History of South Dakota - South Dakota Genealogy

Biography of Frederick Camp

History of South Dakota vol 1 title page

Frederick Camp (b. 1845, Waukesha County, Wisconsin) was a prominent farmer, businessman, and community leader in Twin Brooks, Grant County, South Dakota. After starting his career in railroad work as a brakeman and later a conductor, Camp moved to South Dakota in 1882. He played a key role in establishing Twin Brooks, overseeing the construction of the town’s first grain elevator and acquiring the land on which the town was built. A staunch Republican, Camp was active in local politics but avoided official positions. He married twice, first to Mary A. Wildish in 1867, with whom he had two children, Hattie and Elmer, and later to Mary Barker in 1878.

Biography of Harry A. Simons

Harry A. Simons, a successful hardware merchant in Platte, South Dakota, was born in Wisconsin in 1866. His father, Calvart Simons, originally from New York, moved westward, farming in Wisconsin before settling in South Dakota. Harry spent his early years on the farm before learning engineering and working in that field for six years. After a stint in blacksmithing, he transitioned to the hardware business, first in Castalia, South Dakota, and later in Platte, where he built a thriving enterprise. A committed Republican and member of the Christian church, he married Delia Holden in 1890, and they had five children: Blanche, Raymond, Ernest, Ronald, and Mildred.

Biography of John H. Gaskin

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 Ellef Solem

Ellef Solem (b. 1852, Norway) was a pioneering farmer and stock raiser in Yankton County, South Dakota. After immigrating in 1874, he worked for others before homesteading 160 acres, where he and his wife, Mary Anderson, built a sod house. Despite early challenges like crop destruction by grasshoppers, Solem steadily expanded his operations, now owning 320 acres with modern improvements. He diversified into dairy farming and livestock, raising shorthorn cattle and hogs. Solem also serves as treasurer for the local creamery and township. An independent voter, he is active in the Lutheran church and respected for his business acumen.

Biography of James P. Wilson

James P. Wilson (b. 1855, Caledonia, Wisconsin) was a prominent lawyer in Lead City, South Dakota. After studying law in Wisconsin and being admitted to the bar in 1881, he built a successful practice before relocating to Lead in 1891. Wilson became known for his involvement in significant legal cases, most notably a decade-long battle over the Lead town site, in which he successfully represented the community against the powerful Homestake Mining Company. A skilled advocate, Wilson served as city attorney and on the local board of education. He married Julia Frances Howe in 1881, and they had two children, James H. and Oliver Chester. A dedicated Republican, Wilson was also active in the Elks Lodge, serving as exalted ruler of the Lead chapter.

Biography of Homer W. Johnson

Homer W. Johnson (b. 1859, Osceola, Iowa) was a state senator and key figure in the Johnson Brothers Company, a leading real estate and loan business in South Dakota. After gaining experience in banking and land management, he co-founded the Citizens’ State Bank of Armour with his brother Edwin, serving as president until 1903. Johnson shifted from Republican to Democratic politics, securing multiple senate terms despite his district’s Republican leanings. Known for his integrity and business acumen, he remained influential in both state politics and local development. Johnson’s collaborative spirit and loyalty made him a respected community leader.

Biography of George D. Rockwell

George D. Rockwell (b. 1828, West Milton, New York) was a pioneering figure in Rockwell, Iowa, which was named in his honor. Descended from colonial English Puritans, he moved west in 1853, first settling in Kane County, Illinois, before relocating to Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, in 1864. Rockwell played a key role in extending the Iowa Central Railroad and founding the town of Rockwell. He was active in farming, raising shorthorn cattle, and later investing in South Dakota, where he owned 1,400 acres in Moody County. A dedicated Prohibitionist and Congregational deacon, he married Elizabeth P. Jackson in 1853, and they raised three daughters: Mary, Julia, and Grace.

Biography of A. D. Long

A. D. Long (b. 1858, Delaware County, Iowa) served as county judge of Hutchinson County and was a prominent real estate figure in South Dakota. After completing law studies at the University of Iowa in 1881, he practiced law in Iowa before relocating to South Dakota in 1884, where he engaged in real estate, insurance, and cattle breeding. In 1898, he settled in Tripp, focusing on real estate and insurance. A committed Republican, he was elected county judge in 1900 and re-elected unopposed in 1902. Long married Caroline B. Carpenter in 1890, and they raised four children: Wade, Ruby, Irving, and Gertrude.

Biography of Theodore A. Schliessmann

Theodore A. Schliessmann (b. 1866, Portage City, Wisconsin) was a successful merchant and co-owner of Schliessmann Brothers, a prominent general merchandise business in Tripp, South Dakota. After moving to Bon Homme County with his family in 1879, Schliessmann helped manage the family farm until 1891, when he partnered with his brother Otto to establish their mercantile firm. The business, originally including their mother, has flourished under their leadership. Both brothers are active Democrats and devout Catholics, with Theodore serving as a church trustee. He married Catherine Rath in 1893, and they have three children: William, Mildred, and Irene.

Biography of Christian Friederich

Christian Friederich (b. 1854, southern Russia) was a successful banker and early settler in Tripp, Hutchinson County, South Dakota. After emigrating in 1876, he homesteaded near Tripp and farmed for a decade before moving to the newly founded town in 1886. Initially opening a shoe and harness shop, Friederich transitioned into hog and grain trading, then expanded into hardware and general merchandise. In 1903, he acquired the Tripp State Bank, focusing on its management. A committed Republican and active Lutheran, Friederich married Christina Vetter in 1875, and they raised six children together: Christiana, George, Edward, Carl, Lydia, and Leonora.

Biography of Christian Rempfer

Christian Rempfer (b. 1859, southern Russia) was a successful businessman and state legislator from Parkston, South Dakota. After emigrating to the U.S. in 1880, he settled in Hutchinson County in 1885, initially focusing on farming before transitioning to business. In 1895, Rempfer established a thriving agricultural implement business in Parkston, later shifting to grain trading and co-founding the South Dakota Grain Company. An active Republican, he served two terms in the state legislature, starting in 1900. Rempfer married Christina Krin in 1883, and they raised four children, with the family playing a prominent role in local Baptist church activities.

Biography of Charles H. Lugg

Charles H. Lugg (b. 1862, Geneva, Minnesota) served as the superintendent of schools in Hutchinson County, South Dakota. Raised in Freeborn County, Minnesota, he began teaching at 19 after attending high school in Albert Lea and further studies at Valparaiso’s Northern Indiana Normal School. Lugg held various educational roles, including superintendent in Olivet and Parkston, before being elected county superintendent in 1902. A committed Republican and Presbyterian elder, he was active in community and fraternal organizations. In 1894, he married Mary A. Parrott, with whom he had two daughters, Laura and Esther.

Biography of Charles Zehnpfening

Charles Zehnpfening (b. 1868, Madison, Wisconsin) was a prominent business figure in Parkston, South Dakota, known for his work in the grain industry. After relocating to Hutchinson County with his family in 1880, he later acquired and farmed land before transitioning to the grain business in 1895, forming a successful partnership in Parkston. An active member of the Catholic Church, Zehnpfening was also engaged in civic affairs, serving on the local board of education. He married Anna M. Puetz in 1889, and they raised six children together: Dora, Herbert, Frank, Clara, Fred, and Carl.

Biography of Paul Wildermuth

Paul Wildermuth (b. 1862, Bessarabia, Russia) was a prominent merchant and civic leader in Tripp, South Dakota. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1884 with his wife, Magdalena Gebhard, he homesteaded in Campbell County before moving to Tripp in 1887. Initially a carpenter, Wildermuth later transitioned to the grain trade and then to retail, co-owning a successful mercantile business. A committed Republican, he served in the South Dakota legislature in 1898. Active in the Lutheran Church and local social life, he and Magdalena raised nine children, contributing to Tripp’s growth and community spirit.

Biography of Lewis A. Fox

Lewis A. Fox (b. 1874, Faribault County, Minnesota) was the editor and proprietor of the *Tripp Ledger* in Tripp, South Dakota. After learning the printing trade in Lake Preston, South Dakota, Fox acquired the *Tripp Ledger* in 1893, transforming it into a respected local newspaper. Active in Republican politics and a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, he also served as justice of the peace for seven years. In 1898, he married Elsie E. Morris, with whom he had a daughter, Ruth. Fox’s family history includes deep military ties, with ancestors serving in conflicts from the War of 1812 to the Spanish-American War.

Biography of Edwin S. Johnson

Edwin S. Johnson (b. 1857, Owen County, Indiana) was a prominent banker and real estate operator in Armour, South Dakota. He co-founded the Johnson Brothers Company with his brother Homer, managing extensive land and loan interests across the region. Johnson began his career in Iowa, later pioneering in Nebraska before relocating to South Dakota in 1884. In addition to his business pursuits, he served as state’s attorney and state senator, shifting from the Republican to Democratic Party in 1896. He married Anna Thoreau in 1884 and remained an influential figure in both local politics and the Methodist Protestant church.

Biography of Gustavus R. Krause

Gustavus R. Krause (b. 1859, Dodge County, Wisconsin) was a prominent attorney based in Dell Rapids, Minnehaha County, South Dakota. The son of German immigrants Godfrey H. and Amelia Krause, he pursued education at a German private school, Baptist college in Monee, Illinois, and a business college in Burlington, Iowa. Krause initially engaged in the mercantile business in Nebraska before relocating to Dell Rapids in 1889. Admitted to the South Dakota bar in 1897, he built a successful legal career while actively participating in Republican politics and community life. He married Delia P. Christison in 1881, with whom he had two sons.

Biography of Damose Raymond

Damose Raymond, born in 1857 in St. Michel, Canada, was a successful farmer and stock grower in Charles Mix County, South Dakota. After early work in Canada and four years in Michigan’s lumber industry, he returned to Canada before settling in the U.S. He operated a meat market in St. Philippe for five years, then farmed in Nebraska before homesteading in Jackson Township, South Dakota. Starting with a sod house, Raymond built a thriving ranch focusing on red polled cattle and Poland China hogs. Widowed after the death of his first wife, Olivine Brindamour, in 1899, he remarried Zelia Cote in 1900.

Biography of John Barron

John Barron, born May 26, 1869, in Banffshire, Scotland, was a prominent farmer and stock raiser in Moody County, South Dakota. His family immigrated to the U.S. in 1880, settling in Ward Township, where his father, John Barron, Sr., developed a 1,760-acre farm that specialized in draft and coach horses, including imported Clydesdales, as well as Shorthorn cattle and Poland-China hogs. After his father’s passing in 1903, John Barron continued managing the family farm. A dedicated Democrat and active community member, he married Maud Estella Peart in 1891. The couple were members of the Presbyterian Church and were involved in various Masonic organizations.

Biography of Thomas C. Hansen

Thomas C. Hansen, born November 12, 1842, in Schleswig, Germany, immigrated to the United States at age 25 and settled in Scott County, Iowa, where he farmed for 18 years. In 1883, he moved to Brule County, South Dakota, purchasing and expanding a 160-acre claim into a prosperous 800-acre farm. Hansen specialized in cattle, horses, and hogs, with around 300 acres under cultivation. Known for his progressive methods, he built a substantial home surrounded by a grove he planted himself. A Democrat by political affiliation, Hansen was married to Elizabeth Willrodt, and they had two children: Adolph and Annie.