History of South Dakota, Vol. I, Part 93

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 998

USA > South Dakota > History of South Dakota, Vol. I > Part 93

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Mr. Holmes is a married man and the head of a family which is highly esteemed in the city of his residence. His wife, who was formerly Miss Lizzie E. Elliott, of the state of Iowa, and to whom he was united in the bonds of matri- mony in 1887, has borne him sons and daughters as follows: Florence E., Daisy E., Harry B., Calvin H. and Willa G., all under the parental roof and constituting a' most happy and mutually agreeable home circle. The best educational ad- vantages the community affords have been pro- vided for these children and they are now pur- suing their studies under favorable auspices, the older ones having already laid plans for their future careers.

HEMMING ANDERSON is a native of Sweden, where he was born on the 18th of Oc- tober, 1854, and where he was reared to man- hood, having received a common-school educa- tion and having lived there until 1882, when he set forth to seek his fortunes in America. He landed in New York and thence came west to what is now the state of South Dakota, arriv- ing in Vermillion, Clay county, in the spring of that year and there remaining about one month He secured a team of oxen and with the same came to Charles Mix county, where he took up a homestead claim in Rhoda township. Settlers

651

HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

were few and far removed from one another, and the stretching prairies lay waiting the plowshare. Mr. Anderson forthwith set himself vigorously to the task of improving his land and bringing it under profitable cultivation. He and his family lived for a time in a tent, and thereafter re- sided in a sod house, twelve feet square. This rude domicile in time gave place to his present comfortable and attractive farm residence, while all about the place are further evidences of en- terprise and good management. He has a nice grove of trees on his farm, having raised the same from seed secured along the Missouri river, while all the buildings on the farm are of sub- stantial order. About seventy acres are main- tained under effective cultivation, while the re- mainder is utilized in connection with the rais- ing of live stock, in which department of his enterprise the subject has met with gratifying success. Mr. Anderson has ever shown a deep interest in the cause of education and in all else that makes for the best interests of the com- munity, and he is a stanch supporter of the principles of the Republican party, while both he and his wife are devoted members of the Lutheran church. They are highly esteemed in the community and all view with pleasure the prosperity which has attended the efforts of this sterling pioneer from the far Norseland.

In 1880. in his native land, Mr. Anderson was united in marriage to Miss Maria Johnson, who accompanied him on his emigration to America. They have had three children, Ella, Andrew and Harold, the two sons being de- ceased, while the only daughter still remains at the parental home, having received good edu- cational advantages and being one of the popu- lar young ladies of the community.

WILLARD A. LATHROP is one of the successful farmers and stock growers of Charles Mix county, where he owns a well improved ranch of four hundred and eighty acres, eight miles southwest of the village of Geddes, in Jackson township. Mr. Lathrop is a native of the state of Iowa, having been born in Johnson

county, on the 23d of October, 1848, and being a son of Henry W. and Mary W. (Welton) Lathrop, the former of whom was born in Mas- sachusetts, in 1819, while his wife was born in New York, in 1820. As a young man Henry W. Lathrop removed from his native state to that of New York, where he was engaged in working on a farm and getting an education until 1847. He had made a careful study of the. law and was admitted to the bar of New York state. In the year mentioned he removed to Iowa, locating in Iowa City and becoming one of the pioneers of the Hawkeye state. There he was engaged in the practice of his profession about four years, at the expiration of which he turned his attention to farming and stock grow- ing, with which line of industry he continued to be thereafter identified until his death. He was a man of high intellectual attainments and utmost probity, and wielded much influence in his community, where he ever commanded uni- form confidence and esteem. In earlier years he was arrayed with the Whig party, but he was one of those prominent in forwarding the organi- zation of the Republican party, of whose prin- ciples he ever afterward continued a stanch ad- vocate. Fraternally he was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He died in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on the 27th of De- cember, 1902, having removed there from Iowa about a year previously, and he was eighty-four years of age at the time of his demise. His de- voted wife, who was a zealous member of the Presbyterian church for many years, was sum- moned into eternal rest in Iowa, on the 18th of November, 1901. Of their five children three are living, namely: Willard A., the immediate sub- ject of this review ; George F., who is a resident of Los Angeles, California, where he has a fruit farm; and Edith M., who is the wife of William I. Lathrop, a farmer and stock raiser of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The father of the subject attained success in connection with the agricultural enterprise, and his estate at the time of his death was valued at about fifteen thousand dollars.

Willard A. Lathrop passed his youthful days

652

HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

on the homestead farm and secured his educa- tional training in the public schools of his native state. After leaving school he continued to be identified with farming and stock raising in Iowa until 1882, when he came to Charles Mix county, South Dakota, where he took up gov- ernment land, to which he later added until he now has a fine ranch of four hundred and eighty acres, of which about one hundred and sixty acres are under cultivation, while the remainder is utilized for the grazing of his live stock and for the raising of hay. He has made all the improvements on his place and they are of the best order, and he has attained a high degree of success through his well directed efforts. He gives special attention to the raising of short- horn cattle and Poland-China swine, and ships a considerable amount of stock each year. He is enterprising and public-spirited, and is one of the popular citizens of this section. In poli- tics he gives his allegiance to the Republican party, and he has been called upon to serve in various positions of public trust, having held membership on the school board of his district for a number of years, and having served for one term as a member of the board of county commissioners, while at the time of this writing he is chairman of the board of trustees of Jackson township. Fraternally he is affiliated with Geddes Lodge, No. 135, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Geddes.

In August, 1882, Mr. Lathrop was married to Miss Nellie Smith, who was born and reared in the state of Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Lathrop have seven children, namely: Margaret, Henry, Josephine, Edith, Caroline, Florence and Amy, all of whom remain at the parental home, except Josephine, who at the time of this writing is attending school at Ward Academy, in Charles Mix county, South Dakota.

FLOYD E. SWARTOUT is a young man of distinctive executive ability and high intel- lectuality, and is at the present time serving in the responsible office of superintendent of schools of Buffalo county. He has passed the major por-

tion of his life in South Dakota and is prominent in educational affairs, having been a successful teacher for a number of years prior to his elec- tion to his present office.

Mr. Swartout was born in Marshall county, Iowa, on the 15th of April, 1873, and is a son of Rev. Edgar P. and Mary J. (Kuns) Swart- out, the former of whom was born in the state of Michigan and the latter in Maryland, while they are now located in Lebanon, Potter county, South Dakota, where Mr. Swartout has a pas- toral charge. He is a member of the clergy of the Congregational church and has been long and successfully engaged in the work of his high calling, being a man of high attainments and one whose earnest and devoted labors have been prolific in good to his fellow men. The subject of this sketch secured his early educational dis- cipline in the public schools of his native county and was nine years of age when, in 1882, his par- ents removed to South Dakota, taking up their residence in Badger, Davison county, where he continued his educational work in the village schools until 1889, when he was matriculated in the academic department of Yankton College, where he continued his studies for the prescribed term of four years, being graduated in 1896. After leaving college Mr. Swartout engaged in teaching in the public schools and in 1897 he came to Gann Valley, Buffalo county, to accept the principalship of the local schools, continuing to be actively and successfully engaged in the work of his profession here until 1900, when he was elected, on the Populist ticket, to his present office of county superintendent of schools. It forthwith became evident that he was the right man in the right place, for he accomplished ex- cellent results in the unifying and systematiz- ing of the work of the schools in his jurisdiction, gaining the hearty co-operation of the teachers in the various localities and infusing life and vigor into the work. That his efforts were not denied due popular appreciation was made evident by his re-election in the fall of 1902, and he is earnestly and with discrimination car- rying forward the work of his office, his second term expiring in January, 1905. He gives his

653

HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

allegiance to the Populist party and takes a proper interest in public affairs, particularly those of a local nature. He and his wife are prominent members of the Congregational church, in whose work they take an active part, while they enjoy the highest popularity in the social circles of their home town. Mr. Swartont is a member of Gann Valley Lodge, No. 120, Ancient Order of United Workmen.

On the 30th of August, 1899, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Swartout to Miss Charlotte A. Stroud, daughter of John and Clarissa (Church) Stroud, of Gann Valley, and they are the parents of two children, Minetta Maud, who was born July 27, 1900, and died November 30, 1901, and Violet Muriel, who was born on the 17th of June, 1903. .

DAVID F. JONES, who is successfully established in the drug business in the city of Watertown, is one of the leading representatives of this line of enterprise in the state, and presi- dent of the state board of pharmacy. He was born in LaCrosse county, Wisconsin, on the 27th of October, 1869, being a son of John W. and Mary (Jones) Jones, both of whom were born and reared in Wales, where the father learned and followed the trade of cabinetmaking up to the time of his emigration to America. He located in LaCrosse county, Wisconsin, where he turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, in which he was successful, being one of the hon- ored and substantial citizens of the Badger state, Monroe county becoming his permanent home.

The subject of this sketch was reared on the parental farmstead in Monroe county, Wiscon- sin, and after availing himself of the advantages of the district schools continued his studies in the high school at Sparta, where he completed the scientific course. Thereafter he was for a time engaged in teaching, while he also served a thorough apprenticeship in a drug store in Bar- ron, Wisconsin, while he was matriculated in the school of pharmacy of the Northwestern Uni- versity. at Evanston, Illinois, where he was

graduated in 1894, receiving the degree of Graduate in Pharmacy. Soon after his gradua- tion, in 1894, Mr. Jones came to Watertown and established himself in the drug business in the same stand which he now occupies, his brother, E. M. Jones, being at that time associated with him. In the following year the subject was tendered the chair of pharmacy in the South Dakota State Agricultural College, at Brookings, accepting this offer and rendering effective service in that capacity during the ensuing col- legiate year, at the expiration of which, in 1897, he was elected president of the State Pharma- ceutical Association. The following year he was appointed to fill a vacancy as a member of the state board of pharmacy, by Governor Lee, and served as president of that body for one year while in 1900 he was re-appointed a member of the board, by Governor Herreid, being incum- bent of this position at the time of this writing and is also now serving for the second time as president, having rendered signally valuable service in the connection and being known as one of the most scientific and best informed pharmacists and chemists in the state. He at all times manifests a loyal interest in public affairs of a local nature, is at the present time a mem- ber of the board of aldermen of Watertown, representing the second ward, while his political allegiance is given to the Republican party. He is now sole owner of the drug business which he established upon his arrival in the city, and he carries a large and comprehensive stock of drugs, chemicals, proprietary medicines and sun- dries, and makes a specialty of prescription work, as well as bacteriological and microscopical work. In his establishment he carries a large stock of books and stationery. The pleasant home of Mr. Jones is located at 623 Carpenter street, and is a center of refined hospitality. Fra- ternally he is identified with the Knights of Pythias and the Ancient Order of United Work- men.

On the 14th of February, 1896, Mr. Jones was united in marriage to Miss Mabel E. Coe, who was born in Illinois, being a daughter of

654

HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

C. D. and Alice' Coe, who were residents of Barron, Wisconsin, where the marriage was solemnized.

GEORGE H. BAXTER is one of the rep- resentative business men of Watertown, the at- tractive capital city of Codington county, where he is now the sole stockholder in the Kampeska Milling Company, owning a finely equipped mill, in which is installed the most modern machinery, making it one of the best flouring mills in the state.

Mr. Baxter was born on the parental farm- stead, in Schuyler county, Illinois, on the 16th of September, 1860, and is a son of John H. and Mary E. (Bell) Baxter, the former of whom was born in West Virginia and the latter in Illinois, while they were numbered among the pioneers of Illinois, where the father devoted his attention principally to agricultural pursuits, having been a cooper by trade. He died Septem- ber 4, 1902. in Hamlin county, South Dakota, where his widow still resides. They became the parents of four sons, all of whom are living, while the subject of this review was the first in order of birth.

George H. Baxter received his early edu- cational training in the public schools of his native county, and supplemented this by a course of study in the Chaddock College, at Quincy, Illinois. He continued to attend school until he had attained the age of eighteen years, and in the meanwhile assisted in the work of the home farm, with which he continued to be identified until 1882, when he accompanied his parents to South Dakota and took up land in Hamlin county, where he developed a valuable farm, making excellent improvements and being pros- pered in his efforts as an agriculturist and stock grower. He continued to reside on his ranch until 1893, when he came to Watertown and turned his attention to his milling business, hav- ing become a stockholder in the Kampeska Mill- ing Company at the time of its organization, in the fall of 1887, at Kampeska, while he had held various official positions in the company, hav-

ing been vice-president at the time of taking up his abode in Watertown. In 1900 he purchased all the stock not previously controlled by him, and has since conducted the enterprise individu- ally. The original capacity of the mill was fifty barrels per day, and it has since been in- creased to one-hundred-barrel capacity, while the facilities of the plant throughout are of the best and most modern type, requiring an invest- . ment of about fifty thousand dollars and about forty thousand bushels of grain are shipped an- nually. The Kampeska Milling Company was organized at Kampeska in 1887 by E. D. and E. S. Whitlock, and in 1888 it was removed to Watertown, and E. S. Whitlock continues as superintendent. Mr. Baxter owns four hundred acres of particularly arable farming land. He raises on this ranch large quantities of wheat. barley and oats. He is a man of marked busi- ness sagacity, is straightforward in all his deal- ings and has the unqualified respect of all who know him. In politics he is stanchly arrayed as a supporter of the principles of the Republican party and fraternally he is identified with the Ancient Order of Pyramids and with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. His com- modious and attractive modern residence is lo- cated in close proximity to the mill, and is one of the hospitable homes of the city.

On the 13th of June, 1900, Mr. Baxter was united in marriage to Miss Hattie M. Stone, a daughter of Samuel and Harriet (Tuttle) Stone, now retired, of Watertown, who were pioneer settlers in the state. Mrs. Baxter is prominent in the social circles of Watertown, where she has a host of warm friends. Both are members of the Methodist church. -

MARTIN V. REDDING, who is represent- ing Brown county in the state legislature, is a natives of Luxembourg, Germany, where he was born on the 12th of December, 1843, being a son of Anton and Mary Redding, who emigrated to America when he was a lad of ten years, settling in Dubuque county, Iowa, in which state they passed the remainder of their lives, the father

655

HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

devoting his attention to agricultural pursuits. Our subject had received the rudiments of his education in the national schools of his father- land. and after the removal to Iowa continued his studies in the public schools as opportunity af- forded. He was but eighteen years of age at the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion, but his loyalty to the Union was forthwith manifested in no uncertain way, since in October, 1861, he en- listed in Company F, Eleventh Wisconsin Volun- teer Infantry, having been at the time a resident of the state mentioned. With this regiment he served until the close of the war, representing a period of but a fortnight less than four years, since he was mustered out in September, 1865, receiving his honorable discharge at Mobile, Alabama. His command was in the Mississippi valley from St. Louis to Texas, and later was on duty at Mobile, when it proceeded to Fort Blakely, and later was under General Curtis in Missouri and Arkansas. At Vicksburg, on the 22d of May, 1863, while participating in the charge, Mr. Redding was wounded in the right leg, and the injury was so severe as to render it necessary for him to remain in the field hospital for three weeks and for six weeks in the hospital at Memphis, when he was sent to the general hospital in St. Louis, where he remained six months, at the expiration of which he rejoined his command, in New Orleans. At the expira- tion of his first term of enlistment he veteran- ized and was granted a thirty days' furlough. which he passed at his home in Wisconsin. All the members of his regiment re-enlisted with the exception of about thirty, who were captured while with Banks on the Red river expedition. Mr. Redding participated in all of the notable engagements in which his regiment took part and his record was that of a gallant and faithful soldier of the republic. He has ever kept in touch with the members of his regiment, which is rapidly being decimated by the one invincible foe of humanity, death, and to all of the men who served so faithfully during the great con- flict his sympathy and interest are accorded and are shown in his affiliation with that noble or- ganization, the Grand Army of the Republic. He

is a member of General Rowley Post, No. 112, at Frederick, and is commander of the same at the time of this writing, being one of the most prominent and popular members of the or- ganization.

After the close of the war Mr. Redding took up his residence in Verona, Wisconsin, where he was engaged in farming until 1882, when he came to Brown county, South Dakota, and took up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres on section 3. township 127, seven miles west of the present village of Frederick. Here he has ever since continued to reside, having aided materially in the development and progress of this section of the state and being one of only four in the locality who came here as early as 1882. He gives his attention to diversified farm- ing and stock growing and is now the owner of a well improved landed estate of three hundred and twenty acres. Mr. Redding was connected in a prominent way with the organization of Allison township, which was named in honor of James P. Allison, who was a ranchman on Elm river, where he took up his residence in 1879. Our subject has served in various town- ship offices and has been for fourteen years a member of the school board of his district. In 1900 he was elected to represent his county in the state legislature and was chosen as his own successor in 1902, serving during the seventh and eighth general assemblies and being an active and valued member of the legislative body. He served as a member of the committees on military highways and bridges, penal institu- tions, and state militia, having been chairman of the last named. He is a stanch advocate of maintaining a well organized and equipped state militia, for the conservation of home interests and for the support of the national government when demanded, and through his efforts in the legislature the state militia of South Dakota was placed on a firm basis, an appropriation of seventy thousand dollars being secured from the state for its proper maintenance. He is an able speaker and on the floor of the house his voice was heard in the effective championship of those measures which met his approval, and he was

656

HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

one of the leaders in securing the establishing of the Northern Normal and Industrial School, in Aberdeen, and is called the "father" of the circulating library bill, which passed the legisla- ture of 1900 after being twice defeated. He has ever given a stanch allegiance to the Republican party, and has been an active worker in its cause and prominent in its councils, having been fre- quently a delegate to the various county, state and congressional conventions. He and his fam- ily are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he is identified with Frederick Lodge, No. 51, Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows, in Frederick, having passed the official chairs in the same and having also represented it in the grand lodge of the state.

At Verona, Wisconsin, on the 12th of Oc- tober, 1880, Mr. Redding was united in mar- riage to Miss Helen A. Root, who was born in Tonawanda, New York, whence her parents re- moved to Wisconsin when she was six years of age. The three children of this union all re- main at the parental home,-Carolyn Genevieve, Sarah Nathalie and James Nathaniel, and both daughters are successful and popular teachers in the public schools of Brown county, while the family occupies a prominent position in the best social life of the community.

LYMAN TURNER .- The subject of this review enjoys the distinction of being one of the leading farmers and stock raisers of Brown county, and his long period of residence in this part of South Dakota has made his name a household word throughout a large section of the country. Lyman Turner is of New England birth, being a native of Oxford county, Maine, where he first saw the light of day on June 5, of the year 1842. When a bov he accompanied his parents to Dodge county, Wisconsin, where he grew to manhood and received his education, the meanwhile becoming skillful in the use of tools by working on the farm with his father, who was a carpenter and millwright.

Young Turner devoted his attention to me- chanical and farm work until the breaking out

of the Civil war, when he laid aside the pursuits of civil life and went to the maintaining of the integrity of the Union. Enlisting August 14, 1861, in Company B, Tenth Wisconsin Infantry, he served successively in the armies of the Ohio, Cumberland and Tennessee and was with his command through all its vicissitudes of campaign and contest, from Perryville to the fall of At- lanta, participating in eighteen pitched battles, besides numerous minor engagements and skir- mishes, and under all circumstances bearing himself as a true soldier, who made duty para- mount to every other consideration. With the exception of a short time in the hospital, he was never absent from his command, and notwith- standing the number of bloody engagements in which he took part, and the many times he was exposed to danger and death, he came through the trying ordeal without wound or injury. Being honorably discharged in the fall of 1864, after three years and two months of strenuous and faithful service, Mr. Turner returned to Wisconsin and spent the winter at the high school at Harrison. In the spring of 1865 he came to Blue Earth county, Minnesota, where he followed agricultural pursuits until 1871, in which year he married and moved onto a farm in Faribault county, that state, which he operated for two years. He then traded the farm for a stock of general merchandise, and for two years conducted a store, having the postoffice in con- nection. In the fall of 1875 he lost everything by fire, and then went to work at contracting and building. In the spring of 1877 he came to South Dakota, and locating at Sioux Falls, spent the ensuing five years as a contractor and builder, during which time he did considerable work in that city and other places. Returning to Wis- consin in 1882 he spent one year at Superior, that state, but in the spring of 1883 again came west and decided to make his permanent home in Brown county, South Dakota. After spend- ing one year at Columbia, as a contractor, he discontinued mechanical pursuits and opening a hardware store in that town, soon found him- self at the head of a thriving and constantly growing business. His establishment became

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of South Dakota, Vol. I, Part 93

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn Publication date: 1904 Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen Number of Pages: 998

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 998