John C. Stoughton Biography

	This biography appears on pages 1008-1009 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

Photo of Mr. Stoughton appears facing page 1008.

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	JOHN C. STOUGHTON, the popular postmaster of the thriving little 
village of Geddes, was born in Ionia county, Michigan on the 13th of 
July, 1844, and is a scion of a family which has been identified with 
the history of the United States from the time of the Revolutionary 
epoch. His parents, Samuel E. and Emily H. (Park) Stoughton. were both 
born in the state of New York and of their ten children only two 
survive, the subject of this sketch and his brother, Charles J. who is a 
resident of Howard City, Michigan. The father of the subject was born on 
the 17th of April, 1814, and his devoted wife was born on the 20th of 
February, 1816, and both were children at the time when their respective 
parents removed from the old Empire state and became pioneers of 
Michigan, settling in the vicinity of the present beautiful city of 
Detroit and in that state both were reared to maturity, their marriage 
being solemnized May 21, 1835. After he had attained manhood Samuel E. 
Stoughton purchased a tract of government land in Ionia county, 
Michigan, where he developed a farm from the virgin forest, becoming one 
of the substantial citizens of that section and ever retaining the high 
regard of all who knew him. On the old homestead farm which he had 
reclaimed for the wilderness he continued to reside until his death, 
which occurred in 1872, while his wife passed away in 1883. Mr. 
Stoughton identified himself with the Republican party at the time of 
its organization and ever afterward remained a stanch advocate of its 
principles, and while he was never ambitious for political preferment he 
was called upon to serve in various offices of local trust. His father, 
Dellucine Stoughton, was a veteran of the war of 1812, and his 
grandchildren recall that in his later years he found pleasure in 
entertaining them by singing the old army songs. He was a son of Amaziah 
Stoughton, who came with his parents from England to the United States 
about the time of the Revolution, the family settling in the state of 
New York, with whose annals the name has long been identified, and thus 
the subject of this sketch is of the fifth generation of the family in 
America.  

	John C. Stoughton, whose name initiates this review, was reared to 
the discipline of the old homestead farm in Ionia county, Michigan, and 
after availing himself of the advantages of the common schools he 
entered, in 1865, Kalamazoo College, in Kalamazoo, that state, where he 
continued his studies for two years. His financial resources then 
reached a low ebb, and he accordingly left college and devoted the 
following vear to teaching in the schools of his native state. He then 
removed to Kansas, where he continued his pedagogic labors, in Atchison 
and Leavenworth counties, for the ensuing four years. His father's death 
occurred in 1872, as before noted, and he was appointed administrator of 
the estate, returning home to settle up the affairs of the same. He was 
married the following year and decided to remain in Michigan, where for 
a number of years he devoted his attention to teaching during the winter 
terms, while farming constituted his vocation during the remaining 
months of the year. In 1883, in company with four others, Mr. Stoughton 
came on a prospecting trip to South Dakota, with a view of selecting a 
permanent place of residence. The party came by railroad as far as 
Plankinton, where they purchased a mule-team and wagon and set forth to 
look over the country to the west of that point, and three of the 
number, of whom our subject was one, finally filed claims to a quarter 
section each of land in Charles Mix county, Mr. Stoughton securing an 
excellent claim seven miles northwest of the present village of Geddes, 
whose site was unmarked by any habitation at that time. He settled on 
his claim and in September of the following year his wife joined him in 
the new home. He later purchased an adjoining quarter section, and 
during the intervening years he has brought his fine farm of three 
hundred and twenty acres under most effective cultivation, has made 
excellent improvements on the same and has been successful in his 
efforts. In the spring of 1900 Mr. Stoughton was appointed postmaster of 
the new town of Geddes, to which he forthwith removed with his family, 
taking charge of the office in June of that year, and having since 
remained incumbent. He is a stalwart advocate of the principles of the 
Republican party and has taken a lively interest in the promotion of its 
cause. In the autumn of 1883 he was elected a member of the board of 
county commissioners, in which capacity he gave most efficient service, 
retaining the office three years. It may be said that the postoffice at 
Geddes was established in June, 1900, in which month our subject assumed 
control, and further data in the connection will indicate the rapid 
upbuilding and substantial increase in population of the town. In April, 
1902, only one year and nine months after the establishing of the 
office, it was placed on the list of presidential offices, the salary of 
the postmaster being at the time raised to eleven hundred dollars a 
year, while three months later it was raised to twelve hundred in 
accordance with the increase of business, while in July of the present 
year (1903) a further increase to fourteen hundred dollars was made. Mr. 
and Mrs. Stoughton are members of the Congregational church, and he was 
one of those prominently concerned in effecting the erection of the 
church of this denomination in the village of Jasper, the property being 
later sold to the Methodist Episcopal society, who now own and occupy 
the edifice. Mr. Stoughton was initiated in the Masonic fraternity in 
1869 and has been a charter member of two lodges in Charles Mix county, 
this state, being now affiliated with Geddes Lodge, Free and Accepted 
Masons. 

	On the 4th of March, 1873, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. 
Stoughton to Miss Selena V. Bovee, of Greenville, Michigan. She was born 
in Lenawee county, Michigan, being a daughter of M. and Julia Bovee, and 
of her marriage has been born one son, Elmer B., who was assistant 
postmaster at Geddes. He was born in Greenville, Michigan, on the 14th 
of April, 1879, and after attending the public schools entered Ward 
Academv, in Charles Mix county, where he was graduated as a member of 
the class of 1898, after which he was for one term a student in Yankton 
College, having later been engaged in teaching for a short time. He has 
recently (1904) resigned his position in the postoffice and has removed 
to Lyman county, South Dakota, where he has taken up a homestead, on 
which he expects to make his future home.