Silas Burton


	This biography appears on pages 1051-1052 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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	SILAS BURTON, one of the honored and esteemed residents of Yankton 
county, was born in Litchfield county, Connecticut, on the 22d of 
December, 1837. his parents being James and Harriet Burton, in whose 
family were nine children, namely: Silas, Malvina, Lewis, Diadama, 
Almoure (who died in the United States army), Charles, Mary, Elizabeth, 
Florence, Ruth and George. All but five have passed away, these being 
Silas, Malvina, Charles, Diadama and Ruth, and with the exception of the 
subject and Ruth these are residents of New Haven, Connecticut.  

	The public schools of Litchfield county, Connecticut, afforded to 
Silas Burton his educational privileges and he continued his studies 
until nineteen or twenty years of age, thus gaining a broad practical 
knowledge in order to fit him for the responsible duties of a business 
career. When he put aside his text-books he worked at the butcher's 
trade at Kent Corners, Connecticut, being thus employed until 1863, when 
his patriotic spirit was aroused and he enlisted in the Second Heavy 
Artillery of Connecticut, being with the army for twenty months. He 
participated in the battles of the Wilderness and afterward became ill 
and has never yet fully recovered his health. Before starting to the 
front he was married on the 6th of December, 1862, to Miss Ellen 
Stewart, who was born in Hunter, New York, a daughter of Alonzo and Mary 
(fate) Stewart. In her parents' family were six children: Edgar, Herman, 
Ellen, Charles, William and George, of whom Edgar and Charles are now 
deceased. The living brothers of Mrs. Burton are yet residents of 
Connecticut.  

	Following the Civil war Mr. Burton removed from Connecticut to New 
York, where he remained for two years and then came west with his 
family. In 1868 he settled in Yankton county, South Dakota, having 
traveled by stage from Sioux City to his destination. The government 
afforded good facilities for purchasing land and Mr. Burton secured a 
pre-emption claim of one hundred and sixty acres. Subsequently he 
purchased an additional tract of one hundred and sixty acres and he now 
farms two hundred and eighty acres, raising grain and stock. In 1881, by 
reason of the flood caused by the ice gorges in the Missouri, he lost 
all of his cattle, his house and his barns, in fact, his entire personal 
property was destroyed save one team of horses. Thus he has met with 
discouragements in what would seem to be a prosperous career. He has 
ever persevered in his work, however, and as the years have gone by he 
has accumulated a comfortable competence and has become one of the very 
successful farmers of South Dakota. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Burton have been 
born eight children: Mary, who became the wife of W. R. Smith, died at 
the age of twenty-three years, leaving two children, Edgar and George, 
but the latter was drowned in the Missouri river at the age of thirteen 
years and Edgar is now living with his grandfather, the subject of this 
review; Edgar, the second child of Mr. Burton, has passed away; Hattie 
is the wife of Mr. Anderson, a farmer of Yankton county; Jennie is the 
wife of M. C. Nelson, a resident farmer of this county; Arthur is living 
at home at the age of fourteen years; Theodore has departed this life 
and two of the children died in infancy. For the past thirty-five years 
Mr. Burton has been connected with the schools of Dakota and the cause 
of education finds in him a warm and helpful friend. In politics he is a 
stanch Democrat and fraternally he is connected with the Masonic lodge. 
His wife and children are members of the Congregational church and the 
family is one of prominence in the community, the members of the Burton 
household occupying an enviable position in social circles and in the 
regard of their many friends.