Frank W. Douthitt Biography


	This biography appears on pages 116-117 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 W. DOUTHITT. 

	Frank W. Douthitt, secretary and manager of the Big Stone City 
Canning Company, has a wide acquaintance among the men in business 
along this particular line, for he has a broad knowledge of this work 
in which he has been engaged throughout almost his entire business 
career. He was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, January 19, 1875, a son 
of E. M. and Florence (Scribner) Douthitt, and in both the paternal and 
maternal lines comes of New England stock. In the maternal line he is 
related to the Scribners, publishers of the well known magazine. His 
father was born in Paris, Illinois, in 1835, and died in 1899, while 
the mother, who was a native of Indianapolis, born in 1845, passed away 
in Seattle, Washington, in 1905. In their family were seven children, 
of whom six survive: A. G., who is connected with the Big Stone City 
Canning Company; Ada, the wife of John Oran, a carpenter of 
Indianapolis, Indiana; Frank W.; C. M., who is physical director in the 
university at Athens, Ohio; L. B., who is manager of the canning 
factory in Montevideo, Minnesota; and Ella, who is a stenographer in a 
bank at Seattle. The father of this family was a contractor and builder 
and for many years made his home in Indianapolis. He was a well 
educated man and in politics was a democrat. 

	Frank W. Douthitt was reared in the city of his nativity and was 
educated in the schools there. He made his initial step in the business 
world by working in a ladder factory, beginning that work at the age of 
thirteen, ere he had completed his education. He then entered a canning 
factory in Indianapolis with the intention of learning the business. 
After he had gained a thorough knowledge thereof he took charge of a 
factory in Muncie, Indiana, but after a time spent there went to 
Cokato, Minnesota, where he managed a plant of similar character until 
1906. He then purchased a third interest in the Big Stone Canning 
Company, of which he has since served as secretary and manager. This is 
one of the important industrial concerns of that locality. The business 
is capitalized at fifty thousand dollars, while the output of the plant 
is seventy-five carloads of corn per year. The product of this plant is 
of the highest grade and therefore finds a ready sale on the market. 
Mr. Douthitt has a thorough knowledge of the canning business and he is 
now known as one of the best informed men in this line in the United 
States. 

	Mr. Douthitt was married in 1897, to Miss Orpha Powell, of 
Indianapolis, a daughter of George Powell, a wagon maker of that city 
but formerly of Ohio. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Douthitt has a thorough 
knowledge of the canning business and he is now known as one of sixteen 
and six years, and both in school. 

	In politics Mr. Douthitt is a republican and it was on that 
ticket that he was elected mayor of Big Stone City, having filled this 
executive position to the satisfaction of the general public for the 
past six years, and during his incumbency in office he has instituted 
many needed reforms and improvements. He is a Mason, belonging to both 
the lodge and the chapter. He is likewise a member of the National 
Canners Association, serving on the executive board; and of the 
Minnesota Canners Association and is now secretary and treasurer of the 
latter organization. It is said that the man with a purpose wins and 
this is verified ill the life of Mr. Douthitt, for when starting out in 
the business world in early youth he put forward every endeavor to make 
today find him further advanced in his desires than yesterday and he 
looked forward to tomorrow to add to his attainments. With him it has 
been a constant progression toward the desired end until today he 
stands among the successful few in industrial circles in the state.