Grant - South Dakota Genealogy

Biography of H. A. Dunham

History of South Dakota vol 1 title page

H. A. Dunham was born on September 18, 1846, in Newark, New Jersey, to S. H. and Dianthe (Alden) Dunham. After his family relocated to Indiana and later Illinois, Dunham left home at fourteen to become a sailor, visiting various foreign ports. He later worked as a cooper in Yankton, South Dakota, before marrying Jane Grant in 1867. The couple settled on a homestead in Yankton County, where Dunham focused on agriculture and livestock farming. They had five children. Dunham’s wife passed away in 1893, leaving a significant impact on their family and community.

Biography of Soren Mortensen

Soren Mortensen, born April 21, 1846, in Denmark, became one of the wealthiest farmers in Yankton County, South Dakota. After emigrating to the United States in 1869, he worked on a farm in Long Island for seven and a half years before moving to South Dakota in 1876. Mortensen initially focused on wheat farming but shifted to livestock after several crop failures. He built a successful operation handling cattle and Chester White hogs, amassing 1,500 acres of farmland. Mortensen married Meatha Amelia Larson in 1874, with whom he had nine children. After her death in 1896, he married Nora Grant in 1900. A dedicated Republican and respected community member, Mortensen’s achievements reflect his perseverance and effective management.

History of White Township

History of Marshall County Dakota title page

White Township, with the exception of the spur of hills extending into the southern corner of the township from Miller township, is quite level. The Wild Rice slough runs through it to the north, Geo. W. White, originally from Ohio, came here from Richland county, Dakota, located his claim July 20, 1882. Wm. Linse, from Wilkin county, Minnesota, located his claim, Section 12, about or a short time prior to White‘s settlement. Nels Otland, on Section 14, was in all probability the first one in the township to commence improvements. The evidence on this point is very unsatisfactory and conflicting. … Read more