Fred I. Doten Biography


	This biography appears on page 1267 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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	FRED I. DOTEN was born on July 29, 1855, at Spencer, 
Massachusetts, and is the son of Isaac W. and Fidelia (Wright) Doten, 
the former a native of Maine and the latter of Massachusetts. The 
forefathers of both came to this country in colonial times, and were 
prominent in the early history of New England, Mr. Doten's 
greatgrandfather serving as an officer in the American army through the 
Revolution. The father was a physician, practicing most of his time as 
such in Massachusetts, and dying. at Spencer when a comparatively young 
man. The sheriff grew to manhood in his native state, remaining there 
until he was twenty-one years old and getting his education in the 
district schools of Middlefield. Earlv in 1877 he left his native heath 
for the wild and undeveloped Black Hills region, traveling by way of 
Yankton and arriving at Rapid City on May 1. He passed the first summer 
prospecting on Rapid creek and in the autumn moved to Deadwood where he 
has had his home almost continuously since that time. He engaged in 
various pursuits necessary and profitable in the early days, such as 
driving stage, farming and running a hack line. In 1894 he went to Terry 
and put on a line of hacks to run between that place and Lead which he 
owned and managed until the beginning of 1901, when he gave it up to 
take charge of the office of sheriff of the county, to which he was 
elected in the fall of 1900 by a large majority of the people without 
seeking or desiring the nomination himself, being the candidate of the 
Republican party, to which he has always belonged. In his management of 
this office he has been very successful and has won high commendation 
from all classes of his fellow citizens. He is brave, keen and honest, 
true to every public interest and ever considerate as well of private 
rights and the feelings of all, proving with force and impressiveness 
that the public judgment which singled him out for the place was good 
and wisely heeded. He mingles freely m the fraternal life of the 
community, belonging to the Knights of Pythias and the United Workmen at 
Terry, and the Eagles, Red Men and Elks at Deadwood. 

	On June 8, 1896, Mr. Doten was married at Terry to Miss Mary Zink, 
a native of Kansas and daughter of William L. Zink, one of the prominent 
citizens of the Hills who settled in this region when she was only one 
year old.