Edward Rogers Biography


	This biography appears on pages 156-159 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 ROGERS. 

	Edward Rogers, of Custer, Custer county, South Dakota, is one of 
the prominent business men of his locality as he is interested in a 
number of valuable mines, owns real estate and also gives considerable 
attention to the raising of sheep. A native of Devonshire, England, he 
was born on the 14th of May, 1844, a son of Edward and Elizabeth 
(Sprague) Rogers, both likewise natives of that county. The father, who 
was a mine superintendent, remained a life-long resident of his native 
land and was highly esteemed by those who knew him. Both he and his 
wife passed away in England. 

	Edward Rogers, who is the third in order of birth in a family of 
seven children, attended school in Devonshire and also in Wales. His 
educational opportunities were very limited as he never attended school 
after he was eight years of age, but he has studied privately and, as 
he has a naturally keen and retentive mind, is today a well informed 
man. He is also exceptionally good as a speller and mathematician and 
is, moreover, an unusually fine penman. On leaving school he went into 
the mines and continued to engage in that line of work until he 
emigrated to the United States. He landed in New York city and 
immediately made his way to Pennsylvania, where he worked in the mines 
for a short time. He next went to Virginia City, Nevada, and for about 
two years was employed in the mines there, in which, owing to peculiar 
local conditions, the heat is so intense that it is impossible for the 
miners to work in them for more than a few hours at a time. In 1876 he 
came to the Black Hills from Grass Valley, California, where he had 
been employed in mines He traveled by rail to Cheyenne and then walked 
the greater part of the distance to Custer. For about two years he was 
employed in the mines at Deadwood. At the end of that time he made his 
way to Hill City and engaged in prospecting in that region, locating 
the Grizzly Bear mine in company with a Mr. Cook. They developed and 
worked that property for ten years and when they sold out Mr. Rogers 
removed to Custer and began prospecting in that vicinity He discovered 
the Matteen tin mine, near Hill City, and after three years disposed of 
his share—a third interest in the mine—for ten thousand dollars. He 
also discovered the Darwin tin mine, where the tin boulder was found, 
which he sold for ten thousand dollars and which was shipped to 
England. He is at present associated with William Tarrant, of Custer, 
and they are operating the Baker and Empire mines, which they will 
patent this year, and they also own a number of other prospects. Mr. 
Rogers likewise has a large number of sheep, which he has leased to 
others for a specified sum for a year. In addition to mining property 
which he owns individually he holds title to a tract of land in the 
vicinity of Custer and has thirty-six lots in that city and a number of 
business and residence properties there. 

	Mr. Rogers was married on the 18th of July, 1889, to Miss Julia 
Martin, who was born at Painesville, Ohio. Her parents, William and 
Margaret (Green) Martin, were born in Ireland, the father in Tullamore, 
Kings county, on the 8th of February, 1808, and the mother in County 
Cavan, April 11, 1835. They were married in Painesville, Ohio, and 
after residing there for about three years removed to a farm in that 
state, where the father gave his attention to agricultural pursuits for 
some time. When Mrs. Rogers was but four years of age her father met 
with a serious accident and was unable to do much work thereafter. He 
passed away in 1893 and her mother died in 1890. To their union were 
born seven children, of whom she is the second. Her father had been 
previously married and had five children by his first wife, who died on 
the voyage from Ireland to the United States. Mrs. Rogers was educated 
at Flint, Michigan. By her marriage she has become the mother of three 
children, two of whom died in infancy. Edward Cook, who was born on the 
4th of October, 1892, attended Colorado College at Colorado Springs in 
1913 and is now a student in the University of Nebraska, preparing for 
the legal profession. 

	Mr. Rogers is a republican with independent tendencies but has 
never taken an active part in political affairs, having been too much 
occupied with his individual interests. However, he has served 
acceptably upon the town board. Fraternally his allegiance is given to 
the Masonic order, in which he has taken the thirty-second degree in 
the Scottish Rite and has crossed the sands of the desert with the 
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He also belongs to the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows and the Owls. He has won financial independence and has 
also gained the goodwill and high regard of his fellow citizens as his 
outstanding characteristics are such as invariably command respect.