W. E. Tipton Biography


	This biography appears on pages 879-880 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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	W. E. TIPTON, of Armour, Douglas county, is a native of the state 
of Missouri, having been born in Schuyler county, on the 10th of June, 
1854, a son of Jabez B. and Isabel (Wright) Tipton. The ancestry in the 
agnatic line is traced back to two brothers who emigrated from England 
to America and landed in either Baltimore or Philadelphia, while 
finally one of them located in Virginia and the other in the state of 
New York, and the Virginian later came west and took up his permanent 
residence in Kentucky, and it is from this pioneer of that state that 
the subject of this sketch is descended. Joel Tipton, grandfather of 
the subject, was one of the colony which accompanied Daniel Boone from 
Kentucky to Missouri, and for a number of years he was an associate of 
that historic character, being a close personal friend. Jabez B. Tipton 
passed his entire life in Missouri, his vocation being that of farming. 
His wife, the mother of the subject, was an Illinoisan by birth.  

	W. E. Tipton was reared on the homestead farm in Missouri and 
after availing himself of the advantages afforded in the public schools 
he continued his studies in the state normal school, at Kirksville. At 
the age of nineteen years he began teaching in the public schools, and 
by this means he earned the money with which he was enabled to carry 
forward his studies in the normal school, where he was graduated in 
1880, with the highest honors in his class, and afterward taking the 
post-graduate course, with the degree of Master of Arts. He served as 
superintendent of schools at Queen City, Glenwood, Lathrop and Lamar, 
Missouri, and while in tenure of the position in Lamar he also served 
as superintendent of schools of Barton county. At that time also he 
began the study of law with the definite intention of preparing himself 
for the practice of this profession, having previously carried on his 
studies along the line, but in a somewhat desultory way. While at Lamar 
he was elected a member of the faculty of the state normal school at 
Warrensburg, but the school board refused to accept his resignation, 
and such was the estimate of his-value and ability as an instructor 
that the position as a member of the faculty of the normal school was 
held open for him for a period of two years. Within this time, however, 
Mr. Tipton had decided to withdraw from the pedagogic profession and 
devote his attention to that of the law, and in consonance with this 
decision he resigned the position at the normal without having actually 
filled it at any time. His duties in Lamar had been so varied and 
onerous that his health became seriously impaired, and this is not to 
be considered strange when we take cognizance of the fact that not only 
was he superintendent of the city and county schools, but was also 
associate editor of the State Teachers' Journal, editor of the 
educational department of a local paper, interested in the real-estate 
business, and the while carefully continuing his legal studies. He was 
thus compelled to call a halt and endeavor to recuperate his wasted 
energies. In 1883 he resigned his position as county superintendent of 
schools and came to South Dakota for the benefit of his health, 
locating in Douglas county. He had been admitted to the bar of Missouri 
the preceding year, and after his removal to South Dakota he opened an 
office in Grand View, which was then the county seat of Douglas county, 
and there continued to be successfully engaged in the practice of his 
profession until the town of Armour was projected. He then became one 
of the founders and builders of the new town, in which he was one of 
the early settlers, and here he has ever since maintained his home, 
having contributed materially to the advancement of its best interests 
and being one of its most honored and valued citizens, while he has 
gained a state reputation as one of the leading members of its bar, his 
talent and devotion to his profession having gained him distinctive 
prestige, while his clientage is of representative order. He is a 
staunch Republican in his political views, and he was appointed 
district attorney in 1884, serving two years, while he was elected to 
the office in 1886, for a term of two years. He also served one term as 
state's attorney of Douglas county, while for two terms he presided 
with marked ability on the bench of the county court. Judge Tipton was 
president of the board of education of Armour for several years, and 
for five years was a member of the board of regents of the State 
University, having ever retained a lively interest in the cause of 
popular education. In 1901 he was appointed president of the state 
board of charities and corrections, serving two years, and recently the 
board was reorganized and our subject was chosen secretary, this 
executive position being one for which he is particularly well 
qualified, and he resigned the presidency because he felt that as 
secretary he could make his services of more definite value.  

	In politics Judge Tipton is a stalwart advocate of the principles 
and policies of the Republican party, and he is prominently identified 
with the Masonic fraternity, being affiliated with the various bodies 
of the York Rite and having also attained the consistory degrees in the 
Scottish Rite. He also holds membership in the adjunct order of the 
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, and in the Knights of Pythias, in which he 
is now supreme representative, having held the highest offices in the 
lodge for the past eight years. He and his wife are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal church and take a zealous interest in the various 
departments of its work.  

	On the 28th of December, 1881, Judge Tipton was united in 
marriage to Miss Myra Amsden, of Greene county, Iowa, who died in 1890, 
being survived by her only child, Gerald I., who is now in business in 
Quincy, Illinois. On the 10th of October, 1894, Judge Tipton contracted 
a second marriage, being then united to Miss Emily Rogers, of Mitchell, 
South Dakota, and they are the parents of four children, Bernice, Mark 
R., Sterling J. and Gwyneth.