Edward D. Pearce Biography


	This biography appears on pages 572-575 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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				EDWARD D. PEARCE. 

	Edward D. Pearce, a grain merchant of Letcher, owning an elevator 
there and at Cuthbert, South Dakota, is now conducting a successful and 
profitable business. For twenty two years he has been a resident of 
Letcher. He was born in Aurora, Illinois, September 11, 1869. His 
father, Isaac Pearce, was a native of Oswego, Illinois, born October 
11, 1842. He was reared to manhood upon a farm with the usual 
experiences that fall to the lot of the far, lad, and in 1862, at the 
age of about twenty years, he enlisted for service in the Civil war as 
a member of the Fourth Illinois Cavalry, with which he served for three 
years and three months. He was then honorably discharged and with a 
most creditable military record returned to his home. In 1866 he 
married Maggie Crandall, a daughter of Judge Crandall, of Joliet, 
Illinois, after which they resided upon a farm in Will county, 
Illinois, until 1881, when they removed to Le Mars, Iowa, where the 
father again engaged in farming until 1883. That year witnessed their 
arrival in Dakota territory and they took up their abode upon a 
homestead in Jerauld county, near Alpena. After making some 
improvements upon his land, Isaac Pearce engaged in the grain business 
at Alpena and continued active in that line until his death, which 
occurred in January, 1905. He had for only a brief period survived his 
wife, who passed away in July, 1904, so that they were separated by 
death for only about a half year. In their family were four children, 
two sons and two daughters, namely: Elizabeth, Edward, Franklin and 
Gertrude, all yet living with the exception of the third mentioned. 

	Edward D Pearce was a youth of twelve years when he accompanied 
his parents on their removal to Iowa, and was a youth of fourteen when 
he became a resident of South Dakota, where he has since made his home. 
He had the usual experience and training of the boy who is reared upon 
a farm or in a small town Twenty-two years ago he removed to Letcher, 
accepting the position of buyer for L. N. Loomis, a grain merchant of 
Minneapolis, Minnesota, with whom he continued for some time. At the 
present writing, however, he is engaged in the grain business on his 
own account, owning an elevator at Letcher and another at Cuthbert. He 
thoroughly understands the grain trade in every particular, keeps in 
close touch with the market and has been very successful in his 
business dealings, whereby he has won a most substantial and desirable 
competence. 

	Mr. Pearce was married at Woonsocket, South Dakota, on the 29th 
of August, 1893, the lady of his choice being Miss Marian Stuart 
McLean, a daughter of John and Jane (Leggett) McLean, of Woonsocket, 
who were among the early settlers of Dakota territory. They were 
farming people and they played well their part in the development of 
what is now one of the foremost states in the Union. They reared a 
large family, all of whom are now doing well. The girls of the 
household all became teachers and one of the sons took up the 
profession of medicine, while the others became active along commercial 
lines. To Mr. and Mrs. Pearce have been born two children, Imogene 
Cathrine and Marian Gertrude, aged respectively twenty and eighteen 
years and both now in school. 

	In politics Mr. Pearce is independent, voting for the men whom he 
believes to be honest and who Will work for the best interest of the 
people at large. He believes in the majority rule in all things 
pertaining to government and will support any movement which he thinks 
will further the interests of the masses rather than of the classes. He 
was on the town council for many years and was delegate to the 
democratic state convention held at Yankton in 1898. In his youth he 
took part in a number of the Demorest oratorical contests, which have 
as their object the inculcation of prohibition sentiment, and won the 
first grand gold medal that was awarded in South Dakota and also the 
first diamond medal. In later years he has gained an enviable 
reputation as a speaker and has made many Memorial Day addresses, the 
fact that he is the son of a veteran making him unusually interested in 
any occasion of a patriotic nature. He has also been called upon to 
speak at other times and once introduced Senator A. B. Kittredge at a 
political meeting. He is a member of the Woodmen, and he also belongs 
to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, with the underlying principles 
of which he is in thorough sympathy as they are based upon the 
recognition of the brotherhood of man and the obligations of the 
individual to his fellows. in a word, he believes that a good Odd 
Fellow can be a better Christian and a good Christian a better Odd 
Fellow. His religious faith is that of the Congregational church and he 
does all in his power to further the interests of moral progress, doing 
what he can to make the world better. His own life has ever been 
actuated by high and honorable principles and the course which he has 
followed constitutes an example well worthy of emulation.