Moritz Adelbert Lange Biography


	This biography appears on pages 454-455 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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				MORITZ ADELBERT LANGE.  

	The history of South Dakota would be incomplete if mention of the 
activities and achievements of Moritz Adelbert Lange were omitted as he 
has for many years taken a prominent part in the political, business 
and educational affairs of the state, particularly in the Black Hills 
region. He served ably in the state senate, was for eight years 
assistant state superintendent of public schools and is now a leading 
merchant of Rapid City.  

	Mr. Lange was born in Chautauqua county, New York, January 28, 
1855, and is a son of Moritz J. and Margaret (Dawley) Lange, natives of 
Saxony, Germany, and the state of New York respectively. The father 
emigrated to the United States in the early '50s, in company with Carl 
Schurz, Henry Siegel and many others, who found the then existing 
political conditions in the fatherland intolerable. Like most of his 
comrades Mr. Lange had seen military service in Germany and was one of 
many thousands of his fellow countrymen who enlisted in the Union army 
at the time of the Civil war. He served for three years and five months 
and won an officer's commission. In 1855, soon after arriving in this 
country, he settled in Iowa and after the close of the civil conflict 
returned to his farm in that state, where he continued to cultivate the 
fields and raise stock until he retired from active life. His death 
occurred at Decorah, Iowa, in 1911, when he had reached the advanced 
age of eighty-two years, and his demise was sincerely mourned by those 
who knew him. He and his wife had four children, of whom the subject of 
this review is the oldest.  

	Moritz A. Lange received his early education in the Decorah 
public schools and his later training in Stamford Seminary, Decorah 
Institute and the Oskaloosa Institute. He taught school for a time and 
on coming to Dakota territory in 1878, he located in McCook county, 
where he resumed teaching. Shortly after his arrival he was elected 
superintendent of the county schools and served acceptably in that 
position for twelve years. He also held the office of county surveyor. 
For many years his name was associated with the development of the 
public-school system of the state and for eight years he was assistant 
state superintendent of schools, in which capacity he did much to 
advance the interests of the rural schools. He it was who organized the 
first county course of study in the state and was one of the committee 
who drew up the courses of study in use at the present time. During his 
long residence in McCook county he acquired and still retains an 
interest in a large amount of good farming land.  

	In 1907 Mr. Lange removed to Rapid City and in connection with 
his son Arthur M. engaged in the jewelry business, to which he still 
devotes a part of his time. The store of which he is part owner is one 
of the leading establishments of its kind in the western part of the 
state and its trade is constantly increasing. Mr. Lange of this review 
has never allowed his interest in educational matters to flag and is 
still a regular attendant at the state teachers institutes. While 
actively engaged in educational work he conducted forty state teachers 
institutes and kept in close touch with the teachers throughout the 
state, thus securing a unity of action which resulted greatly to the 
good of the public school system. Few men have done more to advance the 
interests of the schools and few are more deeply interested in their 
welfare today. For some years he was a member of the Rapid City school 
board and drew upon his great fund of knowledge of educational affairs 
in solving the problems that arose in connection with the development 
of the city schools.  

	Mr. Lange is a stalwart republican and for many years has been 
prominent in party councils, being considered one of the republican 
leaders in his part of the state. He has held a number of positions of 
public trust and responsibility and in 1912 was honored by being chosen 
a member of the state senate. In that capacity he manifested a keen 
understanding of public needs and a broad-minded spirit that placed the 
good of the state above personal or merely local considerations.  

	On the 2nd of April, 1879, Mr. Lange married Miss Eva May 
Puntney, a daughter of William and Sarah (Bogue) Puntney, of Decorah, 
Iowa. To them one child was born, a son Arthur Moritz, who married Miss 
Mary Simpson and has two children. Harry Adelbert and Arthur.  

	Mr. Lange of this review is a Mason and a member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being held in high esteem in those 
organizations. He usually attends the Congregational church and has 
been a lifelong worker in church affairs, singing in the choir for many 
years. He is fond of hunting and fishing but finds perhaps still 
greater pleasure in the study of outdoor life. He is one of the best 
authorities in the state upon the plants birds and animals of South 
Dakota and has written extensively upon those subjects. His life has 
been a busy one and his years are crowded with worthy achievements in 
many lines of human endeavor, but he values most highly the respect and 
esteem freely accorded him by those who have known him longest and most 
intimately.