls on the 1st day of April, 1875, and bought forty-four feet fronting on the east side of Phillips avenue, between Ninth and Tenth streets, and during the summer, erected a building and en- gaged in the machine business. In 1883, he re-built, this time a brick building, known as the Thompson block. He also erected a fine residence on Tenth street, in which he still resides. In 1891 he sold out his business, and since then has been employed in the county auditor's office quite a portion of the time, and is now deputy auditor. He is an honest, upright business man, is a good official and an es- teemed citizen.
THOMPSON, PETER F., was born in Norway, October 27, 1846; attended the public schools and worked on a farm in his native coun- try until 1865, when he emigrated to the United States and worked for a few months in the copper mines at Superior, Michigan. He then went to Lansing, Iowa, and made this place his home for thir- teen years, four years of which he was in a hotel. In September. 1878, he came to Sioux Falls and opened a restaurant which he con- ducted for one year. He then went into the grocery business on Tenth street, and has continued in this business since then at the same place. He is a good business man, and has been successful. Is a quiet, conservative man, is well liked as a neighbor, and is an es- teemed citizen.
THORGRIMSON, REV. HANS B., is a native of Iceland, and was born August 21, 1853. His father was a merchant, and when the subject of this sketch was eleven years of age he was sent to Copen- hagen, Denmark, to attend a Latin school. He remained there three years, and then returned home and became clerk in his father's store for two years, and attended a college in Iceland one year. In 1872, he came to this country and worked on a farm in Wisconsin two years; entered college at Decorah, Iowa, where he was graduated in 1879; attended the Lutheran Theological seminary at Madison, Wisconsin, two years, and the Concordia Theological seminary at St. Louis, Missouri, where he was graduated in 1882. The same
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HISTORY OF MINNEHAHA COUNTY.
vear he became pastor of the Icelandic Lutheran congregation at Pembina, North Dakota, and remained there until he removed to Sioux Falls, where he arrived on the 15th day of May, 1886, and be- came pastor of the Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran church, and al- so had charge of the Lutheran congregation at Springdale and Bran- don for six years, when he resigned. He was largely instrument- al in securing for Sioux Falls the Lutheran Normal school, and the city is greatly indebted to him for his labor in this enterprise. Since his resignation as pastor he was engaged in traveling in the in- terest of the Normal school and other similar institutions until July, 1898, when he received a call from the Norwegian Synod to take charge as missionary of a Lutheran congregation at Milwaukee, Wis- consin, which he accepted, and is now located there. Mr. Thorgrim- son is a man of more than ordinary ability, an entertaining speaker, and noted for his energy and active support of public enterprises. In July, 1884, he married Miss Mathilda Stub, of Locust, Iowa, an accomplished and lovable lady, and the removal from South Dakota of Mr. Thorgrimson and family was sincerely regretted by a wide circle of friends.
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