Charles Hill Biography


	This biography appears on pages 808-809 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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	CHARLES HILL merits consideration in this work for many reasons, 
being one of the honored pioneers of the state, a citizen of sterling 
character and a successful and prominent business man of Springfield, 
Bon Homme county, where he has been identified with the banking 
business since the year 1890, while he early came to the territory of 
Dakota as an employee of the government in the maintaining of the 
Indian agencies. He is familiarly known as Major Hill and is a man 
whose popularity in his section of the state is of the most unequivocal 
order. Mr. Hill was born in the city. of Toronto, Canada, on the 12th 
of September, 1849, being a son of George L. and Mary (McKinzie) Hill, 
who were cousins. Both were consistent exponents of the faith of the 
Society of Friends, in which they had been reared, and their lives 
exemplified this faith in all ways.   

	Charles Hill was reared to manhood in his native city, having 
received his educational discipline in the excellent schools of 
Toronto, while he had learned the trade of millwright and had also 
secured excellent training in the office of a local architect. He 
continued to reside in Toronto until 1873, when he came to the west in 
the employ of the United States government. The peace policy 
promulgated by President Grant in 1871 brought up the question of 
placing the Indians of the west in charge of various religious bodies, 
and the Society of Friends, at their general yearly meeting, manifested 
some hesitancy in accepting the responsibility which would be placed 
upon them in this connection, and therefore asked that the government 
select a number of its employee from their members rather than ask them 
to assume more exacting responsibility, and it was in compliance with 
this request that Major Hill was chosen. Accordingly, in 1873, he came 
to the territory of Dakota as an official at the Santee Indian agency, 
where he remained about seventeen years, during five years of which 
time he served as Indian agent, rendering most capable service. In 1890 
he came to Springfield, where he associated himself with Hon. George W. 
Snow and Hon. Reuben Groot in the establishing of a banking business, 
which has since been successfully conducted under the title of the Bank 
of Springfield, the institution being ably managed upon the highest 
business principles, having an ample capitalistic support and proving a 
valuable addition to the business interests of the town and surrounding 
country, while the interested principals command the unqualified 
confidence and esteem of all who know them. In politics Mr. Hill gives 
his allegiance to the Republican party, and he clings to the religious 
faith in which he was reared, both he and his wife being members of the 
local organization of the Society of Friends at Monroe, Nebraska. He is 
an appreciative member of the time-honored fraternity of Freemasonry, 
in which he has passed the various degrees of the York Rite, except 
those of the commandery, and has attained also the degrees of the 
Scottish Rite, being a member of Yankton Consistory, No. 1 being 
elected most worshipful grand master in 1901, while he also holds 
membership in the adjunct Order of the Eastern Star, the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows and the Daughters of Rebekah.  

	On the 11th of June, 1877, was solemnized the marriage of Major 
Hill to Miss Mary Webster, a daughter of Joseph Webster, of 
Philadelphia, who was at that time an Indian agent in South Dakota, and 
of this union have been born five children, namely: Emma, Howard J., 
Clarence, Helen and William Webster, all of whom remain at the parental 
home except Howard; who resides in Monroe, Nebraska.