David James Carson, M. D. Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1078-1079 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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DAVID JAMES CARSON, M. D. 
Dr. David James Carson, a successful medical practitioner of Faulkton, 
was born at Ottawa, Canada, November 16, 1866, his parents being 
Archibald and Charlotte (Gehan) Carson, the former born in Ireland 
about 1820 and the latter in Scotland about 1828. They became farming 
people of Canada but never removed to the United States. 

	Dr. Carson attended school in Canada, where he mastered the 
general branches of learning, and in preparation for a professional 
career entered the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, from 
which he was graduated in the class of 1894. He also attended other 
medical schools and did hospital work, spending some time in the 
general hospital at Bridgeport, Connecticut, while for three months he 
was a student in Tulane University at New Orleans, Louisiana. His broad 
study and early hospital experience well qualified him to enter upon 
the private practice of medicine. His professional course, however, did 
not immediately follow his public-school training, for in the meantime 
he had provided for his own support, beginning work at the age of 
fifteen years in the employ of a railroad company. He also taught 
school for a number of terms before he left Canada and came to the 
United States. In 1888 he traveled through Montana, working for others, 
and in 1890 he returned to the east to take up the study of medicine, 
to which he devoted the years of 1891, 1892, 1893 and 1894. Having 
completed his course in the Jefferson Medical College, he spent a 
number of years in hospital work in the eastern states, gaining the 
broad experience and varied practice that only hospital work can bring. 
In 1897 he arrived in South Dakota, settling in Faulkton, where he 
practiced for three years. He then returned to Michigan, where he 
followed his profession until 1906, when he once more located in 
Faulkton, where be has since remained in general practice. He is also a 
landowner and operates a large farm near the town devoted to the 
cultivation of cereals best adapted to soil and climate and also to 
stock-raising. The major portion of his time and attention, however, is 
given to his practice, which was increasing so rapidly that when Dr. L. 
J. Cook of Chicago came to Faulkton he was admitted to a partnership by 
Dr. Carson. The latter is now a member of the South Dakota State 
Medical Society and also of the American Medical Association. 

	On the 2d of July, 1910, Dr. Carson was united in marriage to 
Miss Ida Knapp, a native of Bay City, Michigan, and a daughter of 
William Knapp. Mr. Knapp still survives, having now attained the age of 
eighty years. 

	In politics Dr. Carson is a democrat but has never aspired to 
office and in fact has refused to accept political positions. He is a 
member of the presbyterian church and is a well known Mason, holding 
membership in the lodge and chapter at Faulkton, the Knight Templar 
commandery at Redfield and in the Mystic Shrine at Aberdeen. In his 
practice he finds ample opportunity to exemplify the principles of the 
craft and again and again he extends a helping hand where it is needed. 
He has never regarded lightly his obligations to his fellows nor the 
work of his profession and is deeply interested in everything which 
tends to bring to man the key to the complex mystery which we call 
life.