Woodson B. Craven Biography


	This biography appears on pages 522-523 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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				WOODSON B. CRAVEN. 

	Woodson B. Craven, who since 1912 has been cashier of the Ardmore 
State Bank, of which he is one of the owners, is a native of Platte 
county, Missouri, born on the 12th of June, 1859. His parents, James L. 
and Elizabeth (Ballew) Craven, were both natives of Kentucky, the 
former born in Jessamine county in 1830 and the latter in Madison 
county in 1833. The father, who was a farmer and stock-raiser, died in 
Clay county, Missouri, in 1874. He was very successful in business and 
during the Civil war he served in the Home Guards in Missouri. He drove 
the first herd of cattle from Texas to Kansas City. In 1887 his widow 
removed to Oelrichs, South Dakota, but passed away in Edgemont in 1891. 

	Woodson B. Craven attended the district schools, the schools of 
Platte City and Gaylord Institute. In 1881, when twenty-two years of 
age, he went west to Oregon and was for some time a cowboy. He drove a 
herd of cattle to Brush Creek, Colorado, and thence shipped them to 
Leavenworth, Kansas. The following winter he remained at home but in 
the spring again followed the trail westward and located near Cheyenne, 
Wyoming, where he was a cowboy for the Angelo-American Cattle Company 
for about nine years, from 1883 to 1891. He became foreman and proved 
very efficient in that position of responsibility. For a number of 
years he was connected with his brother in the stock business, the 
latter having the actual supervision of the work. In 1891, upon 
severing his connection with the cattle company, Mr. Craven of this 
review located upon a ranch which he and his brother owned north of 
Edgemont, South Dakota, and for a year took an active part in its 
supervision. In that year they sold their cattle and horses and 
concentrated their attention upon raising sheep. From 1894 until 1897 
Woodson B. Craven was engaged in mining and in 1905 he went to 
Kentucky, where he became a manufacturer of ice, although he still 
retained his interests in this state. In 1911 he disposed of his ice 
plant and after spending a year in travel returned to South Dakota, 
arriving on the 10th of January. In partnership with a stepson, L. H. 
Hedrick, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work, he purchased 
the Ardmore State Bank and has since been cashier of that institution, 
which does a general banking business. It was established in 1906 by O. 
K. Eastman, of Crawford, Nebraska, who is now deceased. Mr. Craven has 
disposed of his ranching interests and devotes his entire time to the 
work of the bank, which is one of the substantial moneyed institutions 
of Fall River county. He was also one of the incorporators of the 
Hedrick Holding Company of Hot Springs and is treasurer and a director 
of the Ardmore Oil Company. 

	Mr. Craven was married in September, 1904, to Mrs. Ada E. 
(Pollock) Snively. She was born in Clark county, Missouri, of the 
marriage of John and Isabelle Pollock, natives respectively of Scotland 
and Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The father was born in 1834 and the mother 
in 1840. When a young man Mr. Pollock emigrated to the United States 
and after residing in Pennsylvania for a time removed to Missouri, 
where he became a well known stockman. He died in that state about 1865 
and his widow subsequently removed to Keokuk, Iowa, but passed away in 
Des Moines in 1891 while on a visit to a daughter. Mr. Pollock never 
aspired to public office but was persuaded by his fellow citizens to 
serve as sheriff of Clark county, Missouri. He was successful in 
business and wielded no little influence in local public affairs, his 
ability commanding the respect of all who knew him. Mrs. Craven, who is 
the youngest of six children, received her education in the schools of 
Keokuk, Iowa. 

	Mr. Craven is a democrat and in 1903 and 1904 was the efficient 
county treasurer of Fall River county, while during the years 1892 and 
1893 he was county commissioner. He is an enthusiastic Odd Fellow, 
belonging to the local subordinate lodge, in which he is past grand 
master, and to the encampment at Hot Springs. He also has membership 
relations with the Woodmen of the World. His business ability has long 
been recognized and since becoming cashier of the Ardmore State Bank he 
has manifested a thorough grasp of the principles underlying banking 
and a detailed knowledge of the routine work of his institution, and 
much of its prosperity in the last three years has been due to his 
ability and close attention to his duties as cashier. He is one of the 
best known residents of Fall River county and also one of the most 
esteemed and has many warm personal friends.