Frank M. Stewart Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1156-1158 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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				FRANK M. STEWART. 

	Frank M. Stewart, of Buffalo Gap, is a well known representative 
of the live-stock interests of South Dakota and as a director of the 
American National Live Stock Company exercises a great deal of 
influence in the management of the affairs of that powerful 
corporation. He is also connected in important capacities with many 
other concerns in the state and is one of its leading citizens. He is 
not only known for his business ability and important connections but 
also because of his marked public spirit and his capacity for 
friendship and his warm-hearted hospitality. 

	Mr. Stewart was born in Livermore, Indiana county, Pennsylvania, 
on the 11th of February, 1860, a son of Thomas G. and Josephine 
(McFarland) Stewart, both natives of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. 
In his early manhood the father engaged in the retail mercantile 
business at Livermore, but later became a wholesale grocer of 
Johnstown, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore, Maryland. He was connected with 
the business life of Baltimore from 1868 until 1886, when he retired 
from active life. He passed away in that city in the spring of 1890 
after surviving his wife for many years, her demise occurring in 1869. 

	Frank M. Stewart, the only child born to his parents, attended 
school in Johnstown, Pennsylvania; Winchester, Virginia; and Baltimore, 
Maryland. When seventeen years of age he became associated with his 
father in business and was given charge of the books. He remained in 
the employ of his father until he was twenty-six years of age, when he 
moved westward and settled at Buffalo Gap, South Dakota. He homesteaded 
land and immediately engaged in ranching. Success has attended his 
labors from the first and he is now interested in a ranch of six 
thousand acres in Custer county. He also owns a tract of land in Fall 
River county and in 1893 began breeding Hereford cattle. He believes in 
raising full blooded stock and now has about two hundred head of pure 
bred Herefords, as fine a herd as any in his part of the state. He also 
has sixty pure bred Percheron horses, having begun to raise that breed 
in 1910. He devotes about five hundred acres of land to raising alfalfa 
and is enthusiastic over the possibilities of that crop in South 
Dakota. Since its organization in 1896 he has been a director of the 
American National Live Stock Company and for eight sessions represented 
the live-stock interests in the state legislature. He is vice president 
of the Dakota Power Company, of Rapid City; ex-vice president of the 
First National Life Insurance Company, of Pierre; and is now serving on 
the board of directors of that institution, secretary and third owner 
of the Evans Hotel at Hot Springs; and president of the Hot Springs 
Gypsum Products Company. 

	On the 22d of January, 1884, Mr. Stewart married Miss Rose B. 
Taylor, a daughter of Mortimer and Sarah Jean (Burns) Taylor. The 
father was born in Loudoun county, Virginia, and the mother in Towson, 
Maryland. In early life Mr. Taylor engaged in the mercantile business 
in Baltimore but later turned his attention to railroading. He served 
for a time as captain of the Home Guards and his military record was a 
creditable one. He passed away on the 17th of April, 1897, and his wife 
died about 1873. To their union were born nine children, of whom Mrs. 
Stewart is the youngest. Mrs. Stewart attended school in Loudoun 
county, Virginia, and Baltimore, Maryland, but the greater part of her 
education was acquired under private tutors. She has become the mother 
of two daughters. Sara Jean graduated from the All Saints Episcopal 
Boarding School at Sioux Falls with the class of 1904, was for four 
years a student in the Peabody Conservatory of Music of Baltimore, 
Maryland, and for one year attended the American Conservatory of Music 
of Chicago. In 1910 she studied under William Shakespeare, of London, 
England, and is a thoroughly trained musician. She has an exceptionally 
fine voice and has gained a considerable reputation as a singer. Belle 
also graduated from the All Saints Episcopal School at Sioux Falls and 
in 1910 graduated from the Hannah Moore Academy, of Baltimore. In that 
year she and her sister were given a trip abroad as a graduation 
present from their parents and for four months visited the places of 
greatest interest in Europe. The family are noted for their delightful 
hospitality and are welcomed in the best social circles of the state. 
They are sincerely interested in all projects that have as their object 
the betterment of civic conditions and no good cause appeals to them in 
vain. 

	Mr. Stewart is a democrat and has served upon a number of the 
state committees. For four years he was a member of the state brand 
committee under appointment of Governor Lee and for a similar length of 
time served on the state live stock committee, being appointed by 
Governor Elrod. Governor Vessey made him a member of the state live 
stock sanitary board and he was an influential factor in the work of 
all of the committees on which he served. Since its organization in 
1892 he has been secretary-treasurer of the Western South Dakota Stock 
Growers Association and for one year had the honor of serving as vice 
president of the American National Live Stock Association. He was the 
first president of the Buffalo Gap Fair Association and although he has 
many interests of state or national scope, he has always found time to 
aid in the management of the affairs of his home locality and Buffalo 
Gap has profited in many ways from his experience and practical wisdom. 

	Fraternally Mr. Stewart is widely known, belonging to Washington 
Lodge. No. 3, A. F. & A. M., of Baltimore, Maryland, which was 
instituted in 1770; Hot Springs Chapter, No. 33, R. A. M.; Battle 
Mountain Commandery, No. 15, K. T., of Hot Springs; Black Hills 
Consistory, No. 3, A. & A. S. R., of Deadwood; and Naja Temple, A. A. 
O. N. M. S., of Deadwood. He also holds membership with Martha Chapter, 
No. 22, O. E. S., of Hot Springs, of which he was patron for four 
years, and likewise is identified with the Modern Woodmen of America of 
Hot Springs. His wife and daughters belong to the Eastern Star and also 
to the Royal Neighbors. 

	When Mr. Stewart removed to the Black Hills he was in very ill 
health, having suffered from asthma for years, and he was not expected 
to live very long He found the climate very beneficial and after 
proving up upon his homestead removed his family to Buffalo Gap, where 
he erected his present beautiful residence, the finest in the town. 
While living upon his ranch he had a number of exciting experiences, 
due to the unsettled condition of the country and the resentment of the 
Indians toward the white men. From pioneer times Mr. Stewart has taken 
a prominent part in promoting the welfare and advancement of not only 
his section but the whole state of South Dakota and has left the 
impress of his. individuality upon its history. He believes 
enthusiastically in the great future in store for the northwest and 
finds his greatest pleasure in doing something to promote the welfare 
of the state which he has served so ably for many years.