Harry Truman Parmley Biography


	This biography appears on pages 751-752 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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				HARRY TRUMAN PARMLEY.

	Harry Truman Parmley, successfully engaged in the fuel business 
in Sioux Falls, was born on a farm near Center, Rock county, Wisconsin, 
August 7, 1860. He is a son of Ira and Aurora Elizabeth (Austin) 
Parmley, the former born near Warren, Ohio, August 22, 1822, and the 
latter in Vermont, April 29, 1830. The father died July 27, 1889, at 
Center, Wisconsin, and the mother passed away on March 15th of the same 
year. They had four sons and three daughters, of whom one son and one 
daughter died in infancy and two sons and two daughters now survive. 
The sons are: Russell Gardner Parmley and Harry Truman, of this review. 
The former was born March 13, 1851, and was married on the 24th of 
December, 1872, to Miss Frances Dann. They became the parents of four 
children, of whom one died in infancy and Bessie died young. Those 
living are: Arthur Lynn and Frank Garfield. Of these, Arthur was 
married at Oakland, California, in 1906 to Miss Luella May Morgan and 
they have two children, Barbara and Betty. Our subject,s paternal 
grandfather was Truman Parmelee, who was a native of Ohio and died 
about the year 1830. Among his other descendants was the late Frank 
Parmelee of Chicago. 

	Harry Truman Parmley acquired his education in the country 
schools of Rock county, Wisconsin, and in the public schools at 
Janesville, Wisconsin, whither his parents removed in 1869. He also 
attended Silsbee's Business College in that city and following the 
completion of his studies returned to the home farm, where he remained 
until he came to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, December 10, 1881. His 
elder brother, Russell Gardner Parmley, had come to this city in 1878 
and established the fuel business in which Harry Truman had purchased 
an interest. The brothers carried on this enterprise together from 1881 
until 1903, when Russell G. Parmley removed to Long Beach, California. 
Harry Truman Parmley has since been in business alone and he manages 
his interests in a capable and intelligent manner, being numbered today 
among the men of marked ability and substantial worth in his community. 

In May, 1886, at Anoka, Minnesota, Mr. Parmley was united in marriage 
to Miss Maud Kimball Frost, a daughter of James Frost, and they became 
the parents of five children: Alice B., Marguerite, Harry Truman, Jr., 
Pauline and Helen. Mrs. Parmley died September 28, 1912, after a brief 
illness. 

Mr. Parmley is a member of the Christian church and belongs to the 
Elks, the Country and the Dacotah Clubs. He is well known in fraternal 
circles, being affiliated with the Knights of Pythias, Ancient Order of 
United Workmen and the Modern Woodmen of America. Although he has been 
successful in business, his interests have not by any means been 
confined to this field but have extended also to that of public 
affairs, in which he has taken an intelligent and active interest for 
many years. A stanch republican in his political beliefs, he has been 
called upon to fill various positions of trust and responsibility, 
serving for three years on the school board of Sioux Falls and for two 
years on the city council. In 1900 and 1901 he was a member of the 
state legislature and in 1908 was appointed warden of the state 
penitentiary, a position in which he did capable and conscientious work 
for four years. He is a progressive and public-spirited citizen and his 
influence has been a tangible force for good in the community. Prior to 
Mr. Parmley's appointment as warden of the penitentiary there had been 
no manufacturing industries at the prison, but he saw an opportunity to 
save money for the state and give employment to the prisoners. There 
had been some stone quarrying and a small amount of farming. Mr. 
Parmley had four buildings erected, one for a power plant and the 
others for storage warehouse, shirt factory and twine factory. He 
inaugurated the manufacture of both shirts and twine and these 
industries have developed so that today large quantities of shirts are 
sold and most of the twine used in South Dakota is made at the prison. 
Mr. Parmley labored earnestly and hard for the reforms which he saw 
were needed, feeling that public office carries a responsibility, and 
he ably discharged his trust.