James A. Kiser Biography


	This biography appears on page 1665 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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	JAMES A. KISER, a member of the well-known real-estate firm of 
Kiser Brothers, of Redfield, Spink county, was born on a farm near 
Madison, Dane county, Wisconsin, on the 24th of February, 1865, and is a 
son of William C. and Lucy A. (Black) Kiser, the former of whom was born 
in Virginia and the latter in Ohio, where her father was a pioneer, the 
Black family having been founded in America in the colonial days. The 
father of the subject passed his early childhood in the Old Dominion 
state and was about two years of age at the time of his father's death. 
His mother later removed with her children to Ohio and located in 
Montgomery county, on the site of the present National Soldiers' Home, 
near the city of Dayton. While he was still a boy the family removed to 
Logan county, Ohio, where he remained until 1862, when he located in 
Dane county, Wisconsin, where he was engaged in farming until 1881, when 
he came as a pioneer to what is now the state of South Dakota, taking up 
government land ten miles east of the present village of Mellette, Spink 
county, where he developed a valuable ranch, upon which he still 
resides. In 1888 he was elected county treasurer of Spink county, of 
which office he was incumbent two years. 

	James Kiser, the immediate subject of this sketch, passed his 
youth in Dane county, Wisconsin, and received his educational training 
in the public schools of the city of Madison. He was sixteen years of 
age at the time of the family removal to Spink county, and here he 
assisted in the work and management of the home ranch until his father 
was elected county treasurer, when he served as a clerk in the office 
for two years. At the expiration of this period, in I89I, he purchased 
an interest in an abstract and real-estate business in Redfield, being 
identified with this enterprise until 1894, when he disposed of his 
interests and went to California, where he remained until 1899, when he 
returned to Redfield and became associated with his brother, William C., 
Jr., in the real-estate business, the enterprise having been established 
some time previously by his brother, and they have since continued the 
business under the firm name of Kiser Brothers. They have finely 
appointed offices in Redfield, and courteous attention is given to all 
who seek their aid or advice in connection with the sale or purchase of 
property. The subject of this sketch is a staunch Democrat in politics, 
and fraternally he is a member of the order of Freemasons, being 
identified with Redfield Lodge, No. 34; Redfield Chapter, No. 20, Royal 
Arch Masons; Huron Commandery, Knights Templar, and El Riad Temple, 
Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Sioux Falls. 

	On the 20th of March, 1889, Mr. Kiser was united in marriage to 
Miss Lydia A. Markham, a daughter of Giles Markham, a prominent citizen 
of Markesan, Wisconsin, in which state she was born and reared.