Henry H. Heath Biography This biography appears on pages 1249-1250 in "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. HENRY H. HEATH is a native of the state of Illinois, having been born on the homestead farm, in McHenry county, on the 18th of April, 1846, and being a son of Watson R. and Mary (Thompson) Heath, of whose eight children four are yet living, the subject having been the seventh in order of birth. Back to that cradle of much of our national history, the Old Dominion state, must we turn in tracing the genealogy of Mr. Heath in the agnatic line. The original American progenitors emigrated hither from England and took up their abode in Virginia prior to the war of the Revolution, the name becoming one of prominence in that famous old commonwealth, while members of the family were active participants in both the war for independence and that of 1812. The name has ever stood for loyalty and unqualified patriotism, and in the connection it may be consistently noted that four older brothers were in the Union army of 1861-5, Wesley A. being the elder. The latter also did effective service in the Indian warfare in the great northwest in the early days, having been an adjutant of the Sixth Iowa Cavalry, and aide on the staff of General Sully in his last expedition through Dakota and having participated in the battle of the Bad Lands and in numerous other engagements with the wily aborigines. The subject was reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm, and after completing the curriculum of the district schools of his native county, he took a three-years course in the high school at Belvidere, Illinois. He then entered Eastman's Commercial College, in the city of Chicago, where he completed a thorough business course. In 1869 Mr. Heath went to California, where he remained about one year, and in 1871 he removed to western Iowa, where he was successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1882, when he disposed of his interests in that state and came to Sanborn county, South Dakota, taking up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres, in Afton township, and here continuing to give his time and attention to the great basic art of agriculture, while he added to his landed estate from time to time until he became the owner of a finely improved farm of three hundred and twenty acres, which he sold in October, 1902. He continued to reside on this homestead until the spring of 1903, when he removed to the village of Artesian, where he established himself in the real-estate business, having the best of facilities and having already built up a large and profitable business, his success being due to his energy and good judgment and to the fact that he commands unqualified popular confidence and esteem. Mr. Heath has taken an active part in political affairs from the time of coming to the county, and is known as a public-spirited citizen and as a man of broad intellectual grasp. In the autumn of 1898 he was elected to represent his district in the state legislature, making an enviable record and being chosen as his own successor in the election of 1900. He was assigned to membership on a number of important committees and was a valuable working member of the house during the two terms of service. He was concerned in the organization of Sanborn county, and has been prominent in its public and civic life during the intervening years, while he has been a delegate to the various conventions of his party in the county and state. Fraternally he is identified with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. In Lawrence, Illinois, on the 30th of October. 1884, Mr. Heath was united in marriage to Miss Mina E. Anderson, who was born and reared in Lawrence, being a daughter of J. Lee and Lydia (Thompson) Anderson, the former of whom was a bee man by vocation. Mr. and Mrs Heath have two children, namely: Harrie H., who was born on the 31st of May, 1889, and Helen, who was born on the 14th of September, 1899.