Denis Carrigan Biography


	This biography appears on pages 462-465 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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				DENIS CARRIGAN. 

	Denis Carrigan is connected with various public and private 
interests in Custer county, where he is filling the office of member of 
the board of county commissioners and is also president of the First 
National Bank of Custer and the owner of large landed holdings in that 
locality. A native of Montreal, Canada, he was born on the 31st of 
October, 1845, of the marriage of Stephen and Ellen (Core) Carrigan, 
both natives of Ireland. However, they were married in Montreal and the 
father there followed his trade, being a stone mason. Much of his life, 
however, was devoted to the stock business and he bought and shipped 
heavily. He resided in the United States but a very short time and both 
he and his wife passed away in Montreal. They were the parents of three 
children, of whom the subject of this review is the eldest.

	Denis Carrigan attended school in his native city and when about 
fifteen years old became associated with his father in buying and 
shipping cattle. Five years later, when a young man of twenty years, he 
came to the states and made his way to Chicago, where he resided until 
the winter of 1865-6. At that time he removed to Iowa and for about 
three months was in the employ of others. He then went to Omaha and 
entered the service of the Union Pacific Railroad Company, with which 
he remained until 1867. In that year he became connected with the 
business interests of Sidney, Nebraska, where he engaged in 
merchandising until 1879. He then turned his attention to cattle-
raising, conducting a ranch thirty-two miles west of Sidney. Two years 
later he sold that property and made his way to Custer, South Dakota, 
and not long after his arrival established the Bank of Custer. In 1890 
the First National Bank succeeded the Bank of Custer and from that time 
until the present Mr. Carrigan has been president of the institution, 
which is in a prosperous condition. It owns the bank building, which 
was erected in 1911 and was designed especially for banking purposes. 
Mr. Carrigan is not only a leader in financial circles in Custer but he 
also owns considerable land in the state and likewise some excellent 
city property. His duties as president of the bank require the greater 
part of his time and he keeps a firm grasp upon all of the affairs of 
the institution.

	Mr. Carrigan was married in July, 1871, to Miss Louisa McWhinney, 
a native of Quincy, Illinois, and a daughter of Newton and Frances 
(Pell) McWhinney. The father, who was a farmer and stock-raiser by 
occupation, was born in Ohio, and passed away in California. The 
mother, a native of Kentucky, died in Custer.

	Mr. Carrigan is a democrat but is somewhat independent in the 
exercise of his franchise, believing that the welfare of the people is 
of more importance than the close following of party leaders. While 
living in Cheyenne county, Nebraska, he was one of the first county 
commissioners and also the first county judge. In the early '90s he was 
a member of the board of commissioners of Custer county and is also 
serving in that body at the present time. For over twenty years he 
served as school treasurer and in all of his official connections he 
has proved faithful to the best interests of the community and able in 
the discharge of his duties He is well known in Masonic circles as he 
is a thirty-second degree Mason and has also crossed the sands of the 
desert with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He endorses the principles 
of the order most enthusiastically and his daily life bears witness to 
his loyalty to the ideal of human brotherhood. He has been a resident 
of Custer for over a third of a century and in that time his fellow 
citizens have learned to know him intimately and those who know him 
best are his most sincere friends, a fact which is indubitable proof of 
the sterling worth of his character.