Joseph Walters Catlett Biography


	This biography appears on page 1897 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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	JOSEPH WALTERS CATLETT, cashier of the Bank of Estelline, Hamlin 
county, was born in Monroe county, Missouri. He was reared on the home 
farm and assisted in its work during the summer seasons, while during 
three or four months each winter he pursued his studies in the public 
schools, so continuing until he had attained years of maturity, after 
which he taught one term of district school and then attended the 
normal school at Kirksville, Missouri. Thereafter he returned to the 
homestead farm, and for the following five years taught during the 
winter terms in the country schools, while for the major portion of the 
intervening period he was employed as bookkeeper in the office of a 
lumber firm at Centralia, Missouri. He then obtained a state 
certificate to teach and applied for the principalship of a city 
school, but was defeated by one vote, the only objection entered being 
that he was not a married man. He then came to the territory of Dakota 
and arrived in Estelline on his birthday anniversary. Here he 
established himself in the lumber business, becoming one of the 
pioneers of the town, and later added a hardware department to his 
enterprise, which he successfully conducted for a number of years, 
while he is still the owner of the lumber business which he established 
more than a score of years ago, having disposed of his hardware 
business. Upon the organization and incorporation of the Bank of 
Estelline, Mr. Catlett was elected its president, in which capacity he 
continued to serve until the stockholders felt that the prestige and 
success of the enterprise would be furthered if he were placed in 
active charge of its affairs, and he was accordingly elected cashier 
and has since remained incumbent of this position, while under his 
direct management the bank has gained a place among the most popular 
and substantial financial institutions in this section of the state. He 
is a stalwart advocate of the principles and policies for which the 
Democratic party stands sponsor, and was prominent in effecting the 
party organization in Hamlin county, while for the past twelve years he 
has represented said county as a member of the South Dakota delegation 
to the national convention of the party in 1900, at Kansas City. He is 
a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and he was reared in 
the faith of the Christian church, but is not formally identified with 
any religious body, Mrs. Catlett being a member of the Baptist church.

	Mr. Catlett was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth Bland, who 
was born in Paris, and they have three children.