John Longstaff Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1778-1779 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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	JOHN LONGSTAFF is the son of George and Mary (Bradbury) Longstaff and 
was born at Newport, New York, May 22, 1863. He received his education 
in the public schools and at twenty years of age landed in Huron, where 
for. two years he was employed upon the Daily Times. He was then with 
the Davenport (Iowa) Gazette for a couple of years, but in 1887 returned 
to Huron and purchased an interest in the Huronite, and has since 
continued in that connection, since 1896 having been the sole owner of 
the establishment. Mr. Longstaff was appointed postmaster at Huron by 
President Harrison, and was appointed by Governor Lee member of the non-
partisan committee to investigate all of the state institutions since 
statehood. He was chairman of the appropriation committee of the house 
of representatives in the legislature of 1903 and has since been re-
appointed postmaster of Huron by President Roosevelt. As a citizen and 
business man, Mr. Longstaff is public-spirited, clean, energetic, a 
leader in every movement for the advancement of his community. As a 
public official he has exemplified ideal, popular and economical 
government. As an editorial writer he has developed an individuality 
which has given to his newspaper, the Daily Huronite, a classification 
all its own; strong, trenchant, clean; a fearless advocate of 
righteousness in private and political life, which has given to it a 
place of the first influence in state affairs.

	Mr. Longstaff is a member of Syracuse Lodge, No. 16, Knights of 
Pythias, and of Huron Lodge, No. 444, Benevolent and Protective Order of 
Elks. He was married in 1887 to Miss Rose Schechtl, of Racine, 
Wisconsin, and they are the parents of three masterful boys, Ralph S., 
George Elbert and John Walter.