P. L. Pierce Biography


	This biography appears on page 1879 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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	P. L. PIERCE, one of the sterling pioneers of Campbell county, is 
a native of the great Empire state of the Union, having been born in 
Sparta, Livingston county, New York. When he was a lad of six years he 
accompanied his parents on their removal to Columbia county, Wisconsin, 
where he was reared to manhood under the conditions of the pioneer days 
in that state, his father there being engaged in farming. The subject 
received a common-school education, and continued to reside in 
Wisconsin until 1868, when he removed to Iowa, where he was engaged in 
farming for the ensuing eight years, at the expiration of which he took 
up his abode in Minnesota, where he was engaged in the hotel business 
until 1882, in which year he came to what is now the city of Aberdeen, 
South Dakota. Here he was engaged in the livery business for two years 
and then came to Campbell county, entering a homestead claim of 
government land. This homestead he still retains, the same being 
located three miles distant from the Missouri river and two miles from 
the line of North Dakota. In this favorite locality Mr. Pierce now owns 
a half section of land, and his place is well improved, being one of 
the best in this locality. Mr. Pierce has been at all times progressive 
and has taken advantage of opportunities which others would not have 
discerned, and he has labored in season and out to gain the goal of 
independence and success. For fourteen seasons he operated a threshing 
machine, and his services in the connection have been demanded in past 
years far and wide through this section, as is evident when we recall 
the fact that he has assisted in the harvesting and threshing of grain 
at points fully three hundred miles distant from his home place.

	Mr. Pierce was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Briggs, who was 
born in Indiana, and they became the parents of four children. Mr. 
Pierce is a staunch Republican.