History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 146

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

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On the 29th of December, 1878, Mr. Morse was united in marriage to Miss Mary J. Schlipf, who was born and reared in Sangamon county, Illinois. They have three cliildren, Bernice W., aged twenty-four years, who holds a clerical posi- tion in Pierre postoffice; Dorothy L., aged twenty-two, who is a stenographer in the office of the secretary of state in her home city; and Kathryn H., at this writing three years of age. The subject's musical abilities are evi- denced by the popularity of his productions, among which may be mentioned, "The Soldier's Dream of Home," "Tell my Boy to Meet Me There," "My Boyhood's Home in Sunny Ten- nessee," and many others of equal merit.

ERNEST A. MOOSDORF is known as one of the most enterprising and successful business men of the thriving village of Tulare, Spink county, where he began operations on a most modest scale and has pushed steadily forward un-

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til he has interests of distinctive importance in a commercial and industrial way and stands as one of the honored and representative citizens of the community.

Mr. Moosdorf was born in the province of Saxony, Prussia, on the 23d of March, 1862, and is a son of Traugott and Rosina Moosdorf, both of whom were born in the same province, where they passed their entire lives, the former having been a miller and farmer by vocation. He died in 1871 and his wife passed away in 1886. They became the parents of twelve children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the youngest and the only one who came from the fatherland to Amer- ica. His eldest brother took charge of the mill after the death of their father, and a son of this brother now operates the same. Mr. Moosdorf secured his early educational discipline in the ex- cellent national schools of Germany and there- after served a four-years apprenticeship at the tinner's trade. In 1879 he enlisted in the Sev- enty-second Infantry Regiment in the Prussian army, and served three years, at the close of which he received his honorable.discharge. He thereafter followed the work of his trade until 1883 when he came to America and joined his cousin in Wisconsin, whence, two months later, he accompanied said cousin and his family on their removal to Texas. He located in Marlin county, and there was engaged in farming, the major portion of the time on his own responsi- bility, until 1886, when he returned to Wisconsin, arriving in the month of January and being there married in the following March, while he contin- ued his residence in the Badger state until March, 1887, when he came to South Dakota and located in Spink county. After being identified with farming a few months he secured a position in a tin shop in Redfield, where he remained until 1889, when he came to Tulare, where he pur- chased a small store, his cash capital at the time 1 being represented in the sum of sixty-two dollars, while he also owned a pony. In his store he en- gaged in the hardware business on a small scale, and in the same fall added a stock of groceries, while in the following year he still further aug- mented the facilities of his establishment by the

installing of a small stock of dry goods. His suc- cess continued to be cumulative, and in 1891 he purchased his present well-appointed store, which is forty-four by fifty feet in dimensions, and equipped with a large and select stock of general merchandise. In 1896 Mr. Moosdorf erected a grain elevator in the town, and has since devoted his attention each season to the buying and ship- ping of grain. In 1900 he added a lumber yard to his business enterprises in the village, and still conducts the same, while since 1897 he has been associated in his efforts with C. H. Petersmeyer, whom he admitted to partnership in that year, under the firm name of Moosdorf & Company, the junior member being of American birth and German parentage. In politics the subject gives his support to the Republican party, and he has filled various town and school offices, while he has been postmaster of Tulare since 1900. He and his wife are members of the German Meth- odist Episcopal church. He and his partner own a well-improved farm in Crandon township, and lease the property to a good tenant.

On the 23d of March, 1886, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Moosdorf to Miss Minnie Wieting, who was born and reared in Wisconsin, being a daughter of John Wieting. The subject and his wife have five children, the eldest of whom is attending college at the time of this writing, while the names, in order of birth, are as follows : Albert, Clarence, Viola, Harvey and Milton.

FREDERICK A. BURDICK, one of the pioneer stockmen of Stanley county, comes of stanch Scottish lineage, and the family was founded in America in the colonial epoch, while representatives of the name were found among the valiant soldiers in the Continental line during the war of the Revolution.

Mr. Burdick was born in Brasher Falls, St. Lawrence county, New York, on the 17th of Oc- tober, 1864, and is a son of Charles B. and Alice L. (Smith) Burdick, both of St. Lawrence county, New York. John Burdick, the grand- father of the subject, was born in Chateaugay,

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Franklin county, that state, and was a son of John Burdick, who came from Scotland prior to the Revolution and settled in the old Empire state, with whose history the name has been ever since identified. The father of the subject was a machinist by vocation and devoted the greater portion of his active life to this line of enterprise. In 1864 he enlisted in the Sixth New York Ar- tillery, and met his death in an engagement in the Shenandoah valley of Virginia about six months later. In 1867 his widow removed with her family to South Bend, Indiana, where they remained about eleven years, and then removed to Minneapolis, where she passed the remainder of her life, her death occurring in 1885.

F. A. Burdick received his early education in the public schools of South Bend, Indiana. He then learned the trade of plumbing, and was engaged in this line of business for himself, at Minneapolis, Minnesota, until February. 1892, when he started for Fort Pierre, South Dakota. Upon his arrival he engaged in the raising of sheep, securing a tract of excellent grazing land in Stanley county, and he continued in this line of industry for six years, at the expiration of which he disposed of his sheep and turned his at- tention to raising of horses and cattle, in which he has since been successfully engaged. His well-improved ranch is located on the Cheyenne river at the mouth of Big Plum creek, so that an ample supply of water is afforded. The ranch is located five miles south of the village of Leslie, which is the postoffice address of Mlr. Burdick. He gives preference to the Hereford breed of cattle, his range stock in the line being three-fourths Hereford blood. He is a man of progressive ideas and superior business judgment. and is one of the loyal and enthusiastic advocates of the advantages and great resources of South Dakota, having selected this state as his place of residence in preference to the many other sec- tions of the Union in which he has been. When he and his family took up their residence on the present homestead ranch their nearest neighbor was one mile distant, while no others were to be found save at distances varying from ten to forty miles. The famous Dupree herd of wild buffa-

loes grazed in the vicinity, while deer, antelope, wolves and coyotes were in evidence on every side. The family lived an isolated and somewhat lonely life for the first few years, but manifested the courage and determination which have been so characteristic of the sturdy citizens who have developed the great resources of the state. Mrs. Burdick is a lady of education and distinctive refinement. She completed her education in Ta- bor College, at Tabor, Iowa. In politics Mr. Burdick gives his support to the Republican party.

On the 7th of May, 1886, Mr. Burdick was united in marriage to Miss Alice L. Percival, who was born in the province of New Bruns- wick, Canada, being of stanch English lineage. She is a daughter of George and Elizabeth (Loye) Percival, who are now dead, and at the the time of her marriage was a resident of Min- neapolis. Of this union have been born five chil- dren, all but one of whom are living, namely : Henry M., Percival S., Samuel L., Grace A. and Frederick A., Jr.

REV. LUCIUS KINGSBURY comes of stanch old New England stock and is a native of Connecticut, having been born in Andover, Tol- land county, on the 20th of September, 1828, and being a son of Joseph and Amelia ( Reynolds ) Kingsbury. He received his early educational training in the schools of Andover and Hartford, Connecticut, and in 1851 was graduated in the Massachusetts State Normal School, at Bridge- water. At the age of seventeen years he engaged in teaching, and he continued to follow the ped- agogic profession for the long period of thirty- one years, accomplishing most effective work and proving a valuable integer in his chosen field of of endeavor. In 1852 he left his New England home and removed to St. Louis, Missouri, where he became principal of the Benton school, and later an instructor in the high school. In 1862 he was principal of a school in Springfield, Illi- nois, where he remained until 1868, after which he was for a decade incumbent of the position of superintendent of schools of Havana, that

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state. Thereafter he resided for two years in Lincoln, Illinois, still engaged in teaching, and in June, 1878, he came as a pioneer to South Dakota, first locating in Sioux Falls, which was was then a mere frontier village. He was here ordained as a minister of the Congregational church and became pastor of the church at Can- ton, Lincoln county, where he continued to serve until 1886, when he accepted the pastorate of the Congregational church at Clark, Clark county, . where he remained two years. He then returned to Sioux Falls and for several years was pastor of the Livingston Memorial Reformed church, with whose upbuilding he was most prominently identified, infusing much of vitality into its spir- itual and temporal affairs, and continuing to serve as its pastor until he had attained the age of seventy years, when he resigned the active pastoral duties to younger men and has since living retired, retaining his home in Sioux Falls, and being held in unqualified esteem by all who know him. In politics he is a stanch advocate of the principles of the Republican party, and he has always taken a proper interest in public af- fairs and stood for the highest type of loyal citi- zenship.

On the 8th of July, 1855, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Kingsbury to Miss Lucy A. Carpenter, of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, and of their children we enter the following brief data : Frederick G. was drowned in the Sioux river, · in the summer of 1879, at the age of twenty-one years ; Mary Amelia, is the wife of Rev. W. S. Bell, superintendent of Congregational missions in Montana ; Howard E. died at the age of three years; and Alice R. is professor of French and German in Yankton College, at Yankton, South Dakota.

CONRAD L. HOLMES, one of the assist- ant general agents of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, of Milwaukee, Wiscon- sin, with headquarters in the city of Sioux Falls, is known as one of the able young insurance un- derwriters of the state, and has gained advance- ment in this field of endeavor by his signally well- 55-

directed efforts. Mr. Holmes was born in Rushford, Minnesota, on the 4th of August, 1875, being a son of Olaf and Mary (Hardevet) Holmes. The subject secured his rudimentary education in the public schools of his native place and when but fifteen years of age became a stu- dent in the college at Winona, Minnesota. His parents removed to Sioux Falls in 1889, and here he continued to prosecute his educational work in the high school. He was thereafter employed on a farm for some time and later was engaged in clerical work in mercantile establishments in Sioux Falls. In 1898 he identified himself with the life-insurance business, in connection with which he has made a splendid record, being known as one of the best solicitors in the state, and ever commanding the confidence and esteem of those with whom he comes in contact. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party and fraternally he is identified with Sioux Falls Lodge, No. 262, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

On the LIth of November, 1889, Mr. Holmes was united in marriage to Miss Mary Mallanney, of Sioux Falls, and they have two winsome little daughters, Helen and Hortense.

WILLIAM H. WILLIAMS, cashier of the Merchants' Bank, of Woonsocket, is a native of the Badger state, having been born in Grant county, Wisconsin, on the Ist of February, 1859, a son of John S. and Susan Williams, to whom were born eleven children, namely: Susan is the wife of Frank Lightcap, of Winnipeg, Man- itoba; Honor, who is the widow of Joseph Thomas and resides in Aurora, Illinois ; Hannah, who is the wife of James Rogers, of Georgetown, Wisconsin : Sadie, who is the wife of Thomas E. Mann,. of Sutherland, Iowa; Mary, who is the wife of Richard Brown, of Minneapolis, Minne- sota ; John, who is a resident of Plattville, Wis- consin ; Roy, who maintains his home in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Grant, who resides in the city of Chicago; Arthur, who is a resident of Sibley, Iowa; Alfred, whose home is in Hazel Green, Wisconsin; and William H., who is the

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immediate subject of this review. The parents were born in Cornwall, England, where their marriage was solemnized, and shortly afterward they came to the United States and located in Hazel Green, Wisconsin, there taking up their abode in 1847. Having been reared in the great mining district of England, the father of our subject naturally became a workman in the Corn- ish mines, and after coming to America he fol- lowed the vocation of miner, in Wisconsin, until 1850, in which year he went to California, where the gold excitement was then at its height. He made the trip by way of the isthmus of Panama, proceeding on a vessel from New York city and crossing the isthmus on foot, and nearly perish- ing for lack of water during the journey. He passed two years in the gold fields of California, meeting with fair success, and then returned to Grant county, Wisconsin, where he purchased a farm, to whose cultivation he thereafter gave his attention until within twelve years prior to his death, having retired and taken up his residence in the village of Hazel Green, where he died on the 7th of April, 1900, at the venerable age of eighty-two years, secure in the esteem of all who knew him. He was a stanch Republican from the time of the organization of the party until his death, having previously been a supporter of the Whig party. He and his wife were earn- est members of the Methodist Episcopal church, she having preceded him into eternal rest by many years, passing away on the 25th of Feb- ruary, 1885, at the age of fifty-seven years.

William H. Williams was reared on the homestead farm and early began to contribute his quota to its operation, while he secured a good public-school education, completing the course in the high school at Hazel Green. He remained at the parental home until 1885, in March of which year he came west and located in Sanborn county, South Dakota, where he pur- chased a relinquishing claim of one hundred and sixty acres, three miles east of Letcher, and there he was engaged in agricultural pursuits and stock raising until the fall of 1890, having in the meanwhile purchased another quarter section rear his home place. In the autumn of 1890 he was elected treasurer of Sanborn county, enter-

ing upon the discharge of his official duties in January following, at which time he took up his residence in Woonsocket, where he has since made his home. He served two terms as county treasurer, retiring from office on the Ist of Jan- uary, 1895, after which he was variously em- ployed until the Ist of January, 1899, when he became associated with W. A. Loveland in the establishing of a state bank in Woonsocket. One year later he purchased his partner's interest and brought about a reorganization of the bank, which has since that time been conducted under the title of the Merchants' Bank of Woonsocket, while its business is a most prosperous one, the institution having a strong hold on popular fa- vor and being known as one of the solid and ably conducted banking houses of the state. Mr. Wil- liams is a stanch Republican in his political pro- clivities and is recognized as one of the loyal and public-spirited citizens of his adopted county and state, where he has attained a high measure of success through his well-directed efforts. In connection with his banking operations he is also engaged in the real-estate business, in which he has made many important transactions, and he is personally the owner of ten hundred and eighty acres of valuable land.

On the 18th of February, 1885, Mr. Williams was married to Miss Sally Price, of Galena, Illi- nois, and they have one daughter, Elsie.

BURRE H. LIEN merits consideration in this history by reason of his standing as one of the most progressive and public-spirited citizens of Sioux Falls and as one who has been promi- nent in the public and civic affairs of the state. Mr. Lien was born near Spirit Lake, Iowa, on the 2Ist of December, 1859, being a son of Hans and Gertrude (Burreson) Lien, both of whom were born in Norway. An uprising of the Indians in the vicinity caused the parents to leave their home in Jackson, Minnesota, in 1863, and they removed to Decorah, Iowa, where they remained until 1873. when they removed to Faribault county, Minnesota, where the father continued to be identified with farming until the time of his death.

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The subject of this review received his rudi- mentary education in the public schools of Iowa and Minnesota, and supplemented the same by a course in the normal school at Mankato, Min- nesota. In 1879 he came to Brookings county, South Dakota, where he engaged in teaching school, becoming one of the pioneer educators in that section, where he also took up government land and engaged in farming, continuing to fol- low the two vocations until 1883, and thereafter serving two years as deputy register of deeds of that county. In November, 1885, he was elected judge of probate and at the next general election was chosen register of deeds of the county, in which capacity he served two terms, or four con- secutive years, while for three years he was a valued member of the city council of Brookings. In June, 1891, Mr. Lien took up his residence in the city of Sioux Falls.

In politics Mr. Lien gives an uncompromising allegiance to the Democratic party, in whose councils he has been an important factor in the state. In 1894 he was elected to represent the third ward of city of Sioux Falls in the municipal board of aldermen, while in 1898 he was elected mayor of the city, giving a business-like and able administration and accomplishing much in improving and extending the public utilities. In March, 1899, he was appointed a member of the state board of charities and corrections, of which he was chosen chairman, and he continued to be a member of this important board until 1901. In 1900 he was made the candidate of his party for the office of governor of the state, and while he gained that endorsement at the polls which indicated his personal popularity, he met the defeat which attended the party ticket in gen- eral throughout the state in that year. Mr. Lien has ever shown a deep interest in the welfare and advancement of his home city, and his civic pride prompted him to a most valuable and timely donation to the city in April, 1903, when he pre- sented to the municipality nine acres of land for a city park, the same being most eligibly and at- tractively located and being the first and only land provided for park purposes in the city. Fra- ternally he is identified with the following named

Masonic bodies : Minnehaha Lodge, No. 5, Free and Accepted Masons ; Sioux Falls Chapter, No. 2, Royal Arch Masons; Cyrene Commandery, No. 2, Knights Templar; Oriental Consistory, No. 1, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, in which he has attained the thirty-second degree; and El Riad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the No- bles of the Mystic Shrine. He also holds mem- bership in the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

On the 15th of May, 1881, Mr. Lien wedded Miss Anne Udseth, of Brookings county, this state, and they have six children, namely : Henry L., George O., Florence, Agnes, Harold and Eva.

CHARLES OLIN BAILEY was born at Freeport, Stephenson county, Illinois, July 2, 1860. His ancestry is English on the paternal and Welsh on the maternal side. All of his an- cestors living at the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence were residents, and the most of them natives of the colonies. His father was Joseph M. Bailey, formerly chief jus- tice of Illinois, and his mother, Anna O. Bailey, he being their oldest son and child. He was edu- cated in the public schools at Freeport and en- tered the University of Rochester in the fall of 1876 as a member of the class of 1880, being graduated from the university in June, 1880, a few days before he became twenty years of age. He is a member of the Alpha Delta Phi college fraternity.

Mr. Bailey commenced the study of law in the office of Neff & Stearns, at Freeport, in July, 1880, and in March, 1881, he became a student in the office of Rosenthal & Pence in Chicago, where he had remained but a short time when he was offered and ac- cepted the position of garnishee clerk in the law department of the Chicago & Northwestern Rail- way Company in Chicago. He continued his legal studies while occupying this clerkship un- der Burton C. Cook, the general solicitor, and Augustus M. Herrington, the assistant general

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solicitor of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company, until the spring of 1882, when he was admitted to the bar.

In March, 1883, Mr. Bailey removed to Eagle Grove, Iowa, where he occupied the position of division attorney for the Northern Iowa division of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Com- pany. In1 1884 he was elected the member of the Iowa Democratic state central committee for the tenth congressional district and upon the elec- tion of President Cleveland had charge of the distribution of the federal patronage for the thir- teen counties comprised in his district. In 1885 he was re-elected a member of the state central committee and was also elected mayor of the city of Eagle Grove.

In January, 1886, Mr. Bailey removed from Iowa to Chicago, where he engaged in the law practice in partnership with Allan C. Story and William H. Witherell. This partnership lasted for one year, when it was dissolved. Mr. Bailey then came to the territory of Dakota, locating in Sioux Falls, April 1, 1887. He opened a law office, practicing alone for a few months, and in August, 1887, forming a partnership with H. T. Root, which lasted until February, 1888. In the fall of 1888 he was nominated as the Democratic candidate for district attorney of Minnehaha county, and was elected to that office in Novem- ber, running about fifteen hundred votes ahead of his ticket. He held the office until the sum- mer of 1890. when he resigned, on account of the refusal of the county commissioners to make a sufficient appropriation for the enforcement of the prohibition law. Since that time he has not held, or sought any public office.

In January, 1889, he became associated with Captain William H. Stoddard and with William H. Wilson in law practice under the firm name of Bailey, Stoddard & Wilson. This partner- ship continued until May, 1890, when Mr. Wil- son retired from the firm and the business was continued under the name of Bailey & Stoddard. This firm was dissolved in January, 1892, and Bailey entered into a partnership with John H. Voorhees under the firm name of Bailey & Voor- hees. In July, 1895. Judge F. R. Aikens became

a member of the firm, which was then known as Aikens, Bailey & Voorhees. Judge Aikens withdrew from the firm on October 25, 1897, and the old firm name of Bailey & Voorhees was re- sumed and has continued up to the present time.

Mr. Bailey has been admitted to the bar of the states of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, South Da- kota and the territory of Dakota. He was ad- mitted to practice in the supreme court of the United States in October, 1893, and has since that time been employed in a number of import- ant cases before that court. He has the largest law library in either of the Dakotas, and one of the largest private law libraries in the United States, it consisting of some eight thousand and over volumes of reports, text-books and stat- utes. He also possesses a private general library of over six thousand volumes. His firm repre- sents in a legal capacity the Illinois Central Rail- road Company in the state of South Dakota and also the Western Union Telegraph Company, and the Mercantile Agency of R. G. Dun & Company.

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History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 146

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