Masons - South Dakota Genealogy

Biography of Wellington J. Andrews

History of South Dakota vol 1 title page

Wellington J. Andrews, born April 14, 1865, near Ottawa, Canada, moved with his family to Bon Homme County, South Dakota, in 1874. After completing his education at Scotland Academy in 1886, Andrews pursued business ventures in Parkston and Scotland before establishing a successful grocery store in Sioux Falls in 1898. A dedicated Democrat, he actively participated in state and county politics but avoided seeking major office. Andrews was a member of several fraternal organizations, including the Masons and Elks. He married Persis U. Tyler in 1899, and they had one daughter, Edith Alice.

Biography of Nels C. Andrews

Nels C. Andrews, born August 14, 1868, in Racine, Wisconsin, became a prominent figure in Irene, South Dakota, where he managed J. H. Queal & Company. His parents, Christ and Marie Christensen, emigrated from Denmark in 1868, settling in Wisconsin before moving to Turner County, South Dakota, in 1877. Nels attended Sioux Falls College, graduating in 1899, and spent a decade teaching in Turner County. He married Christine Olson in 1895, and they had four children: Rubie, Una, Pearl, and Newell. Active in local politics and civic organizations, Andrews served as mayor and held various public offices in Irene.

Biography of C. J. Anderson

C. J. Anderson, born in Zanesville, Ohio, pursued his education at the Ohio State Normal School before enlisting in the Nineteenth Ohio Volunteer Infantry in 1861. He served for over four years during the Civil War. Afterward, he settled in Delavan, Illinois, where he worked in the hardware business. Anderson later moved to Aurora County, South Dakota, becoming one of the founders of Plankinton and establishing its first mercantile business. He held various public offices, including register of deeds, and was active in the Republican Party. He married Elizabeth Gates, and they had three children.

Biography of Alva N. Aldrich

Alva N. Aldrich, born August 29, 1866, in Ionia, Michigan, became the mayor of Aberdeen, South Dakota, and the proprietor of the Wisconsin House hotel. After relocating to South Dakota in 1887 and facing hardships with his homestead in Brown County, Aldrich moved to Aberdeen, where he transitioned into the hotel business in 1896. His leadership in the city was marked by reforms, including stricter enforcement of alcohol and gambling laws. Elected mayor in 1904, he previously served on the city council. In 1895, Aldrich married Louise Wylie, and they had one son, Louis Wylie Aldrich.

Biography of Alfred Alder

Alfred Alder, born August 29, 1846, in Buffalo, New York, became a prominent businessman in Volin, Yankton County, South Dakota. Son of John and Mary A. (Rosenbach) Alder, he learned the millwright trade from his father and operated a flour mill in Eastman, Wisconsin, before relocating to Nebraska and South Dakota. After establishing a successful mercantile business, he built the Volin flouring mill in 1892, significantly benefiting the community. A Union Army veteran, Alder enlisted in 1864 and served in the First Illinois Light Artillery. He married Mary A. Finney in 1873, and they had ten children.

Biography of John Q. Adams

John Q. Adams, born November 8, 1867, in Lafayette County, Wisconsin, was a prominent attorney in Flandreau, Moody County, South Dakota. His parents, William T. and Clara (Blackstone) Adams, were of English descent, with roots in America since the colonial era. Raised in Franklin County, Iowa, Adams attended Iowa State Agricultural College and later graduated with a law degree from Iowa State University in 1893. He practiced law in Flandreau, served as Moody County state’s attorney, and held federal positions. In 1896, he married Cecilia F. Pallansch, and they had one daughter, Lillian Frances, born in 1900.

Biography of John E. Adams

John E. Adams, a prominent lawyer and early member of the Brown County bar in South Dakota, was born in Paterson, New Jersey, in 1857. After moving with his family to Pennsylvania, he attended Allegheny College and was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1880. In 1883, Adams moved to Dakota Territory, establishing his practice in Columbia before relocating to Aberdeen when it became the county seat. He served as mayor of Columbia in 1887, as county judge from 1890, and as mayor of Aberdeen in 1900. Adams was also active in Scottish Rite Masonry and various fraternal organizations. He married Martha E. Wilkinson in 1888, and they had five children.

Biography of Francis D. Adams

Francis D. Adams was born in Waterbury, Vermont, in 1838 and later moved to Michigan, where he worked in manufacturing before serving in the Civil War as a lieutenant in the First Michigan Engineers and Mechanics. In 1880, he relocated to Groton, South Dakota, where he co-founded the Farmers’ Bank and became a prominent civic leader. Adams served in the South Dakota State Senate and was appointed to the state board of regents of education. He passed away in 1899, survived by his wife, Jane (Ashley) Adams, and their four children: Persis, George, John, and Charles.

Biography of Edward L. Abel

Edward L. Abel, born November 19, 1860, in Springfield, Illinois, was the son of Oramel H. and Mary (Moore) Abel. Abel pursued education at Southern Illinois Normal University before being admitted to the Illinois bar in 1884. After relocating to Bridgewater, South Dakota, in 1887, he joined the State Bank of Bridgewater, eventually becoming its president. Abel was active in public service, serving as mayor of Bridgewater, a state senator, and president of the South Dakota Bankers’ Association. He married Ella C. Smith in 1883, and they had two children, Roy W. and Gertrude M. Abel.

Biography of Orlin A. Abeel

Orlin A. Abeel, born on August 17, 1849, in Albany, New York, was a descendant of John Abeel, an early mayor of Albany. After relocating with his family to Madison, Wisconsin, in his youth, Abeel worked in various clerical and executive positions, including roles with the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad and the Bradstreet Mercantile Agency. In 1888, he became cashier of the Bank of Centerville and later held the same position at the Alcester State Bank. Abeel was also a newspaper editor and a committed Mason. He married Edith L. Hall in 1888, and they had five sons. Orlin A. … Read more

Biography of William W. Waddell

William W. Waddell (b. 1844, Freeport, Illinois) served as the sheriff of Codington County, South Dakota, after a long and distinguished career. A Civil War veteran, Waddell enlisted in the 46th Illinois Volunteer Infantry in 1861 and served until 1866, participating in key battles such as Fort Donelson, Vicksburg, and Shiloh. After the war, he worked as a bookkeeper before settling in Codington County in 1883. Waddell served as deputy sheriff for nine years before being elected sheriff in 1902. He was known for his effectiveness and courage in law enforcement. Waddell married Mittie Whitford in 1899, and they had two children.

Biography of Col. Lee Stover

Col. Lee Stover (b. 1867, Iowa County, Iowa) was a prominent land and corporation attorney in Watertown, South Dakota, and served as the register of the U.S. Land Office there. After earning degrees in science and law from Iowa State University, Stover began his legal practice in Watertown in 1889. In 1898, he was appointed register of the land office but resigned to serve as lieutenant colonel of the First South Dakota Volunteer Infantry during the Philippine-American War. Returning in 1899, he resumed his legal career and was reappointed as land office register. Stover was also active in various fraternal organizations and served as a state attorney for Codington County. He married Maude Newell Gipson in 1890, and they had two children.

Biography of B. T. Boylan

B. T. Boylan (b. 1858, Beaver Dam, Wisconsin) was a prominent businessman and politician in Armour, South Dakota. After moving to Cherokee County, Iowa, with his family in 1876, he later settled in Douglas County, South Dakota, in 1882. Initially farming, Boylan transitioned to the implement business in Grand View before relocating to Armour in 1887. He expanded into real estate in 1899 and served as county treasurer from 1894 to 1898 and as a state legislator in 1900. A staunch Republican, Boylan was active in Masonic and other fraternal organizations. He married Mary E. Lawrence in 1886, and they had three children.

Biography of David D. Wipf

David D. Wipf (b. 1872, Southern Russia) was a prominent figure in Hutchinson County, South Dakota, serving as county auditor and editor of the *Olivet Leader*. The son of David and Katherina (Stahl) Wipf, he immigrated to Dakota Territory with his family in 1879. Raised on a homestead near Freeman, he taught school before becoming deputy treasurer and later county auditor in 1901. In 1903, he co-purchased the *Olivet Leader*, becoming its editor. Wipf was active in local Republican politics, Masonic organizations, and the Mennonite church. He married Katharina Wipf in 1891, and they had two children.

Biography of Abraham Boynton

Abraham Boynton, born in Campton, New Hampshire, in 1843, became a prominent figure in South Dakota. After moving to Wisconsin in 1855, Boynton pursued education but left to serve in the Civil War, enlisting in the 4th Wisconsin Infantry, where he rose to first lieutenant. Post-war, he became a county superintendent and later a pioneer merchant in Dakota Territory. Moving to Mitchell in 1894, Boynton held various public roles, including U.S. Land Office registrar. A committed Democrat, Mason, and church member, Boynton married Minnie Schultz in 1866. They had one son, Abraham Albert, who also resided in Mitchell.

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 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 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 Garrett Droppers

Garrett Droppers, born April 12, 1860, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was a distinguished academic who became president of South Dakota State University in Vermillion in 1898. A graduate of Harvard College, class of 1886, with a focus on economics, Droppers furthered his studies in Germany and later taught at the University of Tokyo, Japan. His contributions to economics and cultural understanding, including reports on Japan for the U.S. government, earned him wide recognition. After returning to the U.S., he took leadership of the university, advancing its academic standing. Droppers married twice and had three children with his second wife, Jean Tewkesbury Rand.

Biography of Hiram A. Park

Hiram A. Park, born March 28, 1838, in Montrose, Pennsylvania, was a prominent wholesale grocer in Watertown, South Dakota. After moving west in 1858, Park served in the Civil War with the First Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, rising to the rank of first lieutenant. Following the war, he established a grocery business in Red Wing, Minnesota, before relocating to Watertown in 1886 to open a successful wholesale operation. He later co-founded Park, Grant & Morris, a major grocery house in Fargo, North Dakota. Park was married twice and had four sons, two of whom predeceased him. He was active in the Episcopal church and Masonic order.