Noah Newbanks Biography


	This biography appears on pages 20-21 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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				NOAH NEWBANKS. 

	Noah Newbanks is one of the pioneers of South Dakota, who for 
many years was successfully engaged in the freighting and live-stock 
business, and he now lives in Pierre, looking after his various 
interests. In 1905 he was one of the founders of the American Exchange 
Bank, of which he was vice president for some years. He has ever 
interested himself in the progress and advancement of this state and by 
his activities has contributed toward making it the prosperous 
commonwealth which it now is. 

	Mr. Newbanks was born in Seneca, Guernsey county, Ohio, on 
Christmas day, 1842, his parents being Strother McNeil and Sarah Sophia 
(Larrick) Newbanks, natives of Virginia. He went to school at Seneca, 
Ohio, and Independence, Missouri, to which state the family removed in 
1849. He intermittently attended school until he was about twenty-one 
years of age, making use of the opportunities as they presented 
themselves for further study. In 1859, when about eighteen years of 
age, Mr. Newbanks made his way to the gold mines of Colorado and there 
continued in the search of fortune in various mining camps until 1863, 
when he joined the parties making for the newly discovered Montana gold 
fields shortly after the discovery of the precious metal in Alder 
Gulch. Soon, however, he came to the conclusion that greater profits 
were to be made in the freighting business and engaged in that line, 
carrying goods from Salt Lake City to Virginia City, Montana. in tile 
latter place he also engaged in mercantile business, and remained there 
until the fall of 1865. He was one of the pioneers of the celebrated 
mining camp at Virginia City and there saw much of the rough mining 
life in its most primitive stage. A summary hanging was not an 
infrequent occurrence and often came in just retribution of a lawless 
career. From Montana Mr. Newbanks made his way to Salt Lake City, Utah, 
and then to San Francisco, crossing the plains to Golden Gate and there 
taking passage for New York by way of Cape Horn. While in Salt Lake 
City he met and became a friend of Brigham Young, being a frequent 
visitor at his home. 

	From the eastern metropolis Mr. Newbanks returned to Missouri, 
where he was engaged in farming until 1868, when he made his way to 
Junction City, Kansas, where for one year he successfully conducted a 
mercantile establishment. At the expiration of that time he removed to 
Ellsworth, Kansas, being for two years a general merchant of that 
place. Returning to Missouri, he there engaged in agricultural pursuits 
until 1875 and then went to Denver, Colorado, remaining there for about 
twelve months. In 1876 he went to the Black Hills, reaching Custer City 
in April of that year, but removed shortly afterward to Rapid City, 
assisting in locating the town. He built the stockade and corral and 
helped in the erection of the blockhouse, which precautions were 
necessary for protection from Indians, who at that time were constantly 
on the warpath, although they mostly operated in small bands. Mr. 
Newbanks conducted a store in Rapid City for about two years and of the 
Indians of that period he writes as follows: "The only instance where 
the Indians did any great damage was about August 1, 1876, when they 
attacked us in our stronghold, but they did not succeed in doing us any 
injury other than driving our men to cover. But upon leaving the 
stockade they circled around to the west of Rapid City and killed four 
men who were going into town. Two of the party escaped and came with 
the news. We then went out and recovered the four bodies, which were 
brought to the town, burying them in one grave. The next attack 
occurred early in September, when we had a running fight with the 
savages. They succeeded in taking all the cattle, but I saved my 
horses, getting them to the corral and thus protecting them." 
Mr. Newbanks remained in Rapid City until 1878, when he commenced 
freighting from Fort Pierre to the Black Hills, continuing in these 
operations until 1886. He then again located in Rapid City and 
freighted between that point and Deadwood for about twelve months. In 
the following spring he went to Whitewood, on the Chicago & 
Northwestern Railway, a journey of twelve miles over rough roads. 
During this time he also hauled freight for the Homestake mine at Lead. 
In Whitewood he was engaged in the commission business and forwarded 
goods from the end of the Elkhorn Railroad to Deadwood, Lead and other 
points in the Black Hills. In 1889 Mr. Newbanks disposed of his 
business interests in Whitewood and raised cattle on an extensive scale 
in Custer county until the autumn of 1892, when he removed to Lyman 
county, where he had a ranch of six hundred and forty acres. He 
afterward successfully raised cattle and horses in Stanley county, 
South Dakota, but in 1908 sold out his live-stock interests. In 1896 he 
had taken up his residence in Pierre and both he and his wife have ever 
since remained in that city. In 1905 Mr. Newbanks was instrumental in 
organizing the American Exchange Bank, of which he served as vice 
president for three years. Not only is he one of the pioneers of the 
state, but did much work that has made possible the incoming of 
civilization and stable government. He has always been public spirited 
and has ever given his support to worthy public enterprises. 

	On November 29, 1885, at Kansas City, Kansas, Mr. Newbanks was 
united in marriage to Miss Mary Josephine Anderson, who was born in 
Sparta, Illinois, on the 8th of May, 1859, and is a daughter of Francis 
B. and Matilda T. Anderson. The former was a soldier in the Union ranks 
during the Civil war. Mr. Newbanks affiliates with the Baptist church, 
but Mrs. Newbanks was reared an Episcopalian He supports the democratic 
party, although he is somewhat independent in his views and gives more 
attention to the qualifications of a candidate for office than he does 
to party affiliation. In 1897 he was appointed by Governor Lee 
commissioner of brands and marks (for cattle) and he has been a member 
of this commission nearly ever since, having been continued in office 
by each succeeding governor with the exception of the first. Four years 
of this time he has served as chairman of this board and the 
satisfactory manner in which he has served the state is evident in the 
fact that he has been retained in the position by each succeeding 
administration. In 1905 Mr. Newbanks was elected auditor of the city of 
Pierre and ably served for five years in that capacity. Many are the 
interesting tales which he can relate of times when this state was in 
its formative period, and it must be highly satisfactory to him that he 
has had the privilege of taking part in the molding of its history. He 
is highly respected and esteemed as a pioneer and as a man who has 
accomplished something worth while, and such honor as has come to him 
is well earned and merited. He has turned his ability to good account 
in achieving success for himself and in contributing toward the 
prosperity of a great commonwealth which is indebted for its very 
existence to such hardy and enterprising pioneers as Noah Newbanks.