William W. Rounds Biography


	This biography appears on pages 755-756 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	WILLIAM W. ROUNDS hails from the old Green Mountain state, being 
a scion of staunch old English stock early established in New England. 
The ancestry is traced in a direct way to the noble family of Walworth, 
Lord Walworth, lord mayor of London, having been an ancestor. Mr. 
Rounds was born in the village of Monkton, Addison county, Vermont, on 
the 1st of June, 1857, and was the youngest in a family of six 
children. He attended the common schools until he had attained the age 
of twelve years, when he left the parental home and faced the stern 
battle of life on his own responsibility, so that he is well deserving 
of the proud American title of self-made man. He was variously employed 
in the east until 1877, when he came to the west and located in the 
city of Chicago, where he was variously employed until 1882, in the 
spring of which year he came to what is now the state of South Dakota 
and located in Spink county, where he took up a preemption claim of a 
quarter section of government land two miles south of the post office 
of Rose. In the fall of the same year he disposed of this property and 
took up a homestead claim in the same county, the place being the site 
of the town of Conde, as before noted. Here he continued to be actively 
engaged in farming until 1886, when the railroad was completed through 
the county and he sold his farm to the Western Townsite Company, and 
the village of Conde was soon afterward founded and platted, being now 
a progressive and attractive town. He identified himself forthwith with 
the business interests of the new village, erecting a large livery 
barn, which he equipped with good facilities, continuing to conduct the 
same for three years, at the expiration of which, in 1890, he traded 
his barn and business for the building and stock of a local hardware 
establishment. The stock was a small one and the enterprise was one of 
modest proportions at the time when he came into control, but within 
two years he had so increased its scope as to necessitate the building 
of an addition to his store, and he also installed a stock of 
furniture, while in 1896 he erected another addition, so that he has a 
large and conveniently arranged store, besides a large warehouse, and 
controls a flourishing business, maintaining also a branch store at 
Groton, Brown county. In politics he is a staunch advocate of the 
principles of the Republican party, and he has been called upon to 
serve in various positions of public trust, having been for several 
years a member of the board of trustees of the village and also a 
member of the board of education, while he also rendered excellent 
service as deputy sheriff of the county. He has attained the thirty-
second degree in Scottish Rite Masonry, being identified with the 
consistory at Aberdeen, South Dakota, while he was one of the charter 
members of Conde Lodge, No. 134, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, in 
Conde, which he has served as worshipful master. He has also passed the 
official chairs in the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows, of which he is past grand, also being affiliated with the 
auxiliary organization, the Daughters of Rebekah, and being a member of 
the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Degree of Honor.  

On the 27th of November, 1884, Mr. Rounds was united in marriage to 
Miss Margaret Park, who was born in Michigan, and they have one 
daughter, Hazel, who is one of the popular young ladies of the village 
of Conde.