Minnehaha County - South Dakota Genealogy

Biography of Wellington J. Andrews

History of South Dakota vol 1 title page

Wellington J. Andrews, born April 14, 1865, near Ottawa, Canada, moved with his family to Bon Homme County, South Dakota, in 1874. After completing his education at Scotland Academy in 1886, Andrews pursued business ventures in Parkston and Scotland before establishing a successful grocery store in Sioux Falls in 1898. A dedicated Democrat, he actively participated in state and county politics but avoided seeking major office. Andrews was a member of several fraternal organizations, including the Masons and Elks. He married Persis U. Tyler in 1899, and they had one daughter, Edith Alice.

Biography of Hon. John F. Sophy

Hon. John F. Sophy (b. 1846, Prescott, Ontario) was a prominent businessman and politician in Garretson, South Dakota. After moving to Iowa in 1854, he worked in agriculture before homesteading in Plymouth County in 1871. In 1889, Sophy relocated to Garretson, where he established a successful business in lumber, coal, grain, and livestock. By 1896, he focused solely on grain and livestock, alongside managing a 280-acre farm. Elected to the South Dakota legislature in 1899 as a Democrat, he also served multiple terms as Garretson’s mayor. Sophy married Anna O. Meara in 1869, and they had two sons, John F. and Myron J.

Biography of Gustavus R. Krause

Gustavus R. Krause (b. 1859, Dodge County, Wisconsin) was a prominent attorney based in Dell Rapids, Minnehaha County, South Dakota. The son of German immigrants Godfrey H. and Amelia Krause, he pursued education at a German private school, Baptist college in Monee, Illinois, and a business college in Burlington, Iowa. Krause initially engaged in the mercantile business in Nebraska before relocating to Dell Rapids in 1889. Admitted to the South Dakota bar in 1897, he built a successful legal career while actively participating in Republican politics and community life. He married Delia P. Christison in 1881, with whom he had two sons.

Biography of Arthur Calvin Mellette

Arthur Calvin Mellette, born in 1842 in Henry County, Indiana, was the last governor of Dakota Territory and the first governor of South Dakota. Of French Huguenot descent, Mellette graduated from Bloomington University in 1863 and served in the Civil War as a substitute for his drafted brother. After the war, he practiced law, published the *Muncie Times*, and served in the Indiana legislature. Moving to Dakota in 1878, he became a key advocate for statehood, culminating in his appointment as territorial governor in 1889. Mellette was later elected South Dakota’s first governor and served until 1893. He passed away in 1895.

Biography of Arne Zetlitz, M. D.

Dr. Arne Zetlitz, born June 16, 1864, in Stavanger, Norway, was a prominent physician in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After studying pharmacy and attending medical school at Toledo Medical College, where he graduated in 1891, Zetlitz moved to Sioux Falls in 1894. Known for his dedication to medical practice, he played a key role in establishing the Sioux Falls Hospital and its nurse training school. He also pursued livestock breeding on his farm near Sioux Falls. In 1895, Zetlitz married Pauline Dahl, with whom he had two children, Hazel R. and T. Caroline D.

Biography of Edgar S. Knowles

Edgar S. Knowles, born February 24, 1861, near Riga, Monroe County, New York, was a prominent fire insurance underwriter in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Son of James P. and Cornelia L. (Harmon) Knowles, he moved to Illinois in 1878, graduating from Danville High School in 1881. In 1882, Knowles relocated to Sioux Falls, engaging in various businesses before co-founding the insurance firm Morcom & Knowles in 1896. A committed Republican and active Mason, Knowles married May L. Davis in 1891, with whom he had two daughters, Helen D. (b. 1899) and Alice M. (b. 1901).

Biography of Porter Pascal Peck

Porter Pascal Peck, born April 16, 1843, in Caledonia Springs, Canada, moved with his family to Wisconsin in the 1850s. After his father’s death in 1855, Peck pursued various jobs and, at 18, enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War, serving in the Wisconsin Cavalry. Following his military service, Peck relocated to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 1873, where he became a prominent businessman and community leader. He was instrumental in local development, establishing a bank and serving as mayor. Peck married twice and had five children. He was also active in Masonic and veterans’ organizations.

Biography of William Handley

William Handley, born on October 27, 1853, in Dumfriesshire, Scotland, was the son of James and Mary (Barrett) Handley. Trained as a stone cutter, he served his apprenticeship in Shapfell, England, before immigrating to the United States in 1875. Handley worked across various states, including Maine, Rhode Island, and Minnesota, before settling in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 1883. He managed and eventually co-owned the East Sioux Falls Granite Company. On October 27, 1901, Handley married Frances Ann Jones of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The couple resided in East Sioux Falls.

Biography of Frank Bowen

Frank Bowen, born February 7, 1865, in Benton County, Iowa, was a respected grain dealer and businessman in Benclare, South Dakota. After working in various agricultural and business endeavors across Iowa, he settled in Benclare in 1890, where he established a successful general merchandise business and became a prominent figure in the local grain and stock trade. Bowen was known for his integrity and dedication to his community. His life was tragically cut short on February 27, 1904, when he was shot by a railroad station agent following a dispute over demurrage fees. Bowen left behind his wife, Kate E. Smith, and their six surviving children. The agent was later declared insane and committed to the asylum at Yankton.

Biography of Alfred Reid

Alfred Reid is a native of Aberdeen, Scotland, where he was born on the 16th of January, 1870, being a son of Alexander and Sarah Reid, both representatives of staunch and honored Scottish ancestry. The father of the subject is a stone contractor by vocation; both he and his wife are now residents of Aberdeen, Scotland. They became the parents of ten children, of whom nine are living. The subject was reared in his native city, in whose public schools he received his preliminary educational discipline, after which he was for two years a student in Gordon’s College, a prominent … Read more

Biography of Frederick C. Whitehouse

Frederick C. Whitehouse, born on March 18, 1870, in Boone, Iowa, was a prominent real estate and loan businessman in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Raised in Cherokee, Iowa, Whitehouse began his career in the loan and abstract business and served as deputy auditor of O’Brien County before becoming the cashier of the Primghar State Bank. After relocating to Sioux Falls in 1896, he co-founded the firm F. C. Whitehouse & Company, which played a significant role in developing eastern South Dakota. A dedicated community leader, Whitehouse was active in various fraternal organizations and politically aligned with the Republican Party. He married Abigail C. Blake in 1889, and they had three children: R. Harold, Leland B., and Marie A.

Biography of Orville Clyde Cadwell

Orville Clyde Cadwell, born on August 20, 1861, in Fayette, Ohio, was a prominent music businessman in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After losing his sight at age five due to a fever, he received his education at the School for the Blind in Faribault, Minnesota, and the Perkins Institute in South Boston, Massachusetts, where he graduated in 1881. Cadwell developed strong musical skills and became proficient in piano tuning. In 1889, he moved to Sioux Falls and established a successful music business, eventually becoming the sole owner. Active in his community, Cadwell served on the Sioux Falls Board of Education and was involved with the Unitarian Church and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He married Minnie A. Burdick in 1885, and they had three children: Grace B., Muriel C., and Ralph K. Cadwell.

Biography of Charles P. Bates

Charles P. Bates, born December 4, 1859, in Oneida County, New York, was a prominent lawyer in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The son of Rev. Laban E. and Caroline Bates, he was raised on a farm and pursued education at Genesee Wesleyan Seminary in New York. After teaching and studying law, Bates moved to South Dakota in 1883, initially engaging in the hardware business in Ipswich. He resumed his legal studies in Sioux Falls and was admitted to the bar in 1887. Bates formed several legal partnerships, most notably with H. H. Keith and later with Ralph W. Parliman. Active in politics, Bates served as Sioux Falls city attorney and as state’s attorney, aligning with the Fusion party before returning to the Republican fold in 1902. He was also deeply involved in fraternal organizations, including the Knights of Pythias and the Elks. Bates married Grace Chester in 1891, and they had two sons, Chester Bronson and Lawrence Russell.

Biography of Edward G. Kennedy

Edward G. Kennedy, born December 17, 1844, in Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, was a distinguished citizen of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, serving as the U.S. Marshal for the district. A Civil War veteran, Kennedy enlisted in the Union Army in 1862, participating in significant battles, including Antietam, and served until the war’s end in 1865. After the war, he worked in Pittsburgh before moving to Dakota Territory in 1889, where he engaged in the cattle and grain business. Appointed U.S. Marshal by President McKinley in 1897, Kennedy was reappointed by President Roosevelt in 1902, serving with distinction. He married Mary B. Brundage in 1891, with whom he had two children. Mary passed away in 1900.

Biography of Frank R. Aikens

Frank R. Aikens, born on December 14, 1855, in New York City, was a distinguished lawyer and judge in South Dakota. Educated initially in Rome, New York, Aikens began studying law at a young age and was admitted to the New York bar in January 1877. He moved to Canton, South Dakota, in 1880, where he quickly established a successful law practice and became deeply involved in politics. Aikens served in the territorial assemblies and was appointed associate justice of the territorial supreme court in 1889. Later, he relocated to Sioux Falls, where he formed prominent legal partnerships. Known for his sharp legal mind and effective trial skills, Aikens earned a reputation as a leading figure in South Dakota’s legal community.

Biography of Hon. Leonard Renner

Leonard Renner, born June 9, 1840, in Baden, Germany, was a respected farmer and politician in Minnehaha County, South Dakota. After emigrating to the U.S. in 1848, his family settled in Racine County, Wisconsin, where he grew up and received his education. Renner served honorably in the Union Army during the Civil War, participating in numerous key battles. In 1878, he relocated to South Dakota, where he developed a successful 960-acre farm in Mapleton Township. Renner was active in local politics, serving on the town board and in the state legislature, and was a dedicated supporter of education and community development. He was married to Catherine Kaiser, and they had four surviving children.

Biography of Edward W. Schmidt

Edward W. Schmidt, born on October 28, 1862, in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was a prominent businessman in Valley Springs, Minnehaha County, South Dakota. A member of a pioneering family, Schmidt moved to South Dakota in 1872 with his parents, Frederick W. and Augusta Schmidt, who settled in Lincoln County. After spending his youth working on the family farm, Schmidt returned to Wisconsin to learn the tinners’ trade. He later established a successful hardware and harness business in Valley Springs, eventually running it independently. A dedicated community leader, Schmidt served as village president and treasurer and was active in the Congregational church. He married twice, first to Emma Zick, with whom he had three sons, and later to Mabel Cassidy, with whom he had two daughters.

Biography of Alpha F. Orr

Alpha F. Orr, born April 28, 1860, in Jersey City, New Jersey, was a distinguished attorney based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Raised in Florence, New York, and educated at Whitestown Seminary and Hamilton College, Orr pursued law, being admitted to the bar in 1882. He initially practiced in Rome and Camden, New York, before relocating to Sioux Falls in 1889, where he quickly became a prominent legal figure. A committed Republican, Orr was active in politics, though he primarily focused on his legal practice. He married Eva E. Green and was involved in the Elks and Knights of Pythias.

Biography of Wollert Hildahl

Wollert Hildahl, born August 26, 1875, in Odda, Hardanger, Norway, was a prominent figure in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after emigrating to the United States in 1893. Educated in Bergen, Norway, Hildahl became a well-respected writer and editor, deeply involved in the Scandinavian community. He led the Minnehaha Mandskor, a key Scandinavian musical organization, and edited the *Syd Dakota Ekko*, a newspaper serving the region’s Scandinavian population. Hildahl married Emma Julia Lien in 1902, and they had one son, Jonas Lien. His contributions to cultural and civic life earned him widespread recognition.

Biography of Rollin J. Wells

Rollin J. Wells, born June 24, 1848, in Moline, Illinois, was a distinguished lawyer and literary figure in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. After studying at the University of Michigan and teaching in Illinois, he pursued law, being admitted to the bar in 1878. Moving to Sioux Falls, Wells established a successful legal practice, eventually partnering with George T. Blackman. Wells was also known for his literary work, notably the dramatic poem “Hagar.” Married to Susan L. Little in 1870, Wells had five children. He was a respected public figure, noted for his contributions to law, literature, and civic life.