William H. Tupper Biography


	This biography appears on pages 563-564 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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				WILLIAM H. TUPPER. 

	William H. Tupper was a well known citizen of Bon Homme county, 
and in his death the community lost a valued citizen, who from early 
days had been unheated with the agricultural development of that 
region. He had arrived in Dakota on the 1st of April, 1883, being at 
that time a young man of twenty-seven years. He was born in Kane 
county, Illinois, near Aurora, on the 7th of August, 1855, and was a 
son of William Henry and Katherine (Edmonds) Tupper, who were natives 
of Canada. His youthful days were spent under the parental roof, his 
education being acquired in the public schools, while the periods of 
vacation were devoted to farm work. He early became familiar with the 
best methods of tilling the soil and earing for the crops on an 
Illinois farm, and he assisted his father up to the time of his 
marriage.

	It was on the 12th of October, 1882, that Mr. Tupper was joined 
in wedlock to Miss Louisa C. Stover who was born in Center county, 
Pennsylvania, March 10, 1859, a daughter of George and Elizabeth 
(Thomas) Stover, who were likewise natives of the Keystone state. Her 
great-grandfather with two brothers blazed their way through the 
forests of the east and were the first settlers of Center county, 
Pennsylvania. In 1879 Louisa Stover went to Kane county, Illinois, to 
join two sisters who had preceded her, and later her parents also 
became residents of Illinois.

	In the spring following their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Tupper 
removed to the northwest, settling on a homestead near Plankinton. 
Hardships and privations awaited them, but with resolute spirit and 
unfaltering courage they endured hardships and trials and in time their 
perseverance won them success. They saved but one crop during the first 
six seasons and on one occasion a prairie fire destroyed their 
haystacks, but although these were near the barn the building was 
saved. Finally hail on the 3d and 4th of July ruined the fine crop and 
thus disaster stared them in the face until they took their belongings 
in wagons and made their way southward to Bon Homme county, settling in 
Running Water precinct, where Mr. Tupper purchased a homestead and 
timber claim which had previously been entered from the government. He 
thus became the owner of a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres, 
in addition to which Mrs. Tupper owns another farm of one hundred and 
sixty acres near Wagner. At a later date the Plankinton farm was sold. 
After a few years, in which they met many hardships and privations, 
good crops proved the country to be habitable and from that time 
forward prosperity attended their efforts. In the early days the wind-
swept prairies were the scene of many a blizzard varying in intensity. 
In February, 1887, there was a storm that almost equalled that of 
January, 1888. Mr. Tupper, who was in town when the storm broke, 
started home, but the intensity of the blizzard forced him to seek 
shelter along the way. He was also out in the storm of January 12, 
1888, and he stopped once more at the same house where he had found 
refuge eleven months before. He found this only by chance in the 
blinding storm, for it was impossible to see a few feet ahead. Water 
was scarce in Plankinton and the wells being shallow often went dry so 
that in winter he frequently melted snow in order to water the stock. 
Thus in early times he endured many hardships and privations but 
prosperity came at last. 

	A few months after the arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Tupper in Dakota 
her parents came to the territory, reaching their destination in 
September, 1883. They, too, secured a farm but this was sold after 
their deaths. During the early years in the settlement of the county 
Mr. Stover burned hay and one winter burned corn, which was very cheap, 
ten dollars worth of corn giving out more heat than could be obtained 
from its value in coal. 

	To Mr. and Mrs. Tupper were born eight children, six of whom 
survive. George, who lives on the home farm in Running Water precinct, 
married Katie Dykstra, a Hollander. Frank, who is a graduate of the 
Springfield Normal School and lives in Wagner, married Ella Young. Ray, 
who is engaged in farming at Wagner, married Lora Shrawl. Bert is 
assisting his brother Ray. Mable is a graduate of the Springfield 
Normal School and now teaches in the Platte school. Grace attended the 
Springfield Normal School as a member of the class of 1915. 

	In his political views Mr. Tupper was a stalwart republican and 
kept well informed on the questions and issues of the day, but did not 
seek nor desire office. He held membership in the Methodist church and 
in that faith passed away July 12, 1897. His life was guided by 
Christian teachings and he was an honorable and upright man and enjoyed 
in a high measure the confidence and goodwill of his fellow citizens.