Martin N. Graff Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1239-1240 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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				MARTIN N. GRAFF. 

	Martin N. Graff, a well known farmer residing on section 25, 
Brandon township, was born on the 28th of September, 1871, and has the 
honor of being the first white child born in that township. He is a son 
of Nils and Elise (Axelson) Graff, the former a native of Sweden and 
the latter of Norway, both living near the boundary line between those 
countries. They were married in Norway and in 1869 came to the United 
States, locating first in Allamakee county, Iowa, where they remained 
for a period of one year. In 1870 they came north to South Dakota and 
the father homesteaded the northwest quarter of section 35, Brandon 
township, Minnehaha county. The region had not been thrown open for 
settlement very long and Mr. Graff was the first to take up a homestead 
in Brandon township. He subsequently took up a tree claim and from time 
to time purchased land until he was the owner of about one thousand 
acres. He later, however, gave each of his four sons a farm and about 
four or five years ago he retired from active life and took up his 
residence in Brandon, where be has since made his home. He is by trade 
a carpenter, and after his sons were large enough to take care of the 
work of the farm he gave much of his time to carpentering and building, 
erecting most of the farm houses in the surrounding region. He is one 
of the best known men of his township and has taken a prominent part in 
public affairs, serving for years in various township offices. 

	Martin N. Graff attended the common schools in the acquirement of 
his education and later was a student for three years at Sioux Falls 
College. At the age of twenty-one he became a teacher, his educational 
training well fitting him for that profession. He taught for three 
years in the district schools but eventually decided that agriculture 
offered better opportunities. and he has since given his attention to 
farming. For several years he and his brother assisted their father in 
the cultivation of his land, but the father, feeling that their years 
of labor on the farms was entitled to recognition, gave each of them a 
tract, and Martin N. Graff is now the owner of a quarter section of 
land which he operates. He also farms another quarter section which 
belongs to his father. He is officially connected with many financial 
and business enterprises, being a stockholder, secretary anti a member 
of the board of directors of the Farmers Elevator Company of Brandon, a 
stockholder and secretary of the Red Rock Telephone Company, and 
president and director of the Brandon Savings Bank. These investments 
are an indication of his faith in the future of the county. 

	Mr. Graff was married in 1895 to Miss Thora Lommen, a native of 
Lincoln county. Her father, Peder Lommen, who was born in Norway, was 
one of the first settlers of Lincoln county and did his share in the 
development of that region. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. 
Graff: Norton P., who is in his third year in the preparatory 
department of the Lutheran Normal College at Sioux Falls; and Lester E. 

	Mr. and Mrs. Graff belong to the Norwegian Lutheran church, of 
which he is secretary. He gives his political allegiance to the 
republican party and has held a number of local offices, being at 
present chairman of the town board and having served as a member 
thereof for five or six years. He is also chairman of the school board 
and has taken an active interest in educational matters for some years 
past. As a farmer, as a leader in church work, and as a man of affairs, 
Mr. Graff holds a position of prominence in his county and is accorded 
a high place in the estimation of all who know him.