Millard F. Greeley Biography


	This biography appears on pages 737-739 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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				MILLARD F. GREELEY. 

	Millard F. Greeley, a leading farmer and stockman of South 
Dakota, also a widely known speaker and writer on farm subjects, was 
born in Vienna, Kennebec county, Maine, November 6, 1851. His father, 
Levi M. Greeley, was also a native of the Pine Tree state and was a 
graduate of its then leading school, Kent's Hill Seminary. He passed 
away in Deuel county, South Dakota, in 1887. His wife, whose maiden 
name was Beulah A. Alden, was also born in Maine and is a direct 
descendant of the Mayflower Aldens. She is now living with her son at 
the age of eighty-nine years. 

	Millard F. Greeley attended the common schools only, with the 
exception of being a student for a short time in Northwestern 
University. In his boyhood and early manhood he worked on farms, in the 
pineries, at river driving, surveying, etc., and when but twenty-one 
years of age was given charge of a crew of eighty men. cutting the 
right of way north to Lake Superior for the Wisconsin Central Railway. 
After marrying, at the age of twenty six, he turned his attention to 
agricultural pursuits and for many years has given most of his 
attention to farming and stock-raising, following these occupations 
with success in Wisconsin, Minnesota and South Dakota-in Deuel county, 
South Dakota, for nearly twenty-five years. Mr. Greeley is a strong 
advocate of farm life and believes it by far the safest and most 
independent of any. With the exception of but two years he has always 
lived on the land. The two years referred to were spent at Long Beach, 
California, where he went for the benefit of the health of his family- 
and where he still owns considerable property. He also has land in 
Minnesota and South Dakota and his business activities have extended to 
other fields, for he is a director of the State Bank of Menahga, 
Minnesota. His office is with the Dakota Farmer of Aberdeen, South 
Dakota, although he travels extensively. 

	In 1856 Mr. Greeley went with his parents to Waushara county, 
Wisconsin, whence, in 1882, he removed to Deuel county, South Dakota, 
where he became widely and favorably known. 

	He was married in Waupaca county, Wisconsin, December 29, 1877, 
to Miss Agnes Blair, a daughter of John Blair, a Highland Scot, and 
Isabella Blair, who was born in Glasgow, Scotland. The father was 
killed at the battle of Shiloh when Mrs. Greeley was but one year old. 
To this marriage have been born two children: R. B., who was born in 
Wisconsin on the 5th of March, 1881, and who married Miss Gertrude 
Tragerser, of Deuel county, is now publisher of a paper at Menahga, 
Minnesota. Alden B., the younger, born in Deuel county, February 16, 
1899, is at home. They have also cared for several adopted children and 
given homes to others. 

	Mr. Greeley was for a short time in his youth a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal church but is not now affiliated with any 
denomination. He believes that forms and creeds are of no value but 
places great emphasis upon the simple teachings of the Master and his 
example. His political allegiance has always been given to the 
republican party and he has never wavered in his loyalty to its 
candidates and principles. In 1885 he was elected a member of the house 
of representatives of the state legislature and was a member of that 
body again when Frank Pettigrew and G. C. Moody were elected to the 
United States senate. He was an active worker in behalf of Judge 
Edgerton in that memorable fight and did all he could to secure his 
election. Mr. Greeley was a member of the state senate during Andrew 
Lee's first term as governor of the state and was one of the five and 
the only republican to count the state funds over from Phillips, the 
retiring treasurer, to the new treasurer Mr. Greeley was appointed 
regent of the State University by Governor Lee and was reappointed by 
Governor Elrod, serving in that capacity for seven years. He is a 
careful student of the trend of events and conditions and is a vigorous 
and independent thinker. He was opposed to the division of the 
territory and has always been opposed to dividing counties, since such 
action means only the doubling of the expense of the administration of 
government. Legislatures, he thinks, should meet not oftener than once 
in five years and thus not only effect a great saving to the people but 
also avoid encumbering the statute books with so many useless, 
unimportant and often unwise laws. Coming of Quaker ancestry, he is a 
stalwart advocate of arbitration as a means of settling all disputes, 
personal, local and national, believing that only in that manner can 
anything approaching real justice be secured. 

	Mr. Greeley is widely known throughout the northwest as an 
effective worker for agricultural advancement and has served as 
director of farmers, institutes in Minnesota, in North and South Dakota 
and in Nebraska, and has also earned considerable reputation as a 
speaker at Chautauqua and similar gatherings. He has likewise been 
called to various other states and to Canada to address meetings of 
farmers and has been a potent force in securing progress along many 
lines of agricultural work. His activity in behalf of the farmers of 
the country and their interests has not been confined to the lecture 
platform, for he is at present associate editor of the Dakota Farmer, a 
journal which has over sixty thousand subscribers and of which he was 
for twelve years editor-in-chief. That publication has gained a high 
reputation among the farm journals of the country and its success is 
due in no small measure to the energy, wide information and editorial 
ability of Mr. Greeley. He has also written for other publications, the 
first articles for which he received pay appearing in the Youth's 
Companion, to which he was a regular contributor for some time. While 
in the legislature Mr. Greeley secured the location of the first 
experiment station for drought resisting crops at Highmore, South 
Dakota. His first act after becoming a regent was to accompany 
Professor Shepperd of the Brookings Agricultural College to Highmore 
and arrange for the active opening of this station. When the bill for a 
technical school at Aberdeen was vetoed by Governor Lee, he said it was 
a good thing and at once suggested an industrial normal school in its 
place, knowing the whole state was in need of such a school and feeling 
confident so practical a man as Governor Lee would not oppose such a 
measure. In this he proved to be correct and the bill passed promptly, 
was quickly and gladly signed by the governor and the great school was 
at once gotten under way. Mr. Greeley was at St. Louis, Missouri, 
attending a national meeting of institute speakers, on his way to speak 
before a large gathering of students at Atlanta, Georgia, when a 
telegram reached him announcing a near date for the opening of the 
school. He at once cancelled all engagements and returned to speak on 
that occasion. He still has great faith in the future of this only 
industrial normal school in the northwest and also in the widely known 
dry crops station at Highmore. 

	Speaking of Mr. Greeley's work in connection with the Dakota 
Farmer, one long acquainted with it writes: 

	"Mr. Greeley has been connected with the paper in some capacity 
almost from the beginning. I dike to write about Mr. Greeley because I 
know that so many like to hear of him. As farmer, stockman, editor, 
educator and statesman, he has indelibly impressed himself upon the 
history of The Dakota Farmer Empire-but it is the man of simple tastes 
and sympathetic nature, of kindly words and wise advice whom the people 
love and admire. But I don't need to tell of his work. The Dakota 
Farmer shows it twenty-four times year."