Frank Wesley Coolidge Biography This biography appears on pages 1161-1162 in "History of Dakota Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (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 HON. FRANK WESLEY COOLIDGE. Hon. Frank Wesley Coolidge, judge of the probate court of Redfield, was called to this office in 1899 and served for eight years. Again, on the 1st of January, 1911, he was named for the position, which he has since acceptably filled. He is familiar with all matters and forms of probate law and as judge of this court his decisions have been strictly fair and impartial. He came to South Dakota from Dane county, Wisconsin, in 1880. His birth occurred in the town of Windsor, Dane county, March 9, 1858, his parents being Aaron and Anna (Eliott) Coolidge, the former a native of the state of New York and the latter of England, whence she was brought to America when nine years old. The father was a farmer and one of the early settlers of Dane county, where both he and his wife remained until called to their final rest. Frank W. Coolidge acquired his primary education in the district schools and afterward pursued a course in a commercial college and in the State Normal School of Wisconsin. He was a young man of twenty-two years when he arrived in South Dakota and took up a homestead of prairie land eight miles from Redfield, which he improved and developed, selling it after about twelve years. He removed to Redfield about 1885 and entered a law office as a student, also giving assistance in the work of the office. In 1892 he was admitted to the bar and about that time became bookkeeper and manager of the Northwestern Mortgage & Trust Company, of which he was made the secretary in 1895. He remained in that connection until the business was closed out, but ere that time he had been called to the office of county judge in 1899. The excellent record which he made in that position led to his being again called to the office on the 1st of January, 1911. He is likewise the president of the Redfield Building, Loan & Savings Association. On the 5th of October, 1897, occurred the marriage of Judge Coolidge and Miss Mabel Williams, of Redfield. They have become parents of four children, Jessamine, Medora, J. Wesley and Frank H., all attending school. Judge Coolidge erected the residence which he and his family occupy and he is interested in the Law Building Company, of which he is the secretary. He stands loyally in support of all enterprises and projects for the upbuilding and betterment of city and county and cooperates in many movements that have been directly resultant along those lines. In politics he is a republican and served as police justice before being called to his present position. 'Fraternally he is connected with the Masons, holding membership in the chapter and commandery, and he also belongs to the Elks and the Knights of Pythias lodges and to the Improved Order of Red Men. He has never regretted his determination to seek and improve the opportunities of the northwest and, although he had to endure various hardships and privations during pioneer times, he has ever rejoiced that he has been a factor in the growth and upbuilding of his section of the state, where he is now known as a valued citizen and as a worthy public official.