Nobles County MN Archives Biographies.....Bedford, S. B. 1857 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com October 19, 2006, 10:53 am Author: Arthur P. Rose (1908) S. B. BEDFORD, state senator from the Nobles-Murray, district, cashier of the State Bank of Rushmore, and prominent in the business, political and religious life of the community in which he lives, is one of the best known men in Nobles county. Coming to the county when a boy sixteen years old he has grown up here and identified himself with the interests of the county as few men have. The subject of this sketch was born on a farm in Sullivan county, Pa., Oct. 10, 1857, the son of Jonas Bedford and Lydia (Molyneux) Bedford. His father was a native of Yorkshire, England, and came to America when a child; he died in January, 1899. His mother was born in Pennsylvania and is still living at her home in Rushmore. Jonas Bedford came to Nobles county May 1, 1872, took a homestead two miles southeast of the present village of Rushmore, and remained a resident of the county until his death. The family came on April 2, 1873, and that is the date of the arrival of Senator Bedford to the county. His early schooling was obtained in the common schools of his native county in Pennsylvania; he completed his education with a four years' course in the public schools of Worthington. At the age of 19, after quitting school, S. B. Bedford secured employment in the drug store of R. D. Barber at Worthington, and there he remained four years. He secured a diploma as a registered pharmacist and in the spring of 1880 bought out a small drug store in Rushmore, and that village has been his home ever since that event. In the fall of the same year he bought out the general merchandise store of S. M. Rushmore, that pioneer merchant after whom the town was named, in which business Mr. Bedford was engaged until recent years. In 1894 he established the Bank of Rushmore, which he conducted until the spring of 1903, when it was reorganized into the State Bank of Rushmore. Mr. Bedford has been cashier of the institution ever since its founding. Besides his banking business, Mr. Bedford is interested in many other business enterprises in the village in which he lives. Mr. Bedford has been many times elected to office within the gift of the people of the township, village, county and district in which he lives. Before the incorporation of Rushmore he served many terms as member of the board of supervisors of Dewald township, township clerk and township treasurer. From 1880 to 1894 he served as postmaster of Rushmore. He was county commissioner from 1884 to 1888. When Rushmore was incorporated in 1900 he was elected president of the council, was reelected in 1901, 1902, 1903 and 1906. During the years 1904 and 1905 he served as trustee. Mr. Bedford has been a life long republican and has taken a prominent part in the political affairs of the county, attending county and state conventions in nearly every campaign. In the fall of 1906 he secured the nomination, by primary ballot, on the republican ticket, for state senator from the Nobles-Murray district, his opponent being Hon. Daniel Shell. At the general election he was elected, defeating John F. Flynn, the democratic nominee, and now represents the district in the state house. His term expires in 1911. Mr. Bedford was married in October, 1880, to Miss Alida Detmering. To them have been born six children, one dying in infancy, as follows: Bessie (Mrs. Burr Ludlow), Rushmore; Mabel (Mrs. A. C. Constable), Goodland, Ind.; Clayton, Rushmore; Alida, Rushmore; Arba, Rushmore. Additional Comments: Extracted from: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY OF NOBLES COUNTY MINNESOTA BY ARTHUR P. ROSE NORTHERN HISTORY PUBLISHING COMPANY WORTHINGTON, MINNESOTA PUBLISHERS 1908 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/nobles/bios/bedford35gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/ File size: 4.2 Kb