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.
William Byrne, who is one of the representative farmers and stock growers of Faulk County, where he is the owner of a large and valuable ranch, is a native son of the great West and has exemplified its progressive spirit in a marked degree, gaining success through his well-directed efforts in connection with the industrial development of South Dakota, where he has maintained his home for the past score of years, so that he is entitled to consideration as one of the pioneers of Faulk County.
Mr. Byrne was born in Allamakee County, Iowa, on the 18th of September, 1861, and is a son of Lawrence and Delia Byrne. This worthy couple became the parents of ten children, of whom eight are living, while four of the number are residents of this state.
William Byrne was reared on the homestead farm which was the place of his birth, and received his education in the excellent public schools of Iowa. He continued to be associated in the management of the homestead until 1882, when the property was sold, and he then, in company with his mother and the other members of the family, came to South Dakota. They passed the winter of that year in Turner County and in the spring of 1883 came to the newly organized county of Faulk, where each of the family entered claim to government land. The subject took up a pre-emption claim, six miles east of the present village of Orient, which is his post office address, and at once instituted the improvement of his land, to which he has since added until he has a valuable estate of nine hundred and sixty acres, the major portion of which is under effective cultivation, being devoted to the raising of wheat, oats, corn, barley, and hay in large quantities. He is also giving careful attention to the raising of high-grade stock. His place has an excellent supply of pure water, which may be secured at a depth of about sixteen feet on almost all portions of the ranch. He is a staunch supporter of the principles and policies of the Republican party and fraternally is identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of the Maccabees.
On the 15th of May, 1895, Mr. Byrne was united in marriage to Miss Mary Paul, who was born in Muscatine County, Iowa, being a daughter of August Paul, who removed from that state to South Dakota in 1884, locating in Faulk County, where he remained until 1894, when he removed to the state of Virginia, where he and his wife now maintain their home. He is a native of Germany, and his wife, whose maiden name was Bertha Schulz, was born in Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Byrne have four children, namely: Paul, Raymond, Theodore, and Leonard.
Source: Robinson, Doane, History of South Dakota: together with mention of Citizens of South Dakota, [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen, 1904.