Peter J. Hegeman Biography This biography appears on pages 1489-1490 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. PETER J. HEGEMAN, of Brookings, is a native of the Empire state of the Union, having been born in Gloversville, Fulton county, New York, on the 10th of May, 1849, and being a son of Peter J. and Catherine (Allen) Hegeman. In the public schools of Gloversville, New York, he received his early educational discipline. When eleven years of age he began work, and the major portion of his stipend he gave to his mother, reserving only sufficient for the absolute necessities of life. Later he accompanied his parents on their removal to Wisconsin, in which locality he remained until 1877, when he came to South Dakota as a pioneer, taking up a homestead claim near Lake Hendricks, Brookings county, and proving up on the same. He improved the farm and brought the same under effective cultivation. being there engaged in general farming. Subsequently Mr. Hegeman removed to the village of Clark Lake, where he erected a commodious warehouse and engaged in the buying of grain and the handling of flour, feed, etc. He continued in business at Clark Lake for some time and then removed to White, where he was engaged in the same line of enterprise for some time, after which he again resided on his farm, but later returned to White and resumed operations in the manufacturing of gloves and mittens. In 1894 he removed his business to Brookings, and here he has built up a large and prosperous enterprise, controlling an excellent business throughout this section of the state.