William Egeland Biography


	This biography appears on page 1204 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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	WILLIAM EGELAND, the present auditor of Day county and one of the 
popular young men of Webster, the county seat, was born in the city of 
Fargo, North Dakota, on the 7th of May, 1876, and is a son of Bertinius 
H. and Marsha Egeland, the former of whom was born in Wisconsin and the 
latter in Norway, while their marriage was solemnized in the state of 
Wisconsin. In 1880 they came to Day county, South Dakota, locating in 
what is now Egeland township, in the southwestern part of the county, 
said township being named in honor of Mr. Egeland, who died January 19, 
1898. He was elected county auditor in 1894 and at the expiration of his 
first term was chosen as his own successor, serving one year of his 
second term. 

	The subject of this sketch received his early education in the 
public schools of North and South Dakota, and supplemented this by 
taking a five-years course in the Augsburg Seminary, at Minneapolis, 
Minnesota. In March, 1895, he became deputy county auditor under his 
father's administration and served continuously as such until March, 
1901, when he entered upon the duties of the office as auditor, having 
been elected in the fall of the preceding year. His experience as deputy 
had well fitted him for the work assigned to him and he has proved a 
most able executive, gaining unqualified commendation throughout the 
county. He was elected first on the Populist ticket, and in November, 
1902, was elected, received the nomination on both the Republican and 
Populist tickets, being elected practically without opposition. He is 
now a staunch advocate of the principles of the Republican party. His 
religious faith is that of the Lutheran church and fraternally he is 
identified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of 
Pythias, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Yeomen.