R. A. Rounseville Biography


	This biography appears on page 1853-1854 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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	R. A. ROUNSEVILLE, a representative farmer and stock raiser of 
Kingsbury county, is a native of Waterloo county, Wisconsin. He grew to 
manhood in Sheboygan county, Wisconsin, attended the public schools at 
intervals until eighteen years old and assisted his father in running 
the home farm until attaining his majority. Coming to Kingsbury county, 
South Dakota, he entered a quarter section of land, after which he 
worked among the neighboring farmers for several years to earn 
sufficient money to develop and otherwise improve his claim. Meanwhile 
he spent considerable time on his land and when not otherwise engaged 
addressed himself manfully to its improvement. He began farming for 
himself with an ox-team and a plow and with this outfit succeeded in 
breaking the greater part of his ground and fitting it for tillage. He 
entered the marriage relation, after which he set up a domestic 
establishment on his place and, beginning to farm in earnest, was in 
due time on the high road to success and prosperity. Mr. Rounseville 
owns three hundred and twenty acres of fine land, admirably situated 
for farming and stock raising, and to these two lines of industry he 
has devoted his attention, with most encouraging financial results. Mr. 
Rounseville and family belong to the Catholic church, the parents as 
well as the children having been born and reared in this faith. In 
former years the subject was a Democrat, but when the Populist party 
was organized he espoused its principles and became one of its first 
leaders in the county of Kingsbury. He was elected on this ticket 
county commissioner and served two terms, making a capable, painstaking 
and exceedingly popular official. He was township clerk, has been 
assessor and in addition thereto is now treasurer of the school board 
of his township.