Harry D. Chamberlain Biography


	This biography appears on page 1462 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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	HARRY D. CHAMBERLAIN, the efficient and popular Indian agent at 
the Crow Creek reservation, was born in Boone county, Illinois, on the 
3d of September, 1856, and is a son of Joseph and Sally (Hovey) 
Chamberlain, of whose eleven children five are still living, namely: 
Helen, who is the widow of 0. C. Brown, is a resident of Sterling, 
Nebraska; Eliza J. is the wife of Eugene Reeves, of Burr, that state; 
Leroy E. is a resident of Capron, Illinois; Harry D. is the immediate 
subject of this sketch; and Horace resides in Belvidere, Illinois. The 
parents of the subject were born in New York. Joseph Chamberlain removed 
with his mother to Boone county, Illinois, in 1832, his father having 
died in Brattleboro, Vermont, and a few years later the parents of his 
future wife also took up abode in the same county, which was then 
practically an unbroken wilderness. The paternal grandmother of the 
subject was one of the first settlers in that section, where she lived 
to attain the venerable age of ninety-eight years, while the maternal 
grandparents had nearly attained the age of ninety at time of death. 
Joseph Chamberlain became one of the pioneer farmers of Illinois, and 
his death occurred on the land which he secured from the government 
fifty-nine years prior to his demise, which occurred in 1891. After his 
death his widow removed into the town of Capron, where she has since 
maintained her home, being eighty-one years of age at the time of this 
writing, in 1903. The father was originally a Whig and later a 
Republican, and though he held various local positions of trust he was 
never an office seeker. 

	The subject of this review was reared on the old homestead farm 
and his early educational advantages were those afforded in the common 
schools. He was married at the age of twenty years and then took charge 
of the home farm, where he remained until the spring of 1883, when he 
came to the territory of Dakota and located in the village of Lafoon, 
which was later made the county seat of Faulk county, South Dakota. In 
1886 the line of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad was completed 
through Faulkton, and the same year the subject was elected sheriff of 
the county. The county seat was removed to Faulkton in the following 
year, and Mr. Chamberlain naturally transferred his residence to that 
place. In 1888 he was re-elected to the shrievalty, thus serving for two 
consecutive terms. After retiring from office he was engaged in 
contracting for one year, and in 1892 engaged in the general merchandise 
business in Faulkton. Two years later he closed out his interests in 
this line, and he was thereafter engaged in the hotel business in the 
town until June 2, 1901, when he rented his hotel property to enter upon 
the duties of his present office. He has been one of the leading figures 
in the Republican party councils in the state, having served two terms 
as a member of the state central committee, and in May, 1902, he was 
appointed to his present office as government agent at the Crow Creek 
Indian reservation, where he is rendering most satisfactory service. He 
is a member of Faulkton Lodge, No. 95, Free and Accepted Masons; 
Faulkton Chapter, No. 30, Royal Arch Masons; Lacotah Commandery, No. 6, 
Knights Templar; and El Riad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles 
of the Mystic Shrine. at Sioux Falls. 

	On the 28th of Nnvember, 1876, Mr. Chamberlain was married to Miss 
Ada S. Marvin, of Union Center, Wisconsin, and of their seven children 
three are living, namely: Iva, who is the wife of Rude H. Sands, of 
Belvidere, Illinois; and Josie F. and Vera, who remain at the parental 
home.