Edward W. Schmidt Biography


	This biography appears on pages 892-893 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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	EDWARD W. SCHMIDT is one of the influential citizens and honored 
business men of Valley Springs, Minnehaha county, and has passed the 
major portion of his life in South Dakota, being a representative of 
one of its pioneer families. He was born in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, on the 
28th of October, 1862, and is a son of Frederick W. and Augusta (Barr) 
Schmidt, both of whom were born in Germany, whence they came to America 
when young. The subject secured his rudimentary education in the public 
schools of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, and was but eight years of age when, 
in 1872, he came with his parents to South Dakota, his father becoming 
one of the pioneers of Lincoln county, where he took up homestead and 
timber claims and eventually developed a good farm. He and his wife are 
now both dead. As no public schools were established in the section at 
the time of the family removal to this state, our subject was denied 
farther educational advantages in a specific way, but by personal 
application and by active association with men and affairs he has 
become a man of broad information and one well equipped for coping with 
the world, as is evident from the position he has attained as a 
successful business man, having accumulated every dollar through his 
own exertions and good management. He continued to assist in the 
improvement and cultivation of the home ranch until he had attained the 
age of nineteen years, when he returned to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, where he 
devoted two years to learning the tinners' trade, becoming a skilled 
workman. He then returned to South Dakota and was employed at his trade 
for one year in Sioux Falls. In April, 1885, he came to Valley Springs, 
where he followed his trade for the ensuing two years, at the 
expiration of which he associated himself with E. J. Whaley and engaged 
in the hardware and harness business under the firm name of E. W. 
Schmidt & Company. Five years later he purchased Mr. Whaley's interest 
in the business and has since conducted the enterprise individually, 
having built up a large and representative trade and having the high 
regard and unqualified confidence of all who know him and being one of 
the pioneer merchants of the town. He has a finely equipped and stocked 
establishment and his annual business transactions now reach an average 
annual aggregate of about ten thousand dollars. He is progressive and 
imbued with distinctive public spirit and civic loyalty. In politics he 
is a stalwart adherent of the Republican party, and he served two years 
as president of the village, while she has also been incumbent of the 
office of village treasurer and a member of the local board of 
education. He and his wife are prominent and valued members of the 
Congregational church in their home town and he is a member of its 
board of trustees, while fraternally he is affiliated with the Knights 
of Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America.  

	Mr. Schmidt has been twice married. On the 17th of September, 
1886, was solemnized his union to Miss Emma Zick, of Oshkosh, 
Wisconsin, who was summoned into eternal rest on the 13th of June, 
1898, leaving three children, Albert R., Walter H. and Edward R. The 
eldest son is a member of the United States navy and at the time of 
this writing is serving on the cruiser "Hartford." On the 17th of 
October, 1900, Mr. Schmidt married Miss Mabel Cassidy, of Valley 
Springs, and they have two children, Margaret A. and Mabel S.