Frank L. Ackerman Biography


	This biography appears on pages 913-914 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				FRANK L. ACKERMAN. 

	Frank L. Ackerman, living in Rapid City, is numbered among the 
pioneers of western South Dakota, where he has lived since his boyhood 
days. He was born in Hastings, Nebraska, December 20, 1865, a son of 
Daniel C. and Elizabeth O. (Jellison) Ackerman, natives of Kansas and 
of Nebraska respectively. The father was a stockman and rancher, 
conducting important business interests and also taking a prominent 
part in democratic politics. His opinions carried weight in political 
circles and he served for two terms as a member of the Nebraska 
legislature. In 1879 he removed to the Black Hills country with his 
family and engaged extensively in ranching in Pennington county. He 
acquired landed interests which he had well stocked and at the time of 
his death, in 1891, he was one of the prominent stock-raisers, 
prosperous ranchers and a highly respected citizen of his community. 
His widow survives and now resides in Rapid City. 

	The educational advantages which Frank L. Ackerman received were 
of the most limited character, for he was reared upon the frontier and, 
moreover, it was necessary for him to earn his own living from an early 
age. When a youth of fourteen he became a clerk in a general store in 
Deadwood, where he remained until his nineteenth year and then returned 
home. At that time he engaged in cattle ranching in connection with his 
father and soon afterward he began in the same business on his own 
account, continuing successfully therein until 1896, when he sold his 
ranch and stock. 

	At that time Mr. Ackerman removed to Rapid City and through the 
succeeding eight years was connected with the Tom Sweeney Hardware 
Company. Still later he became a member of the hardware and implement 
firm of Duhamel Brothers & Ackerman, which was afterward reorganized 
under the name of the Duhamel Ackerman Company, while the business was 
developed into one of the most important enterprises of the kind in the 
state. Their trade covered a wide territory and their business 
constantly grew in volume and importance. In July, 1911, however, Mr. 
Ackerman sold out his entire mercantile interests to turn his attention 
to the insurance business, becoming one of the stockholders and 
directors of the First National Life & Accident insurance Company. He 
assumed the office of general agent and district manager of all the 
territory in the state west of the Missouri river. He has since devoted 
his time with characteristic energy to the upbuilding of the business 
of this important and rapidly growing home company. 

	Mr. Ackerman is a democrat in politics, yet, while actively 
interested in political questions and issues and in obtaining success 
for his friends who are candidates for office, he has never sought nor 
accepted any political honors for himself. 

	On the 28th of March, 1894, Mr. Ackerman wedded Hattie A. 
Garlick, a daughter of Edward and Anna Garlick, and they have become 
the parents of three children: Esther, the wife of O. H. Borst, of 
Pierre, South Dakota; Frances Marguerite; and Frank L. 

	The family attend the Episcopal church, of which Mr. Ackerman has 
been a member since his boyhood days, and he is particularly interested 
in its charitable work. He is a Mason and in the York Rite has attained 
the Knight Templar degree in the commandery. He also holds membership 
with the Knights of Pythias, the Elks and the Odd Fellows. In 
everything pertaining to the upbuilding of his city, of the Black Hills 
country and his state he is interested. He is a progressive of the most 
ardent type and few men have given so large a portion of their time, 
energy and money to the furthering of the development of South Dakota. 
He is genial in manner, generous in disposition and very popular. An 
able business man, his activity is regarded as a distinct asset not 
only to the business ventures that engage his attention but to the 
community in which he lives. He was one of the pioneers in the good 
roads movement and did much to give that most worthy cause a decided 
impetus at a time when good roads were considered an expensive fad. 
Today, however, they are generally regarded as a necessary adjunct of 
progress and Mr. Ackerman has done much to bring about this accepted 
view. Few men have or deserve to have a wider circle of friends. The 
usefulness and unselfishness of his life are uniformly recognized and 
the high regard in which he is entertained is but the logical sequence 
of his well spent life.