boynton


	This biography appears on pages 942-944 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	ABRAHAM BOYNTON, who is now living practically retired from 
active business in the city of Mitchell, was born at Campton, Grafton 
county, New Hampshire, on the 15th of September, 1843, being a son of 
Pickens and Emily Ann (Gilman) Boynton, the former of whom was a 
clergyman of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was actively engaged 
in ministerial work until his death, in June, 1869, at Westfield, 
Wisconsin. He was born at Lemington, Essex county, Vermont, in November 
1815, being a son of Abraham and Martha (Pickers) Boynton the former of 
whom was born in April, 1783, in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and who 
served with distinction in the war of 1812, and was a member of the 
Vermont legislature one term and of the legislature of New Hampshire 
for three terms, while he was also a member of the constitutional 
convention of the latter state, in 1850. He died in Dakota territory, 
in 1875, and was laid to rest at Westfield, Wisconsin to which place he 
had removed from New Hampshire in 1855. His wife passed away in 1868. 
Both family names have been identified with the annals of American 
history from the colonial epoch, and the genealogical lines are clearly 
and fully traced back through many generations, the date being far too 
voluminous for reviewing in such a work as the one at hand.  

	The rudimentary education of the subject was received in the 
public schools of New Hampshire, and he was about twelve years of age 
at the time of the family removal to Wisconsin, where he continued to 
attend the public schools and finally entered Brunson's Institute, at 
Point Bluff, that state, being a student there at the time of the 
outbreak of the Civil war. He was pursuing the classical course but 
withdrew to tender his services in defense of the Union, in consequence 
of which he was never graduated. He worked on the home farm when not 
attending school, but his ambition was quickened to preparing himself 
for a broader sphere of endeavor and he spared no pains in the 
prosecution of his educational work during his youthful days.  

	On the 23d of April, 1861, Mr. Boynton enlisted in Company D, 
Fourth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, which afterward became a cavalry 
regiment, and with this command he served during the entire period of 
the war, being mustered out in September, 1865. He was promoted to the 
position of a non-commissioned officer, later being made second 
lieutenant of his company and finally first lieutenant. His command was 
assigned to the Army of the Gulf and he saw much hard service, 
participating in many of the important battles which marked the 
progress of the great internecine conflict. After the war Mr. Boynton 
was elected and served four years as county superintendent of schools 
and continued to reside in Westfield, Wisconsin, until 1872, when he 
came to the territory of Dakota and located in Lincoln county, becoming 
one of the pioneer merchants of this section of the state, being 
engaged in the hardware business principally, in the town of Lennox, 
where he continued to reside until 1887. when he was appointed a 
railroad commissioner of the territory, serving two years. From 1889 to 
1894 he was engaged in the milling business at Elk Point, and in the 
latter year he removed to Mitchell, where he has since maintained his 
home. From 1894 to 1898 he served as register of the United States land 
office in this place and since that time has lived practically retired, 
giving a general supervision to his various capitalistic interests. In 
1898 he held the office of referee in bankruptcy, having been appointed 
by Judge Caland. Mr. Boynton has ever been a stalwart advocate of the 
principles of the Democratic party, and he has been one of its leaders 
both in the territory of Dakota and the state of South Dakota, having 
been a member of the Democratic territorial central committee for 
twelve years and of the state central committee for two years, while he 
served four years as a member of the Democratic congressional committee 
from this state. Mr. Boynton became a Master Mason in 1865, and he was 
a charter member of Lennox Lodge, No. 35, Ancient Free and Accepted 
Masons, at Lennox, being its first worshipful master. He was made a 
Royal Arch Mason in 1866 and has also passed the cryptic and chivalric 
degrees, thus completing the circle of York-rite Masonry. He was a 
charter member of the first lodge of the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows in Lennox and was the first commander of Lennox Post, No. 21, 
Grand Army of the Republic. He is also a charter member of Mitchell 
Council, U. D., Royal and Select Masters, in Mitchell, of which he was 
the first illustrious master, while for seven years he was an officer 
in the Masonic grand lodge of the territory of Dakota. At the present 
time he is identified with the various Masonic bodies in Mitchell, 
still retaining his affiliation with the Grand Army post at Lennox. Mr. 
Boynton is a communicant of the Protestant Episcopal church, he having 
been confirmed by Bishop Clarkson in 1876, and he is one of the valued 
members of St. Mary's parish, in Mitchell.  

	On the 12th of June, 1866. was solemnized the marriage of Mr. 
Boynton to Miss Minnie Schultz, of Harris, Wisconsin, she being a 
daughter of Gottlieb and Augusta Schultz, who emigrated from Germany to 
the United States in 1861, being natives of Prussia, where they were 
born and reared. Abraham Albert, the only child of Mr. and Mrs. 
Boynton, was born at Westfield, Wisconsin, on the 2d of June, 1807, and 
resides in Mitchell, having been for the past ten years a clerk in the 
United States land office in this city.