August Koenig Biography


	This biography appears on pages 362-363 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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				AUGUST KOENIG.  

	The life of August Koenig of Tyndall illustrates what may be 
accomplished in the land of freedom by one who comes as a stranger to 
our shores but is possessed of the attributes of thrift, industry and 
sterling honesty. He was born November 2, 1845, in the city of Mainz, 
on the Rhine, his parents being John and Susan (Hoffmann) Koenig, who 
were lifelong residents of Germany. The father was an expert in vine 
culture and in wine making among the famous vineyards that cluster upon 
the steep mountain sides bordering the Rhine.  

	August Koenig passed his boyhood and youth in his native city and 
there learned the stonecutter's  and mason's trade. Not liking the idea 
of losing three years of his life serving in the army, he ran away from 
home after being drafted and his sudden departure without permission 
from the military authorities made his return impossible without 
serving a term in military prison with perhaps an additional heavy 
fine. He made his escape in a boat down the Rhine as far as Cologne and 
with six companions crossed the border into Belgium and embarked at 
Antwerp in a sailing vessel bound for New York. After a stormy voyage 
of forty-eight days he landed in the eastern metropolis in 1864 and, 
having purchased a ticket through to Chicago, he proceeded at once to 
that city, where he secured employment at his trade at good wages. A 
year or so later he went to Joliet, Illinois, where he worked until 
1869, and then removed to Ackley, Iowa, working at his trade there for 
a time. Subsequently he located on a farm which he had purchased near 
that town. In the spring of 1876 he made a prospecting trip as far west 
as Bon Homme county, South Dakota, and spent a few days at Springfield. 
In the spring of 1880 he arrived in Yankton, which at that time was the 
end of the railroad, and shortly afterward purchased four hundred and 
eighty acres of land in Albion township, Bon Homme county, four miles 
southwest of Tyndall, to which he added from time to time until his 
ranch contained fourteen hundred and forty acres, devoted to the 
raising of grain and stock. For some years he shipped cattle and hogs, 
often disposing of ten or twelve carloads during the season. Even 
during the dry year he suffered no loss, as he had ready money at his 
command and purchased thirteen car loads of stock and also shipped feed 
by the ear load. The succeeding year he was able to make a large 
shipment of fine cattle and hogs, which brought good prices, while his 
less fortunate neighbors had nothing to sell.  

	Mr. Koenig was married in Ackley Iowa, in 1870 to Miss Caroline 
Minow, who was born in the village of Lelchin, eight miles from Berlin, 
Germany, and is a daughter of Christian and Marie (Sommerfield) Minow. 
In 1869 she emigrated with her parents to America, the family settling 
at Ackley. Mr. and Mrs. Koenig have five children, the oldest of whom 
was born in Iowa and the others in Bon Homme county, this state. They 
are as follows: Louis, who is engaged in farming six miles west of 
Tyndall; Clara, the wife of Robert Biersdorf, of Tyndall; Elizabeth, 
the wife of Frank Bussey, living a mile west of Tyndall; Johan, a 
farmer living two and a half miles from that town; and Emil, who 
occupies the old home farm. All are well established in life and are an 
honor to their parents and a credit to the state in which they live.  

	Mr. and Mrs. Koenig remained upon the farm until their children 
had married and deft for homes of their own. They then retired and 
purchased a comfortable residence in Tyndall. Here they now enjoy a 
well earned rest and the comforts secured by former years of industry. 
Mr. Koenig has taken a very active and influential part in public 
affairs and was thrice elected on the democratic ticket to represent 
his district in the state legislature, although normally it gave a 
majority of from three hundred to four hundred to the opposing party. 
He served during the sessions from 1891 to 1885 and again during 1903. 
His official record is a credit to himself and the district which he 
represented, for he left office as he entered it--with the entire 
confidence of those he represented. He and his family are members of 
the German Lutheran church and he is also identified with the Knights 
of Pythias, and at one time was an Odd Fellow.  

	In the early years of their residence in this state the family 
experienced many of the hardships and trials which fall to the lot of 
the pioneer. They had a taste of the middle. western climate during the 
"winter of the deep snows" and saw the devastation made by the floods 
of the following spring, which, however, were not as disastrous to them 
as to the dwellers in the valley. At the time of the blizzard of 
January 12, 1888, Mr. Koenig was forty rods from the house, but managed 
to reach home without difficulty. The prairie fires often threatened 
destruction, but were beaten out without serious loss. On first coming 
to lion Homme county, Mr. Koenig built a log house, in which the family 
resided for a few years hut later this was replaced by a good frame 
residence and when they left the farm he had one of the best improved 
places of the county. Stables had room to accommodate twenty-four head 
of horses, while one hundred and eighty head of cattle found ample 
shelter in buildings provided for them. Sheds for machinery, cribs and 
a granary completed the equipment of this model farm. To be rounding 
out a well spent life such as Mr. and Mrs. Koenig are doing, to have 
peace and plenty on the journey through and to feel and know that one's 
neighbors hold them in the highest esteem, is to have attained the best 
that may be enjoyed by pilgrims on life's journey.