Osmond N. Hoyt, M. D. Biography


	This biography appears on pages 681-682 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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				OSMOND N. HOYT, M. D.

	Dr. Osmond N. Hoyt has been prominently identified with questions 
of public education and of public health for more than a third of a 
century and has been honored with the presidency of the state board of 
health of South Dakota. He makes his home in Pierre, where he is 
successfully engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery, having 
made his home in that city during the greater part of the time since 
1889. He was born May 2, 1843, at Magog, in the province of Quebec, 
Canada, a son of Nason Hoyt, who was born in Magog in 1812. The 
paternal grandfather, however, was American born and lived in Grafton, 
New Hampshire, until about 1800, when he removed to Canada. The mother 
of our subject bore the maiden name of Miriam Harriman and was born in 
Frankfort, Maine, in the year 1813. 

	Dr. Hoyt pursued his more specifically literary education in the 
common and select schools and received his professional training in 
Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago, from which he was graduated with 
the class of March, 1879. In the meantime he had been actively 
connected with the profession of teaching. He taught his first school, 
a winter term. in Dover township, Fayette county, Iowa, in 1862 and 
devoted most of his time to teaching in Howard county, Iowa, through 
the succeeding decade: He was elected county superintendent of schools 
in that county to serve from January, 1874, until January, 1878, and 
when he retired from that position he became a medical student at 
Hahnemann. Following his graduation he located for practice at Cresco, 
Howard county, Iowa, on the 1st of April, 1879, and there remained 
until 1883, when he removed to Duluth, Minnesota, where he continued 
for six years. Since that time- 1889- he has practiced almost 
continuously in Pierre and is widely known as a successful physician 
and surgeon whose reading has been broad and whose knowledge is 
comprehensive and exact, so that he is seldom, if ever, at fault in 
diagnosing a case and determining the outcome of disease. His work, 
too, has been of a broad character far beyond that of the private 
practitioner in his deep concern for the public welfare and his 
interest in the vital questions affecting sanitary and health 
conditions.

	He has held various offices along the line of his profession. He 
was county coroner and county physician in Howard county, Iowa, in 
1881-2. He was also county coroner for one term in Pierre, South 
Dakota, and county superintendent of health for a number of terms in 
the same county. He became a member of the pension examining board and 
served as its secretary for a number of years and in 1908 he became a 
member of the state board of health on which he served until 1913. He 
was secretary and superintendent of the board for two years and through 
the succeeding two years was its president, in which connection he did 
important public service for the benefit of humanity in abolishing 
conditions detrimental to health and in disseminating knowledge of 
vital worth concerning sanitary and preventive measures. 

	Dr. Hoyt has been married twice. On the 24th of January, 1871, he 
wedded Amelia Laskey and following her demise he was married in 
September, 1887, to Cassie R. Rozelle, a daughter of Colonel N. W. 
Rozelle of Des Moines, Iowa. Mrs. Hoyt was a nurse at the Battle Creek 
Sanitarium at Battle Creek, Michigan, and was the first surgical nurse 
in Des Moines, Iowa. Dr. and Mrs. Hoyt have two children: Jessie E. and 
Alonzo, and have two adopted sons, Harry H., who married Lucy M. 
Millett and Fred F., who married Emma Millett.

	Dr. Hoyt was formerly a member of the Congregational church and 
his name is now on the membership roll of the Baptist church. He does 
not believe, however, in denominationalism that separates Christian 
people into various sects. He does not believe in tearing down the old 
barriers but in rising above them, knowing that in all the major things 
of religion Christian people are united. Dr. Hoyt is a Master Mason and 
for about forty years has been a member of the Independent Order of Odd 
Fellows. He also belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen and is 
now serving his second term as grand medical examiner of South Dakota, 
having held that office since 1913. Since attaining his majority he has 
been a republican and is now affiliated with the progressive wing of 
the party. His life has been one of activity and usefulness and he 
enjoys the high and well merited regard of many friends.