John A. Munro Biography

	This biography appears on pages 968-969 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 A. MUNRO, president of the Wilmot Land and Loan Company, of Wilmot, 
was born in Nova Scotia, October 18, 1853, the son of Donald and Nancy 
Munro, the father a native of Scotland and by occupation a stone-mason and 
contractor. John. A. attended the country schools, and later pursued the 
higher branches in the Picton Academy and took up the study of pharmacy 
under the direction of a druggist of his native place. After becoming 
familiar with the business, he went to Minnesota, where he followed his 
chosen calling from 1878 to 1879, and in the latter year came to South 
Dakota, and established a drug house at Big Stone City, which he conducted 
very profitably during the six years following.

In 1883 Mr. Munro was appointed clerk of court for Roberts county, which 
office he held for four years. In 1885 he removed to Wilmot, where he has 
resided ever since. During his term as clerk of court he devoted his 
leisure time to the study of law and was admitted to practice in 1888, but 
did not engage very actively in the practice, turning his attention rather 
to real estate and banking, which he found more to his taste and much more 
profitable. He is a director of the First State Bank of Wilmot, and to him 
is due the credit of organizing the Wilmot Land and Loan Company. of 
Wilmot, of which he is president at present, and which, as much as any 
other agency, has tended to the settlement and material development of 
Roberts county and other parts of eastern Dakota.

Mr. Munro ever since coming west has been actively identified with the 
affairs of Wilmot and Roberts county. He was sergeant-at-arms in the house 
of representatives during the legislative session of 1885, was largely 
instrumental in carrying his county and district that year for the 
Republican party, and as a politician his influence has been strong and 
far-reaching. As a citizen he is progressive and thoroughly up to date, 
lends his encouragement and material support to everything making for the 
public good and having faith in the future of his adopted state, is 
manfully doing his part to make it come up to his high ideal of what a 
commonwealth should be.


Mr. Munro belongs to the Masonic fraternity, in which he now 
holds office of junior warden, and is also an active member of 
the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows, being at this time district deputy of the last 
named organization. In the month of December, 1892, was 
solemnized the marriage of Mr. Munro and Miss Carrie E. Phanso 
of Pennsylvania, a union blessed with five offspring, namely: 
Kenneth Donald, Gladys Irene, Carroll Jean, Doris Ella and 
Myrtle Lucile.