History of South Dakota - South Dakota Genealogy

Biography of John S. Mueller

History of South Dakota vol 1 title page

John S. Mueller, a prominent businessman in Parkston, Hutchinson County, was born in southern Russia on March 24, 1870. His parents, Johann and Wilhelmina (Hass) Mueller, emigrated to America in May 1881, settling in South Dakota. Johann, a homesteader and pre-emption claimant, lived there until his death in 1898. John S. Mueller attended public schools and an academy in Scotland, South Dakota. After various employments, he served as deputy county treasurer and county auditor. In 1901, he became assistant cashier of Hutchinson County Bank, later co-founding Parkston Land and Implement Company. A Republican and Lutheran elder, he married Elizabeth C. Gall in 1892, and they had six children.

Biography of Rev. John J. Reiland

Rev. John J. Reiland, born May 9, 1868, in Luxembourg, was the pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Parkston, Hutchinson County. His family emigrated to Wabasha County, Minnesota, in 1869. After studying at St. Francis Seminary in Wisconsin and the Propaganda College in Rome, he was ordained at the Gregorian University on October 28, 1891. Father Reiland served in White Lake and Aberdeen before taking charge of Sacred Heart Church in Parkston in 1897. Under his leadership, a new church building was constructed, and the parish included a parochial school managed by the Sisters of St. Joseph.

Biography of W. E. Tipton

W. E. Tipton, born June 10, 1854, in Schuyler County, Missouri, was a prominent figure in education and law. Son of Jabez B. and Isabel (Wright) Tipton, he descended from early American settlers. Tipton graduated with honors from the state normal school in Kirksville, Missouri, and served as superintendent in various schools. In 1883, he moved to South Dakota for health reasons, establishing himself in Douglas County’s legal community. Tipton contributed significantly to Armour’s development and held various public offices, including district attorney and county judge. He married twice, first to Myra Amsden and later to Emily Rogers, fathering five children.

Biography of George A. Silsby

George A. Silsby was born on March 28, 1847, in Rockford, Illinois, to Harvey Hammond and Melinda (Stearns) Silsby. Raised in Rockford, he started his career at fourteen as a machinist. During the Civil War, he enlisted in the Seventy-fourth Illinois Volunteer Infantry and later re-enlisted in the One Hundred and Thirty-second Illinois Volunteer Infantry, serving until the war’s end. Afterward, he worked in various trades before moving to Mitchell, South Dakota, in 1880. Silsby served as postmaster and later as mayor of Mitchell, and in 1899, he was appointed national bank examiner for South Dakota. A staunch Republican, he was also active in the Grand Army of the Republic and served as adjutant general of the South Dakota National Guard. Silsby married Emily Derwent on February 25, 1868, and they had two daughters, Mabel Claire and Maude Muller.

Biography of James E. Wells

James E. Wells, born May 23, 1858, in Cambria, Wisconsin, was a prominent alderman representing the fourth ward in Mitchell, South Dakota. He was the son of Ora B. and Sarah T. (Campbell) Wells and moved to South Dakota in 1873. After working various jobs in Wisconsin and Minnesota, he settled in Mitchell in 1880. Wells built a career in the lumber industry and later served as Davison County’s register of deeds for six years. He then established a successful business in abstracts, insurance, and real estate. A dedicated Republican, he also held multiple public offices, including clerk of the board of education and alderman. Wells was an active member of the Masonic order and other fraternal organizations. He married Fanny Wedehase in 1883, and they had three children: Ora B., Frederick A., and James Earl.

Biography of John Pusey

John Pusey, a prominent lawyer and public servant in Hand County, South Dakota, was born on May 8, 1860, in Champaign County, Illinois. He is the son of William R. and Margaret (White) Pusey. After studying law in Illinois and teaching intermittently, he moved to Miller, South Dakota, in 1882. Pusey was admitted to the Dakota Territory bar and established a law practice. He founded the Miller Gazette in 1883, a Democratic newspaper, and served in various public roles, including county judge, state legislator, and postmaster of Miller. A leader in the Democratic Party, he actively opposed a state dispensary system for liquor sales and held numerous fraternal affiliations.

Biography of James T. Jacobson

James T. Jacobson, born September 25, 1854, in Norway, immigrated to the United States in 1865. After initially settling in LaSalle County, Illinois, he moved to Livingston County. In 1882, he relocated to Aurora County, South Dakota, where he acquired and developed 1,280 acres of land in Palatine Township. Jacobson focused on agriculture, cultivating 400 acres and raising Shorthorn and Hereford cattle, as well as swine. A dedicated public servant and Republican, he served on the township board and school district. Married to Isabelle Johnson on January 14, 1885, the couple had five children: Grace O., Clara J., Jessie E., Martha T., and James E.

Biography of Eudell J. Miller

Eudell J. Miller, born June 15, 1859, in Cedar County, Iowa, was a significant pioneer and businessman in Miller, Hand County, South Dakota. Son of Henry and Nancy Miller, Eudell moved to Benton County, Iowa, as a child. In 1881, he and his father selected the site for the colony that became Miller, South Dakota. He was integral in founding the town, including co-publishing the first local newspaper, the Hand County Press. Miller also worked in real estate with Judge George C. Briggs. He was married to Anna E. Humphrey on December 28, 1882, and they had two children, Bessie E. and Earl H.

Biography of Rev. Harlan Page Carson, D. D.

Rev. Harlan Page Carson, D.D., was born on January 3, 1845, near Medora, Macoupin County, Illinois, to James M. and Eliza (Jane) Carson. His father, a farmer and abolitionist, lived in Illinois before moving to Kansas in 1887, where he died in 1891. Dr. Carson’s early education was in local schools, and he graduated from Blackburn University in 1870, later earning a Doctor of Divinity in 1889. Ordained in 1872, he served in various pastoral roles before moving to South Dakota in 1880. Active in church and mission work, he was also a Civil War veteran and deeply involved in educational and temperance efforts. Dr. Carson was married twice and had several children from both marriages.

Biography of James L. Hannett

James L. Hannett, born March 28, 1855, in Washington County, New York, was a notable lawyer in Mitchell, South Dakota, and a member of the law firm Preston & Hannett. Son of Edward and Elizabeth (Bailey) Hannett, he was educated at Masson College in Montreal and the University of Michigan’s law department, graduating in 1876. Hannett began his legal career in New York before relocating to Mitchell in 1882. He served as district attorney (1888-1890) and county judge (1891-1893). Married to Martha Ryan in 1877, they had eight surviving children. He was active in local politics and several fraternal organizations.

Biography of Philip A. Zollman

Philip A. Zollman, a distinguished lawyer in Alexandria, Hanson County, was born on October 14, 1866, in Charlestown, Indiana, to Philip and Catherine (Schaid) Zollman. After studying at Drake University and Iowa State University, he was admitted to the Iowa bar in 1893. Zollman moved to Alexandria later that year, establishing a successful law practice. He served as state’s attorney from 1894 to 1898 and was active in both Democratic and Republican politics. A dedicated Mason, Zollman attained the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite and was involved in several fraternal organizations.

Biography of Rev. Hugo Victor

Rev. Hugo Victor was born on November 15, 1842, in Osnabruck, Hanover, Germany, to Henry and Mary (von Ende) Victor. After his father’s death in 1847, Hugo immigrated to Baltimore, Maryland, in 1852 with his mother and stepfather. He apprenticed as a cigar maker before studying for the priesthood, being ordained in 1869. Father Victor served in various parishes across the United States, including Wisconsin and Minnesota, before settling in Alexandria, South Dakota, in 1902. He is recognized for his dedicated pastoral work, including the erection of new church buildings and significant community contributions.

Biography of Victor K. Stillwell

Victor K. Stillwell, born on December 8, 1856, in Kilbourn City, Wisconsin, was the cashier and general executive manager of the Farmers’ Bank of Alexandria, South Dakota. Son of David and Melissa N. (Augir) Stillwell, he moved to South Dakota in 1880 and homesteaded in Hanson County. In 1881, he married Eugenia A. Clark. After farming, he joined the Farmers’ Bank in Alexandria in 1888, becoming cashier in 1891. A dedicated Republican, Stillwell served as County assessor, mayor, board of education president, and state senator. He was an active member of several fraternal organizations and the Freewill Baptist church.

Biography of C. Loran Robertson, M. D.

Dr. C. Loran Robertson, born on April 11, 1867, in Zaleski, Ohio, is a respected physician practicing in Delmont, Douglas County, South Dakota. Son of Henry and Avaline (Smith) Robertson, he grew up in Ohio, where his father was a notable carpenter, contractor, and Civil War veteran. Dr. Robertson financed his medical education by teaching and graduated from the American Medical College in St. Louis in 1899. He established his practice in Delmont and has since gained recognition in the medical community. In 1897, he married Edith W. Vaughn of Olivet, South Dakota.

Biography of Charles Wesley Atkins

Charles Wesley Atkins, born on July 1, 1844, in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, moved to Illinois as a youth and attended Wesleyan University at Bloomington. He studied law under Hon. Walter Reeves in Streator, Illinois, and built a successful law practice before relocating to Columbia, South Dakota, in 1882. In South Dakota, Atkins practiced law, became a prominent figure in Brown County, and later pursued farming and stock raising. He owned a 480-acre farm near Columbia and was noted for his contributions to agriculture and livestock. Married to Emma L. Burgess in 1879, Atkins had four children and was active in the Methodist Episcopal church.

Biography of Charles N. Curtiss

Charles N. Curtiss, a prominent businessman in Wessington, Beadle County, was born on August 7, 1858, in Port Washington, Ozaukee County, Wisconsin. He received his early education in Wisconsin’s public schools, attended the University of Notre Dame for two years, and graduated from the University of Chicago in 1878. After working in a wholesale house in Chicago, he moved to South Dakota in 1882, where he established a successful lumber and general merchandise business in Wessington. Curtiss, a dedicated Republican, was involved in the Masonic fraternity and the Modern Woodmen of America. On April 14, 1892, he married Clara L. Ahlers of Dubuque, Iowa, and they had two children, Adele and Charles A.

Biography of Asa E. Curtiss

Asa E. Curtiss served as the postmaster of Wessington, Beadle County, from 1897, earning respect as a prominent citizen. Born on January 21, 1832, in Derby, Connecticut, he was the son of sea captain Joseph Curtiss and Mary (Hart) Curtiss. Moving to New York at age eight, Curtiss pursued education in common schools and later became a master of the steamer “Allegheny” on the Great Lakes by age 21. He married Sarah A. Davison in 1855, who died in 1894, leaving one son, Charles N. Curtiss. In 1898, he married Mary B. Spiller. Curtiss settled in Beadle County in 1882, developing government land claims and actively supporting the Republican Party.

Biography of Thomas Bell McMartin

Thomas B. McMartin, a distinguished lawyer in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was born in Fairfield, Iowa, on October 30, 1857, to Finlay and Martha McMartin. After moving to Dixon, Illinois, in 1865, he completed his education and began studying law under Eugene Pinckney, being admitted to the bar on March 18, 1879. McMartin moved to Sioux Falls in 1880, where he quickly advanced in his legal career. He formed partnerships with Eugene Coughran and later Judge John E. Garland before establishing his own practice in 1893. Known for his tenacity and skill, McMartin successfully handled significant cases, including one that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. He married Jennie M. Bowen in 1888, and they had one child, Thomas Bowen.

Biography of John M. Schaefer

John M. Schaefer, born on April 12, 1861, in southern Russia, was the treasurer of Hutchinson County and a prominent businessman in Tripp, South Dakota. His father, John M. Schaefer, born in Germany in 1814, moved to Russia at age fifteen. John M. Schaefer settled in Tripp in 1886, co-founding a general store with Gottlieb Doering. After selling his mercantile interests in 1901, he bought into the Mayer & Wildermuth business in 1903, forming Schaefer & Wildermuth. Elected county treasurer in 1900 and re-elected in 1902, he was a dedicated Republican and a Lutheran. He married Christina Doering in 1885, and they had six living children: Albert, Hulda, Amanda, Gustave, Edwin, and Ella.

Biography of R. E. Hayes

R. E. Hayes, senior member of Hayes & Black, a firm dealing in grain and agricultural implements in Pollock, Campbell County, was born on December 24, 1862, in Erie County, Pennsylvania. He was educated in Pennsylvania’s public schools and moved to South Dakota in 1882 to join his uncle, J. L. Thompson. After various business ventures in Vanderbilt and North Dakota, Hayes assisted in a trading business at the Cheyenne Indian Agency. In 1901, he relocated to Pollock, where he and his partner, David Black, established a successful grain and agricultural implement business, earning widespread respect in the community.