Josiah Sheldon Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1169-1171 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
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	The last few paragraphs are about a “Mr. Palmer”. This information
	is presented as it originally appeared in the book. A check of the
	G.A.R. rosters show that Mr. Sheldon was indeed a member of 
	the Colonel Ellsworth Post No. 21.


	JOSIAH SHELDON.—For a number of years the subject of this review 
has been very closely identified with the history of Lincoln county, 
South Dakota, being one of the early settlers and substantial citizens 
of this part of the state and the founder of the thriving town of 
Lennox, in which he now resides. Josiah Sheldon embodies many of the 
sturdy elements of New England manhood and traces his genealogy to an 
early period in the history of Vermont, of which state his parents, 
Samuel and Lavina (Ballard) Sheldon, were natives, both born, reared and 
married in the old county of Franklin. About the year 1850 Samuel 
Sheldon migrated to Dane county, Wisconsin, of which he was an early 
settler, and there took up a tract of government land which he cleared 
and converted into one of the most productive farms in that part of the 
state. He was a successful agriculturist, a worthy citizen and lived on 
the place he originally located until his death, which occurred in 1876, 
his second wife, the subject's mother, departing this life in 1858. By a 
previous marriage with Permelia Martin, who died in Vermont, he had one 
child, a son, by the name of Nelson, and to his union with Lavina 
Ballard four children were born, namely: Harmon, who, with the subject, 
laid out the town of Lennox, South Dakota, but who is now living a 
retired life in Wright county, Minnesota; Polly, wife of Sebastian 
Basford, of Clear Lake, Iowa; Josiah, of this review, and Desire, twins, 
the latter, who married William Dunlap, dying in the year 1887. By his 
third wife, Emma Ross, Mr. Sheldon was the father of one child that died 
in infancy. 

	Josiah Sheldon is a native of Franklin county, Vermont, where his 
birth occurred in the year 1842. He enjoyed but limited educational 
advantages, never attending school after his sixteenth year, and when 
old enough to work he took his place in the fields, where he labored 
early and late, helping to run the farm and contributing to the support 
of the family. After remaining at home until attaining his majority he 
started out to make his own way and from 1850 to 1876 followed 
agricultural pursuits in Minnesota, removing the latter year to South 
Dakota and taking up a claim in the northern part of Lincoln county, 
where the village of Lennox now stands, this thriving town being a part 
of the original quarter section which he purchased from the government. 
In addition to this land he also entered one hundred and sixty acres 
about one and a half miles west of Lennox and in 1890, in partnership 
with his brother, laid out the town and began a series of improvements 
which in due time attracted a thrifty class of people to the locality, 
many of whom purchased lots and became permanent residents. 

	Mr. Sheldon moved to the present site of the village before the 
advent of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad in 1879 and donated 
about forty acres of his land for town purposes, selling all the rest 
except two lots which he reserved for his own use. He was a member of 
the first board of trustees of Lennox and in that capacity did much to 
advance the interests of the town and promote its growth, lending his 
influence to every enterprise calculated to stimulate business and 
industry, at the same time giving an earnest and whole-hearted support 
to measures having for their object the social. intellectural and moral 
well-being of the community. 

	In his political affiliations Mr. Palmer is a Republican and he 
has long been a factor of considerable importance in local party circles 
besides manifesting an active interest in district and state affairs, 
laboring diligently during campaigns and contributing not a little to 
the success of the ticket as an organizer and worker. His fraternal 
relations are represented by the Masonic order, belonging to Lodge No. 
35, at Lennox, and the Grand Army of the Republic Post No. 21, which 
meets at Elsworth, his right to membership in the latter organization 
depending upon the three years which he gave to the service of his 
country during the dark and troublous period of the Civil war. Mr. 
Palmer, on October 18, 1861, enlisted at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in Company 
C, Fourth Iowa Cavalry, which was assigned to duty in the Army of the 
Southwest, where he took part in several noted battles, including, among 
others, the siege of Vicksburg, and many minor engagements, to say 
nothing of the long tiresome marches in which he took part and the 
numerous vicissitudes and hardships endured while defending the flag and 
upholding the integrity of the Republic. He was discharged December 5, 
1864, at Memphis, Tennessee, with an honorable record, and since leaving 
the army he has been as earnest and loyal to the government as when 
fighting in its behalf on Southern battlefields. Mr. Palmer is one of 
the well-known and widely respected men of Lincoln county, who has 
dignified every station to which called and whose influence has ever 
been exercised on the right side of every moral issue. Those who know 
him best speak in complimentary terms of his many excellent 
characteristics and his record in the past may be taken as an earnest of 
continued usefulness and prosperity in years to come.