Fredrick Taft Evans Biography


	This biography appears on pages 58-62 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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				FREDRICK TAFT EVANS. 

	The name of Fredrick Taft Evans has been indelibly inscribed upon 
the pages of the history of the Black Hills, for he was connected with 
many events which promoted its progress and development and shaped its 
annals. He particularly contributed to the improvement of Hot Springs 
and throughout that section of the state his name is well known and 
honored. He was born at Parkman, Ohio, not far from Cleveland, on the 
28th of November, 1835, and his life record covered the intervening 
period to the 11th of October, 1902, when death called him. 

	Mr. Evans attended the public schools of his native state and 
also studied for a time in Hiram College when James A. Garfield, 
afterward president of the United States, was one of the teachers 
there. He was eighteen years of age when he went to the pineries of 
northern Wisconsin, working for others at Big Bull Falls. In 1856 he 
proceeded to De Soto, Nebraska, from which point he made a trip across 
the plains with a party to Walla Walla, Washington. The trip was 
fraught with many interesting incidents such as went to make up the 
experiences of the pioneer travelers to the coast. He remained in 
Washington for three years and then returned to Nebraska, where he 
became the owner of a large stock ranch. The whole town of Grand 
Island, Nebraska, now stands upon that ranch. He engaged extensively in 
the stock business, furnishing stock under contract to the United 
States government and to the Union Pacific Railroad until the 
completion of the line across the continent. Because of the 
depredations of the Indians he removed to Iowa, taking up his abode at 
Sioux City, where he built the first street railroad. He resided there 
until 1876, in which year he embarked in the transportation business, 
opening the trail from old Fort Pierre to the Hills. He continued 
actively in the freighting business until the Northwestern Railroad was 
completed, making Deadwood his freighting headquarters. For a time he 
was in partnership with John Hornick under the firm style of Evans & 
Hornick. Terminal points were constantly changing as the country became 
settled. Freight was first carried by boat to Yankton, thence overland 
to Pierre and on to the Black Hills, Mr. Evans becoming the first 
settler of Pierre. As the different railroads were extended into the 
country routes were changed but new roads were opened up and the 
freighters pursued their interests. Mr. Evans hauled into the country 
much of the heavy machinery used in the early mines and in so doing 
overcame obstacles which would seem utterly insurmountable to men of 
less determination and resourcefulness On the extension of the railroad 
from Rapid City to Whitewood he retired permanently from the freighting 
business. He related that at the time of his retirement there was owing 
him one hundred and twenty-one thousand dollars, part of which was 
protected by unendorsed notes and some of it only by verbal promises, 
but such was the honor among the early settlers that eventually every 
cent was paid. At the time of his retirement Mr. Evans had in actual 
service fifteen hundred oxen, one hundred and fifty mules and a force 
of from two to three hundred men, while in every town in the Black 
Hills warehouses had been established. In the meantime he purchased a 
number of mining properties, several of which he never developed. After 
closing out the transfer business about 1889 he became interested in 
Hot Springs and erected the first hotel and also the first bathing 
house at that place. He believed that the village had natural 
advantages which would make it the largest city of the Black Hills 
country if properly handled. He erected the Minnekahta Hotel on the 
site where the Evans now stands and he also built the Minnekahta block. 
He built and sold to the county the edifice used as a courthouse in 
Deadwood and he gave to the county the ground for the State Soldiers' 
Home, which he built under contract. He also donated the ground upon 
which all of the churches of Hot Springs have been built and he was 
connected with practically every enterprise of the city. He built the 
present water, light and power system and he was also connected with 
the first bank of Hot Springs and at the same time was the owner of the 
stock of a bank at Pierre. He embraced every opportunity for furthering 
the interests and promoting the upbuilding of Hot Springs and he 
recognized opportunities that others passed heedlessly by.  

	On the 25th of April, 1863, Mr. Evans was united in marriage to 
Miss Theresa Beall, who was born in Fremont, Steuben county, Indiana, 
in 1844, a daughter of Enos and Hannah (Rowe) Beall, the former a 
native of Montgomery county, Maryland, and the latter of New York city. 
The father, who was a prominent attorney and jurist, served on the 
supreme bench of Indiana for a number of years. He was a pioneer 
resident of that state and became one of the early settlers in 
Michigan, but after a brief period removed to Wisconsin and in 1861 
east in his lot with the early settlers of Nebraska, taking up his 
abode where Grand Island now stands. There he engaged in merchandising 
for a time but because of failing health retired and passed away there 
in 1873. His widow and her family afterward removed to Sioux City, 
Iowa, where her death occurred in 1889. Mr. Beall served in the 
Nebraska state legislature for a number of terms and left the impress 
of his individuality upon the laws enacted during that period. To him 
and his wife were born two children, of whom Mrs. Evans is the elder. 
Her brother, Rev. Byron Beall, is a Presbyterian minister now residing 
at Lincoln, Nebraska. Being in poor health he has been compelled to 
retire from the active work of the ministry. Mrs. Evans was educated at 
Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan. By her marriage she has 
become the mother of four children: Fredrick T., who is a county 
official residing at Seattle, Washington; Frank, who resides on a fruit 
and chicken ranch near Seattle; Ella, the wife of H. D. Clark, who is 
developing a large fruit ranch at San Fernando, California; and John, 
who resides on a large fruit ranch near Hot Springs.

	Mr. Evans was a member of the Masonic fraternity and took all of 
the degrees, from the blue lodge to the shrine, exemplifying in his 
life the beneficent spirit of the craft, which is based upon a 
recognition of the brotherhood of mankind. Mrs. Evans is a member of 
the order of the Eastern Star and is prominently known in club and 
literary circles of Hot Springs. She belongs to tile Travelers Club and 
the Mothers Club and she organized the society which erected the 
library building at Hot Springs and is now a member of the library 
board. Her influence has ever been on the side of integrity and moral 
progress and along those lines she fully sustained the efforts of her 
husband and, like him, held membership in the Methodist Episcopal 
church. In polities Mr. Evans was a republican and for one term 
represented Hall county, Nebraska, in the state legislature. After 
coming to Hot Springs he was mayor of the city and did all in his power 
to further its interests and upbuilding endorsing every plan and 
measure that tended to foster civic virtue and civic pride. He was 
always deeply interested in the development of the northwest and did 
everything in his power to promote work along that line. His name was 
indeed well known in pioneer times and in later days and his upright 
life made him honored and esteemed by all with whom he came in contact.