Col. Lee Stover Biography


	This biography appears on pages 948-949 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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	COL. LEE STOVER. register of the United States land office at 
Watertown, Codington county, and who is also prominent as a land and 
corporation attorney, was horn in Iowa county, Iowa, on the 16th of 
June, 1867, being a son of M. W. and Laura R. (Ricord) Stover, the 
former of whom was born in Ohio and the latter in Iowa. M. W. Stover 
was engaged in the banking business at Marengo, Iowa, for many years, 
was a man of marked influence and sterling character, commanding the 
unequivocal confidence and esteem of all who knew him. At the time of 
the war of the Rebellion he was a member of the Twenty-second Iowa 
Volunteer Infantry, with which he saw long and arduous service, and 
being captain of Company K at the time of the battle of Vicksburg, 
where he received a wound which necessitated the amputation of his 
right arm, his regiment having been the only one to enter the works of 
the enemy in this memorable conflict, while of those who were wounded 
in the regiment in that engagement he was the one of the very few to 
survive. This valiant regiment placed its flag on the works and there 
maintained it for seven hours during the sanguinary conflict on the 22d 
of May, 1863. The paternal grandfather of the subject was George 
Stover, who was born in the Shenandoah valley. of Virginia, and who 
served with distinction in the war of 1812, while his father, Colonel 
Hiram Stover, served as colonel under Washington during the war of the 
Revolution, so that it will be seen that our subject comes of patriotic 
stock, while he himself has seen military service, as a representative 
of the fourth generation of the family in this department of the 
country's service.  

	Lee Stover received his early educational discipline in the 
public schools of Marengo, Iowa, and then entered the Iowa State 
University at Iowa City, where he completed the scientific course and 
was graduated as a member of the class of 1887. He then became a 
student in the law department of the same institution, and was 
graduated in the same in 1889, in June of which year he came to 
Watertown, South Dakota, and initiated the active practice of his 
profession, his devotion to his work and his legal acumen and power 
soon gaining him representative clientage. On the 1st of April, 1898, 
Colonel Stover was appointed register of the United States land office, 
but on the 30th of the same month he resigned the office to accept the 
position of lieutenant colonel of the First South Dakota Volunteer 
Infantry, which was sent to the Philippine Islands, where it remained 
in active service until October, 1899. The subject made a record worthy 
of the name he bears, was known as a bold and fearless commander, was 
loved by all his men and revered by his fellow officers. On his return 
to Watertown, at the expiration of his term of service in the Orient, 
Colonel Stover resumed the practice of his profession, his absence 
having greatly interfered with his regular work in the line, but he 
soon regained his precedence and today controls a large and lucrative 
practice. On the 1st of November, 1899, he again received appointment 
as register of the land office, of which position he has since been 
incumbent, giving a most able administration of its affairs. He served 
four years as state's attorney of Codington county, and is known as a 
strong and skillful advocate and prosecutor and a counsellor well 
grounded in the science of jurisprudence in its various branches. 
Fraternally he is a Mason, a Knight of Pythias and a member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent and Protective Order 
of Elks, Ancient Order of United Workmen, and Modern Woodmen of 
America, all of Watertown. While in service in the Philippines Colonel 
Stover was one of the three members of the supreme, or provisional, 
court of the island of Luzon, and while there was also with his 
regiment on the line for one hundred and twenty-six days and nights 
without removing clothing, shoes, etc.  

	On the 11th of February, 1890, at Burlington, Wisconsin, Colonel 
Stover was united in marriage to Miss Maude Newell Gipson, who was born 
and reared in that state. Of this union have been born two children, 
Walter E. and Lee Roy.