History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 83

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

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George N. Breed attended the district school in the vicinity of the homestead farm in Grant county, Wisconsin, until the death of his father, and he then accompanied his mother on her re- moval to Bloomington, Wisconsin, where he con- tinued to attend the public schools until he was fifteen years of age. He then entered the office of the Lancaster Advocate, at Lancaster, Wiscon- sin, where he gained his initial experience in the "art preservative of all arts." The paper men- tioned was an advocate of the cause of Horace

Greeley at the time he was running for the presi- dency, and when defeat ensued the paper ceased publication, and thus Mr. Breed removed to Platt- ville, Wisconsin, to finish his trade, where he re- mained until 1877, becoming a skilled composi- tor and familiarizing himself with the various details of the newspaper and printing business. Thereafter he was employed in offices at Gales- burg, Illinois, and River Falls and Broadhead, Wisconsin, from which latter point he came to Brookings, South Dakota, in October, 1880, be- coming one of the pioneers of the town, which had at the time a population of not more than two hundred persons. Here he began the publi- cation of the Brookings Sentinel, disposing of the plant and business in 1883 and thereafter working at his trade until the spring of 1890, when he became telegraph editor of the News, at Aberdeen, this state. In June, 1890, he be- came associated with Paul Dutcher and returned to Brookings where they began publishing the Brookings Register and in 1891 purchased the plant and business of the Brookings Sentinel, which they forthwith merged into the Brookings Register, to whose publication they have since given their attention, having made it one of the best papers of the sort in the state. It is a six-col- umn quarto and is issued on Thursday of each week, while its standard is a high one, both in point of editorial makeup and letter press. The office is well equipped and the Register has been made a success under the control of the gentle- men mentioned, the firm name being Dutcher & Breed. Mr. Breed, in point of consecutive serv- ice, is one of the oldest newspaper men in the state, while he has witnessed the growth and sub- stantial advancement of Brookings and the county from the time of inception. He has been specially insistent in making the paper an exponent of local interests and of the cause of the Republi- can party, of whose principles he has ever been a stanch advocate, though he has neither held nor sought political office. He has been very prominent in advocating the ownership of public utilities in his home city, and he takes marked satisfaction in reverting to the fact that he was one of the first to urge that Brookings, as a mu-

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nicipality, should own its own electric-light, tele- phone and water-works systems, and the plan as adopted has proved the wisdom of his admoni- tion, for the two plants are paying the expense of operation and are giving to the citizens a most effective and economical service. He is a zealous member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was the second superintendent of the first Sun- day school ever organized in Brookings, this be- ing at a time when there was but the one church organization in the town. He is a charter member of Brookings Lodge, No. 40, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, of which he is noble grand at the time of this writing, while he is also identi- fied with the local organizations of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Ancient Order of United Workmen, in the latter of which he was formerly incumbent of the office of financier. He has been a member of the Brookings Cornet Band for the past twenty years, still continuing to give his services in the connection in order that the organization may be kept intact and in good order .:

On the 15th of November, 1882, Mr. Breed was united in marriage to Miss Eva J. Thomas, who was born in Hazel Green, Grant county, Wisconsin, being a daughter of Thomas and Car- oline Thomas, both of whom were born in Eng- land, whence they came to Wisconsin in an early clay. Of the three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Breed one died in infancy, while the two surviv- ing are Ray, who was born on the 6th of Sep- tember, 1883, and Lillian, who was born on the 14th of May, 1890, and who is now attending the public schools of Brookings, having distinctive talent as an elocutionary reader, while her brother has shown marked ability in drawing and other art work.

O. C. DOKKEN, cashier of the Farmers' Exchange Bank at Toronto, Deuel county, was born in Eidsvold, Norway, in 1858. In 1869 lie immigrated with his parents to the United States, where they took up their residence at Rushford, Minnesota, where they remained till 1873, when the family moved west and came to what is now

the state of South Dakota, when they took a homestead near Fish Lake, Deuel county, being among the first settlers in that part of the state. After spending his youth on his father's farm in Deuel county, Mr. Dokken entered the normal school at Mankato, Minnesota, in 1882, and graduated from that institution as a member of the class of 1887. Before, as well as after finish- ing his course at the normal, he turned his atten- tion to teaching, and in the fall of 1888 was elected to the office of superintendent of schools of Deuel county, which position he occupied for six years. Thereafter he was for seven or eight years engaged in the general merchandise busi- ness in Toronto and in 1902 he was made incum- bent of his present position, that of cashier of the Farmers' Exchange Bank. In politics Mr. Dok- ken is Republican. He is married and has a fam- ily of four children.

ELMER E. RODABAUGH, junior member of the well-known law firm of Orr & Rodabaugh, of Sioux Falls, who likewise maintains an office in Garretson, comes of stanch old Pennsylvania German stock, and the name which he bears has been for several generations identified with the annals of the old Keystone state of the Union. He was born on a farm in Lycoming county, that state, on the 18th of September, 1862, and is a son of Benjamin F. and Martha W. Rodabauglı, both of whom were likewise born and reared in that county, where the father is engaged in agri- cultural pursuits, being one of the representa- tive citizens of this section. Our subject received his more rudimentary educational discipline in the public schools of his native county, and there- after continued his studies in the Central State Normal School, at Lockhaven, while in 1883 he was matriculated in the University of Pennsyl- vania, where he followed the scientific course, being a student in that well-known institution for a period of three years. In 1882 he began teaching in the schools of Pennsylvania, and thereafter continued to follow the pedagogic profession at intervals during a period of eight- een years, meeting with marked success in the

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educational field. In 1890 he came to South Da- kota and took up his residence in Sioux Falls, and here engaged in reading law under the pre- ceptorship of Alpha F. Orr, making rapid ad- vancement in his studies, and being admitted to the bar of the state in 1895, since which time he has been successfully established in practice in Sioux Falls, having been associated with Mr. Orr, under the firm name of Orr & Rodabaugh, since 1895, while the firm controls a large and representative business, both as advocates and counselors, maintaining also an office in Garret- son, this county, as previously noted. Mr. Rod- abaugh is an uncompromising Republican in his political proclivities, and takes an active part in party work in a local sense. Fraternally he is identified with the Masonic order, in which he is affiliated with Unity Lodge, No. 130, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, while he also holds membership in Garretson Lodge, No. 74, An- cient Order of United Workmen. Though not a member of any religious body he has a deep reverence for the spiritual verities and his views are perhaps most nearly in harmony with the tenets of the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church. It should be noted in passing that the subject tendered his services to the government at the time of the Spanish-American war, but was rejected by reason of overweight.

On the 12th of November, 1898, at Sioux Falls. South Dakota, was solemnized the mar- riage of Mr. Rodabaugh to Miss Lydia Bailey, who was born in Lancaster, New York, on the 28th of October, 1862, being a daughter of Sam- uel and Julia Bailey, who are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Rodahaugh have no children.

GEORGE P. WALDRON .- An enumer- ation of those sterling pioneers of the territory of Dakota and state of South Dakota who won honor and public distinction for themselves and honored the state to which they belonged, would be sigually incomplete were there failure to make prominent reference to George Prentiss Waldron, who identified himself with the history of what is now South Dakota nearly a half century ago,

when it was on the very border of civilization, and who became a most conspicuous figure in its early history. He held distinctive precedence as an able lawyer, was distinctively a man of affairs and one who wielded a wide influence. A strong mentality, an invincible courage, a most deter- mined individuality so entered into his makeup as to render him a natural leader of men and director of opinion, and his name merits a place high on the roll of those who have figured as founders and builders of the commonwealth of South Dakota.

George P. Waldron, the son of Jeremiah and Mary (Scott) Waldron, was born in the historic old town of Farmington, New Hampshire, on, the 21st of September. 1821, and in its schools re- ceived his early educational training, while later he completed a course of study in the law de- partment of Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, where he was graduated as a member of the class of 1843. Shortly afterward he located in Lowell, Massachusetts, where he engaged in the practice of his profession and where he remained until 1854, having in the meanwhile become in- terested in the shipping of lumber to California, by way of Cape Horn. He was a personal friend of General Benjamin F. Butler, General Wilson, Charles Sumner and other eminent men of New England. In 1857 he came to the west and num- bered himself among the pioneers of Dubuque, Iowa, where he engaged in the practice of his profession and also became secretary and treas- urer of the Western Land and Townsite Com- pany, whose headquarters were in that city, while Senator William B. Allison and other prominent men of the state were associated with him in this company, which had important influence for a number of years in forwarding the development of the industries of the state. In 1859 he came with his family to South Dakota and located in a diminutive settlement which had been estab- lished on the site of the present beautiful city of Sioux Falls. During the Indian troubles of 1862 the family sought safety by fleeing to Yankton, and there established a home, Mr. Waldron hav- ing been appointed provost marshal by President Lincoln and having served as such during the

Goot Waldron

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Civil war. He was a member of the first ter- ritorial legislature and in the same was the framer of the exemption law, while he was otherwise a prominent figure in public affairs in the territory. After the war he devoted his attention to farming until his removal to Fort Pierre in 1877, where he held the position of United States court com- missioner until Stanley county was organized, when he was elected probate judge. He remained a resident of Fort Pierre until his death, which occurred August 26, 1896, while his devoted wife passed away in 1884. Their three children are . all yet living, and one still resides in South Da- kota.

In the year 1849 Judge Waldron was united in marriage to Miss Lydia E. Jones, daughter of Elijah and Mary ( Roberts) Jones, of his native town of Farmington. New Hampshire. where she was born and reared, and she preceded him into eternal rest, her death occurring at Fort Pierre on the 8th of May, 1884. Of their chil- dren we enter the following brief record : Charles W. is one of the substantial farmers and stock growers of Stanley county and one of its hon- ored pioneers : Lulu P. is the wife of George R. Pearsons, of Fort Dodge, Iowa; and Augusta is the wife of G. A. Bickle, of Humboldt, Iowa.

ALBERT EUGENE THROOP, of Brook- ings, was born in Hillsdale county, Michigan, on the 20th of July, 1857, being a son of Erastus D. and Angeline (Salisbury) Throop. His father was born in Canada, and when he was twelve years of age he accompanied his parents on their removal to the state of New York, where he was reared to maturity. He finally removed to Mich- igan, settling in Hillsdale county, where he was married. The family there continued to reside until the subject of this sketch was six years of

age, when they removed to Montcalm county, that state, where the father turned his attention to the lumbering business, in which he continued to be engaged until his death, which occurred in about 1900. When he took up his abode in Montcalm county the nearest railroad point was forty miles distant and he settled in the midst of

the primitive wilds, opening a lumber camp and giving employment to a large number of men. The mother died in Chicago, in 1898, while there for a visit. Erastus Throop was in fair circum- stances at the time of his death, but the subject never took any part of the estate, having been dependent upon his own efforts from his child- hood and having contributed to the support of the other members of the family until after he had attained his legal majority. In the family were seven children : Ella is the wife of Orlando Scott, of Montcalm county, Michigan ; Albert E. is the subject of this sketch; D. L. was killed in Colorado: Volma D. resides on the old homestead farm in Michigan: Alta became the . wife of Dr. Sweet, of Crystal Lake, Michi- gan, and is now deceased; Page still resides in Montcalm county, that state ; Mande is the wife of a Mr. Proctor, of Chicago. Owing to the ex- igencies and conditions of time and place the sub- ject received very limited educational advantages in his childhood, having had no schooling after attaining the age of nine years. His alert and receptive mind has, however, enabled him to make good this handicap, and through the var- ied experiences of a busy and useful life and through personal application he has rounded out his fund of knowledge and is a man of broad in- formation. At the age of nine years he began to assist his mother in cooking for the workmen, and he continued to be thus employed for three years. At the age of thirteen he was found driv- ing team and buying supplies for the lumber camp, and he continued to give the major part of his time and labor to his father until he was twenty-two years of age. At the age of seven- teen he had charge of one of his father's camps, and for fifteen years he ran logs on the pine river and engaged in fishing, while he was employed in the lumber woods for a full score of years. From the age of twenty-two he began to person- ally receive the rewards of his labors, and he was united in marriage, at the age of twenty- three, to Miss Charlotte Miller, who was born in the state of New York and a daughter of Samuel Miller, who removed thence to Illinois and finally to Michigan, his wife having died when her

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daughter (Mrs. Throop) was but seven years of age. The subject considers his marriage as hav- ing been an auspicious event in his career, and his wife has proved a devoted and able helpmeet. Her fortitude can scarcely be measured by her avoirdupois, since she weighs but one hundred and ten pounds, while her husband tips the scales at two hundred and eighty-five pounds. At the time of their marriage they had not sufficient re- sources to provide even the most meager equip- ment for a home, and the struggle was one which tested the loyalty and affection of the young folk, who grew the stronger through the vicissitudes through which they passed, laboring and hoping side by side. After his marriage Mr. Throop first took a job of cleaning out a ditch, from which labor he received eleven dollars, working eight hours a day. Within a short time he had cleared about three hundred and sixty dollars, and he then purchased a tract of wild land, soon selling therefront enough timber to pay the pur- chase price, while at the end of the first year he found himself quite well provided with this world's goods, since he was the owner of a team of horses, a cow, a wagon, forty acres of land and five hundred dollars in money. He forthwith gave evidence of his liberality by loaning three hundred dollars to a friend-the outcome being to him a total loss of the amount. With the re- maining two hundred dollars Mr. Throop in- vested in "plug" horses, which he traded for shingles and fencing, his transactions yielding him a good profit. In 1885 he came to Brook- ings. South Dakota. for a visit, having at the time about one thousand dollars. He was greatly impressed with the country at that season and decided to cast in his lot with the pioneers of this section. By the time he had purchased a quarter section of land and paid for the same a blizzard swept through the state and caused him to wish that he had remained in Michigan, but time proved that he had made no mistake in his orig- inal estimate. For his farm here he paid five hundred dollars in cash and gave in addition his personal note for one hundred dollars. He had as yet erected no dwelling on his place and when he arrived here for permanent settlement he

had a little span of disconsolate mules, weighing but nine hundred pounds with the harness on, and, as he facetiously expresses it, "They were so heavily mortgaged that they could not switch their tails." In the following spring he erected on his farm a shack thirty-two feet in length, six- teen feet wide, and eight feet in height, one end being partitioned off for the use of his team and the other portion being the family home. In the autumn he built a house sixteen by twenty-four feet in dimensions and twelve feet in height, and thus segregated himself from the live stock. He built this house without having a dollar in his possession and without giving security for the material, and when it was finished he was able to pay only twenty-five cents on the dollar in ex- tinguishment . of the claims against him, his yield of grain having fallen far short of expecta- tions. He reserved sufficient wheat for bread and for feed for his stock, selling the remainder and from the amount received he invested in three tons of coal and then found that he had only eight dollars left with which to satisfy the claims of his creditors. He then went to them and stated the circumstances, agreeing to divide his remaining cash equally among them and asking for two years in which to make recompense. The amount which was left to be paid the second year was five hundred dollars, and that year his crop of wheat aggregated only eight hundred bushels, which was sold at fifty cents a bushel. The re- turns represented all he had available to pay his debts, maintain his family and carry on the farm for the ensuing year, so that it may be seen that the outlook was not altogether propitious or gratifying. In the meanwhile, however, Mr. Throop had purchased an old well-drilling appa- ratus, which in October he took into Lake coun- ty and entered vigorously to work constructing wells for the settlers, his services being in such demand that at the end of two months and three days he hal saved three hundred and nine dollars. The second time he came home from his work in this line he dropped into his wife's apron five hundred dollars in cash, and her query was to ask him whether or not he had been robbing a bank. From that time forward fortune proved

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more propitious and success attended his efforts. When he first came to the state he was com- pelled to sow his grain by hand, having no money with which to purchase farming implements which were practically essential. In the early days it was impossible to secure credit, and in July of the first year of his residence here he found himself with no money, no credit and nothing with which to provide for the daily needs of his family. The last loaf of bread had been used for breakfast, this being on Sunday, and it seemed that no avenue was open to provide more. It chanced that the young men of the neighbor- hood assembled together for a little sport, and finally a foot race was proposed, our subject and his brother. V. D., having in the meanwhile joined the little assembly. The reward to the victor was to be the sum realized by the contri- bution of the twenty-five cents each to the purse. The brother of the subject was actually weak for lack of proper food, both having gone hungry for several days, and though the former was nat- urally fleet of foot he was too weak to enter into the contest, but the subject, who was naturally somewhat corpulent, had been better able to withstand the temporary privation and was in good trim for the race, his only difficulty being that he was unable to produce the twenty-five cents as entry fee. This was kindly supplied by a friend in the company, and realizing what the little fund meant to him and his family, it is need- less to say that Mr. Throop girded himself for victory, and he was successful, winning the race by one and one-half laps. The wager was then doubled, as was also the distance to be traversed by the contestants, and again victory crowned the efforts of Mr. Throop, who realized two and one-half dollars from his efforts. He imme- diately sent his brother to Arlington, where was secured a sack of flour, some codfish and a pound of tea. Mrs. Throop made biscuit and cooked a portion of the fish, and the family en- joyed their meal to a greater extent than could the pampered epicure the most extravagant spread. Profiting by his experiences, Mr. Throop. has husbanded his resources and is today the owner of eleven hundred and twenty acres of

land, all in one body, and also a quarter sec- tion.

The entire tract is well fenced, has two good dwelling houses, good barns and other outbuild- ings, a fine grove of one hundred soft maple trees and five hundred of ash, and a large num- ber of wells, for which ample provision is made for the live stock and for domestic uses. Mr. Throop continued to reside on the farm until the autumn of 1901, when he removed with his fam- ily to the city of Brookings, in order to afford his children the superior educational advantages there offered. From the sale of the stock and grain on his farm prior to removal therefrom he received eleven thousand dollars. Mr. Throop is the owner of two valuable pieces of property in Brookings, and is now living practically re- tired. In politics he was reared in the Demo- cratic faith, but in bringing to bear his personal judgment he determined that the Republican party was eminently entitled to his support, and he has given to the same an unqualified alle- giance. having been an active worker in its cause and wielding an unmistakable influence in the public affairs of his county. Of the three chil- dren of Mr. and Mrs. Throop we record that Lottie, who is now nineteen years of age, has completed the business course in the State Agri- cultural College, and it is her intention to now complete the full literary course in the same col- lege; Ross, aged sixteen ; and V. D., aged fif- teen, are both attending the high school at Brook- ings.

Later .- Since the foregoing sketch was put in type, Mr. Throop's death has occurred, on Feb- ruary 5. 1904, after an illness of but five days, his remains being laid to rest in Arlington (South Dakota) cemetery.

CHARLES F. ALLEN, of Brookings, was born on March 4, 1869, at Chatfield, Minnesota. He attended the schools of this town until he was thirteen years of age, when he entered the office of the Chatfield Democrat, as an apprentice, work- ing there a couple of years except for one sum- mer, when he worked on a farm. He went to Ro-

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chester, Minnesota, in the winter of 1886, and en- tered the employ of Blakely & Son as foreman of the Record and Union office, where he re- mained until December, 1899. At that time he went to Brookings and bought the Brookings County Press from George W. Hopp, taking possession on the first of January, 1890. He is still publishing the Press, which has grown and developed into one of the best and strongest weekly papers in South Dakota, occupying what is conceded to be the finest country newspaper office building in the Northwest.

Mr. Allen was married on September 25, 1888, to Miss Julia Garvey, at Rochester, Minne- sota, and they have three children, all girls, namely : Norma, aged thirteen : Doris, aged ten ; and Mildred, aged six.

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History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 83

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