Downer T. Bramble, born February 28, 1831, near Montpelier, Vermont, was a pioneering businessman in Yankton, Dakota Territory. After working in the drug trade in Tennessee, Bramble moved to the Midwest, eventually establishing Yankton’s first frame building and general store in 1858. Known as the “big trader” by local Native Americans, he was integral to early trade and transportation, including founding a ferry and flour mill. He also co-founded the First National Bank of Yankton. Bramble held various civic roles and served as a federal land office receiver until his death in 1887.
Downer T. Bramble was born on a farm near the city of Montpelier, Vermont, on the 28th of February, 1831, and was a son of Charles and Matilda L. Bramble, both of whom were likewise born and reared in the old Green Mountain state, where they passed their entire lives, his father having been a farmer by vocation. The Bramble family is of English extraction and was established in New England in the early colonial epoch, while representatives of the name were found valiantly fighting in the cause of independence during the war of the Revolution. The subject received a common-school education, attending the schools of his native county until he had attained the age of seventeen years, and in the meanwhile assisting in the work of the home farm. At the age of seventeen, Mr. Bramble left the home roof and went to Nashville, Tennessee, where he became associated with his older brothers, George and Oilman, in the drug business, being thus engaged for about three years, within which period the memorable cholera scourge swept the country. At this time he went to Memphis, that state, and there opened a branch store, in company with his brother Oilman F. In later years he often recalled the horrors of the cholera epidemic. What was known as the dead wagon would pass through the streets at frequent intervals, and the driver would call in loud tones, “Bring out your dead,” the deaths being so numerous that no ceremony could be observed. Men would come into Mr. Bramble’s store and beg piteously for something to ease their agony, and not a few fell dead on the floor. Mr. Bramble remained in Memphis two years and thence removed to Ponca, Nebraska, where he engaged in the general merchandise business. While there he married, his wife dying only six months later. About 1856 Mr. Bramble loaded a wagon with goods suitable for trading with the Indians and started for Yankton in what is now the state of South Dakota. He was a man of kind and genial nature, and he won the firm friendship of the Indians, who always called him the “big trader.” He came to the site of the present city of Yankton in 1858, there being but one white man living there at the time. He was successful in his transactions with the Indians, and made many trips back to Sioux City for goods, utilizing an ox team and usually walking the greater portion of the distance. On the third trip he had accumulated sufficient money to enable him to purchase some lumber, with which he built his house, which was the first frame building erected in Yankton, while it was also utilized as a store, being the first mercantile establishment in Yankton. It may be said that this lumber was green cottonwood, and by the time he had transported the same to its destination it had become so warped that strenuous exertions were necessary to sufficiently untwist it for the purpose of erecting the building. It is worthy of historical note that this fine building was erected on the riverfront on First Street, between Douglas and Walnut streets, of the present city. About 1861 Mr. Bramble erected a more substantial building, one and one-half stories in height, and in the same he continued to conduct a general store for almost a quarter of a century. The devastation worked by the flood of 1881 caused him to fail in business, and he closed up the enterprise in the following year, much to the regret of his host of friends and acquaintances. During much of the time in the earlier portion of his business operations in Yankton Mr. Bramble ran a large transportation train, in which enterprise he was associated with Captain Veigh and Commodore Coleson as the Northwestern Transportation Company, transporting freight and passengers from eastern points to Yankton and continuing to the Black Hills district and other points. He had a large warehouse in Yankton, and while General Custer was stationed in the locality a terrible snowstorm swept this section, causing the entire military force to be snowbound, under which conditions the warehouse mentioned was opened for the accommodation of the horses. The next year, 1877, Mr. Bramble took a freighting outfit to Deadwood and other Black Hills points. He placed in operation the first steam ferry across the river from Yankton to the Nebraska shore of the Missouri, erected the first steam flouring mill in Yankton, which building is still standing, and was ever found at the forefront in promoting and aiding all enterprises for the general good and tending to forward the development and progress of the city and territory. For a number of years he maintained a branch store at Fort Pierre, the same being completely washed away in the flood of 1881. He was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Yankton and was a member of its directorate. In politics, he ever accorded an uncompromising allegiance to the Democratic party but invariably refused to permit the consideration of his name in connection with candidacy for public office. In 1883 Mr. Bramble went to the city of Chicago, where he remained for about one year, and he was then appointed, by President Cleveland, receiver of the land office at Watertown, in 1884, and he continued incumbent of this federal position until his death, which occurred on the 9th of October, 1887, as the result of cancer. He was greatly loved by all who knew him, and well exemplified in his character the truth of the statement that “the loving are the daring, the bravest are the tenderest.” He was a charter member of St. John’s Lodge, No. 1, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Yankton, with which he continued to be affiliated until his death, while he served as master of the same for a number of terms. He was a government trader with the Indians for about six years, under Major Conger, having received this appointment from the national capital.
In February 1861, while visiting in Connecticut, Mr. Bramble consummated a second marriage, being then united to Miss Martha Perry, who was born and reared in that state and whose father was a clergyman of the Presbyterian church. She died about sixteen months after her marriage, shortly after giving birth to a daughter, Carrie, who was laid by her side soon afterward, having survived her by only three months, the two being interred in the first cemetery plot in Yankton, where also were laid to rest the remains of the husband and father, many years later.
On the 15th of January, 1866, Mr. Bramble was married to Miss Virginia L. VanDerhule, who survives him and who still resides in the pleasant home in Watertown. She was born in New York City and is a daughter of Jesse D. and Hannah (Woodward) VanDerhule, the former of whom was born in the state of New York, a scion of the stanch old Holland stock, while the latter was born in Vermont, being of English extraction, and who died when Virginia was a child of five. They came to Yankton in 1865, making the change on account of the delicate health of Mr. VanDerhule, and here they passed the remainder of their lives, his death occurring March 26, 1871. In Yankton Mrs. Bramble began teaching when but thirteen years of age, and in order to give evidence of the consistent pedagogic dignity she donned “long dresses” at this time. She has the distinction of having been the first woman teacher in the territory of Dakota, and the building in which she held her school was a primitive log structure, equipped with cottonwood benches, and the same was located on what is now Walnut Street, below Second Street. She taught for five months and had enrolled sixty-seven pupils, varying in age from six to twenty-three years. She had met Mr. Bramble in her eastern home, and their acquaintance ripened into love after she had come to the west, while their married life was one of signal mutual devotion and ideal harmony. They became the parents of two children. Harry J., who enlisted in Company H, Thirty-first Michigan Volunteer Infantry, at the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, was in active service in Cuba, and after being mustered out he re-enlisted, becoming a member of Company H, Forty-second United States Volunteers, with which he continued in service in the Philippines until the regiment was mustered out, in the city of Manila, in the spring of 1901. He was then given a position in the government commissary in that city, where he still remains. Frank L., the younger son, married Miss Dana Lewis, who was born and reared in Michigan and who was a teacher in the Watertown schools for four years prior to marriage. Frank L. received his education in Yankton, and was employed in the post office at Watertown for six years, while he served two terms as County auditor. He is at the present time deputy bank examiner for South Dakota, his duties demanding his entire attention. He is identified with St. John’s Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of which he is treasurer at the time of this writing; and he is secretary of the lodge of Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
Reverting to the honored subject of this memoir, it should be noted that he materially assisted in securing the establishment of the first school in Yankton and in the organization of the first church, while Mrs. Bramble was equally prominent in forwarding these enterprises, having been a member of the organization of ladies who raised the money with which to erect the first school building, while she was especially prominent in organizing the first church, now that of the parish of Christ Church, Protestant Episcopal. She has long been a communicant of the church and has been active in the various departments of parish work. Mrs. Bramble is an artist of ability, having been a teacher of painting as well as having produced several works that have received attention wherever exhibited, including the World’s Fair in Chicago.
For twenty-five years Mrs. Bramble has been greatly handicapped, having been crippled as the result of a runaway, which has necessitated the use of a crutch. Though under this serious disadvantage, she has nobly done her duty to her family and friends.
Source: Robinson, Doane, History of South Dakota: together with mention of Citizens of South Dakota, [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen, 1904.