Joseph Ponsford Biography

	This biography appears on pages 1032-1033 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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	JOSEPH PONSFORD, who is the owner of an extensive and valuable 
landed estate in Buffalo and Jerauld counties, comes of stanch English 
lineage and is a native of the beautiful old city of St. John, province 
of New Brunswick, Canada, where he was born on the 19th of January, 
1840, being a son of Walter F. and Elizabeth (Henderson) Ponsford, both 
of whom died there, the father having been a shipbuilder by vocation. 
They became the parents of five children, of whom three are living. The 
subject of this sketch attended the excellent schools of his native city 
until he had attained the age of sixteen years, when he set forth to 
face the stern battle of life on his own responsibility. He located in 
Racine, Wisconsin, where he remained two years, engaged in work at the 
carpenter trade, and becoming a skilled artisan in the line. At the 
expiration of the period noted he removed to Waterloo, Iowa, where he 
followed the vocation of contracting and building until 1883. It should 
be noted that after the close of the war of the Rebellion Mr. Ponsford 
enlisted for service, serving in the quartermaster's department from I 
865 to I 867, within which time he was in Dakota, with the forces under 
command of General Sully.  

	In April, 1883, Mr. Ponsford came to Jerauld county, South Dakota, 
where he took up three hundred and twenty acres of government- land, in 
Crow township, and forthwith instituted the reclamation and improvement 
of the property. As success attended his energetic and well-directed 
efforts he manifested his faith in the value of South Dakota property by 
adding to the area of his landed estate, which now comprises fourteen 
hundred and forty acres of exceptionally fine agricultural and grazing 
land. He is engaged in the raising of cattle and other live stock upon 
an extensive scale and is one of the most substantial ranchmen of this 
favored section of the state. He came to Dakota a poor man, and it is 
gratifying to note the fact that by energetic and well-directed endeavor 
in connection with the development of the magnificent natural resources 
of the state he has attained a most unqualified success in temporal 
affairs, his estate being now valued at about fifty thousand dollars.  

	He was prominently identified with the organization of Jerauld 
county and has ever manifested an insistent and helpful public spirit. 
He is a stanch advocate of the principles and policies of the Republican 
party, and though he has been urged to accept nomination for various 
county offices he has invariably refused to permit the use of his name 
in such connection. Fraternally, he is identified with the Independent 
Order of Odd Fellows. Mrs. Ponsford is a communicant of the Protestant 
Episcopal church, and in this faith the subject also was reared.  

	On the 2d of May, 1867, Mr. Ponsford was united in marriage to 
Miss Mary E. Dunham, of St. John, New Brunswick, who was born and reared 
in St. John, being a daughter of Joseph 0. and Elizabeth Dunham.