Knute Lewis Biography


	This biography appears on pages 269-270 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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				KNUTE LEWIS. 

	Knute Lewis, a breeder of pure bred draft horses living at Lake 
Preston, Kingsbury county, is one of the pioneers of that place, having 
built the first store in the town. He has also served as its mayor. He 
was born in Deerfield, Wisconsin, May 21, 1853, a son of Lars and 
Marith (Olson) Lewis, both of whom are deceased. The early education of 
Knute Lewis was that afforded by the district schools of his native 
state and his later training was acquired in the State University of 
Wisconsin at Madison. After leaving school he spent eight years 
teaching and clerking in country stores of Wisconsin and Minnesota. In 
September, l880, he removed to South Dakota and located a mile and a 
half east of the site of Lake Preston. He erected a small store at the 
point where he settled and later, when the town of Lake Preston was 
established, he built the first store there, opening his establishment 
for business on the 14th of August, 1881. He sold the first goods in 
Lake Preston and continued to conduct his store there until 1907, when 
he disposed of the business. While still engaged in merchandising he 
began dealing in and raising blooded stock and since selling his store 
he has given most of his attention to stock-raising. He raises blooded 
draft horses and derives a handsome profit from the sale of his 
animals. He is also engaged in the cultivation of the soil and in 
connection with his brother owns eighteen hundred acres of good land. 

	Mr. Lewis was married on the 3d of June, 1885, to Miss Bertha 
Peterson, a daughter of Ole Peterson, and to that union the following 
children have been born: Benedicta M. and Edwin H., both graduates of 
Yankton College; Emma E., who will graduate at Yankton College in 1916; 
Alma Louise; and Ruth E. Mr. Lewis is a prohibitionist and has taken a 
leading part in the fight against liquor traffic which he believes is 
responsible for many of the ills of the body politic. He was twice a 
candidate upon the prohibitionist ticket for governor of the state, was 
his party's candidate for state representative and has also been his 
party's choice for railroad commissioner. He was a member of the first 
state constitutional convention which met at Sioux Falls in 1885 and at 
that time did all in his power to secure a prohibition clause in the 
organic law of South Dakota. During the entire existence of the South 
Dakota Scandinavian Total Abstinence Society Mr. Lewis served as its 
president. He has been president of the board of trustees of Lake 
Preston and served three terms upon the school board. His beliefs and 
convictions are known to all, as his stand upon a matter is never an 
equivocal one, and he is not afraid to work earnestly for a cause which 
he believes to be a righteous one. His undoubted sincerity and his 
upright life command the respect of all and his personal friends, who 
are many, value highly his good opinion.