John H. Dobson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1320-1321 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. DOBSON, postmaster at Alexandria, Hanson county, was born 
in the city of Beloit, Wisconsin, on the 26th of July, 1872, being a son 
of James and Anna L. (McCullough) Dobson, the former of whom was born in 
Lincolnshire, England, in 1844, and the latter in 1851. They are the 
parents of three children, David B., who is manager of the agricultural 
implement business of W. S. Hill, in Alexandria; Nettie, who remains at 
the parental home; and John H., who is the subject of this sketch. When 
the father was a lad of eleven years he accompanied his parents on their 
removal from England to the United States, the family locating in 
Rockford, Illinois, near which place he was reared to farm life, his 
three brothers being apprenticed to learn the trade of paper-making. 
James continued to devote his attention to agricultural pursuits, 
removing from Illinois to Rock county, Wisconsin, about 1871, and being 
there engaged in farming until 1885, when he came to South Dakota and 
located on a farm site adjoining the present thriving village of 
A1exandria, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred 
in 1890. He was a staunch Republican, but never sought office, and his 
religious faith was that of the Baptist church. The mother of the 
subject was born on a farm near Durand, Winnebago county, Illinois, her 
parents having been born and reared in Scotland. She still resides in 
the homestead, Alexandria, having the affectionate regard of all who 
know her and being a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal church, 
with which she affiliated after coming to this state, there having been 
no Baptist church in Alexandria. 

	The subject of this review secured his early education in the 
public schools of his native county, being about thirteen years of age 
at the time of the family removal to South Dakota, where he was reared 
to manhood on the home farm and in the meanwhile continuing his studies 
in the public schools of Alexandria, where he completed a high-school 
course, later supplementing this by a course in the commercial 
department of the university at Mitchell. In 1893 Mr. Dobson assumed a 
clerical position in the furniture and undertaking establishment of G. 
H. Montgomery, of Alexandria, and in the meanwhile gave special 
attention to acquiring a thorough knowledge of embalming and funeral 
directing, while in 1896 he took a special course of instruction in 
embalming under the direction of Professor Barnes, of Chicago, an 
authority in this art. In 1897 Mr. Dobson engaged in business upon his 
own responsibility, opening a piano, organ and sewing-machine house in 
Alexandria, and this enterprise he has since successfully conducted, 
also carrying a general line of musical merchandise. In 1898 he was 
appointed postmaster of Alexandria, under President McKinley, while in 
1903 he was re-appointed, under the administration of President 
Roosevelt. He is a zealous and uncompromising advocate of the principles 
of the Republican party, and he is at the present time a member of the 
board of education of Alexandria. He is a member of the board of 
trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church, and was also a member oŁ the 
building committee under whose supervision the attractive new church 
edifice was completed in June, 1903. Mr. Dobson has risen to high rank 
in the Masonic fraternity, being a member of Celestial Lodge, No. 36, 
Free and Accepted Masons; Eastern Star Chapter; Oriental Consistory, No. 
1, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, of Yankton, in which he has passed 
the thirty-second degree; and El Riad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of 
the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, in Sioux Falls. He is also identified 
with Cypress Lodge, No. 24, Knights of Pythias, and Alexandria Camp, No. 
2956, Modern Woodmen of America. 

	On the 15th of June, 1897, Mr. Dobson was united in marriage to 
Miss Mary Durkee, of Alexandria, who was for several years a successful 
and popular teacher in the high school of this place, and of this union 
has been born two children, Burdette, the date of whose nativity was 
June 16, 1898, and Merrial Bertha, born September 11, 1903.