Merritt B. Wiseman Biography


	This biography appears on pages 682-683 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (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.

      This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
      a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

      http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


	MERRITT B. WISEMAN has the distinction of being a native of this 
county and a scion of one of its honored pioneer families, while he 
enjoys distinctive popularity in the community which has been his home 
throughout life, and is one of the representative young men of this 
section.  

	He was born on the parental homestead in Osceola township, Grant 
county, on the 28th of May, 1879, and was the first white child born 
within the confines of said county. He is a son of Marcellus H. and 
Josephine P. (Palmer) Wiseman, the former of whom was born in Vermont, 
a representative of a family established in New England in the colonial 
era, while the latter was born in Illinois, where their marriage was 
solemnized, and where the father was engaged in farming until 1879, 
when he set forth for the territory of Dakota, transporting his family 
and their few household goods in a covered wagon and making the entire 
journey overland with horse teams. He became one of the first settlers 
in Grant county where he became the owner of valuable property and he 
and his wife still reside in Milbank, being held in the highest esteem 
by all who know them. Marcellus H. Wiseman was for a number of years a 
trusted employee of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, 
and was thus engaged for a number of years after coming to South 
Dakota, being now practically retired. He has ever been known as a man 
of force and progressive ideas, and has manifested distinctive public 
spirit, having taken a particularly active part in the contest which 
resulted in the establishing of the county seat at Milbank. He is a 
Republican in politics. They have four children, the subject of this 
sketch being the only son.  

	Merritt B. Wiseman, whose name initiates this review, has passed 
practically his entire life in Milbank, though the village was not 
founded until some time after his parents' location in the county, and 
he duly availed himself of the advantages of the excellent local 
schools, having completed the course in the Milbank high school and 
been there graduated as a member of the class of 1897. He then 
practically continued his educational work by the valuable discipline 
gained through association with the "art preservative of all arts," 
having worked at the printer's trade about four years, while for the 
past four years he has rendered efficient service in the office of the 
county auditor, having been appointed deputy auditor in 1900 by John E. 
Truran. At present he is associated with the chief carpenter of the Jim 
River and of the H. and D. division of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. 
Paul Railroad. In politics the subject is one of the alert and 
enthusiastic young Republicans of his native county, and takes a lively 
interest in public affairs of a local nature, while he also keeps well 
informed on the national issues. Fraternally he is identified with 
Milbank Lodge, No. 20, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, of which he is 
secretary at the time of this writing, and with Banner Lodge, No. 57, 
Knights of Pythias, and Milbank Camp, No. 1887, Modern Woodmen of 
America.  

	On the 24th of June, 1902, Mr. Wiseman was united in marriage to 
Miss Lillian Lau, who was born in Wisconsin.