Orator Henry LaCraft Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1533-1534 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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	ORATOR HENRY LACRAFT, the honored and popular postmaster of Clark, 
was born in Farmington, Washington county, Wisconsin, on the 13th of 
August, 1850, and is a son of John and Mary E. (Klice) LaCraft, both of 
whom were born and reared in Ashtabula county, Ohio, being 
representatives of pioneer families of the old Buckeye state and of 
French and Puritan lineage respectively. The maiden name of the maternal 
grandmother of the subject was Emily Kendall, and she was a direct 
descendant of the progenitors of that name who came to America in the 
Mayflower, while she was a niece of Amos Kendall, who was at one time 
postmaster general of the United States. The subject of this review 
secured his educational discipline in the public schools of Wisconsin, 
completing a course in the high school. From 1871 to 1873 he was engaged 
in farming in the vicinity of Scott, Sheboygan county, Wisconsin, in the 
meanwhile teaching school during the winter months. In 1883 he came to 
Clark, South Dakota, where he engaged in the general merchandise 
business, having been one of the first settlers in the town, and he 
continued to be successfully identified with his line of enterprise 
until 1891, since which time he has been connected with the executive 
affairs of the local postoffice, while he also gives his attention to 
his farming interests, having a well-improved ranch of three hundred and 
twenty acres ten miles southeast of his home city. In politics he is a 
stalwart advocate of the principles and policies of the Republican 
party, and he has served in nearly a consecutive way as justice of the 
peace since 1875, while he has been a member of the board of education 
since 1892 and its president for the past four years. He served as 
postmaster from 1893 to 1896, and was thereafter deputy, while later he 
was again appointed postmaster and is still incumbent of the office. He 
served as a member of the state senate in 1900 and is also a member of 
that body at the time of this writing, 1904. He is identified with the 
Masonic fraternity, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of 
Pythias, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Degree of Honor, the 
Knights of the Maccabees and the Modern Brotherhood of America. 

	On the 16th of April, 1873, Mr. LaCraft was united in marriage to 
Miss Charlotte R. Haviland, who was born in Scott, Sheboygan county, 
Wisconsin, on the 20th of July, 1852, and whose death occurred on the 
17th of July, 1883. She was a daughter of Edgar and Susan Haviland, and 
of her two sons one is living—William C., who was born March 1, 1876, 
and who is now engaged in the lumber business in Clark. O. Merton, who 
was born on the 4th of January, 1878, died on the 21st of March, 1898. 
On the 25th of February, 1885, Mr. LaCraft consummated a second 
marriage, being then united to Miss Clara M. Smith, who was born on the 
30th of July, 1864, being a daughter of Charles and Margaret Smith. Of 
the children of this union we enter the following data: Walter S. was 
born August 12, 1886; Delmar B. was born September 19, 1889, and died on 
the 3d of December, 1892; Osmer H. was born May 16, 1893; Lynn K., 
October 3, 1895; and Irma R., September 17, 1897