John W. Strater Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1555-1556 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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	JOHN W. STRATER was born. in Germany, November 11, 1845. When a 
child he was brought to the United States by his parents and spent his 
early life on a farm in Jasper county, Iowa, remaining at home until his 
seventeenth year. In 1863 he left the parental roof and went to New 
Mexico, where he remained several years engaged in prospecting and 
mining, and later traveled over the greater part of that territory, 
Colorado and other mining districts of the southwest, meeting with fair 
success at times, but failing to realize the fortunes which he set out 
to seek. When gold was discovered in the Black Hills Mr. Strater, with 
three companions, at once started for the new Eldorado, leaving Denver 
in the spring of 1875 for Fort Laramie, thence to Custer Park, reaching 
the latter place on May 20th of that year. At the time of Mr. Strater's 
arrival there were only four or five men in the Black Hills, and they 
went there despite the orders of the government to the contrary. 
Locating temporarily on Castle creek, the subject and his companions 
continued prospecting until the following August, when they were 
arrested by a detachment of soldiers and taken to Fort Laramie, where 
they were turned loose. They retraced their steps to the Hills and in 
due time arrived at their diggings on Castle creek. Resuming mining, the 
little party worked with might and main, determined if possible to make 
a lucky find, but they appear to have reckoned without their host, for 
only ten days passed until they again fell into the hands of the 
soldiers, who took them to Custer City, where they were imprisoned in 
what was known as the "Bull Pen," a rude corrall made of rough logs and 
devoid of everything in the shape of comfort or convenience. 

	After being detained a little over a week they were taken to 
Cheyenne and soon after the marshal gave the prisoners their freedom, 
admonishing them, as they left, against repeating their former offenses, 
unless they wished to incur the severe displeasure of the government. 
Nothing daunted, however, the men immediately returned to their camp, 
and again began digging and were never thereafter interfered with. After 
remaining at the original camp on Castle creek until April, 1876, Mr. 
Strater went to Custer City, thence a little later to Spring creek, 
where he prospected during the summer months, and in the fall located at 
Haywood, where he continued prospecting and mining until 1880. In the 
latter year he engaged in mercantile business at Hayward, purchasing his 
goods in Rapid City, and he soon had a lucrative trade, his 
establishment being the first of the kind in the town. After doing a 
successful business until 1882, he moved his store to his ranch on 
Battle creek, ten miles from Hayward, where he continued to sell goods 
about three years, in connection with which he also raised cattle, 
besides farming on a limited scale. At the expiration of the period 
noted he changed the location of the store to a point on the Sidney 
road, south of Battle creek, where a postoffice was established and 
named, in compliment of himself, Strater, he being the first postmaster. 
Mr. Strater's business experience at the latter place lasted until 1887, 
at which time he moved to Hermosa, a new town, which was settled in the 
spring of that year. The subject has been very closely identified with 
the business interests and general prosperity of Hermosa, and he is now 
not only the oldest merchant in the place, but also one of its most 
enterprising and public-spirited citizens. He carried a full line of 
general merchandise, commanded the bulk of the trade, and had one of the 
largest and most successfully conducted stores in the Black Hills. He 
sold his interest in this business in January, 1904. Mr. Strater's 
ranch, on which he still makes his home, contains about six hundred and 
forty acres of fine grazing land, and being situated only one mile from 
Hermosa, he experiences little difficulty in it management. His live-
stock business is extensive and successful and in the main he has been 
quite prosperous in his various undertakings, being at this time one of 
the financially strong and reliable men of his part of the state. In 
addition to his career as a prosperous miner, pioneer and business man, 
he also has a military record, having served about one year in the late 
Civil war, as private in a Colorado regiment, enlisting in 1864. He is a 
member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Hermosa, belongs to 
the Grand Army post at the same place, and manifests a lively interest 
in the deliberations of both organizations.