John H. Carroll Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1611-1612 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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	JOHN H. CARROLL, one of the leading citizens of DeSmet, Kingsbury 
county, is a native of the city of Philadelphia, being a son of T. N. 
and Hannah (Clarke) Carroll, both of whom were born in England. The 
father of the subject came to America in 1846 and settled in 
Philadelphia, where he engaged in cotton manufacturing, and he passed 
practically the remainder of his life in that fine old city of the 
Keystone state, having been for a few years a resident of Iowa, whence, 
he returned to the "City of Brotherly Love," where both he and his wife 
died. They became the parents of nine children, of whom seven are 
living. The father was a Republican in politics, and both he and his 
wife were members of the Congregational church. 

	The subject of this review was reared to maturity in his native 
city, and after completing the curriculum of the public schools 
continued his studies in the Philadelphia central high school, which is 
virtually a college, and one in which many of the nation's eminent men 
have been students. He was graduated as a member of the class of 1869 
and received the degree of Bachelor of Arts, while he secured third 
honors in his class, which had about fifteen members. After his 
graduation Mr. Carroll engaged in teaching in the graded schools of 
Wilkesbarre, Pennsylvania, where he remained one year. In August, 1870, 
he was elected principal in Waukon, Allamakee county, Iowa, of the 
public schools, continuing to teach in the schools of that section of 
the Hawkeye state for a period of eight years, at the expiration of 
which he came to the territory of Dakota, locating in Fountain, 
Brookings county, in July, 1878, before the present city of Brookings 
was founded, while Kingsbury county was then known as Wood county. He 
engaged in the general merchandise business in Fountain, and later 
identified himself with the real-estate business, and he continued his 
residence there until the spring of 1880, when he came to Kingsbury 
county, where he was appointed clerk of the court, by United States 
Judge J. P. Kidder, serving in this capacity until 1884, when he 
resigned. In 1880, soon after coming to the county, he established the 
postoffice of DeSmet, the village being named in honor of the heroic and 
venerated missionary of the early days, Father DeSmet, who labored among 
the Indians throughout the northwest before civilization had gained a 
foothold. Mr. Carroll became the first postmaster of the embryonic town, 
and was appointed to the office under the administration of President 
Arthur, resigning in 1887, under the regime of President Cleveland. In 
1889 he was elected the first mayor of the city of DeSmet. In 1882 he 
established the Bank of DeSmet, which is now one of the solid and 
popular financial institutions of this section of the state and one of 
which he still has full control, while his real-estate operations have 
been of extensive scope. 

	In politics Mr. Carroll has long been recognized as one of the 
leaders of the Republican party in the state, having been frequently a 
delegate to county, congressional and state conventions, and having on a 
number of occasions served as chairman of the county conventions. He has 
been in no sense a seeker of official preferment, but the confidence and 
esteem reposed in him by the people of his district were signalized in a 
significant way in his election to the legislature in 1902. He served 
during the eighth general assembly, and in the connection manifested the 
same dominating public spirit and loyalty which have marked his course 
since coming to the state. He was assigned to a number of important 
committees, notably the committee on appropriations and those on 
banking, enrollment and engrossment of bills, public libraries, and the 
committee on the State Historical Society. Fraternally he is one of the 
prominent members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being 
affiliated with DeSmet Lodge, No. 58, in DeSmet, of which he is the 
representative in the grand lodge of the state at the time of this 
writing, while both he and his wife are charter members of the auxiliary 
lodge of the Daughters of Rebekah. He also holds membership in the 
Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Knights of the Maccabees, having 
represented his lodge of the former order in the grand lodge of the 
state, in which he was elected grand receiver. Mr. and Mrs. Carroll are 
communicants of the Protestant Episcopal church and are prominent in the 
work of both the parish and diocese. In the connection it may be noted 
that he is a member of the Chapter of Calvary Cathedral, of the diocese, 
which has charge of all church property in the diocese of South Dakota, 
while he is also a senior warden of St. Stephen's church, in DeSmet. 

	On Christmas day, 1876, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Carroll 
to Miss Sara R. Imus, of Corunna, Indiana, a daughter of Charles and 
Lucy Imus, the former of whom was born in the state of New York and the 
latter in Vermont. They were numbered among the early settlers in 
Calhoun county, Michigan, and Mr. Imus was for many years engaged in 
business in Corunna. They are both now deceased.