History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 97

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

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ever being found at the post of duty and making the record of a gallant young soldier, while he received his honorable discharge in the city of St. Louis, Missouri. He was wounded in the engagement at Arkansas Post and also slightly in two other contests. After his discharge he returned to Illinois, being employed on a farm in Stark county for the ensuing two years, at the expiration of which he went to Des Moines, Iowa, where he continued to be identified with agricultural pursuits for twelve years, having purchased a farm in Polk county, that state.

On October 19, 1868, Mr. Wilson was mar- ried to Sarah Ann Pyle, but she died abort one year later. In 1871 he married Mary Brazelton, but after a union of about twelve years they separated and on November 25, 1886, he con- summated a third marriage, being then united to Miss Mary McCartney, who was born January I, 1865, in New York city, moving to Iowa at the age of five years. They are the parents of five children, namely: The eldest, a boy, died in infancy ; Elizabeth, May, Edna and Alta, all of whom are attending school, the eldest daugh- ter being a student in Ward Academy, in Charles Mix county, South Dakota.

In 1883 Mr. Wilson came with his family to South Dakota and located in Charles Mix county, where he took up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres, while in subsequent years he added to the area of his landed estate until it now comprises nearly twenty-five hun- dred acres, having made purchases of land as his judgment and means justified, while most of this fine estate is located about five miles south of the village of Platte, where he has a large hotel. He has about nine hundred acres under cultivation and the balance is utilized for grazing purposes. Mr. Wilson is one of the most extensive and successful raisers of cattle and swine in this section, keeping an average of three hundred head of cattle and about one hundred hogs, while he gives special care to maintaining a high grade of live stock and is known as a capable and progressive business man and valuable citizen. He paid at the rate of about five dollars an acre for his land, and

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it will now command from twenty-five to forty dollars an acre. He has made excellent improve- ments on his estate, including good buildings, his residence having been erected at a cost of about three thousand dollars, while he also erected one of the finest barns in the county at a cost of about four thousand dollars, the same having been destroyed by a cyclone, in 1902, but which is now rebuilt. On his farm is a fine apple orchard of twelve acres, and everything about the place bespeaks thrift and prosperity. In the spring of 1904 the family took a pleasant trip to the National Park, making the journey in wagons.

In politics Mr. Wilson is a Republican, but is not insistently partisan, particularly in local affairs. but gives his support to men and measures meeting the approval of his judgment. He has been a member of the school board of his district for many years, and in religious mat- ters he is not definitely identified with any church, though he realizes the value of all and has a deep respect for the true spiritual verities.

DAVID PHILLIPS was born in Providence county, Rhode Island, on the 4th of February. 1834, being a son of Rufus and Lillias (Young) Phillips. He was about six years of age at the time of his parents' removal to Pennsylvania, and there he secured his early educational discipline, while he aided in reclaiming the homestead farm. He continued to reside in the old Keystone state until the spring of 1858, when he came with oth- ers from that locality to Nebraska, but he only remained there three weeks, returning eastward as far as Illinois, where he was employed at farm work during three summers, while during the winter seasons he devoted his attention to chop- ping wood, along the Mississippi river, receiving two dollars a day in compensation for his ardu- ous toil in this connection. He then went to Bloomington, Illinois, where he was employed until the outbreak of the war of the Rebellion, when he responded to the call of higher duty by enlisting as a private in Company G, Thirty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, his enlistment taking

place in August, 1861. He continued in active service until January 24, 1863, when he received an honorable discharge, on account of physical disability. He then returned to Illinois, and in 1883 he came to South Dakota, taking up a liome- stead claim of one hundred and sixty acres in Charles Mix county. He is at the present time chairman of the school board of his district. Fra- ternally he is a valued comrade of P. H. Sheridan Post. Grand Army of the Republic, at Geddes.

In 1863 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Phillips to Miss Mary Elizabeth Kelly, who was born in Twin Grove, McLean county, Illinois, and of this union have been born eight children.

DAVID OLNEY BENNETT, deceased, was born in McDonough, Chenango county, New York, on the Ioth of January, 1843, and is a son of Olney and Elizabeth ( Place) Bennett, both of whom were born and reared in Rhode Island, where the former's birth occurred in 1800 and the latter about the year 1810, while their mar- riage was there solemnized. The father of the subject was a clergyman of the Baptist church, and about 1830 removed with his family to Madison county, New York, where he remained until 1860, when he removed to Wisconsin, where he passed the remainder of his life, en- gaged in the noble work of his high calling and also being identified with agricultural pursuits. His wife likewise died in that state, and of their seven children two are yet living, our subject having been the sixth in order of birth. David O. Bennett received his early education in the common schools of his native town and those of McGrawville, Cortland county, New York, while at the age of fifteen he entered Cincinnatus Academy, in Cortland county, where he con- tinued his studies until 1861, being prepared for matriculation in college and expecting to thus continue his educational work. About this time. however, there came the call to higher duty, as the integrity of the Union was menaced by armed rebellion, and in August, 1862, having joined his parents in Wisconsin, he enlisted as a mem- ber of Company K. Twenty-ninth Wisconsin

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Volunteer Infantry, which was assigned to the western department and served under General Grant until after the surrender of Vicksburg, when his corps, the Thirteenth, was transferred to the Department of the Gulf. Mr. Bennett was discharged, on account of disability, in February, 1864. at New Orleans, and then returned to his home in Wisconsin. After recuperating his energies he, by chance, identified himself with the mercantile business, having been for six months employed in a clerical capacity in gen- eral stores in Beaver Dam and Juneau. Wiscon- sin, his intention being to soon enter college and complete his education. He was deflected from this course, however, and began the study of medicine under the direction of his brother. Henry Judson Bennett, a prominent practicing physician at Juneau, and finally, as offering further discipline along this line, he took a posi- tion in a drug store at Fond du Lac, that state, where he remained until 1869. His brother, previously mentioned, died in December of that year, and the subject thereafter continued his study of medicine under the preceptorship of Dr. H. M. Lilly, at Fond du Lac, and completed his technical course in that famous institution, Rush Medical College, in the city of Chicago, where he was graduated in February, 1870, with the de- gree of Doctor of Medicine. He thereafter re- mained with his preceptor, Dr. Lilly, until the following June, when he removed to Waterloo, Jefferson county, Wisconsin, where he was actively engaged in practice until 1887, when his health became so seriously impaired by rhen- matism that he was compelled to withdraw largely from the active work of his profession. He purchased a half interest in a local drug business, but his health became even more pre- carious while in the store, so that in the latter part of 1887 he disposed of his interest in the same and in the following spring came with his family to Clark county, South Dakota, locating on a farm and devoting his attention to its im- provement and cultivation for the ensuing eight years, within which time his health steadily im- proved. During the hard times of 1896 people left the state in great numbers and among them

many of the physicians, so that there were left in Clark county or near its borders only three practicing physicians. Under these conditions calls upon the professional services of Dr. Ben- nett became so frequent and insistent that he was constrained to remove to the city of Clark and establish himself in practice, and here he con- tinned, having built up a large and represent- ative business as a physician and surgeon, until his death, April 16. 1904. He had been confined to his home about a week with a complication of diseases brought on by overwork. though the direct cause of death was heart failure. In politics the Doctor ever gave an uncompromising allegiance to the Republican party, and he re- called to the writer the fact that when a boy of thirteen years, at the time of the candidacy of General John C. Fremont, the first presidential nominee of the party, he was most enthusiastic in his youthful enthusiasm for the newly or- ganized party. He held various village and school offices after coming to South Dakota, and in 1892 was elected to represent the twenty- ninth district in the state senate, and was chosen as his own successor in 1894. In 1901, upon the reorganization of the state militia. the Doc- tor was commissioned assistant surgeon of the Third Battalion of the First Regiment, South Dakota National Guard, with rank of first lieu- tenant. and about a year later he was appointed surgeon general of the National Guard of the state, with rank of colonel, and remained incum- bent of this office. He was a member of the Masonic fraternity, with which he was identified from 1885, and also of the Grand Army of the Republic, and while a resident of Wisconsin he was affiliated with the Temple of Honor, in which he passed the various official chairs. He was a prominent and zealous member of the Baptist church, as is his widow.

On the 17th of February. 1873. at Concord. Jackson county, Michigan, was solemnized the marriage of Dr. Bennett to Miss Floretta Elizabeth Young, the eldest child of Andrew Sproul Young, who was a son of Andrew Young. The Young family formerly lived near Williamstown, Massachusetts, whence rep-

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resentatives removed to Bergen, Genesee county, New York, in 1833, and from that locality Andrew Young and his family removed to Con- cord, Jackson county, Michigan, in 1855. The maiden name of Mrs. Bennett's mother was Elizabeth Lewellin, who was a daughter of Lewis Lewellin. The Lewellin (or Llewellyn, as the name was originally spelled. according to the Welsh form) family removed from Pennsyl- vania to Genesec county, New York, in 1826. Dr. and Mrs. Bennett have three children. Henry Judson Bennett, D. D. S., who is engaged in the practice of dentistry at Fond du Lac, Wis- consin ; Luella Elizabeth, who is in Clark, and Mary, who died March 13. 1886, at the age of thirteen months.

JOHN A. THRONSON is a native of Nor- way. where he was born on Christmas day. 1857. being a son of Andrew and Aguette Thompson. both of whom live with their daughter. Mrs. E. O. Eggen, near Toronto, Deuel county, South Dakota. They emigrated from Norway to Amer- ica in the spring of 1859 and located in LaCrosse county, Wisconsin, in which state Mr. Thronson was engaged in agricultural pursuits for many years, meeting with success in reward of his un- tiring industry. He is a Republican in politics and both he and his wife are devoted members of the Lutheran church.

The subject of this sketch was a child of about two years at the time of his parents' immigration to America, and he was reared to manhood in La Crosse and Trempealeau counties, Wisconsin, where he duly availed himself of the advantages afforded by the public schools. He there con- tinued to assist his father in the work of the homestead farm until he had attained his legal majority, when he set forth to seek his fortunes in the west, arriving in Deuel county. South Da- kota, on the 7th of December. 1878. For the first year he was employed in a general store at Gary. and he then took up one hundred and sixty acres of government land near the present village of Toronto, this county, and was there engaged in farming until the summer of 1885. He still owns

this property, having developed the same into one of the valuable farms of the county. At the time noted he became county auditor of Denel county, the territorial legislature having created the of- fice during its session in the preceding winter, and he continued in tenure of this position until March, 1893, by successive elections, having thus served under both the territorial and state regimes. In March, 1892, upon the organization of the Farmers' State Bank of Clear Lake, Mr. Thronson was chosen cashier of the same. In 1902 the institution was reorganized as the First National Bank and he was retained in the office of cashier, of which he is incumbent at the present time.

MEr. Thronson is known as a progressive and public-spirited citizen, and has ever stood ready to lend his aid and influence in support of all worthy measures advanced for the general good. while in politics he is an uncompromising Repub- lican. Both he and his wife are active and valued members of the Lutheran church.

On the 26th of June, 1891, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Thronson to Miss Clara J. Pet- erson, who was born in Clayton county, Iowa. being a daughter of Thomas C. and Rachel Peter- son, who are now living at Brandt, Deuel county, South Dakota. Mr. and Mrs. Thronson have one daughter. Norma E.

EMIL A. SYVERSON, who is president of the Farmers and Citizens' Bank, at Bryant, Hamlin county, was born in Fredrikstad, Nor- way, on the 20th of September. 1869, being a son of Peter and Anna M. Syverson, who emi- grated to America in 1872, locating in the state of Wisconsin, where the father engaged in the work of his trade, that of blacksmith. They are now living in Bryant, South Dakota. When the subject was but nine years of age he left home, his parents at the time being residents of Crawford county, Wisconsin, and started with a party of strangers for the Black Hills, arriv- ing in Deadwood, South Dakota, in May, 1879. He remained in that section until the spring of 1882, at which time he returned to the home

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of his parents, in Wisconsin, where he remained until 1887, when he returned to South Dakota and located in Kingsbury county. He had in the meanwhile attended the public schools as op- portunity offered, having been a student in the high school at DeSmet, this state, in 1888. He had previously to this been successfully engaged in school teaching for two years, and in 1889 he entered the Northern Indiana Normal School and Business College, at Valparaiso, Indiana, where he took a commercial course and was graduated as a member of the class of 1890. He then returned to South Dakota and located in Bryant, where he secured a position as book- keeper in the Merchants' Bank, being but twenty years of age at the time. Two years later he was elected cashier and in 1900, at the age of thirty, he became president of the Farmers and Citizens' Bank of Bryant, South Dakota, of which position he is still incumbent. Mr. Sy- verson is a Republican in his political proclivi- ties, and he served as first lieutenant of Company G. First Regiment, South Dakota National Guard, from 1894 until 1898, at Bryant. He has been a member of the Lutheran church for the past nineteen years.

In the city of Brookings, this state, on the 6th of August, 1892, Mr. Syverson was united in marriage to Miss Inga O. Kragh, and they have two children, Ernest P., who was born June 3. 1893. and Alice M., who was horn October 20, 1895.

THOMAS JAMES LAW. the able and pop- ular young state's attorney of Deuel county, was born in the city of Chicago, Illinois, on the 17th of January, 1870, and is a son of Thomas J. and Josephine (Stanley) Law, the former of whom was born in the dominion of Canada and the latter in Wisconsin. The paternal grandfather of the subject came from the north of Ireland to America and settled in the province of On- tario. Canada, where he married, his wife being a native of that section. The maternal grand- father was a native of New York and a descend- ant of stanch old New England stock, while his

wife was of German extraction and was likewise born in the old Empire state. When the subject was a child of two years his parents removed to Lafayette county, Wisconsin, where his father en- gaged in the practice of law, and the latter and his wife now reside in Shullsburg, Wisconsin. After completing the curriculum of the high school in Shullsburg, Lafayette county, Wiscon- sin, in which he was graduated as a member of the class of 1887. Mr. Shaw entered the law de- partment of the University of Wisconsin, at Madison, where he completed the prescribed course and was graduated on the Ist of July, 1891, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, while he was also admitted to the bar of the state. On the 28th of the following October he located at Clear Lake, the judicial center of Deuel county, South Dakota, where he has since been engaged in the practice of his profession and where he has gained prestige as an able trial law- ver and counselor, while he has proved a most ef- ficient and discriminating public prosecutor. He is a stanch advocate of the principles and policies of the Republican party and has been a zealous worker in its local ranks. In 1894 he was elected state's attorney of Deuel county and was chosen as his own successor in 1896. while in 1900 he was again elected to this office, as was he also in 1902, his second term expiring Jan- tary I. 1005. In 1891 Mr. Law was raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason in Amicitia Lodge, No. 25. Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Shullsburg, Wisconsin, and he was one of the charter members of Phoenix Lodge, No. 129, of Clear Lake, with which he is still af- filiated. He is also a charter member of Clear Lake Camp. No. 1981, Modern Woodmen of America, and of Watertown Lodge, No. 838, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, at Watertown, this state.

On the Ioth of October, 1894, Mr. Law was united in marriage to Miss Ethel M. Roberts, who was born at Emsdale, province of Ontario, Canada, on the 8th of September, 1877, being a daughter of William and Elizabeth Roberts, both of whom are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Law have two children, Elsie M. and Stanley R.

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HISTORY OF SOUTH DAKOTA.

JOHN O. JOHNSON, a member of the well- known and popular mercantile firm of Johnson Brothers, who have a well-equipped establish- ment in the village of Westerville, is a native of Illinois, having been born in Leland. LaSalle county, on the 25th of April, 1866, and being a son of Jacob and Mary Johnson, both of whom were born and reared in Norway. where their marriage was solemnized, and where the father followed the trade of carpenter until 1865. when he left the fair Norseland and immigrated with his family to America, and located in Leland, Illinois, where he was engaged in wagonmaking until 1869, when he came to the territory of Da- kota, making the trip through from Iowa with a horse-team and wagon, with which he transported his family and their few necessary household ef- fects. He became one of the first settlers in Clay county, where he took up four hundred and eighty acres of government land, upon which he erected a log house, and at once began the work of breaking ground and otherwise improving his pioneer farm. He later sold one hundred and sixty acres, retaining the balance for a number of years, after which he sold out and purchased other land in the county, thereafter making sev- eral other transactions of like order. The parents are both devoted members of the Lutheran church, and the father is a stanch advocate of the principles of the Republican party. They became the parents of ten children, concerning whom we incorporate the following data : John O., subject of this sketch, is the eldest ; Lavina, who became the wife of Thomas Sands, is dead ; Martha is the wife of George Cleveland: Jacob is engaged in the shoe business at Canton, this state; Richard is associated in business with the subject, in Westerville ; Isaac is a resident of Idaho; Domin- icus resides in Vermillion, this state; Joseph has the management of the parental farm; Mary is married ; and Ella died at the age of four years. The children were afforded the best possible ed- ucational advantages, all having attended the public schools, while Richard was for some time a student in the State University, at Vermillion.

The subject of this review was a child of three years at the time of his parents' removal

from Illinois to what is now South Dakota, and he has thus, in a literal sense "grown up with the country." He attended the common schools, in the meantime lending his aid in the reclama- tion and improvement of the home farm, and he continued to be thus associated with his father until he reached his legal majority, when he initi- ated his independent career, purchasing a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, which formed the nucleus of his present valuable landed estate, which comprises three hundred and sixty acres, all of which is under effective cultivation, while he is extensively engaged in diversified agri- culture and in the raising of high-grade stock. In due time he erected on his ranch a fine modern residence, and all other permanent improvements are in harmony therewith. His place is located contiguous to the village of Westerville, and he continues to reside on the farm, giving a general supervision to its operation, in connection with his mercantile interests. In the autumn of 1893 Mr. Johnson purchased of T. J. Wester his mercantile business in Westerville, and he indi- vidually carried on the enterprise until 1897. when he admitted his brother Richard to partner- ship, the latter purchasing a half interest, and the husiness has since been conducted under the firm title of Johnson Brothers. Soon after the formation of this partnership the brothers erected their present commodious store, sixty by twenty- four feet in dimensions, while in connection they also have a large warehouse. They handle a general stock of merchandise, including dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes, groceries, etc., and also hardware, and farming implements and machinery, while they are also extensive buyers and shippers of grain and live stock. Their transactions in the year 1902 reached the notable aggregate of twenty-five thousand dollars, and they carry a stock valued at an average of ten thousand dollars, while it is needless to say, their trade is well established and prosperous, being derived from the wide radius of country tributary to the town. In politics Mr. Johnson is a stalwart Republican and takes a loyal interest in public affairs of local order, though he has never desired official preferment. He and his

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wife are members of the Lutheran church. On the 22d of October. 1891, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Johnson to Miss Laura Lund, a daughter of Hans Lund, of Dixon county, Nebraska, where he is a prominent farmer. Of this union have been born four children, namely : Mabel, Harry, Sherman and Jessie.

WILSON WISE, one of the honored pio- neers of Sanborn county, was born in Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, on the 19th of November, 1833, being a son of Samuel and Phoebe ( Mer- riman) Wise, both of whom were also natives of the Keystone state, where the former was born in 1808. and the latter in 1810. Of their eleven children seven are still living. The father of the subject was engaged in farming in Penn- sylvania until the fall of 1855, when he removed with his family to Illinois, where he remained two years, and then continued his way westward into Winneshiek county, Iowa, where he took up government land and developed a good farm continuing to reside there until his death, which occurred in December. 1879, his devoted wife en- tering into eternal rest in 1882. He was first a Whig and later a Republican in politics, and both he and his wife were consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

The subject of this sketch received his early education in the common schools of Pennsylva- nia, and was about twenty-two years of age at the time when he accompanied his parents on their emigration to Illinois, while later he was associated with his father in the development of the pioneer farm in Iowa. In that state he con- tinted to follow agricultural pursuits until 1879. when he came to what is now the state of South Dakota, arriving in Sanborn county on the 16th of May, and here taking up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres, which he still owns, having made substantial improvements on the same and brought it under effective cultiva- tion, though he had to encounter his full quota of hardships and discouragements in the early days. His confidence in the future prestige of

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History of South Dakota, Vol. II, Part 97

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