Michael Ugofsky Biography


	This biography appears on page 1236 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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	MICHAEL UGOFSKY, one of the progressive and successful 
agriculturists of Yankton county, was born in Prussia in 1840 and was 
there reared and educated, obtaining his mental training in the public 
schools. The favorable reports which he heard concerning the new world, 
however, attracted him and bidding adieu to friends and native land he 
sailed for the United States in 1868, making his way into the interior 
of the country. He settled first at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he 
remained for four years, being employed in a tannery there. On the 
expiration of that period he came to South Dakota and, establishing his 
home in Yankton county, he secured one hundred and sixty acres of land, 
which he entered from the government. Not a furrow had been turned or an 
improvement made on the place, but he at once began the task of plowing 
and planting and in course of time he gathered rich harvests. As he has 
prospered in his work he has added to his possessions until he now has 
three hundred and twenty acres, his property holdings being valuable. 
He, however, suffered many hardships and trials in the earlier years. He 
lived here during the time in which the grasshoppers destroyed the 
crops, leaving the settlers almost penniless, because they had no farm 
products to sell. 

	Mr. Ugofsky was married to Miss Mary Tooczek and has a family of 
five children: Valentina, Julia, Annie, August and Xavier. The boys 
operate a thresher and also a corn sheller and shredder and are 
energetic young men. 

	In his political affiliations Mr. Ugofsky is a Democrat and, 
becoming well informed on the issues of the day, has given a loyal 
support to that party, which he believes is best calculated to promote 
the welfare of the nation. He belongs to the Catholic church and is 
interested in all that pertains to public progress and improvement along 
social, material, educational and moral lines. He assisted in building 
schools and churches here and his co-operation has been a helpful factor 
in many lines of progress. In the development of his farm he has been 
energetic. and industrious and now has a very good property. He planted 
trees about his home, erected good buildings and in fact has made all of 
the improvements upon his property. He carries on mixed farming, raising 
shorthorn cattle, horses and sheep and in addition produces good crops, 
his fields being planted to the cereals best adapted to the soil and 
climate.