History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 47

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

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prise. After due consideration he accepted their overtures, selling his building to them for fifteen hundred dollars. Twenty years later he repur- chased the building from the Schamber brothers, who had erected a modern brick building, for the nominal consideration of two hundred and twen- ty-five dollars, while he recently sold his house and lot for twenty-five hundred dollars, said building being now the oldest in the town. These transactions indicate the changes which have been brought about here in the lapse of years. After disposing of his store Mr. Buechler en- gaged in the agricultural implement business, and during the years 1880 and 1881 he shipped in carload after carload of cattle, from Wiscon- sin and Iowa and Minnesota, thus giving a great impetus to the stock industry in this locality. In 1883 he erected a hotel building and conducted the business there until 1888. In the preceding year, 1887, he established the Bank of Freeman, and the institution has become one of the sub- stantial and popular ones of the state. In Feb- ruary. 1902. the business was incorporated, with Mr. Buechler as president and his son Henry C. as cashier, while our subject's wife is vice-presi- dent. In 1894 Mr. Buecliler engaged in the mer- cantile business, in which he continued until 1901, when he disposed of his interests in this line. In 1902 he established a bank at Java, Walworth county, and this is meeting with excellent sup- port, being in charge of his son, Henry C. In 1896 Mr. Buechler purchased the grist mills of Freeman, and these he has since continued to op- erate, while he also owns a well-equipped elevator here and buys and ships grain upon a quite ex- tensive scale. He is the owner of valuable farm- ing lands in Hutchinson county, and also in Vir- ginia and Christian county, Florida.

In politics Mr. Buechler gives his allegiance to the Republican party, and while a resident of Yankton he served two terms as a member of the board of aldermen. In 1885 he was a member of the constitutional convention, as was also he of that of 1889, which framed the present admirable constitution of the state. He was a representa- tive of his county in the first and second general assemblies of the legislature of the new state-

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in 1890 and 1891, giving most excellent service during these important sessions. In 1896 he was elected treasurer of Hutchinson county, being chosen as his own successor in 1898, and thus serving four consecutive years. He has also been called upon to serve in various village of- fices. He and his wife are members of the Ger- man Reformed church, and he is at the present time a member of the board of trustees of the church in Freeman.

On the 19th of February, 1867, Mr. Buechler was united in marriage to Miss Barbara Zum- baum, who is, like himself, a native of southern Russia, where their union was solemnized. Of their tive children three are now living: Maria. who is the wife of G. J. Dabler, of Kulm, La- more county, North Dakota; August S., who is a student in the Barnes Medical College, in St. Louis, Missouri ; and Henry C., who is in charge of his father's bank at Java.

ALBERT H. STEFFENS, M. D .. D. D. S., of Menno, Hutchinson county, is a native of Prus- sia, where he was born on the 18th of June, 1874. being a son of Frederick and Sophia (Foerster) Steffens, of whose ten children the seven surviv- ing are as follows: Mary, wife of August Gieseke, of Trenton, Illinois ; Gustave, likewise a resident of that place : Louisa, wife of Eugene Lugenbuhl, of Trenton ; Otto, a merchant tailor at North Manchester, Indiana ; Herman, engaged in the same line of enterprise at Trenton, Illi- nois ; Albert H., subject of this review : and Ru- dolph, a stenographer, residing in St. Louis, Mis- souri. The brother August, who died in Cama- roon, Africa, in 1893, was a missionary of the Baptist church. The parents of the Doctor were both born in Prussia, where they continued to reside until 1880, when they came with their family to America, locating in Trenton, Illinois, where the father lived retired until his death. which occurred in 1897, at the age of seventy- seven years, his object in leaving his native land having been to enable his sons to avoid the com- pulsory military service in the Prussian army, while he also was confident that superior oppor-

tunities for individual advancement were to be had in the new world. He was twice married. his first wife surviving but a few years after their union and having borne him two children, of whom one is living, William, now a resident of Trenton, Illinois. The mother of the subject still resides in that place.

Dr. Albert Henry Steffens secured his rudi- mentary education in his native land, having been eight years of age at the time of the emigration of the family to America. He then continued his studies in the public and normal schools of Illi- nois, in which state he was successfully engaged in teaching for a period of four years. In the autumn of 1894 he began reading medicine un- der the preceptorship of Dr. T. Gaffner, of Tren- ton, Illinois, and in the fall of 1896 he was ma- triculated in the Barnes Medical College, in the the city of St. Louis, where he was graduated in the spring of 1900, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. Shortly afterward he came to Menno, South Dakota, and here instituted the active prac- tice of his profession, soon securing a represent- ative support as his ability and gracious per- sonality won him popular favor. After coming here the Doctor also took up the study of dentistry and finally completed a course in the Marion Sims Dental College, at St. Louis, where he was graduated in the spring of 1902, receiving the degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery. He now gives his attention to both professions, which so- admirably complement each other, while he is one of the popular young men of the county and prominent in social circles. He is a Republican in politics and his religious faith is that of the Baptist church."

CHRISTOPH METTLER, one of the prominent and highly esteemed business men of Menno, Hutchinson county, was born in south- ern Russia, on the 15th of August, 1860, being a son of Andreas and Magdalena (Schnaidt) Met- tler, whose ten children are all living. The par- ents were likewise born in southern Russia but represented stanch German stock, since the re- spective families removed over the line from

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Germany into Russia in an early day. In 1874 Andreas Mettler emigrated with his family to America, and forthwith took up his residence in Hutchinson county, South Dakota, becoming one of its pioneers. Here he took up homestead and pre-emption claims, and later purchased ad- ditional land, eventually becoming the owner of a landed estate. In the fall of 1879 he engaged in the hardware business in Menno, in part- nership with Jacob Schnaidt, and the subject of this review likewise became a member of the firm. In 1888 Mr. Schnaidt assumed the con- trol of the lumber business, which had become a department of the enterprise, and our subject and his father were thereafter associated in the con- duct of the hardware business until 1888, when they disposed of the same to give their attention to operation of their well-equipped flouring mill. which they had acquired about five years pre- viously. Upon the death of his honored father, on September 26, 1901, the subject purchased the property and has since successfully continued the enterprise, which is a most flourishing one, having marked value as an acquisition to the in- dustrial interests of this section. Mr. Mettler is a straightforward, energetic and progressive business man and public-spirited citizen, and he is held in the highest confidence and esteem in the community. He gives his support to the Republican party but has never been ambitious for political office, and both he and his wife are worthy members of the German Reformed church.

On November 28, 1883, Mr. Mettler was mar- ried to Miss Christina Pressler, of this county, and they have six children, all of whom remain beneath the home roof, namely : Christina, Chris- toph, Emanuel, Edward, Helmuth and Lydia.

MOSES H. CLAGETT, M. D., of Menno, Hutchinson county, is a native of the fine old Blue-grass state of Kentucky, having been born in Grayson county, on the 16th of March, 1861, and being a scion of stanch old southern stock. To his parents, John G. and Mary J. (Harrold) Clagett, were born eight children, and of the 18-

six surviving we enter the following brief record : Charles W. is sheriff of Grayson county, Ken- tucky ; John H. is a successful teacher in Bowling Green, that state; Mary A. is a missionary of the Baptist church in Japan, where she has been sta- tioned for the past fifteen years; Martha J. is the wife of Hon. W. (). Jones, of Litchfield, Ken- tucky; Emma is the wife of W. P. Adams, of Pleasure Ridge Park, that state; and Moses H. is the subject of this sketch. The father was born in Maryland, in 1818, the family having early been established in the state and being of English extraction. As a young man he removed to that portion of Virginia which later became a portion of Grayson county, Kentucky, and there he continued to reside until his death, having been a successful farmer and a man who com- manded unqualified respect and esteem. He was a Democrat and served about eight years as sheriff of his county, being incumbent of this office at the time of the Civil war. He was sum- moned to his reward on the 28th of December, 1899, in the fulness of years and honors, at the home of his eldest son; the widow is still living.

Dr. Clagett was reared on the old homestead and after completing the curriculum of the com- mon schools he entered Center College, at Dan- ville, Kentucky, where he continued his studies for four years. In 1885 he began reading medi- cine, his preceptor being Dr. A. J. Slayton, a prominent physician and surgeon then of Mil- wood, Kentucky, and now of Litchfield, that state. In the fall of the same year our subject was matriculated in the medical department of the University of Louisville, where he was gradu- ated in March, 1887, receiving his degree of Doc- tor of Medicine and coming forth well equipped for the active and responsible duties of his chosen profession. He entered practice by establishing an office at Caneyville, Kentucky, where he re- mained two years, and in September, 1889, he came to Menno, South Dakota, where he has ever since retained his home, having built up a large and representative professional business. In 1893 Dr. Clagett established a telephone system in Menno. and two years later extended its useful- ness by constructing a line to Olivet, while in

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1898 he disposed of the latter line to the Western Electric Company, still retaining and operating the Menno exchange, which includes about fifty telephones in the village and several in the sur- rounding country. He is a member of the State Medical Society, in politics holds to the faith in which he was reared, being a stanch Democrat, and fraternally he is identified with Scotland Lodge, No. 52, Free and Accepted Masons ; Scot- land Chapter, No. 31, Royal Arch Masons, both of Scotland, Bon Homme county ; and with Menno Camp, No. 3071, Modern Woodmen of America. He is held in high esteem in profes- sional and social circles and is one of the leading physicians and surgeons of this section of the state.

In October. 1888. Dr. Clagett was united in marriage to Miss Suda Frances Porter, of Caney- ville, Kentucky, daughter of George E. Porter, whose parents brought him to Kentucky from Virginia when but a child. Her mother's maiden name was May Hulda Kennedy, of Kentucky. Mrs. Clagett was born in Kentucky and was edu- cated in the public schools there. She has be- come the mother of four children, all of whom are deceased but one, Mary, who was born July 16, 1889, and is now attending the public schools.

JOHN J. DECKER, a prominent grain dealer of the thriving little city of Menno, is a native of southern Russia, where he was born on the 3Ist of December, 1868, being a son of John and Katherina (Wallman) Decker, of whose ten children nine are living, all being residents of Hutchinson county. The parents were both born in southern Russia, but the pa- ternal ancestry is of German origin, the grand- parents of our subject having removed from Germany into Russia and there passed the re- mainder of their lives. In 1875 John Decker emi- grated with his family to America, making the territory of Dakota his ultimate destination. Upon his arrival in Hutchinson county he took up homestead, pre-emption and timber claims, while by purchase of additional lands at later

periods he increased the area of his estate until he became the owner of thirteen quarter sections of the richest land to be found in the state. He and his wife still reside on their attractive home- stead, which is pleasantly located on the James river, three miles southeast of Milltown. He is a stanch Republican, and while never ambitious for office, he was nominated, without his personal solicitation, for the office of county commissioner, in the late 'seventies, and was elected by a gratify- ing majority, giving excellent service during his tenure of the position. He and his wife are consistent and valued members of the German Baptist church.

The subject of this review was about seven years of age at the time when the family came to America and took up their residence on the pioneer farm in this county, and in the public schools he secured an excellent training, so that at the age of twenty years he became eligible for pedagogic endeavor, having been a successful teacher in the district schools during eight winter terms, while during the intervening season he de- voted his attention to farm work. During this time he zealously husbanded his resources, and utilized his earnings in a wise and judicious way, acquiring three quarter sections of land, of which he still retains possession, the same being well improved and greatly appreciated in value. In 1901 he rented his farms and established himself as a grain dealer in Menno, purchasing at the time one of the best elevators in the town, after which he purchased another one at about the same location, and he is now one of the largest grain buyers at this point, doing a prosperous business and commanding the confidence and re- spect of all with whom he has dealings. He also owns extensive mining interests in the Black Hills, and is a substantial and enterprising busi- ness man. He is a stanch adherent of the Re- publican party, but has no ambition for public office, and he and his wife hold membership in the German Baptist church.

On the 12th of June, 1891. Mr. Decker was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Hofer, of this county, and they have three children, Ed- ward, Samuel and Lavina.

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ANDREW J. WALTNER, cashier of the First National Bank of Freeman, Hutchinson county, was born on a farm in Yankton county, on the 19th of January, 1877, being a son of John and Mary (Krehbil) Waltner, of whose thir- teen children ten are living, the subject being the only one of the number born in the United States. Jacob is engaged in farming in Turner county, as is also John ; Benjamin is a resident of Freeman ; Joseph and Jonathan reside in Turner county ; Frances is the widow of Andrew Kaufman, of that county; Catherine is the wife of John Gra- ber, of Turner county ; Mary is the wife of Jacob Preheim, of that county ; Caroline is the wife of Peter Graber, likewise of the same county; and Andrew J. is the immediate subject of this re- view. The parents of the subject were both born in southern Russia, to which locality their re- spective parents had removed from Germany. In Russia the father was engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1875, when he emigrated to America and cast in his lot with the pioneers of what is now the great state of South Dakota. He purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Yankton county, a year later buying an additional quarter section and eventually becom- ing the owner of five quarter sections, all being exceptionally arable and valuable land. He con- tinued to reside on his farm until his death, which occurred September 10, 1898, at which time he was sixty-five years of age. He was a man of impregnable integrity and was honored by all who knew him. His venerable widow now re- sides in the home of her daughter, Catherine, in Turner county. The father of our subject was a stanch advocate of the principles of the Re- publican party, but never sought office in the gift of his party. In his native land, however, he filled various offices of trust, having been for a number of years incumbent of the position simi- lar to that of representative in the legislature in this country. He was a man of excellent men- tality, was active and ambitious, and after com- ing to South Dakota became an extensive buyer of live stock, hides, etc., realizing excellent re- turns from his efforts in this line of enterprise.

Andrew J. Waltner passed his boyhood days

on the homestead farm and after attending the district schools until he had finished the curric- ulum he entered Bethel College, at Newton, Kansas, where he completed the six-years course in four years' time, being graduated in the spring of 1899. He then passed one year as a teacher in the schools of Kansas, teaching six months in English and the remaining four in German, of both of which languages he has a thorough and technical command. In 1900 he engaged in the grain business at Mound Ridge, Kansas, where he remained two years, at the expiration of which, in 1902, he turned his attention to the music business, which he followed for seven months and made a success out of it, his head- quarters being in Mound Ridge, Kansas. In the autumn of the same year he disposed of this business and came to Freeman to accept his pres- ent position as cashier of the First National Bank, and he has proved himself a most faithful and able executive, being one of the leading young financiers of this section of the state. He is a Republican in politics, and his religious faith is that of the Mennonite church, in which he was reared.

On the 16th of November, 1899, occurred the marriage of Mr. Waltner to Miss Katie Wedel, of Mound Ridge, Kansas, and they have two chil- dren, Richard L. and Medora E.

JOHN GROSS, a prominent banker and capitalist of Freeman, was born in the southern part of Russia, on the 3d of June, 1860, and is a son of Henry and Christina (Schmall) Gross, of whose four children he is the younger of the two surviving, his brother, Philip, being a prominent citizen of Medina, North Dakota. The father of the subject died when the latter was but one year of age, and when he had attained the age of five years his mother also passed away, and he was reared by his maternal grand- parents, attending the common schools of his native land until he had reached the age of four- teen, when he accompanied his two elder brothers on their emigration to America, in 1874. They made their way to Yankton, South Dakota, where

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they separated, the brother returning eastward to Illinois, since which time all trace of him has been lost by the other two brothers. When the subject arrived in Yankton his cash capital was represented in the sum of fifteen cents, and though a mere lad and a stranger in a strange land, he manifested the self-reliant spirit which has been the conservator of his pronounced suc- cess in later years. He secured employment in the grocery store of Christian Buechler, a fellow countryman, and when the latter removed his business to the new town of Freeman the sub- ject accompanied him and here remained in his employ about one year. In company with Mr. Buechler he was then concerned in the erection of a new building, and in this they established themselves in the hotel and liquor business, in which they continued about six years, when the partnership was dissolved. Mr. Gross at that time purchased his partner's interest and there- after continued the enterprise until January, 1902, when he disposed of the same and estab- lished the Merchants' State Bank, to whose man- agement he has since given his attention, while the institution has gained a representative sup- port and controls a large business, which is con- stantly increasing. For many years past Mr. Gross has been prominently and extensively identified with the farming and cattle industry, and at the present time he has about five hundred head of high-grade cattle and owns about twenty- four hundred acres of valuable farming land, in Hutchinson and Turner counties. He is a Re- publican in his political proclivities, but has never sought official preferment, though he is essen- tially public-spirited in his attitude. He and his wife are valued members of the German Re- formed church, and they hold the high regard of 1 all who know them. Mr. Gross has attained a | high degree of success through his own efforts, and his straightforward course and inflexible in- tegrity have marked him as well worthy of all that he has achieved since coming to the state as a poor boy.

February 15. 1888, Mr. Gross was united in marriage to Miss Lydia Leyjans, of this county, she likewise being a native of southern Russia,

whence she accompanied her parents to the United States in 1885, the family taking up their residence in Hutchinson county. Of the six chil- dren born to Mr. and Mrs. Gross one is deceased, Clara; the others remain at the parental home, namely : Louisa, Amelia, Annetta, Henry, Leona.

WILLIAM R. CLARKE, one of the promi- nent and representative farmers and honored citizens of Spink county, has the distinction of being a native of the great western metropolis, the city of Chicago, where he was born on the 2d of November, 1859, being a son of Richard and Fanny Clarke, both of whom were born and reared in Manchester, England, where they continued to reside until 1850, when they came to America and made their way directly to Chi- cago, where they took up their residence on the 20th of August of that year. The father of the subject is a landscape gardener and florist by vocation, and was long and prominently identified with work along these lines in Chicago, where he is now living practically retired, having at- tained the venerable age of eighty-four years and still enjoying good health and marked mental vigor.

The subject of this sketch was reared to the age of sixteen years in his native city, where he was afforded the advantages of the public schools. At the age noted he moved to Alden, Minnesota, in which state he passed five years, devoting his attention principally to farming, and he then, in 1881, came to the present state of South Dakota, locating in Spink county on the Ioth of May of that year. Three and one-half miles south of the present thriving village of Northville he entered pre-emption and homestead claims, which constitute an integral portion of his present fine landed estate, which comprises eight hundred acres. He has been very successful in his operations and has accumulated a valuable property, his farming being improved with high- grade buildings and other modern accessories and conveniences, while the place is especially favored in its supply of water, being one of marked fertility and yielding large crops of

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grain and other products, while Mr. Clarke also devotes considerable attention to the raising of live stock of good grade. In politics he accords a stalwart allegiance to the Republican party, but has never been an aspirant for public office. He is prominently identified with the Masonic fra- ternity, in which he has attained to the thirty- second degree of the Ancient Accepted Scot- tish Rite, being identified with the consistory at Aberdeen, South Dakota, and with El Riad Temple of the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Sioux Falls, while he is also affiliated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Modern Woodmen of America.

On the 16th of November, 1887, Mr. Clarke was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Stewart, who was born at Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, on the 8th of October, 1866, and whose death oc- curred on the 14th of October, 1900. She is survived by two children, Fanny Marguerite and Richard Stewart.

JAMES T. CAMPBELL, county commis- sioner of Charles Mix county, was born in Iowa county, Wisconsin, on the 2d of November, 1855, and is the eldest of the six living children of James T. and Wilhelmina ( Helmaustine) Camp- bell, the former of Scotch and the latter of Ger- man ancestry. Two of their children died in in- fancy and those living are James T., Jr. (subject of this sketch), Alexander, Charles, Eliza, Archibald and Frederick. The father was en- gaged in farming in Wisconsin, and is still liv- ing, while his wife passed away in 1878.

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History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 47

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