History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 63

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

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Rapid City, a case involving the powers of a municipal body, and Mr. Fowler appeared for the plaintiff, finally winning the case after it had been carried to the supreme court of the state. He appeared for the defense in the case of Hum- phreus versus the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad Company, in which suit was brought for thirty thousand dollars; the lower court rendered a verdict for ten thousand dollars, but Mr. Fowler carried the case to the supreme court, which reversed the decision. In the case of Gay against the same railroad company he again appeared for the defendant, the litigation being one of great import as defining the exact legal status of a railroad and a cow, both being "without any enclosure," and the result was that the railroad company was held to be not culpable unless gross negligence was proved. Mr. Fowler is interested in a number of most promising min- ing properties in the Black Hills, and is secre- tary and treasurer of the Holy Terror Mining Company, whose properties are located at Key- stone, Pennington county, the mines being now in operation and known as good producers. Mr. Fowler is a stanch Republican in his political pro- clivities, and while he takes a deep interest in the party cause and in the general welfare of the state he has never sought official preferment of any order. He was a member of the state constitutional convention in 1885, held in Sioux Falls. Fraternally he is identified with the Be- nevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Knights of Pythias and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

On the 15th of October, 1871, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Fowler to Miss Helen Mont- ross, who was born and reared in Pennsylvania, being a resident of Mason City, Illinois, at the | time of her marriage. She is a daughter of Eli- ,

jah Montross, whose grandfather was a surgeon in the command of General LaFayette during the war of the Revolution, and who remained in America after the victory was gained, locating in Vermont. Mr. and Mrs. Fowler have three chil- dren, namely : Alice, who is the wife of Fred H. Whitfield, of Rapid City ; and Henlen and James W., Jr., who remain at the parental home.

EDWARD L. ABEL, president of the First National Bank of Bridgewater, was born in Springfield, the capital city of Illinois, on the 19th of November, 1860, being the only child of Oraniel H. and Mary ( Moore) Abel, the former of whom was born near Buffalo, New York, June 19, 1833, while the latter was born in Spring- field, Illinois, on the 17th of May, 1838. The father is now a resident of Murphysboro, Illi- nois, the mother having died at Springfield, Illi- nois. As a boy Oramel H. Abel accompanied his parents on their removal to Springfield, Illinois, and he was there reared and educated, becom- ing a successful railroad contractor. At the out- break of the war of the Rebellion he enlisted as a private in an Illinois regiment, being made lieu- tenant of his company. Later he was appointed mustering officer and was stationed for some time at Camp Butler. He was then sent to the front, being first lieutenant in his company, which formed a part of the One Hundred and Forty- fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, of which he was eventually made· adjutant general, serving until the close of the war. He then returned to Springfield, and for a number of years served as city clerk. In 1874 he removed to Carbondale, that state, where he engaged in the banking busi- ness and where he also held the position of city clerk for several terms, besides being called to other offices of local trust. About 1887 he re- moved to Murphysboro, Illinois, where he has since lived retired. He is a stanch Republican in politics and was a personal friend of Abraham Lincoln, their intimacy continuing from their boy- hood days until the death of the martyred Presi- dent, at whose personal request the subject of this sketch received his second name, Lincoln. The father of our subject is a member of the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows and the Grand Army of the Republic, having been commander of his post in the latter organization.

Edward L. Abel received his early education in the public schools of his native city and sup- plemented this by a course of study in the South- ern Illinois Normal University, at Carbondale, while he was engaged in teaching school for two winters after leaving college. In 1879 he began

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reading law under the preceptorship of Judge Andrew D. Duff, of Carbondale, one of the most eminent members of the Illinois bar, and while prosecuting his legal studies he worked at vari- ous occupations, being dependent upon his own resources. In February, 1884, Mr. Abel was ad- mitted to the bar of his native state, and the same spring was elected city attorney of Carbondale, being chosen as his own successor, without op- position, in the spring of 1885. During these years he was associated with the banking busi- ness in Carbondale, accepting a clerkship in 1878 and shortly afterward being made cashier of the bank. In 1887 Mr. Abel came to Bridge- water, South Dakota, being admitted to the bar of the territory in the following year, though he has never devoted much attention to the work of his profession here. Upon his arrival in his new home he purchased stock in the State Bank of Bridgewater, of which institution he was made cashier. In 1897 he was elected to the presidency of the same, and upon the reorganization of the institution as the First National Bank, in August, 1903, he was elected to the presidency of the same. In 1889 he was appointed, by Governor Mellette, a member of the board of trustees of the state penitentiary, at Sioux Falls; he has served with signal acceptability as mayor of Bridgewater, retaining this office three terms, and he is now serving his third term as a member of the board of education, of which he was pres- ident in 1902. He is a member at large and chairman of the Republican committee of the sec- ond circuit. In 1902 he was elected to represent his district in the state senate, in which he served with characteristic ability, proving a valuable member of the body. For two terms he was sec- retary of the South Dakota Bankers' Association, and in July, 1903, he was honored by his associ- ates in that body by being chosen its president. He has been an active and efficient worker in the Republican party, having delivered many cam- paign addresses and being regarded as one of the party's most able and forceful speakers in the state. Mr. Abel is a member of Eureka Lodge, No. 72, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons ; Sa- lem Chapter, No. 34, Royal Arch Masons ; Con-

stantine Commandery, No. 17, Knights Templar, of Salem; El Riad Temple, Ancient Arabic Or- der of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Sioux Falls; Sioux Falls Lodge, No. 262, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks: Bridgewater Lodge, No. 72, Ancient Order of United Work- men ; and Bridgewater Lodge, No. 3790, Modern Woodmen of America.

On the 25th of December, 1883, was solem- nized the marriage of Mr. Abel to Miss Ella C. Smith, of DuQuoin, Illinois, and they have two children, Roy W. and Gertrude M.

JOHN H. DOBSON, postmaster at Alexan- dria, Hanson county, was born in the city of Beloit, Wisconsin, on the 26th of July, 1872, be- ing a son of James and Anna L. (Mccullough) Dobson, the former of whom was born in Lin- colnshire, England, in 1844, and the latter in 1851. They are the parents of three children, David B., who is manager of the agricultural im- plement business of W. S. Hill, in Alexandria ; Nettie, who remains at the parental home; and John H., who is the subject of this sketch. When the father was a lad of eleven years he accom- panied his parents on their removal from Eng- land to the United States, the family locating in Rockford, Illinois, near which place he was reared to farm life, his three brothers being ap- prenticed to learn the trade of paper-making. James continued to devote his attention to agri- cultural pursuits, removing from Illinois to Rock county, Wisconsin, about 1871, and being there engaged in farming until 1885. when he came to South Dakota and located on a farm site ad- joining the present thriving village of Al- exandria, where he continued to reside un- til his death, which occurred in 1890. He was a stanch Republican, but never sought office, and his religious faith was that of the Baptist church. The mother of the subject was born on a farm near Durand, Winnebago county, Illinois, her parents having been born and reared in Scotland. She still resides in the home- stead, Alexandria, having the affectionate regard of all who know her and being a devoted member

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of the Methodist Episcopal church, with which she affiliated after coming to this state, there hay- ing been no Baptist church in Alexandria.

The subject of this review secured his early education in the public schools of his native county, being about thirteen years of age at the time of the family removal to South Dakota, where he was reared to manhood on the home farm and in the meanwhile continuing his stud- ies in the public schools of Alexandria, where he completed a high-school course, later supplement- ing this by a course in the commercial department of the university at Mitchell. In 1893 Mr. Dob- son assumed a clerical position in the furniture and undertaking establishment of G. H. Mont- gomery, of Alexandria, and in the meanwhile gave special attention to acquiring a thorough knowledge of embalming and funeral directing, while in 1896 he took a special course of instruc- tion in embalming under the direction of Profes- sor Barnes, of Chicago, an authority in this art. In 1897 Mr. Dobson engaged in business upon his own responsibility, opening a piano, organ and sewing-machine house in Alexandria, and this enterprise he has since successfully conducted, also carrying a general line of musical merchan- dise. In 1898 he was appointed postmaster of Alexandria, under President McKinley, while in 1903 he was reappointed, under the administra- tion of President Roosevelt. He is a zealous and uncompromising advocate of the principles of the Republican party, and he is at the present time a member of the board of education of Alexandria. He is a member of the board of trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was also a mem- ber of the building committee under whose su- pervision the attractive new church edifice was completed in June, 1903. Mr. Dobson has risen to high rank in the Masonic fraternity, being a member of Celestial Lodge, No. 36, Free and Accepted Masons ; Eastern Star Chapter ; Orien- tal Consistory, No. I, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, of Yankton, in which he has passed the thirty-second degree; and El Riad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, in Sioux Falls. He is also identified with Cypress Lodge, No. 24, Knights 24-

of Pythias, and Alexandria Camp, No. 2956, Modern Woodmen of America.

On the 15th of June, 1897, Mr. Dobson was united in marriage to Miss Mary Durkee, of Al- exandria, who was for several years a successful and popular teacher in the high school of this place, and of this union has been born two chil- dren, Burdette, the date of whose nativity was June 16, 1898, and Merrial Bertha, born Sep- tember II, 1903.

ROBERT T. DOTT, M. D., who is success- fully engaged in the practice of his profession in Salem, McCook county, was born in Jones county, Iowa, on the 26th of October, 1859, and is a son of Robert and Sarah J. (Peters) Dott, of whose three children he was the second in order of birth. His elder brother, Richard M .. is a resident of Sioux City, Iowa, and is a prom- inent member of the bar of the state; and George M. is a successful dental practitioner in Salem, South Dakota. The father of the Doctor was born in Cupar, Fifeshire, Scotland, on the roth of September, 1824, and there was reared and educated, learning the trade of tailor in his youth. In 1843, at the age of nineteen years, he came to America, and after residing about five years in Illinois he removed thence to Anamosa, Iowa, where he engaged in business, also serving as justice of the peace for several years, while for three terms he held the office of auditor of Jones county. In 1883 he came to what is now the state of South Dakota and took up his resi- dence in Sanborn county, where he had taken up a tract of government land the preceding year. He gave his attention to the improvement and cultivation of his farm for about four years and then removed to the village of Alexandria, where he has since maintained his home, being at the present time county judge of Hanson county, in which office he has served several terms, being one of the influential and highly honored citizens of the county. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and his religious faith is that of the Prebyterian church, of which he and his wife are devoted and active members.

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He was a member of the territorial legislature just prior to the admission of South Dakota to the Union. Fraternally he is identified with the lodge, chapter and commandery of the Masonic order. Judge Dott manifested his loyalty to his adopted country at the time of the war of the Rebellion, having enlisted in Company H, Four- teenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and being made commissary sergeant of his regiment. In the battle of Shiloh his zeal led him into the thick of the fray. He borrowed a musket from one of his comrades and made his way to the front with his regiment, which was captured by the enemy, resulting in his being imprisoned at Macon, Georgia, for several months.

Dr. Robert T. Dott secured his early edu- cation in the public schools of Anamosa, Iowa, completing the high-school course, after which he served under his father as deputy county auditor for four years. Within this time he took up the study of medicine, having as his preceptor Dr. E. W. Gawley, of Anamosa, and in the autumn of 1881 he entered that celebrated in- stitution, Rush Medical College, in Chicago, where he completed a thorough course in medi- cine and surgery and was graduated on the 20th of February, 1883. with the degree of Doctor of Medicine. He then rejoined his parents in South Dakota, passing the summer on the home- stead farm and also "holding down" a claim which he had entered in Aurora county. During the ensuing winter he was engaged in the practice of his profession in Shelby county, Jowa, and in the fall of 1884 he went to New York City and entered the Bellevue Hospital Medical College, of whose unexcelled advantages he availed himself by taking a post-graduate course, being graduated in this institution in the spring of 1885. He then took up his residence in Alexandria, South Dakota, where he was successfully engaged in the practice of his pro- fession until the fall of 1888, when he removed to Mount Vernon, where he was established in practice two years, then returning to Alex- andria. In 1897 the Doctor located in Sioux Falls, where he was in practice one year, coming thence to Salem in the latter part of October,

1898, and having since established in a large and remunerative practice in the community, where his friends are in number as his acquaintances, his genial personality and high professional at- tainments having gained to him unqualified con- fidence and esteem. In politics Mr. Dott gives a stanch allegiance to the Republican party, and he served as coroner of Hanson county two terms, and as superintendent of the county board of health for four years. While a resident of Alexandria he served as village clerk and alder- man, occupying the respective offices one year each. He is secretary of the board of pension examiners of McCook county, and is at the present time superintendent of both county and city boards of health. The Doctor is affiliated with Fortitude Lodge, No. 73, Free and Accepted Masons, in which he was elected and installed worshipful master to serve during the year 1904; and is also identified with Pythias Lodge. No. 60. Knights of Pythias ; the Modern Woodmen of America; the Modern Brotherhood of America and the Union Veterans' Union. He is examining physician for several of the leading life-insurance companies, and professionally is one of the valued and appreciative members of the South Dakota Medical Society.

On the 12th of April, 1885, Dr. Dott was united in marriage to Miss Olive Booth, of San- born county, this state, and they became the parents of one child, Bertram T. On the 13th of December, 1892. the Doctor consummated a second marriage, being then united to Miss Maud E. Foote, of Hanson county, this state, and they are the parents of two children, Delia M. and Robert O.

M. B. BARNHART, who is successfully es- tablished in the livery business in Salem, Mc- Cook county, was born in Ohio, on the 20th of August. 1849, being a son of A. H. and Editha (Spaulding) Barnhart. The former was a native of the state of New York, whence he removed to Ohio with his parents when he was a child, being there reared to the life of the farm and securing a common-school education. He was

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married in Ohio and removed with his parents to Minnesota, where he engaged in farming and also in the practice of veterinary surgery, in which he was proficient. He was a Republican in politics and both he and his wife were members of the Adventist church. The father of our subject was a valiant soldier in the war of the Rebellion, having been a member of Com- pany B, Second Minnesota Volunteer Cavalry. He died in Freeborn county, Minnesota, in 1872, and his wife passed away in 1889. They became the parents of eleven children, of whom eight are living, all being now resident of South Dakota.

The subject of this sketch was reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm, and secured his early educational training in the common schools of the state of Minnesota. In Freeborn county, Minnesota, in 1871, he married Miss Sarah Padgett, daughter of John Padgett, of English extraction, and of this union five children have been born : Edith, who died at the age of twenty- two years; and Elmer, Lynn, Herbert and Cassius, who remain at the parental home. Mr. Barnhart continued to be engaged in farming in Freeborn county, Minnesota, until 1880, when he came to South Dakota and took up a home- stead claim in McCook county, here developing a valuable farm, upon which he continued to re- side until 1891, when he removed to the village of Salem, where he was soon afterward elected town marshal, in which capacity he served nine years and seven months. Later he served for one year as deputy sheriff of the county. After retiring from the office of marshal he established himself in the livery business, in 1901, having a good barn and an excellent equipment through- out, and he has built up an excellent business, giving the best of service and sparing no pains to meet the demands of his patrons. He is a Re- publican in his political proclivities, is identified with Salem Lodge, No. 28, Ancient Order of United Workmen, and both he and his wife are valued members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is the owner of an attractive resi- dence in Salem and also of other realty in the town, and he has attained success through his

own efforts and by honest and earnest endeavor, ever retaining the confidence and esteem of all who know him.

ISAAC J. TODD, a member of the firm of Todd Brothers, of Salem, Hanson county, was born in the city of Elgin, Illinios, which was then a small village, on the 25th of September, 1854, being a son of James and Eliza (Boyce) Todd, to whom were born five sons and five daughters, all of whom are yet living. James Todd was born in the county of Armagh, Ireland, where he was reared and educated and where he learned the trade of weaver. At the age of twenty-six years he emigrated from the fair Emerald Isle to America, locating in Ohio, where his marriage was solemnized, shortly after which event he re- moved to Elgin, Illinois, where he learned the moulder's trade, to which he there continued to devote his attention until about 1856, when he removed with his family to Winneshiek county, Iowa, where he took up government land and turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, eventually becoming the owner of a valuable landed estate of four hundred acres and being one of the honored and influential citizens of the county. He was the architect of his own fortunes, having come to America without financial rein- forcement or influential friends and having won prosperity by hard work and good management. He was a man of inflexible integrity and most generous and kindly impulses, and after coming to the United States he aided in bringing his brothers here. In politics he was a Republican, and while in his native land was a communicant of the church of England, but became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church after coming to America. His devoted and cherished wife passed to her reward in 1900, and his death oc- curred in 1887.

The subject of this sketch was a child of but two years at the time when his parents removed to the pioneer farm in Iowa, and there he was reared under sturdy and invigorating discipline, his educational advantages being such as were afforded in the common schools of the locality

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and period. He continued to be associated in the management of the home farm until he had attained the age of twenty-five years, when, in 1879, he came to South Dakota and located in McCook county, entering claim to a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, near Montrose. There he developed a valuable farm, and for five years he was also engaged in the buying and shipping of grain, in which line of enterprise he was very successful. In 1886 Mr. Todd was elected register of deeds of McCook county, serving one term, and in 1888, upon retiring from office, he engaged in the real-estate business, in which he has been particularly successful, being associated with his brother since 1894. The firm handle principally their own properties, being at the present time the owners of more than three thousand acres of valuable farming land in McCook and adjoining counties. Mr. Todd is a stanch adherent of the Republican party, and for a number of years was a member of its state central committee. He is affiliated with Montrose Lodge, No. 48, Free and Ac- cepted Masons: Chapter No. 73. Royal Arch Masons ; Commandery No. 17. Knights Templar ; the Scottish Rite consistory at Yankton, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen.

Mr. Todd was married September 29, 1885, to Miss Ida McCooke, of Montrose, South Dakota, and there have been born to this union six children, two boys, now dead, and four girls living. viz: Adah M .. Geneva E., Elva and Nauva.

EDWARD H. WILSON, who is engaged in the practice of law in Salem, McCook county, was born in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, on the 7th of April. 1857, a son of Evan C. and Leah (Crawford) Wilson, of whose five children four are living. Evan Wilson was likewise born in Lycoming county, where his father located upon coming to America from the north of Ire- land, where he was born. Evan Wilson was reared to farm life and continued to be identified with agricultural pursuits until his death, having become one of the prosperous and influential

citizens of Lycoming county, where he died in 1866, at the age of forty-nine years. He was a Republican in politics and both he and his wife held membership in the Christian church. Mrs. Wilson was summoned into eternal rest in 1874, at the age of fifty-six years.

Edward H. Wilson was about nine years of age at the time of his father's death, and from that time forward he became largely dependent upon his own resources. His determination and self-reliance stood him well in hand while he was still a lad, and he secured a good common-school education, after which he entered Mount Union College, at Alliance, Ohio, where he completed the philosophical course and was graduated as a member of the class of 1880, having paid his expenses by teaching during the vacations and also having followed his vocation in securing the money with which to initiate his collegiate work. The executor of his father's estate became a bankrupt and thus he received nothing by inheritance. After completing his college course, Mr. Wilson went to Canton, South Dakota, and there entered the law office of O. S. Gifford, under whose direction he prose- cuted his study of the law with such assiduity that he secured admision to the bar in 1882. In the spring of the following year he came to Salem, South Dakota, where he served his novitiate in the practical work of his profession and where he has attained distinctive prestige through his well-directed efforts, being known as an able advocate and safe and conservative counsel. Mr. Wilson is an uncompromising Re- publican, and for the past fourteen years has served in the exacting and responsible office of state's attorney of this district, in which position he has made an enviable record as a public prose- cutor. He is a member of Fortitude Lodge, No. 34, Free and Accepted Masons; of Salem Chapter, No. 34, Royal Arch Masons; Constan- tine Commandery, No. 17, Knights Templar, at Salem; Oriental Consistory, No. 1, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, at Yankton ; and El Riad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Sioux Falls. He is also affiliated with Salem Lodge, No. 10, Inde-

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History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 63

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