Henry C. Tucker Biography This biography appears on pages 1005-1006 in "History of South Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. HENRY C. TUCKER, of Geddes, editor and publisher of the Charles Mix County News, was born in New York, on the 30th of October, 1854, being a son of Samuel and Martha (Crumb) Tucker, of whose seven children four born in Madison county, New York, whither his father removed from Massachusetts, while the father of the latter was a soldier under General Putnam in the war of the Revolution. In one of the battles in which he took part his hat was almost shot to pieces, and General Putnam presented him with a new hat, recognizing the bravery which he had displayed in thus becoming a mark for so many bullets. Upon attaining manhood the father of our subject engaged in farming and hop growing in his native county, having planted the first field of hops in that section of the state, and in connection with this line of enterprise he became very successful, being one of the substantial farmers and honored citizens of Madison county at the time of his death, which occurred in 1888, at which time he was sixty years of age. His widow still survives him and resides on the old homestead farm. He was a Democrat in politics and ever took a deep interest in public affairs, though he never sought official preferment. Henry C. Tucker was reared on the homestead farm land early began to lend his aid in connection with its cultivation. After attending the public schools of the locality he continued his studies in the DeRuyter Institute and the New York Central Conference Seminary, an institution conducted under the auspices of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1875 he came to the west and located in Shelby county, Iowa, where he bought a tract of land and engaged in agricultural pursuits, while he also invested in a ditching machine, which he operated throughout that locality for several years, being one of the pioneers in the locality and finding his machine in much demand. In 1883 he disposed of his interests in Iowa and came to Charles Mix county, South Dakota, being numbered among the first settlers in the county. He filed on a claim in Jackson township, but after one year sold his relinquishment to the same, and in July, 1884, in company with Charles W. Pratt, he purchased the Charles Mix County News, a weekly paper, which was at that time published in the village of Darlington, its founding dating back only to the preceding November. In October, 1884, they removed the plant to Edgerton and shortly afterward our subject purchased his partner's interest in the enterprise and thereafter continued the publication of the paper in Darlington until 1900, when he removed his plant to the new town of Geddes, his office building having been the third building erected in the town and his paper the first to be published in the town. The office of the News is well equipped with modern machinery and other accessories, the old hand presses originally utilized having been replaced by those of modern design, while the paper has an excellent circulation through the county. Mr. Tucker is one of the town's most enthusiastic and loyal citizens and is at the present time president of the village council, and while a resident of Edgerton he acted as postmaster of the place. He is a stanch Republican in his political adherency and has made his paper an effective exponent of the party cause. Fraternally, he is identified with Geddes Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, and Signal Camp, No. 444, Modern Woodmen of America, of which latter he is venerable consul. Mr. Tucker was united in marriage to Miss Victoria Ashby, of Shelby county, Iowa and they are the parents of four children, Maud, who is the wife of William Fowler, who is engaged in the lumber business in Geddes; Roy, who is in the office with his father; Bert, who remains at the parental home, and Ella, who is the wife of Charles Zink of this county.