John Calvin Denison Biography This biography appears on pages 1114-1115 in "History of Dakota Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm JOHN CALVIN DENISON. Much of the wealth of South Dakota is agricultural wealth and the prosperity of the state is largely dependent upon the prosperity of the farmer. Among those who are aiding in the agricultural development of Clay county is John Calvin Denison, who was born in Jackson, Dakota county, Nebraska, April 11, 1878, a son of Franklin and Hannah Malissa (Steele) Denison, natives respectively of Vermont and Pennsylvania. The father was employed at farm labor until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he entered the Union army, remaining at the front until the close of hostilities. He then removed to Iowa and walked from Lea Mars to Sioux City, as there were then no railroads in that section of the country. Sioux City was but a small village and it was often difficult to obtain supplies of various kinds. On one occasion he even had to file threads on a piece of pipe which he needed in the construction of a sawmill which he was erecting near Sioux City. He also took up a homestead just across the line in South Dakota, which is now owned and operated by our subject. In addition to the quarter section that he homesteaded Mr. Denison, Sr., preempted a one hundred and sixty acre tract and also took up a timber claim. After a number of years he sold his sawmill and removed to his farm, where he resided until he retired in 1898. He spent the greater part of his remaining days on the Pacific coast and in Chicago. Just before his death, however, he returned to the homestead and passed away there December 13, 1910. His wife had gone to the home beyond in December, 1901. Their family numbered four children, as follows: J. K., a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work; Charles F., a farmer of Clay county, South Dakota; John C., of this review; and Frank Sidney, who died in 1898 during the Spanish- American war while in the service of the United States government. John Calvin Denison was six years of age when he was brought by his parents to the farm which is still his home. He grew to manhood there and attended country school nearby. During the winter of 1896 he was a student in the University of South Dakota and then entered York College at York, Nebraska. During his vacations he learned the carpenter's trade and after leaving school spent three years traveling over Colorado and the Pacific coast states. In 1901 he returned to South Dakota and took up his residence at Deadwood. He remained there for three years and worked at his trade, but in the fall of 1904 he returned to the homestead and rented a part of the land until his father's death. At that time he fell heir to one hundred and forty acres of it and since coming into possession of his farm has made many improvements thereon. At the time of his father's demise there were no buildings upon the tract, but he has since erected a large two-story residence and adequate barns and outbuildings. Mr. Denison was married on Christmas Day, 1901, to Miss Viola Carpenter, a native of Iowa and a daughter of Augustine Carpenter, who was born in Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Denison have two children: Winfield Eugene, whose birth occurred November 23, 1902; and Gladys Leota, born December 28, 1904. Mr. Denison is a republican but quite liberal in his views and has served in a number of local offices. He has for the last three years been clerk of the town board and is serving his second term as school clerk. He was for one term school treasurer. His religious faith is that of the United Brethren church and his fraternal affiliations with the Modern Woodmen of America. He is one of the most esteemed residents of Prairie Center township and has many personal friends, who value highly his good opinion.