William J. Webster Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1162 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


				WILLIAM J. WEBSTER. 

	William J. Webster, one of the foremost citizens and progressive 
agriculturists of Split Rock township, Minnehaha county, resides on 
section 26 and has devoted his attention to farming interests with 
gratifying success throughout his entire business career. His birth 
occurred in Winneshiek county, Iowa, on the 4th of September, 1869, his 
parents being Madison and Elizabeth (Stewart) Webster, the former a 
native of New York and the latter of Canada. Their marriage was 
celebrated in Iowa, to which state they had been brought as children by 
their respective parents. In 1873 Madison Webster homesteaded the 
northeast quarter of section 26, Split Rock township, Minnehaha county, 
South Dakota, and a year later brought his family to his new home. To 
this homestead he has added an eighty-acre tract, making his present 
farm one of two hundred and forty acres. Mr. Webster is a republican in 
politics and served for some years as a member of the school board. The 
period of his residence in Minnehaha county covers more than four 
decades and he is widely recognized as one of its substantial and 
esteemed citizens His wife is a devoted and consistent member of the 
Methodist church. 

	William J. Webster, who was but four years of age when brought to 
this state, was reared to manhood under the parental roof and attended 
the common schools in the acquirement of an education. He continued 
with his parents after reaching his majority, operating the home farm 
in association with his father. In 1894 or 1895 he undertook the 
management and operation of the property and has remained thereon to 
the present time. He also owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres 
adjoining the home place which was purchased by his father shortly 
after his arrival here and which was transferred to our subject some 
years ago As an agriculturist he has won a well merited measure of 
prosperity and has long been numbered among the representative and 
successful citizens of his community. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen 
of America and is also a member of Valley Springs Lodge of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In the district where nearly his 
entire life has been spent he is well known and highly esteemed for his 
many excellent traits of character and genuine personal worth.