Charles Power Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1352-1353 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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	CHARLES POWER, one of the representative business men of Lake 
county, is a native of the state of Minnesota, having been born in 
Fillmore county, on the 17th of August, 1858, and being a son of William 
and Margaret (Knox) Power, both of whom were born and reared in Ireland, 
while their marriage was solemnized in Ireland. The parents of the 
subject immigrated to America in 1854, and about 1856 took up their 
residence in Fillmore county, Minnesota, where they developed a farm, 
having been early settlers of the county. He there remained until 1868, 
when he died. In 1872 the mother and six children came to South Dakota. 
His widow is still living, at the venerable age of eighty years, and 
makes her home with her son, Joseph. This worthy couple became the 
parents of eight children, of whom six are living. 

	The subject of this review remained at the parental home in South 
Dakota until he had attained the age of twenty years, having in the 
meanwhile received his rudimentary educational discipline in the 
district schools. He then, in 1872, came as a youthful pioneer to the 
present state of South Dakota, and he passed the first five years 
thereafter in Minnehaha county, working on various farms and in the 
meanwhile attending school in Sioux Falls, where he completed a course 
in the high school. In 1879 Mr. Power came to Lake county, where he took 
up three hundred and twenty acres of government land and forthwith bent 
his energies to its reclamation and improvement. His success became 
cumulative, and as prosperity attended his efforts he added to his 
landed possessions in the county, until he is now the owner of six 
hundred and forty acres of valuable land, of which about five hundred 
are under effective cultivation, while he has made the best of 
improvements of a permanent nature. His farm is located in Wentworth 
township, two miles east of Wentworth, where he maintains his home and 
where he owns a considerable amount of realty aside from his elevator 
and attractive modern residence. Mr. Power continued to reside on his 
ranch until 1887, when he removed to Wentworth and established himself 
in business as a buyer and shipper of grain, while he later erected his 
present elevator in the village. He is a stanch advocate of the 
principles of the Democratic party, and takes a lively interest in local 
affairs of a public nature. He served three years as president of the 
village council of Wentworth, and was chairman of the township board for 
two years. Fraternally he is affiliated with Wentworth Lodge, No. 156, 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Wentworth Camp, No. 4980, Modern 
Woodmen of America.  

	On the 3d of August, 1898, Mr. Power was married to Miss Minnie 
Peters, who was born in West Bend, Washington county, Wisconsin, and who 
is a daughter of Henry and Minna (Schultz) Peters. Mr. and Mrs. Power 
have a winsome little daughter, Fern, who was born on the 21st of March, 
1901.