Maj. Ira A. Hatch Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1734-1735 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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	MAJ. IRA A. HATCH, at the present time incumbent of the office of 
United States Indian agent at the Cheyenne River agency, South Dakota, 
was born near Fort Atkinson, Jefferson county, Wisconsin, on the 20th of 
May, 1855, and is a son of Columbus Hatch, who was one of the pioneers 
of that state, having removed thither from Pennsylvania in 1848 and 
having been one of the successful and influential farmers of the county 
mentioned. He was for many years judge of the Campbell county court, at 
Mound City, this state. In 1861 he enlisted as a member of Company K, 
Thirty-third Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, with which he proceeded to 
the front, seeing much active service. as he remained with this regiment 
until the close of the war. He was with General Sherman in the memorable 
march from Atlanta to the sea and took part in many of the more 
important battles of the great civil conflict. After the close of his 
military career he located in Crawford county, Pennsylvania, where he 
was engaged in farming until 1886, when he came to South Dakota and 
located in Campbell county. Of the six children in the family the 
subject of this review was the second in order of birth. Judge Hatch 
died May 12, 1904, at his home in Campbell county, having enjoyed his 
seventy-eighth birthday. 

	Major Hatch secured his early educational discipline in the common 
schools of Pennsylvania, later continued his studies in the normal 
school at Edinboro, that state, and supplemented this by a course in 
Allegheny College, at Meadville. Thereafter he was for two years 
employed in the office of the chief engineer of the Erie Railroad, and 
in 1879 joined in the stampede to the mining district near Leadville, 
Colorado, remaining for six years in the Gunnison district of that 
state, where he gave his attention to lumbering and mining. He was one 
of the promoters and founders of the town of Grand Junction, in that 
section, which has turned out to be one of the best in the state for the 
raising of fruit and other products. He served as deputy sheriff in the 
Gunnison district during the pioneer days when lawlessness was rife, and 
in the connection it may be noted that he arrested George Howard, one of 
the most notorious desperadoes and cutthroats of the west at that time. 
The Major was leading his posse and had secured the drop on Howard, who 
fired two shots at him ere he finally secured him, the United States 
marshal having been in pursuit of the outlaw for some time. Howard was 
killed, the day after his capture, by a deputy United States marshal who 
rode up and, not knowing that Howard was under arrest, shot him dead. 

	In 1885 Major Hatch came to Mound City, Campbell county, South 
Dakota, where he has since maintained his legal residence. In 1888 he 
was elected superintendent of schools of that county, retaining the 
incumbency until 1892, when he was elected to represent his district in 
the state senate. serving through the fifth general assembly. In 1897 he 
was appointed deputy collector of internal revenue for the northern 
district of the state, serving until November, 1899, when he resigned to 
accept his present office as United States Indian agent at the Cheyenne 
agency, where he has given a most able and discriminating administration 
of the affairs assigned to his control. In his political adherency the 
Major is a stalwart Republican, and fraternally is affiliated with the 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and the Modern Brotherhood of 
America. 

	On the 3d of June, 1883, was celebrated the marriage of Major 
Hatch and Miss Emma E. Smith, the ceremony being performed in Colorado, 
whither the bride's parents had removed from her native state of 
Illinois. Major and Mrs. Hatch have eight children, Clyde, Agnes, 
Arthur, Cora, Scott, Dewey, Grace and Marion.