F. B. Ward Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1548-1549 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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F. B. WARD is a son of James and Levina (Barber) Ward, old 
residents of Jefferson county, in the Empire state. They lived at 
Carthage and there, in 1838, F. B. Ward was born, his early education 
being obtained in the schools of his native place. At a later period he 
had the benefit of a course in a normal school at Albany, where he was 
graduated in 1859. Shortly after this event he engaged in the mercantile 
business and in 1874 returned to the place of his nativity at Carthage, 
where his parents were still living. In 1882 he decided to cast his lot 
with the rapidly rising commonwealth of the west and obtaining a 
position as surveyor with the Northwestern Railroad Company, he assisted 
in the survey of that line from Hawarden, Iowa, to Iroquois, South 
Dakota. He filed a claim on a quarter section of land in Miner county. 
planned a town site and named the embryonic city Carthage, in honor of 
the old home in New York state, where he had spent his boyhood days. The 
growth of the place was rapid and its development was largely due to the 
enterprise and business foresight of Mr. Ward. He it was who built the 
Palmer House and established the Bank of Carthage, the latter important 
event in the town's early career occurring in 1883. This bank is the 
oldest in Miner county and enjoys the distinction of having weathered 
all the financial storms occurring during the formation period of the 
Dakotas, which wrecked so many other struggling financial institutions. 
Mr. Ward has always been an ardent Republican in politics, but, while 
ever ready to help along the cause by word of mouth and timely work, he 
has never sought political rewards and kept aloof from office seeking. 
Mr. Ward's fraternal connections are with the Masonic fraternity, the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Benevolent and Protective Order 
of Elks. 

	In 1860 Mr. Ward was united in marriage with Miss Harris, of 
Harrisville, New York. who shared his fortunes in the west until claimed 
by death, in 1892. Subsequently Mr. Ward was married to Miss Langley and 
has one child named Francis B.