Horace J. Austin and Rachel M. R. Austin Biographies


	These biographies appears on pages 1088-1091 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	Photos of Horace J. Austin and Mrs. Rachel M. R. Austin appear  
	between pages 1088 and 1089.


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	HORACE J. AUSTIN. — Standing in the clear white light of a life 
and character such as denoted the late Horace J. Austin, we are moved 
to a feeling of admiration, respect and reverence, for he stood for all 
that signifies sane, well poised and noble manhood. He was one of the 
foremost citizens of the state of South Dakota, and in his home city of 
Vermillion, Clay county, his death came with a sense of personal 
bereavement to his fellow townsmen, who could not but appreciate his 
sterling worth and his value to the community. It is fitting that in 
this history be incorporated a memoir of this distinguished citizen.  

	Horace J. Austin was born in Washington county New York, July 11, 
1837, and when he was two years of age his parents removed thence to 
Essex county, that state, where he was reared to manhood continuing to 
abide beneath the home roof until the fall of 1857, when, as a young man 
of twenty years, he set forth to seek his fortunes as a pioneer in the 
west, his educational advantages having been such as were afforded in 
the common schools. He proceeded as far as Dubuque, Iowa, where he 
secured employment with a company of surveyors, and there he made his 
home for two years save when absent on surveying expeditions. Twice 
within this period his business brought him within the confines of the 
territory of Dakota, and on the second trip he decided to here take up 
his permanent residence. Accordingly he located in Yankton, the capital 
of the territory, where he was living at the time of the outbreak of the 
Civil war. In 1861 he enlisted in Company A, First Dakota Cavalry, which 
was stationed for. some time in Vermillion, where it was mustered out on 
the 8th of May 1865, having thus served during the entire period of the 
war, principally in repelling the ravages of hostile Indians, and the 
record of our subject as a soldier was one that will ever redound to his 
honor. After his military career he continued to reside in Vermillion 
until his death, which occurred on the 27th of February, 1891, as the 
result of an attack of pneumonia, which brought his life to a close in 
the zenith of its power and usefulness. From a previously published 
outline of his career we enter the following excerpt: 

	Although he never had the advantages of what is technically 
designated as higher education, he was a man who had the power of 
gaining much through absorption, observation and personal application, 
and his knowledge of men and affairs was well rounded and symmetrical. 
His honesty, integrity and steadfastness of character won him a high 
place in the hearts of the people, and he was six times elected a member 
of the legislature. In 1868-9 he was president of the territorial 
council. As a civil engineer he secured government surveying contracts 
every year from 1866 until his death, and there are few if any counties 
in the state which do not bear some of his surveying stakes. In temporal 
affairs Mr. Austin was greatly prospered, but freely as he received, 
with equal freedom did he give to the poor and needy. His was a kindly, 
sympathetic nature and charity and tolerance abided with him as constant 
guests. The principles of diligence and faithfulness were early mastered 
by him and ever dominated his course in life. His name, too, was a 
synonym of honesty, and in writing to his sister, several years prior to 
his death, he said: "I am being prospered, but this :much I can say, I 
have never taken an unjust penny from any man." In the political history 
of South Dakota he bore an honorable part, and as a legislator was 
associated with such men of prominence as Moody, Brookings and a host of 
others, and was the acknowledged peer of all. As a citizen he believed 
in law and its obeyance, and as a man he was gentle, courteous and 
obliging. In truth, Horace J. Austin was well-nigh the embodiment of 
man's ideal. He was a sturdy pioneer, a patient soldier, a faithful 
legislator, a true citizen, a loyal friend, and, last but not least, a 
loving and indulgent husband.  

	On the occasion of his funeral the president of the State 
University spoke of him as follows: "With all his modesty and 
simplicity, he was a great, strong man and played a full man's part in 
the world. He could not be moved from the position which he believed to 
be right; he was true to his conscience. He was like a child in freedom 
from trickery or meanness or malice. He was every inch a man in the 
thick of life's struggles with evil and wrong. With a heart tender to 
suffering, he knew what it was to be righteously indignant against the 
evils that produce suffering. What a wide range of character these 
traits cover! A simple-hearted, strong-willed, generous, gentle man — 
what more can be said of character? * * And I call this life successful 
because, first, Mr. Austin won an honorable success in his chosen 
pursuit. He became an expert surveyor; he acquired reputation and a 
competence. His work was honest work. Successful, second, in that he was 
a loyal and loved citizen and an honored public servant. There was no 
public enterprise in which he was not interested. He could be counted on 
for everything that concerned the welfare of the people. And it was a 
matter of course that such a man should be chosen for public service. He 
was the model citizen. He. never sought office; he was too distrustful 
of his own abilities, too modest for that. He shunned rather than 
courted responsibility, yet, like a true man, when the office sought him 
he accepted it as a true citizen, with determination to do his best." 
Mr. Austin was a member of the lower house of the state legislature at 
the time of his death, and thus he died in the harness, faithful to the 
last and one of that noble band of pioneers who were associated in the 
founding and building of a great commonwealth. His political support was 
given to the Republican party and fraternally he was prominently 
identified with the Masonic order and the Grand Army of the Republic. 
Though he never formally identified himself with any religious body he 
had the deepest reverence for the spiritual verities as exemplified in 
the Christian faith and guided and guarded his life in accord with the 
teachings of the divine Master, whom he served with humility and 
reverence, his being the faith that makes faithful.  

	The home of Mr. Austin was ever to him a sacred spot, and here his 
ambitions and affections centered and shone most resplendently. To 
violate this sanctity by words of eulogy would be most flagrant abuse in 
this connection, but in conclusion of this memoir we enter a brief 
record concerning the domestic chapter in his life history. On the 21st 
of March, 1870, Mr. Austin was united in marriage to Miss Rachel M. 
Ross, who was born in Trumbull county Ohio, on the 1st of June, 1838, 
being a daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Palm) Ross. The father died in 
Arkansas and Mrs. Ross later came to Vermillion Dakota, where she died 
on the 22d of January, 1876. Mrs. Austin, whose death occurred March 6, 
1904, was a woman of gracious presence and noble character and proved a 
true helpmeet to her husband, their companionship being ideal in all its 
relations. Mr. and Mrs. Austin had no children, but their generous 
natures prompted them to provide a home for three children, all of whom 
were reared with utmost care and solicitude, namely: Leroy 0. Stevens, 
who is now living at Victor, Colorado; Anna Ross, who is now at Silex, 
Missouri, and Helen P., who was legally adopted by them in infancy, 
being now of Vermillion.  

	Rachel Ross was born in Warren, Trumbull county, Ohio, June 1, 
1838, where she grew to young womanhood, and received her education. In 
1867, with her mother, she came to Dakota territory and took up her home 
in Vermillion. Soon after her arrival here, she was employed by the 
pioneer people to teach in the schoolhouse which they had erected — the 
old log school-house in the ravine — and even today are those in this 
city who were her pupils at that time. In 1870 she was married to Horace 
J. Austin, who preceded her to the better land some thirteen years ago. 
Never were husband and wife any more alike or more congenial in their 
natures. They possessed the same ideas as regards the doing of good to 
their fellow-beings.  

	When Mr. Austin died and left to his wife his large estates, she 
used the income in the manner that they both did before: the relief of 
the suffering and needy, the making of a pleasant home, and assisting in 
all the public enterprises in which the people of the city were 
interested. She donated to the city the block of land near the fair 
grounds to be used for park purposes; and although she has not been 
permitted to live to see its full development, yet that park will stand 
as a monument to her large-heartedness and public spirit. And in days to 
come, as the generations view this monument it will recall to their 
minds the life and works of a good, true and generous woman.  

	In the early history of this community Mrs. Austin was one of the 
foremost figures. In religious work she was among the leaders. She was a 
charter member of the first organization in this city, and was the last 
survivor of that noble band who worked so hard and faithfully during 
those early days to establish the church in this community, and from the 
earliest inception of the society up to the present time she has been 
one of the pillars in the support of the church and organization. She 
was always ready and willing to do more than her share in matters 
pertaining, to its welfare Her home was always open to church social 
gatherings, and her life was devoted to the cause of the Master.  

	Mrs. Austin was an untiring worker in the ranks of the Woman's 
Christian Temperance Union, and to her devotion is largely due the fact 
that the local union has been made one of the strongest in the state. It 
was but a week before her death that she opened the doors of her home 
for a public memorial service in honor of the memory of Frances E. 
Willard. As a tribute to her memory, the following testimonial by the 
Woman's Christian Temperance Union was read at the funeral services:  

	In behalf of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, we desire to 
express the regret we feel in the loss of our dear sister, Mrs. Austin, 
who was so heavenly in her aims, and who earnestly worked to extend the 
blessings of temperance and to build up the union. We believe if the 
sealed lips could speak to us from the calm heights among the hills of 
God, that it would be to bid the women of today stand together to secure 
for the world a truer motherhood, a nobler manhood, a higher type of 
citizenship. Through the help of Christian womanhood homes are to be 
lifted from dishonor. The world is better because of the life of such a 
woman, and while her noble soul was ever filled with gratitude to God, 
her great heart was ever reaching out in helpfulness to humanity. It 
does not seem possible that we shall no more see her "till we lift the 
latch and pass into the other chamber of the King, a chamber larger than 
this." It is very hard to say, "Thy will be done." How can we get on 
without her?  

	She always gave her warmest support to any cause that she thought 
was right, and when the woman suffrage movement was started she 
identified herself with the work, and at the time of her death was 
president of the local league. Four years ago, when the proposition was 
up for the consideration of the voters in the shape of a constitutional 
amendment, she managed the campaign in this county, and brought to the 
standard of the equal suffragists far more support than the advocates of 
the movement had anticipated.  

	She was a prominent member of the Eastern Star lodge, and in her 
death the members of that order were called upon to mourn the loss of 
one whose counsels were looked up to with confidence, and whose advice 
was timely and good. As a tribute to her memory the members of the order 
complied with her often expressed desire, and took up a goodly 
collection and sent to the Children's Home at Sioux Falls.  

	Another society in whose work she took the utmost interest was the 
Cemetery Improvement Association. It was her aim to, make a beautiful 
place of this resting-place of the dead. And now as her body lies within 
the enclosure of that sacred spot, her associates of the society will 
recall her efforts in bringing Bluff View Cemetery to its present 
orderly arrangement.   

	She was a heavy stockholder in the County Fair Association, and 
took an active interest in the work pertaining to the annual 
exhibitions. She was very fond of the young people, and always had room 
in her home for some young man or woman who was working his or her way 
through school or college. There are many of this class of pupils who 
have attended the University in years past, who will give evidence of 
her large-heartedness and her timely assistance while they were 
struggling on the upward grade.  

	In educational matters Mrs. Austin took a deep interest. Not only 
did she lend her energies to the betterment of educational facilities, 
but she had the interests of the teachers at heart. Her spacious lawn 
and pleasant home have been the scene of many a happy party given to the 
teachers of the city and county, and she was always happy when she was 
engaged in entertaining a company of this kind. At the city election in 
1903 she was chosen a member of the city school board from the fourth 
ward, and had been faithful in the discharge of her duties as such 
member. The other members of the board have been aided by her presence, 
and they will miss her quick womanly discernment and sound judgment. As 
a mark of respect to her memory, the board dismissed school on Tuesday 
and the board and the teachers attended the funeral services in a body.  

	All of Mrs. Austin's public and private benefactions originated in 
her own home and radiated from that home out into the community. She had 
an intuitive way of finding out who really needed help, and when she 
found that some poor family was destitute and the family was worthy, 
help was immediately forthcoming. She had an extraordinary power of 
estimating the value of timely help where help was needed. Many are the 
times that she has ordered groceries and provisions sent from the stores 
to the needy ones in the city, and there are those who will miss her 
faithful watchfulness and gentle ministrations in this regard. She felt 
that it was her duty — the performance of these many kindnesses — and 
she never shrank from what she deemed to be her duty, no matter where 
the performance of that duty lay.  

	In view of Mrs. Austin's generosity, her man kindnesses and her 
gifts to the city, Mayor Bryant issued the following proclamation:  

	MAYOR'S OFFICE, Vermillion, S. D., March 8, 1904.  

	Again death has entered our city and claimed one of our number, 
whose strength of mind and character and whose devotion to duty and 
interest in the welfare of others made her more than ordinary, Mrs. H. 
J. Austin, Her life work was not confined to the radius of a few, but 
extended to the public at large in more ways than one. One of our city 
parks we today own by the grace of her benevolence. Her death casts a 
gloom over our entire city, I, therefore, express what I am certain will 
be the desire of every citizen, that, during the funeral hour from three 
to four o'clock this afternoon, all places of business be closed and all 
business be suspended, that we may as a city show our admiration for her 
character.  
		W. C. BRYANT, Mayor.