Henry H. Farrington Biography


	This biography appears on pages 791-792 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 H. FARRINGTON is a native of the good old Hoosier state, having 
been born in Lake county, Indiana, on the 10th of February, 1841, and 
being a son of Dr. John and Emily (Bushwell) Farrington. His father was 
for many years engaged in the practice of medicine in Indiana, and both 
he and his wife died in that state. Of their eleven children three are 
living at the present time. Owing to the exigencies of time and place 
the subject of this sketch was accorded only limited educational 
advantages in his youth, attending the common schools of Indiana, in a 
somewhat irregular way, until he had attained the age of fifteen years, 
while during his adolescent years he gave his attention to work on a 
farm. Through personal reading and study and through active association 
with men and affairs during the course of his active and honorable 
business career he has effectively supplemented the meager scholastic 
discipline of his boyhood and is a man of strong intellectuality and 
extended knowledge. When the dark cloud of the Civil war spread its 
gruesome pall over the national firmament, Mr. Farrington laid aside 
all personal considerations and placed them in subordination to his 
country's call. In 1862 he enlisted as a private in Company A, Seventy-
third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, which was commanded by Colonel 
Hathaway. The regiment proceeded to the front and became a part of the 
forces commanded by General Rosecrans. In this connection our subject 
participated in the battle of Stone River, while later he took part in 
many others of the sanguinary and important battles attending the 
progress of the great internecine conflict which determined the 
perpetuation of the Union. At Rome, Georgia, he was captured, and was 
held as a prisoner of war about one month, at the expiration of which 
his exchange was effected and he rejoined his regiment, which was then 
a part of the Army of the Cumberland. He continued in active service 
until the close of the war, receiving his honorable discharge on the 
1st of July, at Nashville, Tennessee. He perpetuates the more gracious 
memories of his long and faithful service in the ranks by retaining 
membership in John B. Wyman Post, No. 115, Grand Army of the Republic, 
in Wessington, South Dakota.  

	After the close of the war Mr. Farrington returned to the North 
and located in Kankakee county, Illinois, where he followed the advice 
given to the "boys in blue" by General Grant, and turned his hand to 
the plow. He there continued to be engaged in farming until 1870, when 
he engaged in the mercantile business at Grant Park, that state, where 
he thus continued operations until 1883, in April of which year he came 
to what is now the state of South Dakota and cast in his lot with the 
early settlers of Hand county, where he took up three quarter sections 
of government land, entering homestead, preemption and tree claims. He 
forthwith began the reclamation and improvement of the land and in due 
time perfected his title to the same. He there continued actively 
engaged in farming and stock raising until 1892, when he disposed of 
his fine property and took up his residence in Wessington, in the 
adjoining county of Beadle, where he has since maintained his home. 
Here he was engaged in the buying and shipping of grain and live stock 
until 1899, when he engaged in the hardware business, to which he has 
ever since given his attention, having a large and well equipped 
establishment, in which he handles all kinds of heavy and shelf 
hardware, besides agricultural implements, while the confidence reposed 
in him by the people of this section is definitely indicated in the 
substantial and representative trade which he controls. He is a 
stalwart Republican in his political proclivities, and served for three 
years as a member of the board of commissioners of Hand county, though 
he has never sought public office of any description. He has been 
identified with the Masonic fraternity for the past thirty-five years, 
being now affiliated with Wessington Lodge, No. 107, Ancient Free and 
Accepted Masons, in Wessington.  

	In Lake county, Indiana, on the 10th of September, 1860, Mr. 
Farrington was united in marriage to Miss Lodema Pulver, who was born 
and reared in that state, being a daughter of David and Mercy Pulver, 
the former of whom was a farmer by vocation. Of this union have been 
born five children, namely: Azetta, married to J. D. McNair, of 
Wessington; Mercy, who married A. B. Safford, of 
Wessington; Minnie, the wife of C. S. Richardson, of Chicago Heights, 
John lives at Wessington Springs, South Dakota, and is engaged in the 
hardware and implement business.