Turner County

Biography of John A. Beaner

History of South Dakota vol 1 title page

John A. Beaner, postmaster of Canastota, McCook County, South Dakota, was born on July 5, 1853, in Winnebago County, Illinois. Orphaned early, he was raised by George Fisher. Beaner worked as a farmer in Illinois and Iowa before moving to South Dakota in 1880, where he homesteaded in Turner County. In 1889, he relocated to Canastota, becoming the town’s first grain dealer. A dedicated Republican, Beaner served as postmaster under Presidents Cleveland and Roosevelt and has been involved in local Republican Party leadership. He is a Mason and a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. Beaner married Mary E. Ellis in 1875, and they have one daughter, Gertrude M., married to Grant Roberts of Rock Valley, Iowa.

Biography of William Byrne

History of South Dakota vol 1 title page

William Byrne, a prominent farmer and stock grower in Faulk County, South Dakota, was born on September 18, 1861, in Allamakee County, Iowa, to Lawrence and Delia Byrne. Raised on the family farm, he received his education in Iowa’s public schools. In 1882, Byrne moved to South Dakota with his family, initially settling in Turner County before relocating to Faulk County in 1883. He claimed a pre-emption of 960 acres near Orient, where he developed a successful agricultural operation, producing wheat, oats, corn, barley, and hay, and raising high-grade livestock. A dedicated Republican and member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of the Maccabees, Byrne married Mary Paul on May 15, 1895. They have four children: Paul, Raymond, Theodore, and Leonard.