Frank Burgess Biography


	This biography appears on pages 13-14 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				FRANK BURGESS. 

	Frank Burgess owns a farm of four hundred and eighty acres 
situated on sections 20 and 28, Prairie Center township, his residence 
being on the latter section. His wife owns three hundred and twenty 
acres of land and, as their farms are well developed and carefully 
cultivated, they receive therefrom a handsome annual income. Mr. 
Burgess was born in Beaver Dam, Dodge county, Wisconsin, February 23, 
1853, a son of A. F. and Rebecca (Beckus) Burgess. The father was a 
pioneer of Wisconsin, settling there in 1844 upon a farm, where his 
death occurred when he had reached the age of seventy-four years His 
wife survives and makes her home in Beaver Dam, Dodge county, at the 
remarkable age of ninety-five years. Mr. Burgess was buried in the 
Clason Prairie cemetery. The family trace their ancestry back to one 
Thomas Burgess, who came to the new world from England on the 
Mayflower, and Asa Burgess, grandfather of the subject of this review, 
fought in the War of 1812. 

	Frank Burgess was educated in Wisconsin, and after laying aside 
his books devoted his time to helping with the farm work. He came to 
South Dakota in 1881 and secured a preemption claim, his wife taking up 
a homestead at the same time. She inherited a quarter section and now 
owns three hundred and twenty acres, while Mr. Burgess has purchased an 
additional three hundred and twenty acres, making a total of eight 
hundred acres in their possession. Mr. Burgess and his sons cultivate 
the land, carrying on general farming, which they find more profitable 
than devoting their land exclusively to raising grain. They keep one 
hundred head of cattle, thirty-five head of horses and forty hogs and 
are quite successful as stock-raisers. As they understand the 
principles of agriculture and as they are energetic men of sound 
judgment, doing the right thing at the right time, their land returns 
to them large profits. 

	Mr. Burgess was married at Watertown, March 18, 1882, to Miss 
Jennie Aldrich, a daughter of Allen and Elizabeth (Parker) Aldrich, the 
former a pioneer farmer of Spink county. Both are now deceased and are 
buried in the Watertown cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Burgess had five 
children: Mabel, who died in infancy and is buried on the homestead, as 
there was then no cemetery; Alva, a farmer of Belle Plaine township; 
Allen F., who farms part of his father's land; Rhea S., assisting his 
father in the work of the farm; and Mildred. who is living at home. Mr. 
Burgess is a republican, but reserves the right to vote independently. 
Fraternally he belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He came 
to South Dakota with a capital of but two hundred dollars. The greater 
part of his land has come into his possession as a result of his own 
labor and good management. He has followed the principle of attending 
strictly to the matter at hand and of doing well everything that he has 
undertaken, so that his success is but natural.