Clark Gilbert Coats Biography


	This biography appears on pages 474-480 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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				CLARK GILBERT COATS. 

	On the pages of pioneer history of Sioux Falls appears the name 
of Clark G. Coats, and the worth of his work as a factor in the 
upbuilding and development of the city is widely acknowledged. His 
death, therefore, was not simply a private bereavement but a public 
misfortune when he passed away in a Chicago hospital on the 8th of 
August, 1915. He was born in Mecca, Ohio, March 14, 1844. The ancestry 
of the family is traced back to Spain to the Cortes family, so well 
known in connection with the history of that country. Members of the 
Cortes family went to Holland during the thirty years' war as soldiers 
of the Spanish king. They remained in that country, settling on land 
granted to them by the Spanish king for their services in the wars 
which their monarchy carried on with the Netherlands. In time the 
family emigrated to England and settled there. Three brothers, sons of 
the first English settler of the Cortes family, separated. One brother 
went to Scotland and established the Coats family, known throughout the 
world as the famous thread makers. The second brother came to America 
in the seventeenth century and established his home near Amsterdam, New 
York city. Soon the other brother followed him to America and settled 
in the southeastern part of New York state. The Scotland brother and 
his descendants have always spelled their name Coats and so it was with 
the second brother and his children, but the youngest brother and his 
children have always spelled their name Coates. Thus it is that the 
families go by different names.

	Gilbert N. Coats, the father of our subject, was a very active 
man and kept the record of the family traditions to the last. He was 
one of the early settlers of the Buckeye state, to which he removed 
from Connecticut. He made farming his chief occupation in early life 
and afterward turned his attention to merchandising, which he followed 
in Mecca, Ohio, until 1847. He then failed in business and was largely 
involved financially, but although he had a chance to settle with his 
creditors at twenty-five cents on the dollar, he refused. He felt a 
moral obligation that demanded the payment in full of his debts, 
notwithstanding that the legal requirement was but twenty-five per 
cent. He turned his attention to novelty wood working and though it 
required a severe sacrifice and took him fifteen years to accomplish 
it, he paid his creditors in full--one hundred cents on the dollar. 
This principle of honor greatly impressed his son Clark G., whose 
youthful mind so clearly retained the remembrance of this character-
forming incident that he was prepared for a similar trial and similar 
result in his later life as indicated further on in this sketch. At the 
time of his death Gilbert N. Coats was a resident of Cortland, Ohio, 
four miles distant from his old home at Mecca. He was prominent in 
public affairs and left the impress of his individuality upon the 
welfare of his community. He married Sarah Ann Lake, also a native of 
Connecticut, and they became the parents of six children, of whom Clark 
G. was the second in order of birth. A brother, Charles Coats, is now a 
resident of Fort Dodge, Iowa. 

	In the common schools of Mecca, Ohio, Clark G. Coats pursued his 
education and until eighteen years of age remained an active assistant 
of his father, who was conducting novelty wood works at that place. In 
the meantime he learned the cooper's trade and in 1862 went to 
Cleveland, Ohio, where he remained until 1869, when, attracted by the 
opportunities of the growing west, he started for the territory of 
Dakota, establishing his home in the little settlement of Fort Dakota, 
a military reservation situated upon the western frontier. At that 
place there was then but one white woman outside the fort, and this was 
the nucleus of what is now Sioux Falls. Here Mr. Coats began business 
as an Indian trader, making his headquarters at Flandreau, but in 1870 
he took up a homestead three miles south of Sioux Falls and began the 
development of a farm. The country was practically a wild, unbroken, 
houseless prairie, and for a time his home was in a part of the old 
army barracks which the government had abandoned. Laborious effort 
enabled him in time to break the sod and bring his fields under 
cultivation and he continued to engage actively and successfully in 
general agricultural pursuits until 1904, when he retired from business 
save for the supervision which he gave to his private interests and 
investments. 

	Mr. Coats was a man of resolution and determined action, ever 
ready to take a change on any investment which gave fair promise and 
thus he readily extended his holdings. He was the owner of extensive 
property interests adjoining the city limits. At its inception he was 
connected as a stockholder with the Dakota National Bank. He was also 
known for many years as a breeder of fast harness horses and was a well 
known driver on the race track, owning at different times many valuable 
standard bred horses which he drove himself He was one of the prominent 
and wealthy pioneers, whose investments in land became valuable owing 
to the improvements which he made upon his property and the natural 
rise in realty values owing to the increased population. Mr. Coats 
started the first frame house ever built in Sioux Falls, its location 
being at the northwest corner of Phillips and Twelfth streets. He 
hauled the lumber from Sioux City when it took a week to make the trip. 
He occupied the house for several years before removing to the farm, 
and the building is still standing, although it has been removed to 
Third avenue. The original well on the property was dug by three of 
Sioux Falls' prominent men--Mr. Coats, ex-Senator R. F. Pettigrew and 
N. E. Phillips The well was thirty-five feet deep and was dug by 
throwing the dirt from scaffold to scaffold. From the late '80s until 
about 1900 South Dakota suffered a reaction in its activities and a 
partial financial panic brought heavy losses to many, among them Mr. 
Coats, who lost properties valued at about a half million dollars, but 
he weathered the storm, honorably meeting all of his obligations, and 
again became financially strong. The example of his father had never 
been forgotten. It had left an indelible impress upon the mind of the 
son and he felt that no other course was honorable than that of paying 
all debts in full. He refused, as did his father, to take advantage of 
any legal technicalities to escape doing so and in course of years he 
could honestly say that he could look any man squarely in the face, 
knowing that he did not owe him a single cent. 

	On the 4th of June, 1870, Mr. Coats was united in marriage to 
Miss Ella Pierson, a daughter of D. J. Pierson, of Kalamazoo, Michigan, 
and they became the parents of two children: Maud, now the wife of Will 
L. Bruce, of Yankton; and Mark D., who is living in Sioux City, Iowa. 
While Mr. and Mrs. Coats were on a trip, the latter was taken ill at 
Athens, Ohio, and gradually grew weaker until she was confined to her 
bed. A stroke of paralysis followed and three weeks later she died, in 
March, 1915. Her remains were brought back to Sioux Falls for interment 
and the Masonic fraternity furnished the pallbearers. She was always 
patient and uncomplaining, a most lovable, charitable and Christian 
character who ever thought of others, how she might aid them, and 
remained such to the last. Mrs. Coats was for many years very active in 
church and charitable work and was the organizer of the first Sunday 
school in the territory, serving as its superintendent. Her efforts 
were a potent force in advancing moral progress in this section of 
South Dakota. She was also a member of the Eastern Star. A lady of 
innate culture and refinement, she also possessed notable talent and 
ability. In her earlier life she was well known as an artist in oils. 
Her work was of high character and was eagerly sought by art critics, 
while flattering offers were made by collectors. Many fine specimens of 
her paintings of portraits, animals, fruit and landscape adorned their 
home. Two especially noteworthy oil paintings by Mrs. Coats are one of 
the Indian maid Pocahontas in complete Indian costume, and the other a 
very large picture of Pharaoh's Horses. 

	In politics Mr. Coats was a republican with independent 
tendencies. For six years be served as a member of the city council of 
Sioux Falls and was made a member of the constitutional convention 
which framed the present organic law of the state. He attained the 
Knights Templar degree in Masonry and was one of the organizers of the 
order in Sioux Falls He joined the fraternity in Bloomfield, Ohio, and 
his identification therewith extended over a half century. He was also 
affiliated with the Eagles. He enjoyed his automobile and motoring was 
his chief source of recreation, his financial condition giving him 
leisure in which to enjoy this phase of outdoor life. 

	Forty-six years were added to the cycle of the centuries from the 
time that Mr. Coats arrived in Dakota until he was called to his final 
rest and great were the changes which were made during that period. He 
was ever an interested witness of the events which occurred to bring 
about present-day progress and prosperity and at all times bore his 
share in the work of general improvement. As he possessed only four 
hundred dollars when he came to the west he may truly be called a self-
made man, deserving of all the honor and trust which the term implies. 
He made what may be termed a double financial success, for while he 
prospered during the earlier years of his residence in South Dakota, 
the panic swept away his fortune and forced him to start in business 
life anew. Again he won with honor, becoming one of the substantial 
citizens of his part of the state. He will be remembered for many years 
to come as a kind-hearted man, fair and just to all, his career 
constituting an example well worthy of emulation, for his life 
displayed all that is admirable in conduct and character.