Peter Laurin Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1298-1299 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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	PETER LAURIN, farmer and stock raiser and one of the enterprising 
citizens of Meade county, South Dakota, was born in Montreal, Canada, on 
the 17th day of August, 1848. He spent his early life in his native 
city, received a fair educational training in the schools of the same 
and remained with his parents until sixteen years of age, meanwhile 
turning his hands to various kinds of employment. In 1864 when a mere 
youth, he severed home ties and went to St. Louis, Missouri, where he 
took a Missouri river steamer for Fort Benton, Montana, thence proceeded 
to Virginia City, where he engaged in placer mining. After remaining at 
and in the vicinity of that place until attaining his majority, he 
returned to Montreal to visit his old home, and while there went into 
the grocery business, to which he devoted his attention during the five 
years following. 

	Becoming somewhat restive and longing for the wild, free life of 
the west, Mr. Laurin, at the expiration of the period noted, disposed of 
his stock of goods, and in the summer of 1876 started for the Black 
Hills, going via Pierre and reaching Deadwood in October of the same 
year. From there he went to Bald Mountain, being attracted by the recent 
discovery of gold at the latter place but not meeting with success as a 
miner, he soon returned to Deadwood, and engaged in the wood business on 
City creek, continuing the same with profitable results for a period of 
two years. In the spring of 1878 he went to Bear Butte creek, Meade 
county. and took up his present ranch, four miles east of Sturgis, which 
he at once proceeded to improve and reduce to cultivation, the meanwhile 
continuing his wood business at Deadwood. Mr. Laurin began operations on 
his ranch under very favorable auspices, but the first year met with a 
serious loss in the burning of over one hundred tons of hay and about 
the same time all of his stock of wood was destroyed by the fire that 
raged with such violence in the vicinity of Deadwood and along City 
creek. In due time, however, he recovered from these reverses and 
applying himself closely to his labors, soon had the greater part of his 
land in cultivation, also well stocked, besides making a number of 
substantial improvements in the way of buildings, etc. Shortly after 
settling on his place he engaged in freighting between Pierre and the 
Black Hills, devoting the winter months to this kind of labor and the 
rest of the year to farming and stock raising, but it was not long m1til 
he abandoned teaming to look after his agriculture interests, which 
continued to grow in magnitude and importance with each succeeding year. 
Finding live stock more profitable than farming, he gradually added to 
the latter interest and of recent years has given it the greater part of 
his attention. 

	Mr. Laurin is a Republican in politics, and a staunch and 
uncompromising supporter of his party, being active in its councils and 
an untiring worker in the ranks. While zealous in the defense of his 
principles and ready at all times to make sacrifices for the same, he is 
not an office seeker nor an aspirant for leadership or any kind of 
public distinction, having no ambitions to gratify in these directions. 
Believing in using the good things of this world and getting out of life 
all the pleasure and satisfaction it has in store for him, Mr. Laurin 
has provided liberally for himself and family, being the owner of a 
comfortable home. His domestic circle at this time consists of a wife 
and three children, his marriage having been solemnized on February 11, 
1888, at Russellville, Illinois, with Miss Lizzie Paul, a native of that 
state, and a lady of excellent character, who has presided over his home 
with loyal devotion and proved in every sense of the word a faithful 
companion and true helpmeet. The children are all daughters, whose names 
are Marie, Lucile and Aline.