History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 23

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

USA > South Dakota > History of South Dakota, Vol. II > Part 23

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Mr. Landmann was united in marriage to Miss Caroline Serr, of Scotland, this county, and they are the parents of seven children.

JAMES H. BASKIN, one of the best-known and most popular residents of Bon Homme county, and late mayor of the town of Scotland. was a native of the sunny south, having been born in the city of Atlanta, Georgia, on the 17th of February. 1845. a son of John and Elizabeth ( Benton) Baskin, of whose seven children four

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are living at the present time, namely: Anna, who is the wife of a Mr. Harris, of Atlanta; Walter, who likewise continues to reside in that city, as does also Zachariah ; and James H., the immediate subject of this sketch. The father of the subject came of stanch English lineage and was himself a native of the state of South Carolina, where he was reared to maturity. He finally removed thence to Atlanta, Georgia, where he established himself in the blacksmithing and wagon-making business, in which he continued to be actively engaged for many years, and in that city he continued to reside until his death, at the age of seventy years, while his devoted wife passed away when the subject was quite young.

James H. Baskin was reared and educated in his native city and was a lad of sixteen years at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war. His sympathies were naturally with the section in which he had been reared, and he was among many others of the chivalrous and valiant young men of the south who tendered their services to the Confederate government. At the age of six- teen years he enlisted, in September, 1861, as a member of a Georgia regiment, heavy artillery, with which he continued in active service until November, 1864, when he was captured at Fisher Hill, Virginia, and taken to the Union prison at Point Lookout, Maryland, being released on parole two weeks later. He had participated in many of the important engagements of the war and had proved a valiant defender of the "lost cause." After his release from captivity he passed a short interval in New York city and then drifted westward to St. Louis, Missouri, while in 1868 he came as a pioneer to the territory of Da- kota, which was then on the frontier of civiliza- tion. For a year after his arrival he was in the employ of the firm of Ductt & Bogue, traders, at Fort Thompson. About this time the Indians were removed to the Santee agency, and our sub- jeet was sent to that point in the employ of the government, and there he continued in service un- til 1875. when he took up bis residence in Spring- field, Bon Homme county, where he established himself in the hotel business, in which he there continued for the long period of eleven years.

gaining a wide acquaintanceship throughout what is now the state of South Dakota and be- coming one of the most popular pioneer hotel men of the state. In 1886 he came to Scotland, where he conducted the Baskin hotel, which is a pop- ular resort of the traveling public, no pains being spared to provide the best possible accommoda- tions and cater to the comfort and pleasure of the guests of the house. That the subject was a man of versatility is shown when we state that for seven years after coming to Scotland he was edi- tor and publisher of the Scotland Journal, which he made an able exponent of local interests and a factor of importance in public and political affairs in this section. In 1890 he was elected mayor of the town, and served continuously as chief executive of the municipal government from that time to the date of his death, save for an interim of two years. He maintained a progres- sive policy and yet conserved economy in all de- partments, while his long retention in office was the best voucher of the popular appreciation ac- corded his well-directed efforts in the connection. In 1809 Mr. Baskin was elected a member of the lower house of the state legislature, and during his service of one term he proved an able and discriminating legislator, taking an active part in the work of the body, while he had the distinc- tion of being chairman of the important commit- tee on ways and means and also held membership on the committee on railroads and that on mili- tary affairs. He was originally an adherent of the Democratic party, but was a man who ever showed the courage of his convictions, and in harmony therewith he transferred his allegiance to the Republican party in 1896, during the cam- paign of which year he gave effective service in the support of the candidacy of President McKin- ley, and he afterward continued a stalwart advo- cate of the cause of the "grand old party." He and his wife were communicants of the Protest- ant Episcopal church, and fraternally he was identified with Scotland Lodge, No. 52, Free and Accepted Masons, and Scotland Chapter, No. 31, Royal Arch Masons.

On the Ist of December, 1888. was solem- nized the marriage of Mr. Baskin to Miss Mary

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Kula, of this county, and they became the par- ents of two sons, James E. and Frederick R., both of whom remain at the parental home. Mr. Bas- kin departed this life on February 29, 1904.

ELMER W. MONFORE, a well-known and highly respected citizen of Springfield, Bon Homme county, was born in the town of Center Lisle, Broome county, New York, on the 18th of November, 1853, being a son of Peter and Diana A. (Howland) Monfore, of whose eight children seven are living, namely: Emer- son J., who resides at Waverly, Kansas; Elmer W., who is the subject of this review ; Cora A., who is the wife of Clark S. Rowe, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Lana H., who is the wife of Alfred Burkholder, of that city; Alice A., who is the wife of Charles McBeth, of Mankato, Minnesota ; Luna B., who is the wife of Pro- fessor Joseph W. Whiting, a member of the faculty of the normal school in Springfield. South Dakota; and Peter G., who is likewise a resident of this place.

The father of the subject was born in Dela- ware county, New York, in 1821, and in the old Empire state he learned the trade of miller. In 1865 he came west to Putnam county, Illinois, where he was engaged in farming for the en- suing three years, at the expiration of which he removed to Marion county, Iowa, where he remained about two years and then came to South Dakota, locating in Springfield, and he was thereafter employed for a number of years by the government as miller at the Santee Indian agency and later at the Ponca agency, after which he lived a retired life in Springfield until his death, which occurred in 1895. On coming here he took up homestead and tree-culture claims, while at the time of his death he had re- cently disposed of three hundred and twenty acres of excellent land near Springfield. In politics he was a stanch Republican, and he was a man who ever commanded unqualified esteem. His wife was born in Broome county, New York, and is now living with a married daugh- ter at Mankato, Minnesota.

Elmer W. Monfore was about twelve years of age at the time his parents came from New York to Illinois, and his early educational train- ing was secured in the common schools and sup- plemented by a course in Bryant & Stratton's Business College in Des Moines, Iowa. After coming to South Dakota he devoted his atten- tion to farm work for about five years, and later he was employed, for varying intervals, in the mercantile establishments of D. W. Currier, M. H. Day and P. M. Liddy, all of Springfield, the last mentioned having succeeded Mr. Day. In 1881 he engaged in business for himself, con- ducting a drug and grocery store here for two years, at the expiration of which he admitted to partnership in the enterprise his cousin, Ed- ward C. Monfore, the firm title of E. W. Mon- fore & Company being adopted at that time. This partnership continued until January I. 1903, when the firm disposed of the business, since which time our subject has had no active business associations. In politics he is a Re- publican and he has served as a member of the board of aldermen of Springfield and also as treasurer of the town and as a member of the board of education. He and his wife are valued members of the First Congregational church, and fraternally he is identified with Mount Zion Lodge, No. 6, Free and Accepted Masons ; Scot- land Chapter, No. 52, Royal Arch Masons ; Springfield Lodge, No. 7, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Deborah Lodge, No. 52, Daughters of Rebekah; Springfield Lodge, Knights of Pythias, and Springfield Chapter, No. II. Order of the Eastern Star.

On the 16th of October. 1883, Mr. Monfore was united in marriage to Miss Emma R. Sec- combe, of Springfield, and they became the parents of four children : Charles E. (died Feb- ruary 6, 1904), Alberta A., Fred H. and Milli- cent L.

LEVI D. WAIT .- Douglas couny is favored in having so able a representative of its interests as the Armour Herald, which is recognized as one of the best county newspapers to be found in

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the state. Of the corporation of Wait & Dana, editors and publishers of the Herald, the subject of this sketch is the senior member and president of the company. He is a native of the state of Wisconsin, having been born in Sylvan Corners, Richland county, on the 26th of June, 1867, a son of Lorenzo and Rachel (Townsend) Wait. In the family were ten children, and of the number the following seven survive : Helen, who is the : wife of J. M. Cross, of Richland county, Wiscon- sin : Nora, who is the wife of A. P. Monnell, of Selby, Iowa; Iona, who is the widow of William Jones, and resides in Oacoma, South Dakota ; Nellie, who is the wife of E. S. Wallace, of Rich- land county, Wisconsin ; Dighton C. resides in Richland county, Wisconsin ; Charles A., who is likewise a resident of that county; and Levi D., who is the immediate subject of this sketch. Lo- renzo Wait was born in the city of Cleveland, Ohio. in 1829, and there he was a boyhood friend of the late President Garfield, being reared to maturity in that city. As a young man he became identified with the lake marine industry, sailing on various vessels on the Great Lakes for a num- ber of years, after which he removed to Wiscon- sin and located in Richland county, where he has since maintained his home, save for a period of twelve years passed in Kimball. South Dakota, whence he and his wife returned to their old home in Wisconsin in 1894. Both are devoted members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics Mr. Wait is a stanch adherent of the Democratic party.

The subject of this sketch was reared to ma- turity in his native county and his educational discipline was secured in the public schools. At the age of twenty years he entered upon an ap- prenticeship at the printers' trade, in the office of the Flandreau Herald, at Flandreau, South Dakota, his parents having been residents of this state at the time. He continued to be identified with the publication of this paper for three years and was thereafter employed in the office of the Pipestone Star, at Pipestone, Minnesota, until 1802. when he removed to Howard, Miner county, South Dakota, where he became editor of the Howard Advance, retaining this position

one year, at the expiration of which he entered into partnership with his present associate, Mr. Dana, and purchased the plant and business of the Miner County Democrat, of Howard, con- tinuing the publication of the paper until 1898. when Mr. Dana became the sole owner of the enterprise, having purchased our subject's in- terest. Mr. Wait was thereafter employed for one year as a traveling commercial salesman, and he then returned to Howard and purchased the paper and business of his former partner, the publication being continued under his control for the ensuing year. In May, 1901, he came to Armour, Douglas county, and purchased the plant of the Armour Herald, and the first edition after the property came into his hands was issued under his name, as editor and publisher. A week later, however, Mr. Dana became his associate in the enterprise, and they have since successfully carried the same forward under the firm name of Wait & Dana (recently merged into a stock company). Mr. Wait is inflexible in his alle- giance to the Democratic party and takes a deep interest in the questions and issues of the hour, as well as in local affairs of a public nature. He has just completed a term as alderman for the city of Armour. In 1900 he was chosen permanent secretary of the Democratic state convention at Yankton, and since that time has been identified more or less with the organization of the party in the state. Mr. Wait has devoted a great deal of time and energy the past winter to fur- thering the ambitions of Hon. E. S. Johnson to become national . Democratic committeeman for South Dakota, and at the state convention in Sioux Falls March 30, 1904, saw his efforts re- warded by the unanimous election of Mr. John- son to the head of the party within the state. By reason of his activity in party councils Mr. Wait is probably one of the best known Democrats in South Dakota today, and has the respect and esteem of his party and business associates at all times. During the summer of 1903 Mr. Wait was one of the prime movers in the organization of the Publishers' Mutual Insurance Association. fo Huron, now the strongest mutual insurance company in the state. Mr. Wait was elected its

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first president and was unanimously re-elected by the board of directors at their annual 1904 meeting. He is also serving his second term as treasurer of the South Dakota Press Association, one of the strongest bodies of newspaper men in the United States. He is a thorough church- man of the Protestant Episcopal church, of which he was made a communicant in Igoo, and he is now warden of the parish in Armour. Frater- nally he is identified with the Masons, Knights of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica.

On the 25th of February, 1893, was solem- nized the marriage of Mr. Wait to Miss Lulu A. Wallace, of Kimball, this state, and they are the parents of one son, Harry W., who was born on the 8th of September, 1895. Mrs. Wait also is a communicant of the Episcopal church and is an active worker in the same.

RUEL E. DANA, secretary and treasurer of the corporation of Wait & Dana, editors and publishers of the Armour Herald, was born in Fairmount, Minnesota, on the 23d of May, 1872, being a son of Charles T. and Lucinda (Gilman) Dana, of whose five children he is the eldest of the three now living, the others being Frank N., who is a resident of St. Paul, Nebraska, and Myrtie L., who is the wife of William A. Tor- bert, of Deavertown, Ohio. The father of the subject came of stanch New England stock, of English extraction. He was born in the state of Vermont, in 1820, and as a young man he set forth to seek his fortunes in the west, becoming one of the pioneers of the state of Wisconsin, where he remained for a few years and then re- peated his pioneer experiences in Minnesota, where he resided many years. His death oc- curred in St. Paul, Nebraska, August 4, 1893, at the age of seventy-three years. In his youth he learned the trade of carpenter, becoming a skilled artisan in the line, and he was for many years successfully engaged in contracting and build- ing, while he also was prospered in his operations as a farmer. In 1887 he removed to Howard county, Nebraska, and later to Thomas county,

in the same state, where he remained about three years. He identified himself with the Republican party at the time of its organization in Wiscon- sin and continued to support its cause for many years, but finally identified himself with the Peo- ple's party, of whose principles he continued a stanch advocate until his death, at which time he was incumbent of the office of county com- missioner of Thomas county. In earlier years he held, at various times, practically all the county offices in the section where he resided, having never been defeated for any office for which he was a candidate, and having been a power in local affairs, showing much ability in the mar- shalling of political forces and being an in- fluential factor in his party councils. His wife, who was born in the province of Quebec, Canada, July 20, 1842, is now sixty-two years old. Mr. Dana held membership in the Metho- dist Episcopal church in his earlier life, while his widow is a member of the Baptist denomination.

Ruel E. Dana, the immediate subject of this sketch, remained at the parental home until he had attained the age of sixteen years, his edu- cational advantages having been such as were afforded in the public schools during a portion of the winter periods, his time during the sum- mer months being taken up with work on the farm. At the age noted he initiated his independ- ent career, having, in the summer of 1887. entered the office of the Advance, a weekly paper then published at Worthington, Minnesota, under the editorial direction of A. P. Miller, a prominent journalist and a poet of considerable reputation. There Mr. Dana gained his initia- tion into the mysteries of the "art preservative," remaining until the autumn of the same year, when he accompanied his parents on their re- moval to Nebraska, where he secured employ- ment in the office of the St. Paul Phonograph and later was an employe of the Grecley Herald, at Greeley Center, that state. In October, 1892, Mr. Dana came to Howard, South Dakota, ar- riving here without funds, since the proceeds of his former labors had largely been devoted to assisting in the support of the family. Previous to his arrival he had been offered employment in

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the office of the Miner County Democrat, in Howard, resigning his position with the Greeley (Nebraska) Herald to accept the South Dakota position, and less than two months later, on the Ist of December, 1892, he formed a partnership with Levi D. Wait, his present associate, and purchased the plant of the Democrat "on tick," which they continued to publish under the same title, the enterprise proving a financial success, as is evident when we revert to the fact that the young men were able to pay for their plant within eleven months after its purchase, while they advanced the paper to a position among the best and most widely quoted in that section of the state. In 1898 Mr. Dana purchased his partner's interest and individually continued the publica- tion about one year, when he sold the plant and business to Mr. Wait, and he then secured em- ployment in a local mercantile establishment, his impaired health having necessitated this change of vocation. In the autumn of 1900 Mr. Dana went to Seneca, Missouri, where he took a working interest in the Seneca Dispatch, with an ultimate view of purchasing the property if satisfied with the business outlook and climatic conditions. After a six-months residence in the Missouri town he was not satisfied, however, and thereafter made a trip through Oklahoma, In- dian Territory and Texas, returning to Howard, South Dakota, in April, 1901, and there rejoin- ing his family. Within the period of his ab- sence Mr. Wait had sold the Democrat and in May, 1001, had come to Armour and con- tracted for the purchase of the Armour Herald, publishing the first copy under his name. One week later Mr. Dana joined his old partner here and purchased a half interest in the business, which has since been continued under the firm name of Wait & Dana, merged into a corpor- ation January 5, 1904, all the stock being owned by the subject and his partner.

In politics Mr. Dana is a zealous advocate of the principles of the Democratic party, in whose work he has taken an active part. While a resi- dent of Howard he held the office of village recorder for two terms. In the fall of 1902, yield- ing to the importunities of his party friends, lic

became a candidate for the office of auditor of Douglas county, and he was elected to this office, notwithstanding the fact that the normal political complexion of the county is strongly Republican and that he had been a resident of the county only eighteen months at the time of his election. He received a majority of thirty-one votes, and was appreciative of the honor conferred upon him by the voters of the county, while his service has proved the wisdom of their confidence and support. Fraternally, Mr. Dana is a Mason and a member of Washington Lodge, No. 104, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of Armour. He passed through all the chairs of Lodge No. 48, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, at Howard and has been a representative to the grand lodge of the state. He is also identified with the encampment of the order and with the Daughters of Rebekah, while he is affiliated with Armour Camp, No. 2746, Modern Woodmen of America. He and his wife are communicants of the Protestant Episcopal church. Mrs. Dana is at present noble grand of Pleiades Lodge, No. 86, of Armour, and is the representative to the state assembly, of South Dakota, for 1904.

On the 15th of August, 1894, was solem- nized the marriage of Mr. Dana to Miss Ellen -Moore, of Howard, this state, and they are the parents of three children, Florian Alice, Charles M. and Clarence E.

JAMES H. EXON, one of the prominent and honored citizens of Charles Mix county, formerly incumbent of the office of county judge. as well as that of county auditor, and the principal figure in the County Seat State Bank, at Wheeler, is a native of the "right little, tight little isle" of Eng- land, having been born in Somersetshire, on the TIth of July. 1858, being a son of Henry and Sarah Exon, both of whom were likewise born in Somersetshire, of stanch old English stock. Both secured excellent educational advantages and both received life certificates as teachers in England, where both gained distinction and prom- inence in educational circles, the father having devoted the major portion of his active career

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to the pedagogic profession, while his wife also devoted herself to teaching for several years. The former was for nine years superintendent of the Ripleyville British schools and for eighteen years was principal of the schools at Wookey, ' Somersetshire, where the subject of this sketch was born. The mother of the Judge was like- wise a teacher in the schools at that place. In 1882 the parents left their native land and came to the United States, our subject having come to Canada in the preceding year, and from New York city they proceeded to Iowa, where they resided about six months, after which they came to South Dakota, and secured claims in Charles Mix county, the property being located in what is now Forbes township.

In the month of May, 1881, Judge Exon bade adieu to home and native land and emigrated to America, landing in Quebec, and remaining in Canada about one year, at the expiration of which he joined his parents, who had located temporarily in Iowa, as has just been noted. In the autumn of 1882 he preceded them into what is now the state of South Dakota and selected the land for his father and for the four children who had at- tained years of maturity, the members of the family thus eventually being able to prove up on the five quarter sections which he had selected in Charles Mix county, of which they were pio- neer settlers. Later three of these quarter sections were sold and the parents of the subject then re- moved to Gage county, Nebraska, where thev now reside, the father having retired from active labors and being now sixty-eight years of age. while his devoted wife has attained the age of seventy years. Both are members of the Epis- copal church and are folk of sterling character and high intellectual attainments.

Judge Exon attended the Ripleyville schools for a period of five years, during which time he prepared himself for his collegiate course. He then entered Cullom College, near famed old Ox- ford, where he was graduated in 1879, after which he was for two years an assistant master in the schools at Ripleyville, Bradford and York- shire. It was the wish of his father that he should follow the profession of teaching, in which the

former had attained so gratifying success, but the Judge early manifested a desire to turn his atten- tion to agricultural pursuits and it was in har- mony with this ambition that he was led to emi- grate to America. After his location in South Dakota he taught in the district schools during the winter months, and during the balance of the year devoted his time to the improving and culti-

vation of his farming land. In the autumn of 1800 he was elected to the office of county audi- tor, and in the following January he removed from his farm to the village of Wheeler, the county seat, to enter upon the active discharge of his official duties. He gave a most capable and satisfactory administration, and at the expi- ration of his term of two years he engaged in the abstract business, while in July of the same year he was appointed state's attorney, to fill the unex- pired term of the regular incumbent, A. L. Hop- paugh, who removed from the state. In the fol- lowing October Judge Exon was one of the lead- ing spirits in bringing about the organization of the People's party in this section of the state. and, in company with seven other prominent workers in the movement. he purchased the Wheeler Courier, the weekly newspaper published in the capital town of the county, and this was thereafter made an effective exponent of the cause of the party. Our subject's appointment to the office of state's attorney, for which he was well qualified in an abstract way, led him to make a careful study of the technical branches of the science of jurisprudence, and he was admitted to the bar of the state, upon examination before the supreme court, at Pierre, on the 3d of Octo- ber, 1893. From time to time he continued to acquire the interests of other stockholders in the Wheeler Courier, of which he became sole owner in 1901, while the paper has been under his edi- torial charge and his general direction from the time it was purchased by him and others, as pre- viously mentioned. In the autumn of 1898 he was elected to the office of county judge, serving one term, and in January, 1902, he again received the appointment of state's attorney to fill a va- cancy caused by the resignation of T. J. Reming- ton, and he served in this capacity until the ex-

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History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 23

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