Harry L. Spackman Biography


	This biography appears on page 1175 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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	HARRY L. SPACKMAN, president of the Reservation State Bank, 
Sisseton, and manager of the Roberts County Land and Loan Company, was 
born in Stephenson county, Illinois, May 3. 1866, the son of Jonathan W. 
Spackman, a native of Pennsvlvania and by occupation a contractor and 
builder. Harry L., who is one of six children, three sons and three 
daughters, was reared to his seventeenth year in the town of Dakota, 
Illinois, the meantime acquiring a good education in the public schools. 
He came to this state in 1883, and from the latter year until 1888 he 
lived in St. Lawrence, Hand county, devoting the greater part of the 
time to agricultural pursuits, and then went to Sioux Falls, where he 
clerked in a store until his removal to Sisseton in 1892. Mr. Spackman 
was one of the proprietors of Sisseton, and to him also belongs the 
credit of being the pioneer merchant of the town. He opened a general 
store shortly after his arrival and conducted a very profitable business 
until 1896, when he disposed of his mercantile interests and engaged in 
banking and real estate. He was one of the organizers of the Reservation 
State Bank of Sisseton, and has since been president of the same, and 
also took a leading part in establishing the Sisseton State Bank, of 
which he is still an official and heavy stockholder. In addition to this 
enterprise he is connected with the Roberts County Land and Loan 
Company, being its business manager, and to his energies and executive 
ability is due much of the success which has marked the history of the 
company from its organization to the present time. As already indicated, 
Mr. Spackman was one of the founders of Sisseton and to him as much as 
to any other individual may be attributed the rapid growth of the town 
and its favorable prospects of becoming at no distant day one of the 
most important commercial and industrial centers in the northeastern 
part of the state. 

	Mr. Spackman is a Republican in politics, and a faithful worker 
for the success of his party. He was chairman of the Republican county 
committee four years and served six years as county commissioner, to 
which office he was elected by an overwhelming vote irrespective of 
party. He is a clear-headed, far-sighted man, knows how to take 
advantage of opportunities and bend them to suit his purposes, and all 
of his undertakings have resulted greatly to his financial advantages. 

	Mr. Spackman holds membership with Sisseton Lodge, No. 38, Ancient 
Order of United Workmen, Reservation Lodge, No. 66, Knights of Pythias, 
and is also a zealous worker in the Odd Fellows order, besides lending 
his influence to other organized agencies for the promotion of 
benevolence, charity and fraternal relationships. Public-spirited, he 
hesitates at no difficulty and, optimistic in all the term implies, he 
has an abiding faith in himself and in his fellow citizens to make South 
Dakota one of the greatest commonwealths in the galaxy of states. 

	Mr. Spackman was married, April 10, 1889, to Miss Dora Wampler, or 
Elsworth, Illinois, daughter of A. J. Wampler, who is now.an honored 
resident of Sisseton. To Mr. and Mrs. Spackman have been born three 
children, namely: Vera A., Hazel M. and Harrold B.