William B. Valentine Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1065-1066 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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	WILLIAM B. VALENTINE comes of staunch English stock and is a native 
of the city of Buffalo, New York, where he was born on the 31st of March, 
1836, being one of the eight children of George and Anna (Mee) 
Valentine, while all except one are yet living. Eliza is a widow and 
resides in Cincinnati, Ohio; Sarah is the wife of John M. Cooper, of St. 
Louis, Missouri; William B. is the subject of this sketch; Elizabeth, a 
maiden lady, resides in St. Louis, as does also Lucy, who is the wife of 
William N. Graves; Albert is engaged in building and contracting in 
Tuscola county, Michigan; and Helen is the wife of Byron Bailey, of 
Cincinnati. The parents were both born in Boston, England, whence they 
came to America with their respective parents when they were children, 
both having been reared and educated in Buffalo, New York, where their 
marriage was solemnized. John Valentine, grandfather of the subject, was 
a man of means and became an influential and prominent citizen of 
Buffalo, where both he and his wife died. John Valentine learned the 
trade of mason in his native city and was a man of marked 
intellectuality and business ability. He was engaged in contracting and 
building in Buffalo until 1867, when he removed to Michigan, locating in 
Bay City, which was then a village of two or three thousand, and there 
he continued to reside about five years, at the expiration of which he 
removed to Fair Grove, Tuscola county, that state, where he continued to 
make his home until his death, which occurred in 1886, at which time he 
had attained the venerable age of eighty years. In politics he was 
originally an old-line Whig, but upon the organization of the Republican 
party he espoused its cause and ever afterward remained a stalwart 
adherent of the same, taking an active part in forwarding the party- 
interests but never aspiring to official preferment. His religious faith 
was that of the Adventists and he afterward became a Baptist. His first 
wife, the mother of the subject, died in 1849, and he later married Mrs. 
Ann Dove, no children being born of this union.  

	William B. Valentine, whose name initiates this sketch, was reared to 
maturity in Buffalo, New York, and received his educational training m 
the common schools, while in his youth he learned the trade of mason 
under the effective direction of his father and became a skilled and 
able contractor and builder. Upon attaining maturity he left the 
parental roof and went to Ohio, where he remained one season, being 
engaged in the work of his trade. He then returned home, where he 
remained for a short time and then took up his residence in Flint, 
Michigan, where he engaged in contracting and building, to which 
important line of enterprise he has ever since given his undivided 
attention, having had to do with the construction of many large 
structures of both public and private order and having been long 
recognized as one of the leading contracting builders of South Dakota. 
He remained in Flint about four years and then went to Bay City, where 
he continued in his chosen vocation about eight years, having erected 
the first brick building in that now attractive and populous city, where 
he continued to make his home until 1870, when he came to Yankton as one 
of the pioneers in his line, and here he erected the first brick 
building to be put up in the place, while it may be said without fear of 
contradiction that he has erected more than one-half of the principal 
buildings in the city. In politics Mr. Valentine is a stalwart advocate 
of the principles of the Republican party, and he served for six years 
as a member of the board of county commissioners, while for four years 
he was a member of the city council, in each of which incumbencies his 
efforts and advice proved of marked value and met with appreciative 
approval. He also was for one year a member of the board of trustees of 
the state hospital for the insane, which is located in his home city. 
Mr. Valentine is not formally identified with any religious 
organization, but his family are members of the Congregational church.  

	On the 10th of November, 1863, Mr. Valentine was united in 
marriage to Miss Elfrida E. Mathias, who was born in Woolwich, England, 
and of this union have been born four children, namely: Florence E., who 
remains at the parental home; Gipsy E., who is the wife of Leon J. 
Potter, of Chicago, Illinois; Dr. Everett M., who is a practicing 
dentist of Yankton; and Charles H. A., who is a successful contractor 
and builder of Phoenix, Arizona.