John McCall Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1055-1056 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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				JOHN McCALL. 

	A farm of three hundred and twenty acres in Mellette township, 
Spink county, pays tribute to the care and energies of John McCall, 
whose work has placed him among the representative agriculturists of 
his section of the state. He dates his residence in South Dakota from 
1888, having come from Viroqua, Wisconsin, where he was born on the 
14th of February, 1866, being, therefore, a young man of twenty-two 
years when he arrived in this state. His parents were James and Annie 
(McAllen) McCall. The father, a native of Ireland, settled in Wisconsin 
on crossing the Atlantic to the new world, taking up his abode on a 
tract of timber land, out of which he hewed a farm. The work of 
clearing the place was all done by hand and when the trees were cut 
down. the brush burned and the stumps grubbed out he planted his fields 
and continued the active work of cultivation to the time of his death, 
which occurred in 1882. His wife passed away in 1905, and was laid to 
rest by his side in the cemetery at Risingsun, Wisconsin. 

	John McCall had the usual experiences of the farm boy, dividing 
his time between the duties of the schoolroom, the pleasures of the 
playground and the work of the fields until he reached the age of 
sixteen years, after which he gave his entire attention to the task of 
planting, plowing and harvesting. He remained with his parents until he 
started out in life on his own account on coming to South Dakota. Here 
he purchased a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, on which he erected 
a residence. He at once began to till the fields and convert the wild 
prairie into a productive tract. He has always employed modern methods 
of farming, keeping in touch with the spirit of progress which is as 
strongly manifest in agricultural life as in any other department of 
business. He has extended the boundaries of his farm until it now 
includes three hundred and twenty acres, much of which he has brought 
to a high state of cultivation, and at the same time he has 
successfully engaged in raising horses, cattle and hogs. He is likewise 
one of the directors of the Farmers, Elevator at Mellette. 

	On the 26th of March, 1894, in Mellette, was celebrated the 
marriage of Mr. McCall and Miss Ella Schaper, a daughter of Henry and 
Elizabeth (Ott) Schaper, of La Crosse, Wisconsin. Her father died in 
1899 and was laid to rest in the cemetery near La Crosse, since which 
time his widow has made her home with her children. Mr. and Mrs. McCall 
have become parents of a son and two daughters: William, who is 
assisting his father; and Dorothy and Ella, who are in school. 

	In politics Mr. McCall is a democrat and fraternally he is 
connected with the Odd Fellows lodge, of which he has been a 
representative for twenty years. He has allowed himself comparatively 
little leisure for recreation, closely applying himself to his work, 
and his industry and diligence have been the foundation upon which he 
has built the superstructure of his present success.