Albert D. Maxwell Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1013-1014 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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				ALBERT D. MAXWELL. 

	Albert D. Maxwell is a pioneer merchant of Arlington and today 
occupies a prominent place in that community. The A. D. Maxwell 
Hardware Company owns the largest hardware store in that section of the 
state, an important business concern. Mr. Maxwell was born in Clinton, 
Illinois, November 10, 1855, a son of Martin and Mary E. Maxwell. The 
father was one of the pioneer lumbermen of Wisconsin, going to that 
state in 1855. He has passed away but his widow survives. 

	Albert D. Maxwell was educated in the public schools and upon 
putting aside his textbooks worked in a hardware store at Durant for a 
time. He then chartered a boat running on the Chippewa and Mississippi 
rivers and operated that vessel for two years. In 1880 he arrived in 
Dakota territory and immediately opened a hardware store in Norden, now 
Arlington. There was then no railroad in that part of the state and 
everything was hauled from Volga, the nearest railroad point. Although 
the pioneer conditions prevailing added unusual obstacles to those that 
always confront the merchant, Mr. Maxwell persevered and as he used 
good business judgment in all of his transactions success came to him 
and the volume of his trade increased from year to year. His business 
is now housed in two splendid two story brick buildings, fifty by one 
hundred and sixty-five feet in dimensions, and he carries the largest 
hardware stock in his section of the state. He also handles farm 
implements, autos and a number of other lines and Dick Maxwell, as he 
is familiarly called, is known to everyone in his part of South Dakota. 
His store was not only the first established in Arlington, but was the 
first hardware store in Kingsbury county, and he has added new lines 
and adapted his policy to the changing conditions of the section from 
which he derives his patronage. The prestige that he gained as a 
merchant in the early history of this section he has maintained. In 
1880 he homesteaded land in Brookings county and is the owner of 
considerable farm property. 

	Mr. Maxwell was married March 2, 1880, to Miss Charlotte C. 
Gilmore, a daughter of John Gilmore, of Wisconsin, and their children 
are: Lou, now Mrs. Albert Royhl, of Arlington; John, Martin E. and 
Neil, all of whom are associated with their father in business; and 
Hugh, a resident of Mitchell, this state. 

	Mr. Maxwell is a republican and has held all of the local 
offices, proving as capable in an official capacity as in business 
circles. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church and he 
takes a helpful interest in the work of that organization. He is loyal 
to the spirit and purposes of the Masonic order, of which he is a 
member, belonging to the blue lodge, chapter, commandery and Shrine, 
and the success that he has gained in a material way is equaled by the 
esteem and respect in which he is generally held. He is the best known 
man in Kingsbury county and one of the capitalists of his section of 
the state. His wealth has been gained, however, by the exercise of 
foresight, determination and business acumen and not by questionable 
practices. He takes satisfaction in the knowledge that he has been able 
to assist greatly in the commercial development of his section of the 
state and he has great faith in the future of South Dakota.