Philip H. Herther Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1733-1734 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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	PHILIP H. HERTHER, of Hecla, Brown county, where he is now living 
practically retired, is a native of Germany, having been born in 
Rheinbauer, in the year 1835, and being a son of Philip Herther, Sr., 
who came with his family to America when the subject was about two years 
of age, settling about twenty-five miles west of the city of Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin, and became one of the pioneers of the Badger state, where he 
cleared and improved a farm and became a substantial citizen. The 
subject of this review purchased a farm adjacent to that of his father, 
and after a few years on this farm Mr. Herther disposed of the property 
and purchased a farm near Lomira, Dodge county, a few miles distant from 
the town of Fond du Lac, and there he continued to be actively engaged 
in agricultural pursuits for nearly a score of years. In 1885 he sold 
his farm and came to South Dakota, at the time when the line of railroad 
was being completed from Aberdeen to Oakes. He passed two months on a 
farm twelve miles west of Hecla, and then came to this village as one of 
its first settlers, where he ran a restaurant for about six months and 
shortly after that opened a hardware store, thus becoming one of the 
first merchants in the town, and with the passing of the years he built 
up an excellent trade, his integrity and fair dealing gaining him the 
confidence and respect of the community. He continued to be actively 
identified with this enterprise until 1903, when he sold the business to 
his sons, Fred W. and Philip, Jr., the former of whom had been 
previously associated with him in the enterprise. They have since 
continued the business under the firm name of the Hecla Mercantile 
Company and are maintaining the high standard set by their honored 
father. The subject and his wife are members of the Lutheran church 

	On the 12th of December, 1859, Mr. Herther was united in marriage 
to Miss Elizabeth Spietz, who was born in Germany and whose parents were 
numbered among the pioneers of Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Herther have ten 
children, namely Andrew, Henry, Peter, John, George, Philip, Fred, 
Jacob, Cony and Kate.