Loren A. Frankforter Biography This biography appears on pages 825-826 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 LOREN A. FRANKFORTER. Loren A. Frankforter, postmaster of Hill City, South Dakota, is interested in a number of valuable mining properties and is well known in his locality. He was born in Tobias, Saline county, Nebraska, on the 15th of April, 1880, the fifth in a family of nine children whose parents were David and Mattie (Bowers) Frankforter. Both parents were natives of Henry county, Ohio, the birth of the father occurring in 1840 and that of the mother some years later. In his young manhood David Frankforter assisted his father in saw milling and in the lumber business but at the beginning of the war enlisted in the Union army for ninety days. Later he reenlisted and was at the front throughout the entire conflict as a member of the Forty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. Although he was wounded two or three times he was never confined in a hospital and was on the firing line whenever his company was engaged. When peace was restored he went to Saline county, Nebraska, and there homesteaded land, upon which he resided until about 1910. He then retired to Tobias and is still making his home there. He is highly thought of in his community and has at all times proved a good citizen. He has survived his wife for many years, her demise occurring in 1892. Loren A. Frankforter received a high-school education in Tobias, Nebraska, but at the age of sixteen years began working for others as a farm hand. After spending about three years in that manner he came to South Dakota, locating at Redfern, in the Black Hills. He was employed upon a stock ranch for about six months and then went to the northern part of the Hills, where he found work in Carbonate camp, twelve miles west of Deadwood. After two years, service there he became connected with the Montezuma mines, between Deadwood and Central, and was there for about eight months. At the expiration of that period he worked in the mines near Pactola for six months and then returned to Redfern and entered the employ of a company which was getting out timber. After three or four months he was married and returned to mining but only for a short time and then moved to Custer, where he found work in the paint mills. He remained in that connection for about two years and then located in Hill City, entering the employ of C. E. McEachron, the owner of a general store. Mr. Frankforter clerked for about five years and then returned to mining but four months later received his appointment as postmaster of Hill City. He has since been the incumbent of that office and the work that devolves upon him is systematically and correctly done. He retains his interest in a number of mining prospects in the southern Hills and is recognized as a well-to-do resident of Hill City. On the 30th of September, 1903, Mr. Frankforter married Miss Nettie Tinsley, who was born near Sidney, Nebraska, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Tinsley, both born in Illinois. The father, who was by occupation a farmer, continued to follow agricultural pursuits after removing from his native state to Nebraska. For a number of years past he has resided in Custer county, this state, and is now engaged in stock ranching. To him and his wife have been born eleven children, of whom Mrs. Frankforter is the fourth in order of birth. By her marriage she has three children: Gerald, born March 15, 1907; Torrence, born February 15, 1911; and Claud, whose birth occurred on the 7th of April, 1913 Mr. Frankforter is a member of the Masonic blue lodge, of which he has served as master for two years and he is the present secretary of that organization. He is loyal to the underlying principle of Masonry, that of human brotherhood, and is always willing to promote in any way the interests of the order. He is a republican and since August 15, 1911, has capably and acceptably served as postmaster of Hill City. He has resided in the Black Hills for many years and not only thoroughly understands conditions there but is in harmony with the spirit of enterprise and progress that characterizes the section and is willing to cooperate in movements for the advancement of the district.