Lyman Burgess Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1339-1341 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	LYMAN BURGESS, who is now living retired in the city of 
Vermillion, Clay county, is a native of Whtaser, Norway, where he was 
born on the 16th of November, 1829, being a son of Burguf and Holberson 
Ingburg, his own surname being derived according to the custom of his 
native land. The father of the subject was a teacher by vocation, and 
passed his entire life in Norway, where he died in 1838. His widow, when 
well advanced in years, came to America in 1843, and passed the 
remainder of her life in the home of her son Oliver, in Fillmore county, 
Minnesota, her death occurring in 1857. In the family were nine 
children, of whom only two are now living, Oliver, who is a prominent 
and influential farmer of Wisconsin; and Lyman, who is the immediate 
subject of this review. All of the other children died in infancy. 

	Lyman Burgess received his early educational discipline in his 
native land, and when he was but fourteen years of age, in 1843, he came 
to America in company with his older brother, Oliver, who was twenty-two 
years old at the time. They located in Dane county, Wisconsin, and there 
the subject found employment as clerk in a general store in the village 
of Janesville, while later he worked in a local wheat market. At the age 
of eighteen years he purchased a farm of eighty-five acres, in Dane 
county, that state, disposing of the property a few years later. In 
1860, as a young man of thirty-one years, Mr. Burgess came to the 
territory of Dakota, driving an ox-team through from Wisconsin and 
arriving in Clay county in July of that year. Here he preempted one 
hundred and sixty acres, all being entirely wild and unimproved, while 
buffaloes and other wild game were abundant in the locality and the 
Indians frequent visitors. He erected a log house on his embryonic farm 
and initiated the onerous labor of reclaiming the land to cultivation, 
perfecting his title to the property in due course of time. This land he 
still retains in his possession, and it has been under cultivation for a 
longer period than practically any other tract in this section. He has 
accumulated adjoining lands, so that the area of his ranch at the 
present time is seven hundred acres, while it is one of the best 
improved and most valuable farms in the county, being situated in 
Fairview township, three miles from Vermillion. He erected a large and 
commodious residence on the farm, and also has the best type of farm 
buildings aside from the dwelling. In 1893 Mr. Burgess erected an 
attractive modern residence in the city of Vermillion, where he has 
since lived retired from active business, though he still maintains a 
general supervision of his farm, which he rents. He for many years 
devoted special attention to the raising of fine live stock in 
connection with his diversified farming, and he gave preference to the 
Durham breed of cattle, of which he always had many fine specimens. Mr. 
Burgess is a man of marked mentality and broad information, having read 
widely and with much discrimination, and keeping at all times in touch 
with the issues and questions of the day, while he has been animated by 
that liberality and public spirit which ever proves potent in furthering 
the general welfare and advancement. He is a staunch advocate of the 
principles and policies of the Republican party, and served for many 
years as a member of the board of township trustees, while for two years 
he was a member of the board of county commissioners. In 1861 he was 
elected to represent Clay county in the first territorial legislature, 
and he has taken an active part in public affairs in the days past, 
being now inclined to relegate such work to younger men, having "borne 
the heat and burden of the day" and played well his part as one of the 
founders and builders of an opulent and splendid commonwealth. It may be 
said that when he took up his residence in Clay county the present 
thriving and attractive little city of Vermillion was a mere trading 
post, having only a few buildings and a population of about ten 
individuals. Religiously Mr. Burgess is in sympathy with the creed of 
the Lutheran church. 

	On the 9th of May, 1856, in Cambridge, Wisconsin, Mr. Burgess was 
united in marriage to Miss Caroline Lee, who was born in Norway in 1840 
and came to the United States when eleven years old, being a daughter of 
Eric and Agot ( Johnson ) Lee, natives of Norway, who were numbered 
among the early settlers of the Badger state. Andrew Lee, the youngest 
of the four children, was one of the prominent pioneers of South Dakota 
and one of its most distinguished and influential citizens, having 
served as governor of the state in 1896. He is now engaged in the 
general merchandise business in Vermillion and also has extensive 
farming and stock interests. Of the nine children of Mr. and Mrs. 
Burgess a brief record is given in the following and concluding 
paragraph of this brief sketch, entered in tribute to one of the 
sterling pioneers of the state. 

	Charlotte, who is now at the parental home, was for twelve years a 
successful and popular teacher in the high school at Sioux City, Iowa; 
Dorothea, Hannah and Ellis are also at home; Clara is the wife of Hans 
J. Smith, who is engaged in the merchandise business at Akron, Iowa, and 
they have one son, Ralph; Grace and Pearl are at the parental home; 
Bergo L., who is associated with his brother-in-law, Mr. Smith, in the 
general merchandise business in Akron, Iowa, married Miss Louise Young, 
and they have two daughters, Ellen and Carlon; Eric A., who was 
graduated in the law department of the State University, at Vermillion, 
in 1889, is now a leading member of the bar of Sioux City, Iowa; he 
married Miss Mary Fry, and they have one son, Lyman Taylor. All of the 
children are college graduates, and each of the daughters received good 
musical training, while all have been successful teachers, Pearl at the 
present time taking a post-graduate course in music.