Flandreau - South Dakota Genealogy

Biography of John Q. Adams

History of South Dakota vol 1 title page

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 Harry D. James

Harry D. James, a prominent young lawyer in Wagner, South Dakota, was born in Ogle County, Illinois, on October 14, 1869. His father, Amos C. James, a Civil War veteran, relocated the family to Bon Homme County, South Dakota. Harry attended Yankton College and the agricultural school in Brookings before studying law in Sioux Falls. Admitted to the bar, he practiced in Flandreau, serving two terms as state’s attorney. Known for his vigorous prosecution style, he moved to Wagner about a year ago, combining legal work with stock raising. He married Emeline Seaman in 1895, and they have one daughter, Lucile.

Biography of S. P. Waxdahl

S. P. Waxdahl, born in Norway in 1847, emigrated to America in 1869. He initially settled in Wisconsin, working on farms and as a sailor on Lake Michigan. After a stint in California from 1875 to 1878, he moved to Moody County, South Dakota, in 1877, where he homesteaded a tract of wild prairie land near Flandreau. Waxdahl transformed this land into a productive farm, engaging in diversified farming and stock raising. A committed Republican and active community member, he has served as a school director. On January 31, 1880, he married Regina Anderson, and they have six children: Regina, Bertina, Albert, Edward P., Ingyald, and Sophia.