Arthur J. Colgan Biography This biography appears on page 1549 in "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. ARTHUR J. COLGAN, one of the leading business men of Edgemont, was born in Burlington, Iowa, on the 25th day of July, 1856. When he was a child his parents moved from the above city to Ottumwa and it was at the latter place that he grew to manhood's estate and received his education, remaining there variously employed until his twenty-second year. In 1878 he went to southwestern Nebraska, thence after a brief period to Colorado, where he engaged in railroading, to which kind of work he devoted his attention until the year 1880, when he came to Valentine, Nebraska, the terminus of the railroad at that time. Valentine being an important point and the center of trade for a large area of country, Mr. Colgan at once opened a restaurant and hotel in the town, which were well patronized, and he continued in this line of business unti1 1886, when he sold out and changed his location to Oelrichs, Fall River county, near which place he took up land and engaged in cattle raising. After spending two years in the live-stock industry, he opened, in 1888, a general store at Oelrichs, which from the beginning proved very profitable, and in due time he commanded the bulk of the mercantile trade in that town. The business continuing to increase with each succeeding year, he was induced, in 1897, to start a branch store in Edgemont, but three years later the two establishments were combined at the latter place, where, as already indicated, Mr. Colgan is now the leading merchant in the various lines of goods which he handles. He has a large and well-appointed store, carries a full and complete stock of general merchandise and commands a lucrative patronage, his establishment being taxed to its utmost capacity to meet the constantly increasing demands of his numerous customers. Mr. Colgan not only stands high in commercial circles, but enjoys worthy prestige as one of Edgemont's representative citizens. He has justly earned the American title of self-made man, having from his boyhood relied upon his own exertions for a livelihood, and that too in spite of many obstacles calculated to discourage and deter. Mr. Colgan is a zealous supporter of the Democratic party, but has persistently refused to accept office at the hands of his fellow citizens, having little taste for partisan politics and still less for public honors. He enjoys the confidence and respect of his fellow citizens and is well deserving of mention among the representative citizens of his adopted county and state. On January 22, 1882, in the town of Montrose, Kansas, Mr. Colgan entered the marriage relation with Miss Ellen Stack, of Iowa, the union being blessed with six children, whose names are as follows: Thomas, Nellie, Edward, Charlie, Mary and Leonard.