Walter R. Kingsbury Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1518 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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	WALTER R. KINGSBURY, who is one of the successful real-estate 
dealers of the city of Sioux Falls, is a native of the state of 
Connecticut, having been born in the town of Andover, on Christmas day 
of the year 1832, and being a son of Joseph and Amelia (Reynolds) 
Kingsbury, both of whom were likewise native of Connecticut, where they 
passed their entire lives, the father having been a farmer by vocation. 
It is practically well authenticated that the original progenitors of 
the Kingsbury family in America were of staunch old English stock and 
that they immigrated to the new world and settled in the Massachusetts 
colony about the year 1635, while the maternal ancestors of the subject 
came from Scotland at an early period. Mr. Kingsbury completed the 
curriculum of the common schools in his native state, and then continued 
his studies for a time in an academy at Monson, Massachusetts, while in 
1854 he was matriculated in the Connecticut State Normal School, at New 
Britain, where he completed a course of study and fitted himself for the 
pedagogic profession. He began teaching in the common schools of his 
native state in the year 1849, meeting with signal success, and he 
continued to follow this vocation, in various localities, for the 
ensuing ten years. After teaching he engaged in the merchandise business 
at Camp Point, Illinois, where he had been engaged in teaching for some 
years previous. He served as postmaster in 1863 and in 1865 he closed 
out his business and removed to Chicago, where he engaged in the dry-
goods business, continuing until 1875, having been successful until the 
panic of 1873. He then removed to Oak Park, a suburb, where he continued 
in the dry-goods business until 1878. Coming then to Sioux Falls, he 
engaged in the same business, continuing five years, being successful. 
He then engaged in the real-estate business, in which he has since 
continued. He has been successful in his operations and is one of the 
honored citizens of the place, being held in high esteem by all who know 
him. He is independent in his political attitude, giving his support to 
men and measures meeting the approval of his judgment, and both he and 
his wife are prominent and valued members of the Congregational church. 

	On the 20th of April, 1865, at Mendon, Illinois, was solemnized 
the marriage of Mr. Kingsbury to Miss Cornelia Starr, who was born in 
Mendon, Adams county, Illinois, on the 2d of November, 1837, being a 
daughter of Richard and Sarah (Benton) Starr, who were numbered among 
the sterling pioneers of that state. Mr. and Mrs. Kingsbury have two 
children, Helen L., who is still at the parental home, and a teacher in 
the public schools, and Howard L., who is engaged in the lumber business 
at Sioux Falls.