Henry E. Perkins Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1294-1295 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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	HON. HENRY E. PERKINS, of Sturgis, Meade county, is a native of 
Windsor county, Vermont, born on December 1, 1864. He was educated in 
the schools of his native state, being graduated from the State Normal 
at Randolph, largely making his own way through the institution by 
clerking between the terms while his schoolmates were having the usual 
summer enjoyments of life in hunting, fishing and kindred pleasures. 
While so engaged in a grocery store his integrity. strict attention to 
duty and business ability won him recognition as a very promising young 
business man and ere long the leading hardware merchant of Bethel in his 
home county induced him to accept a position in his store. Through Mr. 
Spaulding, of Spaulding & Delehant, of Lead, Captain Seth Bullock, of 
the hardware house of Star & Bullock, of Deadwood, heard of him and 
offered him a position. This was accepted by wire and he arrived at 
Deadwood in October, 1883. He remained with the firm until 1886, when he 
became assistant postmaster of the town, and after a year of service in 
that position he removed to Sturgis to take the position of bookkeeper 
in the First National Bank of that town. Having special fitness and 
adaptability for banking, he made rapid progress in this institution, 
and in 1895 was chosen cashier. Two years later the bank was reorganized 
as the Meade County Bank, and he was retained as cashier of the new 
corporation, a position which he still holds. He is also one of the 
heavy stockholders in the concern. He has been thrifty as well as 
capable, and has acquired considerable mining property of value in the 
Black Hills and Arizona, and maintains a beautiful home at Sturgis which 
he and his accomplished wife make a center of refined and generous 
hospitality and agreeable social life. In politics he is an unwavering 
supporter of Republican policies and candidates and is very active and 
effective in the service of his party. In 1900 he was elected mayor of 
Sturgis and has held the office continuously since that time. He is 
always energetic in behalf of every good enterprise for the benefit of 
the community, and as president of the Commercial Club from its 
organization he has through it and by his personal efforts done a great 
deal to promote the cause of irrigation in his portion of the state. He 
is also the South Dakota committeeman of the National Irrigation 
Association. So forceful and serviceable for the general welfare has he 
been that in 1902 he was elected state senator of the fortieth 
senatorial district, comprising Meade and Butte counties, and his value 
as an organizer and party worker was demonstrated by years of service as 
secretary and treasurer of the Republican county central committee of 
his county. He belongs to the Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the 
United Workmen and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. 

	On October 14, 1893, at Sturgis, Mr. Perkins was united in 
marriage to Miss Carrie Francis, the only daughter of Charles Francis, a 
pioneer in the Black Hills and South Dakota generally, and all of his 
life here a prominent and influential citizen, a sketch of whom will be 
found on another page of this work. Mr. and Mrs. Perkins have three 
children, Esther L., Charles E. and Lillian K. In official life Mr. 
Perkins has shown the same industry, integrity and marked ability that 
characterize him in business, and the same agreeable manner and charming 
personality that he has in social life, wherein he and his wife have 
long been prominent.