John D. Hale Biography


	This biography appears on pages 486-487 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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				JOHN D. HALE.

	John D. Hale, of Sturgis, is not only the present state senator 
from the forty-first district of South Dakota but is also the owner of 
one of the finest horse ranches in the west, his property being located 
in Crook county, Wyoming. He was born in Grayson county, Virginia, 
October 22, 1847, a son of natives of that state, his parents being 
Warner and Mary (Cox) Hale, The father, who was a farmer and stockman, 
removed with his family westward in 1882, settling at Battle Creek, 
Nebraska, and continued to farm throughout his active life. He and his 
wife died within a week of each other, the year of their deaths being 
about 1904. He served as a soldier in the Confederate army for a short 
time during the Civil war. 

	Senator Hale was the fourth born in a family of eleven children 
and acquired his education in a log schoolhouse in the Old Dominion. In 
1867 he came west and after staying for a time at Omaha he removed to 
Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he was employed by the McGrath Forwarding 
Commission Company until 1868, when he removed to Montana and engaged 
in mining for some months. He then made his way to Salt Lake City, but 
not long afterward returned to Nebraska and engaged in farming near 
Battle Creek until the spring of 1877. At that time he came to South 
Dakota and engaged in the freighting business which was quite 
profitable at that time as the transportation of goods was done almost 
entirely by team, there being no railroads. He owned a train of 
seventeen wagons which were drawn by oxen. In the fall of 1877 he moved 
the Sioux Indians from Camp Sheridan to Ponca and the following year 
moved them back to the Rosebud reservation, where they are now located. 
After freighting for about three years he went to Tilford, South 
Dakota, where he established himself in the stock business, founding 
the Pleasant Valley Stack Farm. He continued to raise stock there for 
twenty-one years and became the owner of sixteen hundred and eighty 
acres. He also leased extensive tracts of land. 

	At length finding that Meade county was becoming too crowded for 
him, Mr. Hale moved his stock to Crook county, Wyoming, where he now 
owns a four thousand acre tract of land, through which a stream runs 
for eight miles. He raises pure bred horses and as the country in which 
his ranch is situated is especially adapted by nature for that purpose 
his stock is as fine as any found in this country. The topography of 
the region is that of broad upland pastures broken by canyons formed by 
a number of small streams and as the slopes from the pastures to the 
stream beds are so precipitous that even the native deer cannot keep a 
foothold thereon, the necessity of enclosing the range with fences is 
obviated. The only way by which stock might leave the pasture is by a 
few easy approaches through the grassy table lands to the valleys and a 
few rods of fence placed at such points are sufficient to enclose a 
ranch comprising several thousand acres. Naturally the water frontage 
at such points of approach to the streams is the key to the grass lands 
upon the plateau and Mr. Hale had the foresight to patent the land 
controlling the water frontage and the approaches to the upland 
pastures and by so doing has assured the success of his ranch. There is 
not only a good water supply but the native grasses provide unlimited 
pasturage of the best quality, while the steep sides of the ravines do 
away with a great deal of expense for fencing and make it possible for 
one man and an assistant to look after the horses, which are raised by 
the thousands, as straying from the pasture is almost impossible. Ranch 
buildings and corrals are located in the Belle Fourche valley at a 
point where patented land owned by Mr. Hale affords meadow of excellent 
quality, from which three to five hundred tons of hay are cut annually. 
This hay, however, has never yet been used for the subsistence of the 
horses, which are kept in fine condition throughout the hardest winters 
without a mouth full of prepared food. It must not be supposed that 
these western horses are bronchos or cayuse, as they are of the best 
blood, descendants of the most famous Norman, Clyde and Percheron 
imports and also of the best Leamington and Lexington stock. Our 
subject also owns stock in the Sturgis Lumber & Grain Company. 

	Senator Hale was married January 6, 1881, to Miss Annie E. Kost, 
who was born in Galena, Illinois, and is a daughter of Adam and Annie 
Mary (Voltz) Kost, both natives of Germany. In early life, however, 
they emigrated to this country and their marriage occurred in Galena. 
The father arrived in the United States about 1855 and upon making his 
way to Galena was employed as a mason and plasterer. He later, however, 
turned his attention to farming. The family removed to Iowa from 
Illinois and in October, 1872, went to Battle Creek, Nebraska. Mr. Kost 
passed away at Sturgis, South Dakota, in 1911, and his wife is also 
deceased. They had ten children, of whom Mrs. Hale was the second in 
order of birth. Senator and Mrs. Hale, have a daughter, Mary Florence, 
who was born in October, 1882, and is now the wife of Dr. J. B. 
Naftzger, of Sioux City, Iowa. They have a son and daughter: John Hale, 
born August 26, 1908; and Anna Robinette, whose birth occurred October 
16, 1909. 

	Senator Hale became a resident of Sturgis in 1902 and is now 
making his home in one of the most commodious and attractive residences 
of that place. He has taken a prominent part in public affairs in the 
various places in which he has resided and while living in Madison 
county, Nebraska, was elected sheriff for one term. He resigned before 
the expiration of his term and went to the Black Hills. In 1880 he was 
elected a member of the territorial council of Dakota, being one of two 
democrats so honored. For four terms he served in the house of 
representatives and is the present senator from his district, serving 
his second term. He is well informed as to all questions of public 
moment and also understands the most efficient ways of embodying the 
public will in effective legislation. He was appointed the first 
postmaster of Tilford under President Cleveland but resigned in favor 
of a merchant who was engaged in business at that place. He is a man of 
strongly developed social nature and finds a great deal of pleasure in 
his fraternal connections. He has taken all the Masonic degrees in the 
Scottish Rite from those of the blue lodge to the thirty-second degree 
and is also a member of the York Rite bodies. He is past grand 
treasurer of South Dakota and well known in Masonic circles. While 
connected with the Indians in the early days of the history of the 
territory he had a number of unique experiences, among which was the 
following incident. He was invited by Chief Spotted Tail to a banquet 
at which dog was the chief dish served. As he could not very well 
refuse, he attended the feast but by a cautious use of his handkerchief 
was able to convey the dog meat from his mouth to his hip pocket and 
thus did not really eat any of it. Senator Hale is thoroughly imbued 
with the western spirit and it is such men as he who, by their energy, 
force of personality and practical good judgment have made possible the 
wonderful material development of the state. He has also had a share in 
the promotion of the finer interests of life in this new state and has 
won deserved honor and esteem.