Walter F. Tompkins Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1538-1539 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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	WALTER F. TOMPKINS, of Egan township, Moody county, was born on a 
farm in Dodge county, Wisconsin, on the 17th of September, 1852, and is 
a son of Daniel D. and Amelia (Tryon) Tompkins, both of whom were born 
in the state of New York, of staunch English lineage. The father of our 
subject was born in Duanesburg, Schenectady county, New York, on the 
16th of April, 1827, and was a relative and namesake of Daniel D. 
Tompkins, who served two terms as vice-president of the United States, 
under the Monroe administration. In 1846 he married Miss Amelia Tryon, 
and in the early 'fifties removed with his wife to Wisconsin, becoming 
one of the pioneer settlers of Dodge county, where he resided for 
several years and where occurred the death of his devoted wife. Of the 
two children of this marriage our subject was the youngest, his brother, 
William H., having died in childhood. In 1856 the father married Miss 
Catherine Tryon, a sister of his first wife, and in 1862 he removed with 
his family to Olmsted county, Minnesota, where he became a prosperous 
farmer and influential citizen. He was one of the leaders in the 
Republican party in that section, and he served as township supervisor 
in 1867-8, as assessor for three years, and in 1886 was elected to 
represent his county in the legislature of the state. He died on thc 
17th of January, 1899, and is survived by his second wife. They became 
the parents of four children, namely: Minnie A. (deceased), Samuel Earl, 
Mary A. and Lafayette. 

	The subject of this sketch was reared to the sturdy discipline of 
the home farm and after completing the curriculum of the public schools 
continued his studies for one year in Wasioga Seminary, in Dodge county, 
Minnesota. In March, 1878, he came to what is now the state of South 
Dakota and located in Moody county, where he entered claim to a quarter 
section of government land, as a homestead, this constitution the 
nucleus of his present fine landed estate of five hundred and forty 
acres, in section 9, Egan township. . His finances were limited and his 
early struggles in developing his land were of the most arduous sort. 
Two years after he located here came the great blizzard of October 15 
and 16, 1880, and in the same he was accidentally caught, being for two 
days without food or fuel. The following winter was a particularly 
severe one, marked by blizzards and heavy fall of snow. The railroads 
were blockaded and supplies cut off entirely. Hay and straw were used 
for fuel, and in many cases the only flour available was that made from 
wheat ground by hand, usually in the ordinary domestic coffeemill. Mr. 
Tompkins trusted and worked on and his reward has not been ill 
proportioned to his early struggles. Today he is the owner of five 
hundred and forty acres of the fine land of the Sioux river valley, the 
property being free from incumbrance, and gives his attention 
principally to the raising of sheep, having several hundred on his ranch 
at all times, as well as a number of high-grade cattle and horses, while 
he has about one hundred and fifty acres of his land under effective 
cultivation. He is an uncompromising Republican in his political 
proclivities, and has ever shown a public-spirited interest in local 
affairs and lent his aid in the furtherance of all enterprises and 
measures for the general good. He was for two years supervisor of Egan 
township, three years was incumbent of the office of township treasurer, 
and for nine years was treasurer of his school district, of which he has 
also been director. He and his wife are prominent and valued members of 
the Methodist Episcopal church at Egan, and they have the cordial good 
will and unqualified esteem of all who know them. 

	On the 28th of September, 1884, Mr. Tompkins was united in 
marriage to Miss A. Hodgman, who was born in Bristol, Addison county, 
Vermont, on the 8th of May, 1855, being a daughter of Harry and Huldah 
(Spaulding) Hodgman. They have two children, Amelia Mae who was born on 
the 15th of March, 1886, and Melba D., who was born on the 12th of 
April, 1900.