James N. Blodgett Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1008-1011 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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				JAMES N. BLODGETT. 

	Upon a farm on section 2, Gayville precinct, Yankton county, 
resides James N. Blodgett, whose identification with Dakota covers a 
period of forty-six years. He arrived in this state on the 1st of June, 
1869, the family coming by wagon from Polk county, Iowa. The father, 
Myron Blodgett, was a native of Massachusetts and in early life went to 
Indiana, where he married Phoebe Harris, a native of that state. She 
died leaving one son, Omar G., who is now living in Polk county, Iowa. 
Mr. Blodgett next removed to Tama county, Iowa, where he met and 
married Sarah Cronk, a native of Ohio, and they remained in Tama county 
until 1863, when they became residents of Polk county, Iowa, settling 
fourteen miles east of Des Moines, where they lived for six years. 
There was no railroad beyond Sioux City when the Blodgett family passed 
through on their way to Dakota. The father secured a claim in Clay 
county, a mile southeast of Gayville, using his homestead right, but 
soon abandoning that tract, he purchased land two miles west of 
Gayville, where he lived until his death on the 16th of April, 1883. In 
the meantime he had carefully and persistently cultivated his farm and 
had extended its boundaries by additional purchase until he was the 
owner of three hundred and fifty-five acres, of which he secured a 
quarter section by preemption. His widow long survived him, dying 
December 14, 1911, when she lacked but five days of being seventy-nine 
years of age. After his death she married Rev. P. N. Cross, an early 
settler of Clay county, who has made his home at Pipestone, Minnesota, 
since his wife passed away. Although born in 1833 he is still quite 
active for one of his years. James N. Blodgett and his brother, who 
lives upon the old homestead, are the only surviving children. 

	James N. Blodgett was born on a farm in Tama county, Iowa, 
November 19, 1854, and remained with his parents until the father's 
death, after which he started out in business life on his own account. 
For a year he rented the home place and then, in 1885, purchased a part 
of his present farm, to which he has added until he now has three 
hundred and sixty acres of rich and arable land. At the time he made 
the purchase the only building upon the place was a log house. A small 
grove had also been planted. This he enlarged by adding many other 
trees, and as the years have gone by he has added all the modern 
equipments and accessories to his farm, making it a model property. He 
has erected a commodious residence, substantial barns, granary and 
other outbuildings for the shelter of grain and stock, and today has 
one of the most fertile and best improved farms in the county, the 
fields annually returning to him substantial harvests as the years have 
gone by. 

	Conditions today, however, are in marked contrast to those of the 
early pioneer period, for he and his father's family suffered from the 
hardships, privations and trials incident to pioneer life. During the 
flood of 1881 the water we, around their house for three weeks and most 
of the time stood in the house from one to three feet deep, the family 
being obliged to live in the second story during that period. Mr. 
Blodgett had purchased an Indian canoe for a watering trough and when 
the flood came he used it to get to high ground for provisions and to 
hook after the stock. He also helped his neighbors rescue their cattle 
and horses, which were being carried away by the flood. The cattle and 
horses owned by Patrick Dinneen floated through Mr. Blodgett's farm on 
two straw stacks and grounded in Clay county a few miles below. Mr. 
Blodgett lost but two or three shoats and one cow, while some neighbors 
lost nearly a hundred head of cattle besides smaller stock. Previously 
he had purchased an old warehouse in Gayville, had moved it to his 
place and put it on a high foundation. On the floor of this building he 
kept in safety between thirty-five and forty head of cattle, seven 
horses and forty hogs, losing but the few mentioned above. When the 
blizzard of January, 1888, occurred, James N. Blodgett was employed by 
the firm of Bagstad & Aaseth and was in Gayville when the blizzard 
struck. He was warned not to start home, but he felt that he should be 
there and made his way through the blinding storm, proceeding along the 
road until he came to a slough near his home and then passed along the 
bank of it to the grove and on to the house. Prairie fires were of 
frequent occurrence in those early days and James N. Blodgett saw from 
his father's home one fall thirteen places on fire at one time, but 
their own home escaped. 

	On the 23d of February, 1883, Mr. Blodgett was united in marriage 
to Miss Elizabeth Douglas, a native of Greenwich, Connecticut, and a 
daughter of Archibald and Catherine (Smith) Douglas, who in the spring 
of 1880 came to Dakota and bought a farm in the Volin precinct, where 
Mrs. Blodgett afterward taught school near Marindahl. They were living 
there when the flood of the spring of 1881 swept through the valley and 
they too suffered, as did many of their neighbors, being forced to live 
for three weeks in the second story of their house. To Mr. and Mrs. 
Blodgett have been born four children: Kathleen, who is now the wife of 
L. N. Aaseth, of Gayville; Artinca, the wife of G. L. Alstrup, who 
cultivates the farm of his father-in-law and occupies a part of the 
family home; George W., who is associated with Mr. Alstrup in the 
operation of the home farm; and Roy N., a student in the South Dakota 
State College at Brookings. 

	The family have been reared in the faith of the Methodist 
Episcopal church, to which the parents belong. Mr. Blodgett is a 
republican in his political views and, although not an office seeker, 
keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day. He holds 
membership with the Modern Woodmen of America and his daughter Artinca 
is connected with the Royal Neighbors. Every phase of frontier life in 
Yankton county is familiar to James N. Blodgett, and he is among those 
who have contributed to the development and improvement of the county 
which is today enjoyed. His life has been a busy and useful one, and 
the careful management of his farming interests has in time brought to 
him a substantial success that numbers him among the prosperous farmers 
of the community.