Samuel H. Jumper Biography


	This biography appears on page 1467 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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	SAMUEL H. JUMPER, of Aberdeen, Brown county, was born in New 
Gloucester, Maine, on the 24th of October, 1844, and his parents, John 
and Mary (Tufts) Jumper, were likewise born in that state, where they 
passed their entire lives, the father having been a farmer by vocation, 
while both he and his wife were of English genealogy. 

	Samuel Henry Jumper received his early education in the common 
schools of his native state, where he was reared to manhood. At the 
outbreak of the war of the Rebellion he, in September, 1861, enlisted in 
Company K, Tenth Maine Volunteer Infantry, with which he proceeded to 
the front and served until the expiration of his term, in the summer of 
1863, when he re-enlisted in Company K, Twenty-ninth Maine Veteran 
Volunteer Infantry, with which he served until July, 1866, when he 
received his honorable discharge, having been sergeant major of his 
regiment during the last year. He took part in the battles of South 
Mountain, Winchester, Culpeper, Antietam, South Mountain, Fisher's Hill, 
Cedar Creek and many other engagements and skirmishes of somewhat less 
importance. In the battle of Cedar Creek he received a severe wound and 
was there promoted for meritorious conduct on the field of battle. In 
1864 his regiment went with Banks on the famous Red River expedition. 
Mr. Jumper had the distinction of taking part in the grand review of the 
victorious armies in the city of Washington after the Union arms had 
been crowned with victory, and thereafter his regiment continued in 
service for one year in South Carolina. He retains a deep interest in 
his old comrades in arms and signifies the same by his affiliation with 
the Grand Army of the Republic. 

	In 1866 Mr. Jumper removed to the state of Minnesota and in 1871 
became manager of the Nicollet hotel in the city of Minneapolis, where 
he remained in this capacity until the spring of 1881, when he came to 
South Dakota and became the first settler on the town site of Aberdeen, 
with whose development and material upbuilding he has been prominently 
identified, ever showing a loyal and public-spirited interest in the 
city and state of his adoption. He opened the first general store in 
the town, and in 1883 organized the First National Bank of Aberdeen, of 
which he continued to be the president from that time forward until 
1898, when he resigned. In 1897 President McKinley appointed him 
postmaster of the city, of which office he remained incumbent four 
years, while at the present time he is serving as deputy postmaster. He 
is a stalwart Republican in politics and has wielded no slight influence 
in its local councils and work. He was mayor of the city in 1893-4 and 
also served several terms as a member of the board of aldermen, and also 
as a member of the board of education. He is one of the prominent 
members of the Masonic fraternity in the state, having attained the 
thirty-third and highest degree in the Scottish-rite Masonry. He was the 
first commander of Damascus Commandery, No. 10, Knights Templar, of 
Aberdeen, which was organized in 1888, and in 1891 had the distinction 
of serving as grand commander of the grand commandery of Knights Templar 
of the state, while at the present time he is grand high priest of the 
grand chapter of Royal Arch Masons of South Dakota. He attends the 
Protestant Episcopal church, of which Mrs. Jumper is a communicant. 

	On the 9th of February, 1874, at Portland, Maine, was solemnized 
the marriage of Mr. Jumper to Miss Ella May Hilt, who was born in 
Warren, that state, on the 31st of July, 1855, being a daughter of John 
and Nancy (Toner) Hilt.