E. D. Roberts Biography


	This biography appears on pages 756-757 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" 	by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) and 
	was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.

	This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
	a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


				E. D. ROBERTS. 

	Although he is the owner of an excellent farm E. D. Roberts gives 
the greater part of his time to his work as manager of the Eagle 
Elevator at Turton. He was born at Hamilton, Butler county, Ohio, 
October 18, 1862, and is a son of John T. and Ellen (Davis) Roberts. 
The father was called to his reward in May, 1907, and is buried at 
Ashton, South Dakota. The mother resides with her sons who are living 
at Ashton. She has now reached the age of seventy-nine years and is 
accorded the honor that is due to all who have lived long and useful 
lives. The parents removed to Spink county, this state, in 1881, 
settling at Ashton, and our subject came to the state a year later. 

	E. D. Roberts attended the schools of Illinois in the pursuit of 
his education but when twenty years of age turned his attention to 
other interests, taking up a preemption claim in Spink county, South 
Dakota, which he sold to the Town Site Company of Turton. The town of 
that name now stands upon the land which he entered from the 
government. Upon disposing of his agricultural interests he formed a 
partnership with Frank Coleman under the style of Coleman & Roberts for 
the conduct of a general store. After about four years he bought one 
hundred and sixty acres of land and by unremitting labor was enabled to 
purchase additional land from time to time, bringing his total acreage 
up to four hundred and eighty acres. He operated his farm until 1901 
but in that year rented it to others and assumed charge of the Eagle 
Elevator at Turton. He still holds that position and gives the greater 
part of his time to his work in that connection, although he has 
accumulated mole than a competence and could retire if he were so 
minded. 

	Mr. Roberts was married in 1885 at Ashton to Miss Hattie West, a 
daughter of William S. and Ellen (Esterbrook) West. Her father died 
June 30, 1914, and was buried in the cemetery in Clifton township, 
Spink county. Her mother is still living in that township. They came to 
South Dakota in 1879, settling on the Jim river in Spink county. They 
performed well the work that fell to their lot as pioneers and had many 
experiences typical of life on the frontier, such as grinding wheat in 
a coffee mill in order to secure flour. To Mr. and Mrs. Roberts were 
born two children: Otto, who died in February, 1888, and was laid to 
rest in Sunnyside cemetery at Turton; and Bertha, at home. They have 
adopted another son, Paul, who is also at home. 

	Mr. Roberts is a republican and has held a number of township 
offices. As a member of the Congregational church he takes an active 
part in the work of that organization and contributes to its support. 
Fraternally he belongs to the Masonic order and has attained the 
thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite. He is also past master of 
the Conde Lodge and a member of the Eastern Star and he likewise holds 
membership in the Modern Woodmen of America. His has been a life of 
constant activity that has resulted in the attainment of individual 
success and the furthering of community advancement.