Henry B. Farren Biography


	This biography appears on pages 620-621 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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        HENRY B. FARREN, who is one of the leading members of the bar 
of Buffalo county, is a member of the legislature of the state at the 
time of this writing and i. one of the prominent and popular citizens 
of this section of the commonwealth. Mr. Farren is a native of the old 
Keystone state of the Union, having been born in the city of 
Philadelphia, on the 4th of November, 848, and being a son of James L. 
and Mary (Bellfield) Farren, both of whom were members of old and 
honored families of Pennsylvania. They became the parents of nine 
children, namely: Mary V., Henry B., Helen F., Emma C., James L., 
Martha F., Alfred R., Alice M. and Horace W. and of the number all are 
living except Mary, Helen, Alfred and Horace. When the subject was 
quite young his parents removed to the city of Columbus, Ohio, and a 
few years later, in September of 1856, took up their abode in Van Buren 
county, Iowa, becoming pioneers of that section, where the family 
resided until the fall of 1867, when they moved to Keokuk, Iowa. The 
father of the subject being a carpenter, father and son there engaged 
in the building business as contractors, until the spring of 1871, when 
they removed to Kokoka, Clark county, Missouri, where the father died 
at the age of sixty nine years. Mr. Farren's mother is still living, 
making her home in Springfield, Missouri, and is in her eightieth year. 
In Van Buren county Henry B. was reared and there received his early 
educational training in the common schools, while it may be noted that 
among his schoolmates at the time was Hon. William B. Mason, late 
United States senator from Illinois. After leaving school at sixteen 
years of age, Mr. Farren turned his attention to the carpenter trade, 
which avocation he followed almost constantly until coming to Dakota, 
after which time he turned his attention to reading and study of law. 
In 1894 he was admitted to practice in the courts of South Dakota, and 
has ever since given his attention to professional work, in which he 
has met with gratifying success, retaining a representative clientage 
and having been concerned in much important litigation.  

        Mr. Farren- came to South Dakota in May, 1882, and settled in 
Hand county, where he remained a few months and then came to Buffalo 
county, where he exercised his prerogatives in the taking up of 
government land, securing a tract of four hundred eighty acres, which 
he improved and placed under cultivation. He has maintained his 
residence in Buffalo county since September. 1882, and is popular in 
professional, business and social circles, having repeatedly held 
positions of trust since the organization of the county in 1885. He is 
a stanch advocate of the principles of the Republican party, and has 
long been active in promoting its interests in this section of the 
state. In 1894 he was elected state's attorney of Buffalo county, 
serving one term, while in 1901 he was appointed to this office, to 
fill a vacancy, and served until the close of the term. In November, 
1902, after a vigorous and able campaign, he was elected to represent 
his district in the state legislature, and he is one of the prominent 
and valued members of the eighth general assembly, in which he has made 
a most excellent record. Both he and his wife are zealous members of 
the First Congregational church.  

        On the 1st of September, 1886, was solemnized the marriage of 
Mr. Farren to Miss Mary E. Mather, who was born and reared in 
Washington, Iowa, being a daughter of John and Elmira Mather.