Martin - South Dakota Genealogy

Biography of John H. Gaskin

History of South Dakota vol 1 title page

John H. Gaskin, a prominent merchant in Columbia, Brown County, South Dakota, was born in Dane County, Wisconsin, where he was raised on a farm and educated in district schools and an academy. In 1882, he moved to South Dakota and established a successful general merchandise business that grew to become one of the largest in the county. His store offered a wide range of products, from dry goods and groceries to hardware, with annual sales reaching $35,000. Gaskin was well-respected for his business acumen and integrity. A Democrat and active Mason, he married Louise J. Martin in Wisconsin, and they had two children, Effie Jean and Frank Jay.

Biography of Rev. Edward Ashley

Rev. Edward Ashley, a prominent Protestant Episcopal clergyman in South Dakota, was born on December 12, 1854, in Road Hill, Wiltshire, England. He emigrated to the United States in 1873, settling in Muskegon, Michigan. Initially working as a carpenter, he later became a missionary teacher among the Sioux Indians in Dakota Territory, and was ordained a deacon in 1877 and a priest in 1881. Ashley served on various Indian reservations and became rural dean and examining chaplain for the state. He married Elizabeth Ann Martin in 1877, and they have five children. Ashley is also active in Masonic and fraternal organizations.

History of Miller Township

History of Marshall County Dakota title page

Miller township is centrally located and the surface slightly undulating, with the exception of the quite prominent elevation upon which Britton is located. This low range of hills commences in the southwest corner of the township and gradually rises higher, and extends across the northwestern part of Pleasant Valley township into White township, where it abruptly terminates, Between this point , and the Coteaus there is a gap through which the Wild Rice flows north. All of this elevation is good farming land, and the best of water is easily obtained almost anywhere. This township was not surveyed until the … Read more