Philetus Clark Truman Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1612-1613 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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	PHILETUS CLARK TRUMAN, who died at his home in Volga, on the 27th 
of October, 1901, as the result of an attack of pneumonia, was born in 
Preston, Chenango county, New York, on the 20th of December, 1841, being 
a son of Clark and Clarissa Truman. His father was born on Long Island, 
New York, and his ancestors were numbered among the early settlers in 
Connecticut, whether they came from England in the colonial era of our 
national history. Representatives of the name later removed to Long 
Island, New York, locating at Little Falls, and thence the father of the 
subject removed to Chenango county, New York, where they remained for a 
number of years, finally coming west to Magnolia, Iowa, where the 
parents passed the remainder of their lives. 

	Mr. Truman received his rudimentary education in the district 
schools of his native county where he was reared on the home farm, and 
later he continued his studies in the institution at Deruyter, New York. 
He effectually supplemented this early discipline during later years, 
being a close observer and student and becoming a man of broad and 
liberal information and distinctive intellectuality. In 1856 he left the 
parental home and went to Wisconsin, where he devoted several years to 
teaching, in the schools of Rock, Dane and Green counties, while he 
simultaneously gave special attention to the reading of law. In July, 
1862, he went to Magnolia, Iowa, where he married Miss Eunice Truman, 
whose death occurred in November, 1873. She is survived by one daughter, 
Alice M., who is now the wife of John C. Jenkins, of Brookings, this 
state. After his marriage Mr. Truman continued his residence in Iowa, 
where he was engaged in teaching school for several terms, while for 
several years he served as superintendent of schools in Shelby county 
and also as county surveyor. In 1873 he was admitted to the bar of that 
state, and thereafter was successfully engaged in the practice of his 
profession at Harlan, Iowa, until 1881, when he came to Brookings 
county, South Dakota, and took up a pre-emption claim in Lake, Sinai 
township, upon which he resided until he had perfected his title. He 
then located in the village of Volga, where he resumed the practice of 
his profession, entering into partnership with Arthur S. Mitchell, with 
whom he continued in practice until 1891, from which time forward until 
his death he conducted an individual and independent practice of general 
order, gaining marked prestige. In 1893-4 he served as county judge, and 
in the fall of the latter year was elected to represent Brookings county 
in the state legislature, in which he proved a valuable and 
conscientious working member. In politics he gave an unwavering 
allegiance to the Republican party, of whose principles he was an able 
and effective advocate, taking an active part in forwarding the party 
cause. He was reared in the faith of the Seventh-day Baptist church, but 
upon coming to Volga enrolled himself as a member of the Presbyterian 
church, ordering his life in harmony with the faith which he professed. 
He was one of the prominent members of the Masonic fraternity in this 
county, having been identified with Mystic Lodge, No. 89. Ancient Free 
and Accepted Masons, of which he was past-master; Chapter No. 17, Royal 
Arch Masons, at Arlington; and Golden Rod Chapter, No. 58, Order of the 
Eastern Star, of which his widow is also a valued member. At the time of 
his death Mr. Truman was the owner of sixteen hundred and forty acres of 
farming land, in Brookings and Kingsbury counties, and also of a 
considerable amount of property in Volga. He was a naturalist of marked 
ability and enthusiasm, and in this line held a high reputation for his 
intimate and comprehensive knowledge, while he had the finest collection 
of lepedoptera and coleoptera in the northwest, and having given much of 
his time in the later years of his life to study and investigation along 
this line and to the perfecting of his fine collection. He retired from 
the active practice of his profession in 1900, and thereafter gave his 
attention to his capitalistic and landed interests. 

	On the 12th of January, 1892, Mr. Truman was united in marriage to 
Miss Mary E. Dickerson, who was born in Jordan, Minnesota, being a 
daughter. of David D. and Emeline (Edgerton) Dickerson, natives of 
Oneida and Madison county, New York, respectively. The mother of Mrs. 
Truman was summoned into eternal rest on the 27th of December, 1900, at 
the age of seventy-three years. and Mr. Dickerson made his home with his 
daughter, Mrs. Truman. having attained the venerable age of seventy-nine 
years at the time of his death, December 25, 1903. 

	Mrs. Truman is a lady of culture and gracious personality, and is 
prominent in the social life of the community, while her beautiful home 
is a center of refined hospitality. She was educated in the seminary at 
Whitestown, New York. and in the Agricultural College, at Brookings, 
South Dakota, and was a popular teacher in the public schools of this 
state for several years prior to her marriage. She is a musician and 
also possesses much literary ability, while she and her husband passed 
many grateful hours in their fine library and in the arranging of his 
collection of specimens to which reference has been made, and which she 
still retains. She is an active worker in the local chapter of the Order 
of the Eastern Star, of which she is past worthy matron, while she has 
also served as grand conductress in the grand chapter of this state. She 
is a member of the Presbyterian church, and active in forwarding the 
work in its different departments. She was made administratrix of her 
husband's estate, and still retains a personal supervision of her 
various properties. 

	The following obituary notice of Mrs. Truman's father appeared in 
print at the time of his demise and will be of undoubted interest in the 
connection: 

	DIED.—David Dickerson, at Volga, on Friday, December 25, 1903, 
aged seventy-nine years, eleven months and three days. Mr. Diekerson was 
born in Lee, Oneida county, New York, January 21, 1824. He was the sixth 
child of John and Phoeba Diekerson. When he was one year old his parents 
moved to Mexico, Oswego county, where they lived for eight years. They 
then moved to Lee Center, Oneida county. His education was obtained in 
the common schools, the Gilbertville high school and the Rensselaer 
Academy, at Mexico, New York. He afterwards taught twelve terms of 
school. August 4, 1852, he was married to Emeline Edgerton, of Ava, New 
York, and they immediately moved to Portland, Illinois, where they 
resided until 1856. On account of failing health they moved to Jordon, 
Minnesota. In 1857 he was a member of the constitutional convention of 
Minnesota, representing Scott county. He was a prominent member of this 
convention, being on the finance, public debt and tax committees. He 
first came to Volga in 1881 to visit with a sick daughter, Mrs. J. S. 
Bandy, who died on Christmas day, just twenty-two years prior to his 
death. His health has gradually failed since the death of his wife three 
years ago last Sunday. He was brought up in the Baptist faith, but was 
not a member of any denominational church. The only member of his 
immediate family surviving him is Mrs. M. E. Truman, of this city. For 
twenty years Mr. Dickerson lived in this community, first settling in 
Windsor township, where he lived for a few years, but later moved to 
Volga, where he has since resided. He still retained his land interests 
in Windsor, but at different times had business interests in the city, 
he having owned and edited the Tribune in 1885. The deceased was a 
wonderfully well preserved man for a person of his age. He had a jovial 
disposition and was always cheerful and full of sunshine.