Alexander H. Mayer Biography


	This biography appears on pages 594-595 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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				ALEXANDER H. MAYER

	The Farmers National Bank of Bridgewater is one of the leading 
financial institutions of the eastern part of South Dakota. Its 
prosperity and excellent standing is due in a considerable measure to 
the financial ability of Alexander H. Mayer, its vice president. He is 
also a member of the firm of Mayer Brothers, who own three elevators, 
one at Bridgewater, another at Emery and the third at Dalton. They also 
own four hundred and eighty acres of land devoted to the raising of 
grain. 

	Although of German parentage, Mr. Mayer was born in Russia, his 
natal day being October 11. 1868. His parents, Henry and Dorothy Mayer, 
were farming people. In 1878 the family came to South Dakota and the 
father homesteaded the northeast one-half of section 20, township 57, 
range 99, in McCook county and devoted the remainder of his life to the 
cultivation of his land. He passed away in 1909 at the age of seventy-
four years and is survived by his widow, who has reached the advanced 
age of eighty years. 

	Alexander H. Mayer had learned the German language thoroughly at 
the time he came to this country and soon mastered the English 
language. Much of his education, however, is that acquired in the 
school of experience and he has profited well by the lessons therein 
taught. He assisted his father with the farm work until he was twenty-
three and a half years old and then removed to Bridgewater, where he 
still resides. He engaged in the hardware business for ten years and 
then entered the real-estate field, dealing in realty for two years. 
After selling out the hardware business in 1902 he joined J. H. 
Anderson, J. H. McCormick and his brother Matthew in the purchase of 
the Farmers & Merchants Bank. They reorganized it as the Farmers 
National Bank, of which Matthew Mayer is president and our subject vice 
president and a director. The institution is conducted along lines that 
at once insure the safety of deposits and promote the business 
development of Bridgewater and the surrounding territory. 

	Mr. Mayer married Miss Margaret Guenther, a daughter of George A. 
and Jacobena (Rapp) Guenther, the wedding being solemnized on the 26th 
of April, 1892, in South Dakota. They have six children: Theodore S., 
graduate of the law department of the State University of South Dakota; 
Lena, a public school teacher;.Annette and Hugo, both graduates of the 
high school of Bridgewater; Emma; and Elvin. 

	Mr. Mayer is a communicant of the Lutheran church and politically 
is identified with the republican party. He is president of the 
Bridgewater school board and has been a member of the board for the 
past six years. For many years he was also a member of the city council 
before serving on the school board. He derives much pleasure from 
motoring and finds therein needed recreation. His duties as vice 
president of the bank demand much of his time and thought and he also 
devotes considerable attention to the chain of elevators of which he is 
part owner. The firm of Mayer Brothers is well known and its elevators 
at Bridgewater, Emery and Dalton handle large quantities of grain 
annually. Mr. Mayer of this review is devoted to the interests of South 
Dakota and believes that there are splendid opportunities awaiting the 
man who is willing to utilize them, and he takes justifiable pride in 
his success since coming to this state.