James L. Crothers Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1018-1019 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 L. CROTHERS. 

	James L. Crothers, who has lived retired at Hetland since 1907, 
successfully carried on agricultural pursuits in Kingsbury county for 
more than a quarter of a century and is now serving as president of the 
Farmers Elevator Company. His birth occurred in Canada on the 22d of 
May, 1854, his parents being Robert and Mary (Corrigan) Crothers, the 
former an agriculturist by occupation. The family came to South Dakota 
in the fall of 1880, taking up a homestead claim on section 19, Badger 
township, Kingsbury county, where Robert Crothers carried on farming 
until his demise. 

	James L. Crothers acquired his education in the public schools of 
Wisconsin, his parents having taken up their abode in that state when 
he was but two years old. After putting aside his textbooks he was 
engaged in farm labor until the removal of the family to this state in 
1880, when he homesteaded on section 18, Badger township, Kingsbury 
county, and also took up a preemption and tree claim. As time went on 
his efforts were rewarded with success and he retired in 1907, having 
accumulated a comfortable competence in the careful conduct of his 
farming interests. He now owns a half section of valuable land and 
still retains the original homestead. Mr. Crothers is the president of 
the Farmers Elevator Company at Hetland and also owns stock in the 
elevator at Badger. 

	In November, 1878, Mr. Crothers was united in marriage to Miss 
Cordelia J. Thomas, a daughter of Eli and Alma Thomas, of Wisconsin. 
Their children are as follows: Guy V., who attended the University of 
South Dakota at Vermillion, for two years, and was graduated from the 
La Crosse Business College; Laura, who is the wife of D. H. Carlson; 
and Winnie, who gave her hand in marriage to Ray Johnson. Our subject 
and his wife also have five grandchildren. 

	Mr. Crothers is a republican in politics and has served as county 
commissioner for one term and also as clerk of the school board, making 
an excellent and commendable record in public office. His religious 
faith is that of the Congregational church, while fraternally he is 
identified with the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He has watched 
with interest the growth and upbuilding of South Dakota during the past 
third of a century and has done his share in the work of development 
that has transformed a frontier region into a well settled and 
prosperous commonwealth.