Archie W. Riordan Biography This biography appears on pages 467-468 in "History of Dakota Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm ARCHIE W. RIORDAN. Archie W. Riordan, the popular mayor of Hot Springs, South Dakota, is the owner of a bottling works there which makes and places upon the market all kinds of soft drinks. He was born in Hart county, Kentucky, June 30, 1861, a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Reynolds) Riordan, who were born in County Limerick, Ireland, in 1830 and in Hart county, Kentucky, in 1834, respectively. Thomas Riordan left the Emerald isle and emigrated to the United States. locating in the state of Pennsylvania. where he was employed at various occupations. Subsequently he went to Kentucky, where he worked for a large transfer and stage company, operating over the Louisville & Nashville pike, there being at that time no railways. About 1858 he was married in the Blue Grass state and settled upon a farm which remained his home until his death, which occurred in 1892. Four years later his widow died upon the old homestead. Although he was never ambitious for political honors he was elected to fill several local positions of trust and responsibility and was prominent in the affairs of his county. To him and his wife were born nine children, of whom our subject is the second in order of birth. Archie W. Riordan had but little opportunity for acquiring the knowledge that is contained in books and is indebted to the district schools of Kentucky for the advantages along that line that were accorded him. He left Kentucky in 1879 and made his way into Missouri but did not remain there long, as in December, 1879, he went to Sidney, Nebraska. He was employed as a cowboy for five or six years and then removed to Buffalo Gap, South Dakota, where he was made city marshal. His marriage occurred in that city and after the expiration of his term as marshal he entered the hotel business, which he carried on for a number of years. After abandoning that field of endeavor he engaged in farming for two years but returned to the hotel business because of a drought. Later he conducted a drug store in Buffalo Gap for about three years and then removed to Hot Springs, where he engaged in the drug business for two years. At the same time he became interested in the manufacture of soda water and established a bottling works which has been continuously in operation to the present time. All kinds of soft drinks are manufactured and the celebrated Kidney Spring and Minnekahta waters are shipped from that establishment. The product of the bottling works is an important factor in the advertisement of Hot Springs and the virtues of its waters, and in this way Mr. Riordan has contributed to the development of his section. He is now giving the greater part of his time and attention to the bottling works but is, however, connected with the Hot Springs Feed & Fuel Company and is the owner of considerable land in this state. Mr. Riordan was married on the 25th of September, 1888, to Mrs. Lulu E. Tuthill, who was born in London, England. By her first marriage she has a son, James W. Tuthill, who is a resident of Sioux City, Iowa, and is a traveling salesman for the Washburn Crosby Milling Company. Mr. Riordan is a democrat and is now serving his second term as mayor of Hot Springs, his reelection proving the acceptability of his administration. In the early days of the Black Hills district he was city marshal of Buffalo Gap and served as deputy sheriff of Custer county in 1885 and 1886. As a member of the blue lodge and chapter, the commandery and the Shrine of the Masonic order and of the Elks he is quite prominent in local fraternal circles. He has made many friends in Hot Springs and has the confidence of the community, which he is ably serving as chief executive and of which he has for a number of years been a valued citizen.