James M. McCollum Biography


	This biography appears on pages 947-948 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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				JAMES M. McCOLLUM. 

	James M. McCollum, a well-to-do farmer of Bon Homme county, has 
resided in South Dakota since 1872 and has thoroughly identified 
himself with its interests. He was born at Coon Rapids, Carroll county, 
Iowa, in 1864, a son of John J. and Lovina (Riggs) McCollum, both of 
whom were natives of Tennessee. The father, a blacksmith by trade, was 
employed along the line of railway construction through Iowa, repairing 
plows and scrapers, shoeing horses and doing other work of a similar 
nature in the railroad camps. He went to Iowa when it was still a 
territory and lived for a time at Carroll and Coon Rapids, but in 
September, 1872, emigrated with his family to Bon Homme county, South 
Dakota, the journey being made in covered wagons. He opened a 
blacksmith shop at Old Bon Homme and soon after arriving there also 
filed on a preemption claim ten miles west of Springfield, upon which 
he resided until his death. He set up a forge upon his farm and for 
many years worked at his trade. Upon first coming to Dakota territory 
the family lived in a log house, but a frame house was erected after a 
few years. The demise of Mr. McCollum occurred December 26, 1909, and 
his wife died in September, 1912, when eighty-eight years old. They 
were the parents of five sons and six daughters and nine of their 
children are living, as follows: Cornelia, the widow of Zachariah 
Hampton; Margaret, the widow of John Dawson; William, who is living in 
California; Charles, a farmer of Bon Homme county, who is serving as 
county commissioner; Melvina, the wife of Aquilla McLaughlin, of Sioux 
Falls; Mary, the wife of J. P. Cooley, of Bon Homme county; James M., 
of this review; Stanley. Of Tyndall; and Ida, the wife of George 
Kellogg, who is living upon the homestead in Hancock precinct; Sarah, 
the wife of Egbert Hamstra, and John are dead. 

	James M. McCollum was eight years of age when he accompanied his 
parents to Dakota territory and was reared upon his father's farm west 
of Springfield. He gave his father the benefit of his labor until he 
was twenty-one years of age. From June, 1887, to June, 1888, he drove a 
stagecoach between Springfield and White Swan, making three trips per 
week, and he was on his route on the 12th of January, 1888, when the 
great blizzard enveloped the state. He was ten miles from Choteau creek 
and drove that distance through the storm in which hundreds perished, 
many of them while going from the house to the barn or well. After 
staging a year he turned his attention to farming and has since 
followed that occupation. Following his marriage he purchased a farm 
near his father's homestead and for many years cultivated that place. 
From 1902 until 1909 he also ran an elevator at Springfield and in 
March, 1914, he sold his first farm and removed to his present farm in 
Springfield precinct. As an agriculturist he is energetic and 
progressive and is always seeking to increase the efficiency of his 
work and to secure the maximum results with the least expenditure of 
time and energy. 

	Mr. McCollum was married in Niobrara, Nebraska, October 19, 1892, 
to Miss Kate Delaney, and they have eight children: Amer, Ivan, Kate, 
Clifford, Morris, Florence, Lawrence and Elizabeth. 

	Mr. McCollum is a democrat politically and fraternally is 
identified with the Springfield lodge and the Scotland chapter of the 
Masonic order and with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at 
Springfield. As he was but a child when he accompanied his parents to 
Dakota territory, practically his entire life has been spent in this 
state, and he has not only witnessed its great development, but has 
contributed thereto, winning in so doing not only material prosperity 
but also the respect of those with whom he is associated.