Campbell County - South Dakota Genealogy

Biography of Frank Alexander

History of South Dakota vol 1 title page

Frank Alexander, a pioneer of Campbell County, South Dakota, settled in Mound City in September 1884. Born in Dubuque County, Iowa, his family had been pioneers in the state since 1837. Alexander was elected the first register of deeds for Campbell County in 1884 and later became county judge when South Dakota joined the Union in 1889. He served in various governmental roles, including special agent for the General Land Office and state’s attorney. A dedicated Republican, Alexander was actively involved in local politics and contributed to the development of the region.

Biography of R. E. Hayes

R. E. Hayes, senior member of Hayes & Black, a firm dealing in grain and agricultural implements in Pollock, Campbell County, was born on December 24, 1862, in Erie County, Pennsylvania. He was educated in Pennsylvania’s public schools and moved to South Dakota in 1882 to join his uncle, J. L. Thompson. After various business ventures in Vanderbilt and North Dakota, Hayes assisted in a trading business at the Cheyenne Indian Agency. In 1901, he relocated to Pollock, where he and his partner, David Black, established a successful grain and agricultural implement business, earning widespread respect in the community.