Biography of David M. Powell
David M. Powell, born April 13, 1836, in Roxbury, Delaware County, New York, was a pioneering farmer and stock grower in Davison County, South Dakota. He served in the Methodist Episcopal church ministry before moving to South Dakota in 1883. Powell was a member of both the last territorial legislature and the first state legislature of South Dakota. A dedicated Republican, he voted in every presidential election from Lincoln onwards. Powell married four times, with children from each marriage, and remained active in church work throughout his life. He made significant contributions to both his community and state legislature.