James Riley Biography

	This biography appears on pages 956-958 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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	JAMES RILEY, one of the leading businessmen of Watertown and 
senior member of the firm of Riley & Cook, manufacturers and 
dealers in harness, saddlery, etc., is a native of Monmouth 
county, New Jersey, and the son of Bernard and Elsie (Keough) 
Riley, the father born in Ireland, the mother in New York, 
the latter a descendant of one of the old Dutch families of 
the Empire state. James Riley was born August 1, 1848, and at 
the age of six years was taken to Missouri, where he lived 
until a youth of fourteen, the meanwhile receiving a common-
school education, and on leaving home in 1862 entered upon a 
three-years apprenticeship in Jefferson City to learn 
harness-making. After serving his time and becoming a 
skillful workman, he accompanied his parents to Omaha, 
Nebraska, and there followed his chosen calling until 1868, 
when he changed his location to Missouri Valley, Iowa, at 
which place he remained with his parents until their 
respective deaths. From Iowa Mr. Riley, in 1875, went to 
Yankton, South Dakota, and after working at his trade in that 
city for two years, came to Codington county in 1877 and 
settled on government land a short distance north of the 
present site of Kampeska, where he in addition to filing on a 
homestead also took up a tree claim. In 1880 he engaged in 
the manufacture and sale of harness at Watertown, his 
establishment being the first of the kind in the place. To 
this line of business he has since devoted his attention. 
although for a few years he resided on a farm, of which he is 
still the possessor, using it of recent years more as a 
summer resort than as a source of income. His business career 
has been eminently prosperous, he having secured an extensive 
patronage and his establishment is now one of the leading 
business stands in the city.

	When Mr. Riley filed on his first homestead in Codington 
county the nearest town was Canby, fifty miles away, and he 
was obliged to travel over the modest distance of twenty-four 
miles to communicate with his closest neighbor, though C. C. 
Wiley and O. S. Jewell (now deceased) accompanied him in May, 
1877, and all took land on Lake Kampeska. When the county was 
organized he was appointed sheriff, and it fell to him to 
make the first arrest, which was of the man who committed the 
first murder within his jurisdiction.

	Mr. Riley has been actively identified with public affairs 
ever since the county's organization and has done much to 
advertise the advantages of his part of the state to the 
world and induce a substantial and thrifty class of people to 
make it their permanent place of abode. In addition to his 
large and steadily growing business in Watertown he has 
extensive real-estate interests in the county, owning four 
hundred acres of fine farm and grazing land, much of which is 
under cultivation the rest being devoted to live stock. He is 
a leading spirit in the Odd Fellows fraternity at Watertown. 
having held every office within the power of the local lodge 
to confer and in addition to the title of past noble grand, 
which he now bears, he is also past chief patriarch of the 
order. He is a Congregationalist in religion, being a zealous 
member of the First church at Watertown and a trustee of the 
same.

	Mr. Riley was married at Owatonna, Minnesota, March 6, 1884, 
to Miss Helen Coggswell, who was born in 1857, near Owatonna 
when Minnesota was still a territory. Mrs. Riley is the 
daughter of Amos and Harriet (Clark) Coggswell and a 
descendant of old colonial stock that figured in the early 
history of New England and in the war of the Revolution. Her 
father was born September 29, 1825, in New Hampshire, was a 
lawyer by profession and for a number of years acted as 
attorney for the general land office at Washington, D. C. 
Subsequently he migrated to Minnesota, with the early public 
affairs of which state he became prominently identified, 
having been one of the leading members of the constitutional 
convention and in 1860 represented his county in the lower 
house of the general assembly. He served a number of years in 
that body, was speaker of the house from 1872 to 1875 
inclusive, and later was elected to the senate, besides 
holding other offices, among which was that of probate judge 
of Steele county. He was a son of Francis Coggswell. also a 
lawyer, and the father of the latter was Col. Amos Coggswell, 
who held a commission in the American army during the war of 
the Revolution and who at one time was presented with-a 
beautiful sword by General Washington, in recognition of his 
bravery in battle. This weapon is now in possession of Mr. 
Riley who prizes it as a precious heirloom. Mrs. Riley and 
her sister, Abby, now the wife of M. T. McCrady, of Owatonna. 
Minnesota, located homesteads on the edge of Kampeska Lake 
ten miles north of Watertown in 1878. and lived on their 
respective claims for a period of five years and six months. 
proving up on the same and receiving patents from the 
government They experienced many vicissitudes and hardships 
during that time, suffered much from cold in winter seasons. 
but. determined to hold their lands, they persevered in their 
purpose until, as stated above, deeds for the same were 
safely in their possession. Both Mr. and Mrs. Riley are 
descended from pioneer stock. their respective ancestors from 
the Revolutionary period to the present time having steadily 
moved westward and figured in the frontier history of many 
states and territories. They have had three children, only 
one of whom, a daughter by the name of Helen Irene is living; 
the other two were Amos C., who departed this life at the age 
of six years. and James C., who died in infancy.

	In politics Mr. Riley is a Republican and has long been one 
of the party's leaders in Codington county. While zealous in 
upholding his principles and untiring in his efforts to 
promote the success of the ticket, he is not a partisan in 
the sense of seeking office, being too deeply absorbed in his 
business affairs to devote much time to his own political 
interests.