Frederick Burgi Biography


	This biography appears on pages 561-562 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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				FREDERICK BURGI. 

	Prominent among the active, energetic and enterprising business 
men of Yankton is numbered Frederiek Burgi, who is engaged in the 
lumber trade. From a humble position in the business world he has 
steadily worked his way upward and his record is tangible proof of what 
may be accomplished when determination and ambition point out the way. 

	Mr. Burgi was born in Monroe, Wisconsin, January 19, 1855. His 
father, Christian Burgi, was a native of Switzerland and came to 
America in 1852, settling first in Buffalo, :New York, where he 
remained for a year or more. He was there during the cholera epidemic 
and being a millwright by trade and possessing mechanical skill, 
assisted in making coffins for the victims of that dread disease. He 
afterward followed the trade of a millwright and carpenter, removing to 
Wisconsin in 1854 and there continuing in that business until his 
death, which occurred in October, 1872. At the time of the Civil war he 
enlisted for service in the Union army, joining the Twenty-first 
Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, with which he remained for three and one-
half years. He was with Sherman on the celebrated march to the sea and 
participated in many notable campaigns and engagements of the war. He 
was also a veteran of the Swiss army and saw active military duty 
before coming to America. His death resulted from exposure in the Civil 
war and he passed away at the comparatively early age of forty-eight 
years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Anna Barbara Hess, was 
also a native of Switzerland, and passed away in May, 1893. She was 
twice married, for following the death of Christian Burgi she became 
the wife of a Mr. Sauk. 

	Frederick Burgi is a twin brother of Ferdinand Burgi, who was a 
resident of Monroe, Wisconsin, v here he died in 1912. In the public 
schools of that city Mr. Burgi of this review pursued his education and 
then began working at the painter's trade, but not finding it congenial 
he abandoned it. He was quite young when he started out to earn his own 
living. After the Chicago fire of 1871 his father, attracted by the 
opportunities offered by the rebuilding of the city, went there and 
soon afterward his son joined him. There Frederick Burgi remained until 
March, 1874, and subsequently drifted around from place to place in 
Wisconsin. He was also in St. Louis, Missouri, in Arkansas and in 
Dubuque, Iowa, but finally arrived at Yankton, South Dakota, on the 22 
1 of November, 1875. 

	Almost forty years have since come and gone and throughout this 
period Mr. Burgi has been identified with the upbuilding and 
improvement of the northwest. He began following his trade, working in 
various positions and agencies. He also aided in the building of 
churches, schoolhouses and other public buildings, and in this way saw 
a great deal of the early frontier life of the state. He continuously 
followed carpentering until 1890, but in the meantime, in 1888, he 
removed to Seattle, Washington, where he remained for a period of six 
months working at his trade. In 1890 he embarked in the lumber business 
on his own account and at the same time continued in contracting. He 
met with opposition of the hardest kind from the yards already 
established and, moreover, he had the handicap of limited capital and 
his knowledge of the business was not very comprehensive.

	His attempt to gain a start was most discouraging, but he was 
young, active, hopeful and most industrious. Moreover, he had a 
thoroughly likable personality, and in time he gained a foothold. He 
was listed as a contractor and builder and this barred him as a jobber 
in lumber, but his persistency of purpose in the face of all kinds of 
opposition eventually won its reward. Success finally came to him and 
he is now well established in the lumber trade, enjoying a liberal 
share of the public patronage afforded by Yankton and the surrounding 
country. During the period when he was striving for recognition as a 
lumber dealer he erected a number of store buildings and many 
residences, but during the past ten years he has done no work as a 
contractor, devoting his entire attention to the lumber business. He 
handles building material of all kinds, builders' supplies, builders' 
hardware, paints and oils and devotes his time and attention strictly 
to the business, which under his careful guidance has grown to 
gratifying and substantial proportions. 

	In 1880 Mr. Burgi was united in marriage to Miss Leora J. Ryan, a 
native of Indiana, and to them four children were born: Frederick, who 
was drowned in the Missouri river in January, 1891; Martha, now the 
wife of Robert B. Watson, of Sioux City, Iowa; William, who is 
associated with his father in business; and Florence, who is engaged in 
teaching school. The wife and mother passed away in 1890, and in 
February, 1904, Mr. Burgi married Clara Catherine (Lauterborn) 
Whiteman, who by her former marriage had a daughter, Dorothy Whiteman. 
Mr. and Mrs. Burgi make their home in Yankton, where they have an 
attractive residence that is the abode of warm-hearted hospitality. In 
addition Mr. Burgi owns a splendid farm three miles from Yankton, on 
which he raises Rhode Island Reds and Silver-Laced Wyandotte chickens. 
He keeps only pure bred poultry and has gained fame as a breeder of 
poultry, having won many prizes at various shows. He considers this his 
most interesting diversion from his business interests. 

	Politically Mr. Burgi is a democrat and is intelligently 
interested in the questions and issues of the day. For ten years he 
served as a member of the city council and exercised his official 
prerogatives in support of many measures and movements that have 
constituted an important element in the upbuilding of Yankton. For four 
years he was a member of the school board and has always been a 
stalwart champion of the cause of education. He belongs to the Elks 
Lodge, No. 994, is one of its trustees and built the clubhouse for this 
Lodge at Yankton. He is also affiliated with the Knights of Pythias and 
in every relation of life he has won and commands the respect, goodwill 
and confidence of those with whom he has been brought in contact. In 
analyzing his career it will be seen that persistency of purpose is one 
of the chief features of his growing success. With an ambition to 
satisfy he has worked earnestly and untiringly, has proven his worth, 
and the public has acknowledged his ability in giving to him the 
liberal patronage which is now accorded him. He may-truly be called a 
self-made man and one whose position in commercial circles of Yankton 
is indeed enviable.