Charles B. Kennedy Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1581-1583 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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	CHARLES B. KENNEDY.—Among the names of the honored pioneers of the 
territory of Dakota and the state of South Dakota there are few that 
stand forth with more prominence or that are representative of more 
distinctive public spirit than that which initiates this paragraph. Mr. 
Kennedy has accomplished much in forwarding the upbuilding of the great 
commonwealth, is well known throughout the state and is an exemplar of 
the highest type of citizenship. In a prefatory way we can not do better 
than to incorporate an appreciative estimate of the man written by one 
who has known him long and well, the same being an extract from an 
article published not long since: "There are two things which Hon. 
Charles B. Kennedy did for Lake county in the early days which will make 
him prominent while he lives and cause his name to be remembered after 
death. One was the founding of Madison upon its present site, while the 
other consists in the aid, both moral and financial, which he gave to 
the State Normal School, being virtually its organizer. Mr. Kennedy's 
history is closely linked with that of Lake county, and, as a local 
paragrapher aptly put it: 'If you want to know about Lake county, look 
up Kennedy; and if you want Kennedy, just look up Lake county.' " 
Charles B. Kennedy comes of staunch old New England stock and the far 
distant Pine Tree state figures as the place of his nativity. He was 
born in Moscow, Somerset county, Maine, on the 28th of March, 1850, 
being a son of Bartholomew C. and Olivia (Smith) Kennedy, both of whom 
were born in Maine, the former being of Scotch-Irish extraction and the 
latter of English lineage. Bartholomew C. Kennedy was a farmer by 
vocation, and his death occurred in July, 1902, at the age of eighty-
three years, while his widow still resides in Madison, South Dakota, 
having attained the age of eighty-five years, her ancestors having been 
numbered among the early settlers of Maine. The paternal grandfather of 
the subject was William Kennedy, who was born in Massachusetts, whence 
he emigrated to Maine as a young man and there passed the residue of his 
life. 

	The subject of this review was reared to the sturdy discipline of 
the farm and secured his early educational training in the common 
schools of his native state, supplementing the same by a course in the 
Maine Central Institute, at Pittsfield, after which he took a partial 
course in the Maine State College, at Orono, his health becoming so 
impaired as to render it impossible for him to complete the full course. 
The self-reliance and ambitious spirit which have been dominant 
characteristics of the man throughout his life were exemplified in these 
early days, when he was putting forth every effort to secure an 
education, depending upon his own resources for the securing of the 
necessary funds. He worked on farms during the summer months, taught in 
the country schools during the winter terms and set his hand to such 
other work as he could secure, and thus he defrayed, unassisted, the 
expenses of his school and college courses. In 1864 Mr. Kennedy 
accompanied his parents on their removal to a farm in Herman township. 
Penobscot county, Maine, the place being a few miles distant from the 
city of Bangor. After leaving college Mr. Kennedy devoted his attention 
to teaching school, and when but twenty-one years of age he was elected 
superintendent of schools of a portion of Penobscot county, while two 
years later, in 1873, he removed to Leroy, Minnesota, where he was 
elected principal of the village schools and appointed deputy 
superintendent of schools for the county, retaining this dual incumbency 
one year, at the expiration of which he turned his attention to the 
real-estate business, with which he has ever since continued to be 
identified, his operations in the line having eventually become of wide 
scope and importance. In 1874 Mr. Kennedy established, in Leroy, a 
weekly newspaper, the Leroy Independent, of which he continued editor 
and publisher for the ensuing four years, when he sold the property and 
business. 

	In March, 1878, Mr. Kennedy came to the territory of Dakota, 
making his way to Lake county, there being not more than twelve families 
within its borders at the time. He secured from the government a 
homestead and a timber claim, aggregating three hundred and twenty 
acres, and forthwith started a stock farm. Two years later the Chicago, 
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company constructed a line across this 
land and Mr. Kennedy secured thereon the location of a town site, which 
he duly platted, while the name of Madison was given to the embryo 
village by its founder. The main street of the present city runs through 
the center of his original farm, and it is needless to say that the land 
rapidly appreciated in value with the development and substantial 
upbuilding of the town. In 1884 Mr. Kennedy was primarily instrumental 
in effecting the organization of the First National Bank of Madison, of 
which he was chosen the first president. The following year he 
established the Kennedy Brothers' Bank, of which he became president, 
and this institution continued business until 1889, when it was absorbed 
by a company which was organized and incorporated by Mr. Kennedy, under 
the title of the Northwestern Loan and Banking Company, of which he was 
chosen president. This corporation did a large business in the extending 
of real-estate loans, while the banking departments also represented a 
flourishing and well-conducted enterprise. In 1891 the subject organized 
the Madison State Bank and was made its president, and this institution 
succeeded to the banking business of the company previously mentioned, 
the undertaking having grown to such an extent as to render it expedient 
to segregate the two departments. In 1882 Mr. Kennedy engaged in the 
raising of live stock upon an extensive scale, entering into partnership 
with Horace B. Williamson, under the firm name of Kennedy & Williamson. 
The firm had a stock farm of two thousand one hundred and sixty acres in 
the western part of Lake county, and the enterprise was successfully 
continued until about 1898, when Mr. Kennedy withdrew from the same, his 
other capitalistic interests demanding his entire time and attention. In 
this connection it should be noted that this firm brought the first 
large band of sheep into the territory of Dakota, —about two thousand 
head. Mr. Kennedy has shown himself to be an energetic and practical 
business man and his administrative talent has been brought into 
evidence in connection with the important and varied enterprises with 
which he has been identified. He has always been a firm believer in and 
advocate of the great possibilities and future development of the state 
of South Dakota, and has become thoroughly familiar with all sections of 
the commonwealth and with its varied resources, so that his judgment is 
practically ultimate. As a believer in the broadening effect of travel 
and its value as a means of recreation and health preservation, Mr. 
Kennedy has not failed to amply avail himself of the privileges 
afforded, and with his family has traveled over practically all sections 
of the Union, as well as through parts of Mexico and the Dominion of 
Canada. 

	In politics Mr. Kennedy is known as one of the leaders in the 
ranks of the Republican party in South Dakota. In November, 1880, he was 
elected as a representative of Lake county in the territorial 
legislature, and within the succeeding session introduced and secured 
the enactment of a bill locating the State Normal School at Madison, 
while his generosity and public spirit were further shown in his 
donating to the state the twenty acres of land upon which all the 
buildings of this excellent and valued institution are located. He was a 
member and secretary of the board of trustees of this school for a 
period of eight years and has ever maintained a lively interest in its 
welfare. From 1890 to 1889 he served as a member of the board of 
aldermen of Madison,—a term of nine consecutive years,— and during 1891, 
he was mayor of the city, giving a most able and progressive 
administration of municipal affairs. During the period leading up to the 
division of the territory of Dakota Mr. Kennedy passed considerable time 
in the national capital, in the interest of such division and the 
admission of South Dakota to the Union. Fraternally Mr. Kennedy is 
identified with the following Masonic bodies: Evergreen Lodge, No. 17, 
Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and Cyprus Chapter, No. 26, Royal Arch 
Masons, at Madison; Cyrene Commandery. No. 2, Knights Templar, at Sioux 
Falls; Oriental Consistory, No. I, Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite, at 
Yankton; El Riad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the 
Mystic Shrine, at Sioux Falls; Madison Chapter, No. 6, Order of the 
Eastern Star, at Madison, while he also holds membership in Madison 
Lodge, No. 20, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. 

	At Pittsfield, Maine, on the 21st of May, 1873, Mr. Kennedy was 
united in marriage to Miss May Ella Williamson, who was born in that 
state, being a daughter of Hon. Henry Williamson, of Starks, Somerset 
county, Maine. Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy have two children, C. Leroy, who was 
born on the 10th of January, 1878, and Dean M., who was born January 3, 
1887.