Biography of Philip H. Risling
Philip H. Risling, born June 16, 1825, in Bedford County, Pennsylvania, and deceased May 14, 1893, was a notable settler and community member. Son of German immigrants Lewis and Mary Risling, he moved to Iowa in 1856 and then to South Dakota in 1862, where he homesteaded 320 acres. Despite hardships such as floods and crop destruction, he built a successful market garden business. He was married to Elmira Oldham in 1852, and they had eleven children. Philip was active in politics, transitioning from the Whig to Republican and later Populist parties, and was a member of the Lutheran Church.