Krauth H. Cressman Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1036-1037 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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				KRAUTH H. CRESSMAN. 

	Holding to high ideals of education, Krauth H. Cressman, of 
Fairfax, as county superintendent of schools in Gregory county, is 
putting forth earnest effort to advance the standard of the schools and 
increase their efficiency as factors in the preparation of the young 
for the responsible duties of life He takes deep interest in his chosen 
profession and is regarded as one of the able educators of his part of 
the state. Professor Cressman is a native of South Easton, 
Pennsylvania, born August 12, 1868, his parents being the Rev. J. J. 
and Emma C. M. (Walters) Cressman. The father, who was a minister of 
the German Lutheran church, died in 1913, but the mother is still 
living. 

	After attending the public schools of Pennsylvania, Krauth H. 
Cressman entered the Keystone State Normal School at Kutztown, 
Pennsylvania, from which in due time he was graduated, and later he 
attended Muhlenberg College at Allentown, Pennsylvania. He then took up 
the profession of teaching in his native state, after which he entered 
the government service as principal teacher of the Indian Industrial 
School, located at Pierre, South Dakota. Subsequently he was 
transferred to Leech Lake Boarding School at Leech Lake, Minnesota, as 
superintendent, there remaining from 1893 until 1900. He was next 
assigned to Rosebud as teacher in the Redleaf day school, where he 
continued from 1900 until 1902, when he was made teacher in charge of 
the Ponca district, where he continued until 1908. In the latter year 
he withdrew from active connection with educational interests and 
through the succeeding two years devoted his attention to farming. He 
next removed to California to take charge of his fruit farm in that 
state and in 1912 he returned to South Dakota, settling at St. Charles, 
where he accepted the position of high school teacher, acting in that 
capacity until the 1st of January, 1915. In the previous fall he was 
elected superintendent of the schools of Gregory county and in January 
entered upon the duties of that position. He had made an excellent 
record as a teacher in the Indian schools of the state. Ready 
discrimination enabled him to know how to handle the schools and secure 
the cooperation and awaken the interest of the government charges. 
Already in his work as county superintendent there has been evidenced a 
notable development in the educational system. He has instituted a 
spelling contest, has promoted industrial features of education and in 
fact there is a marked general elevation in all lines of school work. 
He is zealous and attacks everything with a contagious enthusiasm. 
Greatly interested in agriculture, he does much to stimulate the 
interest of the children in that occupation, knowing how important it 
is to the young in this great prairie state, the wealth of which comes 
from its fields. He is the owner of a farm comprising one hundred and 
sixty acres of land in Gregory county and to its development and 
cultivation gives his personal supervision. 

	On the 22d of February, 1889, Mr. Cressman was united in marriage 
to Miss Jane E. Lilby, a daughter of Edward Lilby To them have been 
born eleven children, namely: Walter L., Edward J., Krauth H., Jr., 
Esther J., G. Luther, Robert E., Hattie E., Stella P., Theo A., 
Catherine A. and Leslie I. In his political views Professor Cressman 
has always been a republican since age conferred upon him the right of 
citizenship. In religious faith he is an Episcopalian and he is 
identified with several fraternal organizations, being a Royal Arch 
Mason, an Odd Fellow, a Knight of Pythias and a Modern Woodman. He 
lives up to the teachings of these different fraternities, which 
recognize the brotherhood of man and the obligations thereby imposed. 
In a word, he is interested in all that figures in the work of uplift 
for the individual and for the community.