History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 116

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1138

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into Deadwood, also going with them to Mon- tana and wrought in their interest there. On his return to this state he was employed, with a team he bought, on the Union Pacific Railroad until 1884, when he came with the Beem broth- ers to Rapid City, and from there moved out to Belcher creek near Box Elder. Here he took up land and put it in the way of improvement, but kept on freighting between Pierre and Dead- wood and Rapid City three years longer. In 1887 he bought cattle and settled on his ranch, to the improvement of which he has since sedu- lously devoted himself. He has four hundred acres of fine land, with good buildings and other necessary appliances, and raises on it large crops of hay with some grain and other products. The ranch adjoins that of Isaac Beem and is thirty- five miles from Rapid City. Mr. Welsh is a stanch believer in the principles of the Demo- cratic party, and ever yields to its policies and candidates a loyal and serviceable support.

CHARLES W. BROWN, a leader of the bar in Pennington county, was born on May 8, 1859, at Winchester, Illinois, and there grew to man- hood and received his scholastic training, being graduated from Blackburn College in 1881. He then entered the law department at Yale and in 1883 was graduated therefrom with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. Returning to his home at Carlinville, he passed a year in a law office. At the end of that time he came to South Dakota and began the practice of his profession at Co- lumbia, Brown county, where he remained until July, 1885. shortly after which he moved to Rapid City. Here he has since maintained his home and been active in legal work, rising rap- idly through merit to prominence and public es- teem, and winning high commendation in every contest in which he has engaged professionally. His practice has grown to great magnitude and now takes him to almost all parts of the coun- try. He is a member of the United States su- preme court bar and before that elevated trib- unal has conducted a number of important causes, managing them in a way that established

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him in the esteem of the legal profession as one of the brainiest men in the country. In poli- tics he is an active and ardent Republican, and in the fall of 1888 and again in 1890 was elected state's attorney of Pennington county as the can- clidate of that party. He was also mayor of Rapid City from 1900 to 1902. He has served his party twice as chairman of its county cen- tral committee and also as a member of its state central committee.

On June 1, 1884. Mr. Brown was married to Miss Adella Gore, a native of Illinois and daugh- ter of David Gore, a prominent man and once state auditor of that state, the marriage being solemnized at Carlinville. They have three chil- dren, Helen G., Fanny C. and Wellington G. Mr. Brown belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the Odd Fellows, with membership in the lodges of these orders at Rapid City.

JAMES M. WOODS, of near Rapid City. was born on April 24, 1835. in Boone county. Missouri, the family having moved to that county a short time previous from Madison county, Ken- tucky. His father had a store at Columbia in that county and one at Independence also. The son grew to manhood in that state and received his early education in its district schools, after- ward entering the State University when it was a very small college. After attending this insti- tution two terms he moved to Colorado in 1851. There he was engaged in mercantile business in partnership with his brother several years, then passed some time near Salt Lake City, after which he began freighting between Cheyenne and points in Montana and also conducted mer- cantile houses at Wausage and Bear river in Montana. He continued these enterprises until 1870, when he went to Nebraska City where he had a large farm, and where he remained until 1876. Ile then organized a train at Nebraska City for an expedition to the Black Hills by way of Kearney. For this enterprise he recruited one hundred and sixty men and brought the train through without mishap. This was the first train to enter the hills for settlement, and ar-

rived where Custer City now stands on April 26th, and from there went on to Deadwood, which it reached carly in May. There were no roads through this country at that time and they were obliged to cut their way through with great difficulty. About May 10th they started from Deadwood for Rapid City, then a hamlet of about one hundred inhabitants. Establishing himself here, he returned to Nebraska City and from there went to St. Louis and bought goods which he freighted from Pierre to Deadwood, among his purchases being the first safe brought into the Hills. He then opened the first mone- tary institution at Deadwood, which was known as the Miners and Mechanics' Bank. The prop- erties and franchises of this were afterward sold to the First National Bank when that was or- ganized, the safe being bought by the United States government for use in the land office at Deadwood. Here he made his home and until 1883 freighted and carried on other business be- tween that place and Nebraska City, having con- tracts to furnish timber to the Homestake and other mines. He was besides prominent and ac- tive in the public life of the place and aided largely in its development. In the spring of 1883 he came to Rapid City and bought land in different localities, purchasing with other tracts about five thousand acres on Elk creek. He at once engaged in the cattle industry, bringing large herds from Texas, often as many as twenty thousand in one season. From that time on he has been one of the most extensive cattle growers in the state. Until 1890 his brother and another gentleman were associated with him, the firm name being Woods, White & Woods. Since the year last named he has been alone in his stock business. In 1891 he bought his present home ranch on Rapid creek, five miles from Rapid City, which is one of the finest properties in the valley. The land is all under irrigation and much of it is in an advanced state of tillage and pro- ductiveness ; and the improvements are in keep- ing with its character and the enterprise of the proprietor. Mr. Woods was one of the found- ers of the Pennington County Bank and for a number of years was a heavy stockholder in the

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First National Bank of Rapid City. In political faith he is an unwavering Democrat and for long has been a leader of his party and a man of great influence in local public affairs. He was the first Democrat elected mayor of Rapid City, a position in which he served two terms. He was at one time the nomince of his party for the United States house of representatives, and although there was a large majority in the dis- trict against his side, he made a gallant race and succeeded in cutting down the majority con- siderably, his being the best run ever known here. He was a member of Governor Lee's staff. with the rank of colonel, for four years, and was national committeeman for the territory dur- ing Cleveland's first term as president. In this position he served eight years with great use- fulness and acceptability. In 1902 he was nom- inated for the state senate, but declined the nom- ination, and every state and county convention for years has offered him some nomination, he being the most widely known Democrat in this part of the country. Mr. Woods has an elegant city home at Rapid where he has lived for a number of years, although during this time he has passed a large portion of his time at Des Moines, Iowa, where he has extensive land in- terests, owning some of the finest tracts in the icinity of the city, with some also near Omaha, Nebraska. He is president of the Western Da- kota Land and Horse Company, of which he and his family are the principal stockholders.

In 1857, in Boone county, Missouri, Mr. Woods was married to Miss Matilda Stone, a native of that state. They have seven children, Madison D., Annie E. ( Mrs. Garth ), Frances J., Edward C., Paul S., Matilda and Martha. Paul is cashier and principal stockholder of the First National Bank at Kingman, Kansas. Charles E. is cashier and principal stockholder of the First National Bank at Liberal, in the same state, Frances J. is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Female Medical College. During the Spanish- American war she was attached to the Oregon Corps and spent a year in the Philippines. Since her return she has attained prominence as a lec- turer and organizer in the interest of woman

suffrage. Matilda is a graduate of Wellesley College and is now an instructor in the State School of Mines, at Rapid City.

GEORGE C. HUNT, manager of the Hunt Abstract and Investment Company, of Rapid City, is a native of Boston, Massachusetts, where | he was born on March 30, 1850, and is the son of George and Charlotte ( Belcher ) Hunt, who were also natives of Massachusetts and were reared and educated in that state. The father was in the grain business there until 1854. when he moved his family to Henry county, Illinois, and there engaged in farming three years. In 1857 the family moved to Linn county. Kansas, where the father took up land and again passed three years in farming. In 1859 the drought destroyed the erops and the family returned to Boston, going by way of St. Joseph, Missouri, and traveling from there in the first train over the Hannibal & St. Joe Railroad that carried passengers east. They remained in Massachu- setts eighteen months, then in the spring of 1861 returned to Henry county, Illinois, where they remained until 1868. That year they moved to Iowa county, Iowa, and there the father bought land and once more turned his attention to farm- ing. Mr. Hunt received the greater part of his education in Henry county, Illinois, being eighteen years of age when the removal to Iowa took place. At the age of twenty-one he quit the farm on which he had been working with his father, and went into the employ of a lum- ber company, working at both Walnut and Man- ning in Iowa. He served the company some time as clerk and bookkeeper and later was man- ager of one of its yards. In December, 1885, he came to Rapid City, whither his parents had come in 1877, the father taking up a ranch on Rapid creek and devoting his attention to raising stock. Prior to beginning this enterprise, how- ever, Mr. Hunt's father and brother were en- gaged in freighting between Pierre and Sidney and Rapid City. Soon after his arrival at this place he secured employment in the office of the register of deeds for Pennington county, re-

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maining so occupied from December, 1885, to April, 1887, when he was appointed county audi- tor, the first the county ever had. He held this office until 1891, at which time he opened an of- fice for George N. Farrell, of Claremont, New Hampshire, for conducting a general land and loan business, which he managed until 1895. While serving as county auditor he had made a book of abstracts of titles to land in the county, and when he resigned as manager of Mr. Far- rell's business he opened an office for himself and started an enterprise in abstracting, insur- ance and dealing in real estate. He has the only complete set of abstracts for the county ever made and is therefore especially well prepared and equipped for the business in which he is en- gaged. In 1898 he organized the Hunt Ab- stract and Investment Company of Rapid City. which has been incorporated and of which he is the general manager. The company has an ex- tensive business, one of the largest in the city, with real-estate interests in both Pennington and Meade counties. Mr. Hunt is a gentleman of great enterprise and public spirit in matters in- volving the welfare of the community in which he lives, and cheerfully and effectively gives his aid to every commendable undertaking for its promotion. He is a zealous and earnest Repub- lican in political faith, and a prominent and active worker for the success of his party. His home has always been at Rapid City, where he has one of the finest residences in the town.

On February 9, 1876, Mr. Hunt was married, at Walnut, Iowa, to Miss Annie L. Benedict, a native of Ohio. They have one child. Charles B .. who is connected with the Pennington County Bank of Rapid City.

CLARENCE O. MCCAIN is a native of Clarion county, Pennsylvania, where he was born on October 20, 1851. He was reared and educated in his native county, and after leaving school engaged in farming there, remaining until 1874. when he moved to southwestern Jowa, and continued his farming operations, also dealing in stock. In the spring of 1880 he came

to South Dakota and took up his residence at Rapid City, arriving in May. He soon after- ward located a ranch on Box Elder creek, twelve miles from the town, and began to occupy him- self in raising cattle and horses. He makes his home most of the time on the ranch, but he also has a residence in Rapid City, where his family spend their winters. He is a progressive and energetic man in the management of his affairs, and is a force of influence and inspiration, being one of the leading citizens in reference to all matters of the general welfare and public prog- ress.

On December 29, 1880, Mr. McCain was married to Miss Jennie Castile, a native of Illi- nois, the marriage occurring in Adams county, Iowa. They have three children, Hermann L., William A. and Eva W.

FRED HOLCOMB was born in Jefferson county, New York, at the town of Carthage, on July 2. 1851, and is the son of William and Maria (Fanning) Holcomb, who were also na- tives of New York. The father was a prosper- ous and energetic farmer in Jefferson county, and in 1855 the family moved to Dubuque county, Jowa, four miles from the city of Du- buque, where they followed dairying for a time, then farming. In this county Mr. Holcomb grew to manhood and was educated. In 1869 he moved to Abilene, Kansas, where, with his brother, he was occupied in the cattle business until 1872. He then took a band of cattle to Des- Moines, lowa, and sold them, and with the pro- ceeds paid his tuition for a term at a business college in Dubuque. In April, 1873, he came to South Dakota with a herd of cows' which he left at Yankton while he went back to Dubuque and got married. Returning to Yankton with his bride, he settled there and started a dairy busi- ness on a small scale, carrying the milk about in cans on foot. A year later he had two wag- ons and his business continued to increase. In the spring of 1879 he came to Rapid City in company with his father to look over the coun- try with a view to settling here. The father re- 1

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inained, but Mr. Holcomb returned to Yankton, making the trip on the only stage that was ever held up on the line between Rapid City and Pierre, this event occurring before the stage reached the Cheyenne river. In July of 1877, he made a visit to Rapid City for his health, and, determining to make this his future home, he went back to Yankton and disposed of his in- terests there, and in the spring of 1881 brought his family and cattle to this section, settling the family at Rapid City and placing the cattle on the range along the Cheyenne, removing them later to the White river. His cattle are now mostly to the north, on Sulphur and Morrow creeks. He has made a great success of his busi- ness by keeping steadily at it and applying the wisdom gained in experience and observation, ever increasing its magnitude and conducting it along the lines of the most wholesome progress and development. His acreage in both ranch and grazing lands is very large and his stock indus- try is the leading one belonging to an individual citizen in this part of the state. The Holcomb home has been at Rapid City ever since the fam- ily settled here, and is one of the most elegant and attractive in the town. The licad of the house is an active and devoted member of the Masonic fraternity, with membership in the lodge at Rapid City.

On June 4, 1873, Mr. Holcomb was married in Dubuque county, Iowa, to Miss Minnie V. Miller, a native of that county. They have one child, May, the wife of George H. White, of Rapid City. Mrs. Holcomb's parents came to Rapid City in 1880 and remained there until death. the father dying in 1886 and the mother in 1891. The father was prominent as a stockman and also conducted one of the first hotels at Rapid City.

of 1870-71 from the opening battle at Weissen- burg to the crowning triumph of its arms at Sedan. Soon after the close of this momentous contest, in 1874, he caine to the United States and located in Chicago, where he remained two years. From there he went to Taylor county, Iowa, and purchased land which he farmed until 1881, when he came to South Dakota, arriving at Rapid City in July. Here he went to work on the place which he afterward bought, and was busily employed for six months. At the end of that period he returned to Taylor county, Iowa, and on April 27, 1882, consummated the pur- pose for which he made the trip by uniting in marriage with Miss Emina Weber, a native of the state. Returning to this state with his bride, he resumed his work in agricultural pursuits, but on a different basis. Taking up a pre-emp- tion claim two miles west of the ranch on which he now lives, he engaged in raising stock and farming on his own account. In 1890 he began buying and selling horses, and since that time he has conducted an extensive business in this line. The next year he moved his family to their present home, and there they have since re- sided. Prior to this, however, in 1892, he bought a number of Shetland ponies and began breed- ing them, and he now has a fine herd of this diminutive but interesting stock. He has stead- ily increased his operations in this line, finding a ready sale for his product in all parts of the state by keeping up the standard and maintaining the stock in good condition. The American life of Mr. Cordes has been a continuous success, and his prosperity has increased from the beginning with an accelerating progress. In addition to the business which he conducts at home, he has large interests in the cattle industry elsewhere and owns a considerable body of ranch land besides his home place. He is one of the progressive and representative men of the county, active in every good enterprise for its advancement and giving intelligent and serviceable attention to ev- ery phase of its public life. He is energetic in political affairs, but has declined all overtures to accept public office, and has had many oppor-

HENRY C. CORDES, of Pennington county, was born in Germany, on February 15. 1847. After getting a good ordinary education at the state schools and reaching maturity, he served several years in the German army, and went with it through the Franco-Prussian war ; tunities. His business occupies his time and

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faculties, and satisfies his ambitions. His family numbers ten healthy and promising children, Herman, Milton, Charlie. Edna, May, Henry, Ellsworth, Richard, Catherine and Theresa.

FRED J. RILEY, of Doland, was born on April 28. 1867. three miles west from Waunakee. Dane county. Wisconsin, and is the son of James and Euphemia E. (Ford) Riley. The father was a native of Runcorn, Cheshire. Eng- land, and came to America when fourteen years of age in company with an uncle who settled in Dane county, Wisconsin. He was for many years .engaged in merchandising at Kingsley's Corners, and later at Watmakee, where he died in 1884 at the age of fifty-four years.

The mother of the subject was a native of Dunfirmland, Scotland, and came with her par- ents to America when seven years of age. the family locating at Fordville. Dane county, Wis- consin, which locality received its name from the family. Her death occurred May 30, 1897. The parents were married in Dane county and to them were born two sons and six daughters, as fol -. lows : Mary married William Davidson, now re- siding at Campbell, Minnesota: Alice married James Lester, of Dane county, Wisconsin, now re- siding at Kendallville, Iowa; Nettie died at the age of eighteen years : Amelia died at the age of twenty-one years: William T. Riley, residing at Waunakee. Wisconsin, where he is working in the interest of the subject: Fred J., the subject : Laura married Robert Hanson, and is residing at Doland, South Dakota: Rosa died at the age of fourteen years.

same railroad, and then was stationed at Ray- mond, Clark county, where he was agent and op- erator for a period of three years. The great strike of the telegraphers occurred in 1903. and Mr. Riley went out with his fellow operators all over the country. Previous to this, however. he had become interested in the sheep business in this state, but he lost all of his investments in that line during the panic of 1893. and like many other men, he left this state, and returned to Wis- consin, where he engaged in the confectionary business at Madison, but he was not contented to remain long in that business; in fact his mind was on South Dakota and accordingly in 1895 he returned to this state with the determina- tion to make a strenuous effort to re- gain what he had previously lost. Upon re- turning to South Dakota Mr. Riley again entered the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Rail- way Company, this time as agent at Wolsey, Beadle county. From Wolsey he was sent to various points on the railroad, including Brook- ings, where he spent three months, and from that city he was sent to Tyler, Minnesota, where he was agent for about two years. In 1898 he was promoted by the company and sent to Doland, where he had charge of the station until July 8, 1901, when he resigned his position to engage in the real-estate business at Doland. leaving the railroad company in good standing, his services having been highly appreciated by the company, as was testified by their offering him a position should he desire to re-enter their service in the future. While Mr. Riley's railroad career was a success, he having always attended to and dis- charged his duties with ability, it is as a real- estate and land dealer that he has made his mark and demonstrated his ability as a man of af- fairs. He began his real-estate dealings in a modest way, opening a small office in Doland. His capital was limited, likewise his experience in land matters, and during the first six months, which was the last half of his first year. his transactions were also limited, but beginning with January, 1902, he began to do a "land-office business" and during that month he sold thirteen

Fred J. Riley received his educational training in the public schools of his native county, fol- lowing which he learned telegraphy. In 1889 he came to South Dakota and took a position as telegraph operator and agent for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company at Volin, near Yankton. Six months later Volin was destroyed by a prairie fire, including the railroad buildings, Mr. Riley himself having a narrow escape from the flames. Following this he spent nine months at Centerville. Turner county, as operator on the , quarters of land and during the year he sold one

FRED J. RILEY.

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hundred and two quarters. His business has con- tinued to increase, and from the beginning of 1902 he has sold more land than any other land dealer in this part of Spink county.

By judicious investments, progressive ideas and methods, and untiring energy, coupled with absolute reliability and straightforward dealings, Mr. Riley has built up a business of large dimen- sions and on his books can always be found most desirable investments. He now owns twelve quarter sections of valuable farming land in Spink county, a fine farm of one hundred and fifty acres in Lyon county, Iowa, also a fine mod- ern residence and other properties in Doland. Mr. Riley is a thorough-going business man, and possesses all the characteristics necessary to a successful career. He is quick to observe an op- portunity, and just as quick to seize it, having the happy faculty of seeming to do the right thing at the right time. He has a pleasing per- sonality, is courteous and affable, and his manner is such as to gain the confidence and respect of all with whom he comes in contact. All in all, Mr. Riley is a typical South Dakotan, with all that term implies.

August 24, 1896, at Alpena, South Dakota, Mr. Riley was married to Frances H., the daugh- ter of Charles M. and Lydia ( Stevens ) Yegge, pioneers of Jerauld county, South Dakota, they having moved there from Iowa on the first train to run into that country from the south on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway. Mrs. Riley was born in lowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Riley one son, Fred Burl, and one daughter. Zura Fern, have been born.

PETER A. HAMMERQUIST, who is pleasantly located on a fine ranclt twenty miles from Rapid City on Rapid creek, his land being redeemed from the wilderness by his own in- dustry and skill, was born on March 12, 1848, in Sweden and remained there until he was nine- teen, receiving a good common-school education and working in stores after leaving school. In 1867 he came to the United States, and after passing some time at Chicago and Calumet, In- 44-

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History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 116

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn Publication date: 1904 Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1138

Author: Robinson, Doane, 1856-1946. cn
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1138