Sherman Frederick Lucas Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1800-1802 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.


	SHERMAN FREDERICK LUCAS, of Bonesteel Gregory county, was born in 
Waverly, Bremer county, Iowa, on the 17th of September, 1864, and is a 
son of William V. and Sophronia M. (Lowe) Lucas, both being of Scotch-
Irish lineage. William Vincent Lucas was born in Carroll county, 
Indiana, on the 3d of July, 1835, and was there reared and educated. In 
1856 he was united in marriage to Sophronia M. Lowe, who was born in the 
same county, in 1835, and in the same year they removed to Iowa and 
became numbered among the pioneers of Bremer county. The father of the 
subject was a presidential elector from that state in 1876, served as 
treasurer of Bremer county for four years, and was a man of much 
influence in his community, while in 1880-81 he had the distinction of 
serving in the office of auditor of the state of Iowa. In 1883 he 
removed with his family to South Dakota and located in Brule county, of 
which he was treasurer for one term. He was a member of congress from 
South Dakota for the term of 1893 and 1894 and was for several years 
commandant of the State Soldiers, Home at Hot Springs. being himself a 
veteran of the Civil war and he resigned this office on the 1st of July, 
1903, and removed to California. being now a resident of Santa Cruz, 
that state. His cherished and devoted wife was summoned into eternal 
rest in August, 1896. She was a woman of noble and gracious character, a 
zealous member of the Methodist Episcopal church and was held in 
affectionate regard by all who came within the sphere of her influence.

	Sherman F. Lucas secured his early educational discipline in the 
public schools of Waverly and Mason City, Iowa, and learned the 
printer's trade in the newspaper office of his father, in the latter 
place. In May, 1883, he came to the present state of South Dakota and 
located in the village of Castalia, where in the following month, in 
association with his brother, Aaron B., he engaged in the newspaper 
business, establishing the Castalia Republican, the pioneer paper of the 
town. In 1888 he disposed of his interest in this enterprise and 
accepted a position as assistant cashier in the Charles Mix County Bank, 
at Castalia. In 1890 he was appointed clerk of the courts of that county 
and served one year, being defeated for re-election in the Populistic 
landslide of that year, though he ran eighty votes ahead of his ticket 
and was defeated by only eleven votes. He passed the year 1891 in Fort 
Randall, being placed in charge of the post trader's store by the 
receiver. He was chief clerk of the enrolling and engrossing force of 
the lower house of the state legislature during the general assembly of 
1893, and during the summer of 1895 was second clerk on the Diamond Joe 
line of steamers, plying between St. Louis and St. Paul. In 1896 he was 
appointed assignee of the Charles Mix County Bank, continuing his 
residence in Castalia, that county, until 1899, when he removed to 
Bonesteel, Gregory county, and here established the Gregory County News, 
disposing of the same in May, 1903, to S. P. Ayres & Son. On the 1st of 
April, 1899, he was appointed postmaster of the town and has since 
remained incumbent of this office. In 1899 he was admitted to the bar of 
the state upon examination before the supreme court, and gives 
considerable attention to the practice of his profession. He was the 
candidate on his party ticket for county judge in 1900, but was defeated 
by the Democratic candidate, Edwin M. Starcher. He served two years as a 
member of the board of trustees of the village of Bonesteel and is known 
as one of its most loyal, progressive and public-spirited citizens, 
while he gives an uncompromising allegiance to the Republican party, as 
may be inferred from preceding statements. At the time of the Spanish-
American war Mr. Lucas raised in Charles Mix county a company of 
volunteers, but they were not mustered into the United States service, 
by reason of the fact that the state's quota of soldiers was fully 
supplied from the members of its National Guard. Mr. Lucas was 
affiliated with Doric Lodge, No. 93, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, 
at Castalia, of which he was master for one year. A lodge is about to be 
constituted at Bonesteel and Mr. Lucas has been selected as its first 
worshipful master. He is also identified with the Royal Arch Masons, at 
Mitchell; is venerable consul of Bonesteel Camp, No. 4793, Modern 
Woodmen of America, and also affiliated with the Brotherhood of American 
Yeomen. Mrs. Lucas is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and 
the subject contributes to the support of the same.

	On the 24th of June 1899, Mr. Lucas was united in marriage to Miss 
Cora B. Johnson, who was born at Fredericksburg, Bremer county, Iowa, in 
March, 1875, being a daughter of Marcellus M. and Ella M. Johnson, early 
and honored pioneers of Dakota territory. Mr. and Mrs. Lucas have two 
children, Vincent Lowe, who was born April 20, 1900, and Arthur Wayne, 
who was born May 9, 1902.