Wilson Wise Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1528 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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	WILSON WISE, one of the honored pioneers of Sanborn county, was 
born in Clearfield county, Pennsylvania, on the 19th of November, 1833, 
being a son of Samuel and Phoebe (Merriman) Wise, both of whom were also 
natives of the Keystone state, where the former was born in 1808, and 
the latter in 1810. Of their eleven children seven are still living. The 
father of the subject was engaged in farming in Pennsylvania until the 
fall of 1855, when he removed with his family to Illinois, where he 
remained two years, and then continued his way westward into Winneshiek 
county, Iowa, where he took up government land and developed a good farm 
continuing to reside there until his death, which occurred in December 
1879, his devoted wife entering into eternal rest in 1882. He was first 
a Whig and later a Republican in politics, and both he and his wife were 
consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. 

	The subject of this sketch received his early education in the 
common schools of Pennsylvania, and was about twenty-two years of age at 
the time when he accompanied his parents on their emigration to 
Illinois, while later he was associated with his father in the 
development of the pioneer farm in Iowa. In that state he continued to 
follow agricultural pursuits until 1879, when he came to what is now the 
state of South Dakota, arriving in Sanborn county on the 16th of May, 
and here taking up a homestead claim of one hundred and sixty acres, 
which he still owns, having made substantial improvements on the same 
and brought it under effective cultivation, though he had to encounter 
his full quota of hardships and discouragements in the early days. His 
confidence in the future prestige of the state never wavered, however, 
and he does not regret having cast in his lot with South Dakota. Mr. 
Wise has ever been a staunch advocate of the principles of the 
Republican party, and has done effective work in its cause. In 1900 he 
was elected county treasurer, being chosen as his own successor in 1902, 
so that he is now serving his second term. He became treasurer of his 
school district at the time of its organization and retained this office 
for. ten years, ever showing a deep interest in educational affairs and 
all else that makes for the well-being of the community. In 1886 he was 
a member of the territorial legislature, as a representative of the 
eighth district. He and his wife are devoted members of the Methodist 
Episcopal church. 

	In 1859 Mr. Wise was united in marriage to Miss Nancy H. Drake, 
and they have six children, all of whom have been afforded good 
educational advantages, and of them we enter a brief record, as follows: 
Samuel W. is a resident of Graceville, Minnesota; Laura M. is the wife 
of George C. Terwilliger, a hardware merchant of Wayne, Nebraska; Flora 
A. is the wife of William Robinson, a carpenter and contractor of 
Artesian, South Dakota; Flora A. is the widow of Angus McGilvery. who 
was a surveyor by profession, and who did much government work through 
the northwest, his death occurring in Helena, Montana, while his widow 
now resides in Artesian, South Dakota; Charles E., who married Miss Lena 
Denton, is a successful farmer of Sanborn county, South Dakota; Clarence 
remains at the parental home, as does also Sidney A.