Lawson E. Snyder Biography This biography appears on pages 966-969 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 LAWSON E. SNYDER. Lawson E. Snyder, of Onida, is vice president of the Farmers Bank, owns the Onida Telephone Company, holds title to a section of excellent land in this state and is also vice president of the First National Life Insurance Company of Pierre. The prominence which he has gained is due solely to his energy, astuteness and unswerving integrity. He was born in Linn county, Iowa, on the 1st of October, 1861, of the marriage of Abraham and Mary B. (Chamberlain) Snyder. An uncle on the maternal side, D. S. Chamberlain, is now connected with the Belgian Relief Society of Iowa. The father of our subject was born on the present site of Columbus, Ohio, January 27, 1836. He served throughout the Civil war as a private in Company A, Thirty-first Iowa Volunteer Regiment, but for some time acted as captain of his company while the captain was under court-martial. He was in Logan's Corps and went with Sherman to the sea. After being mustered out at Louisville he returned to Iowa and engaged in farming near Center Point, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred May 29, 1901. He served for twenty years as justice of the peace but never desired to hold other office. His wife was the second white child born in Linn county, Iowa, her birth occurring March 18, 1841. She is still living and resides within four miles of her birthplace. Lawson E. Snyder, the second in a family of nine children, was born upon the same farm as was his mother. After attending the public schools he entered the high school at Marion, where he remained for a year, and subsequently took a course in a business college at Des Moines. When twenty years of age he began farming but after following that occupation for a time sold a horse which his father had given him for one hundred dollars and with this capital went to Des Moines. There he entered the employ of the Chamberlain Medicine Company, which was owned by relatives on the maternal side, and during the daytime worked for them while at night he attended school. He completed his course with twenty-five dollars more than he had when he began it. He next engaged in teaching school, following that occupation during the winter seasons from 1882 to 1892, while the summers were devoted to farm work. He came to South Dakota, arriving in Sully county on the 5th of April, 1883. He settled upon a claim but gave part of his time to section work on a railroad, and later taught school in Iowa for three winters, while he improved and developed his farm during the summers. After that he gave his entire attention to the work of cultivating his homestead and was so engaged until 1892, when he was elected register of deeds of Sully county, which office he held for four years. In order to discharge the duties of his position he removed to Onida, where he has since resided. After the expiration of his term he assisted in organizing the first abstract company in the county and continued his connection with that business until January, 1915, when he sold his stock in the corporation. He has been a director of the First National Life Insurance Company of Pierre since its organization and since 1910 has served as vice president thereof. He owns and manages the Onida Telephone Company, an incorporated concern, and the excellent service which that company gives its subscribers and the satisfactory condition of its finances attests his business sagacity. He is also vice president of the Farmers Bank of Onida and for a number of years served as president of that institution. He has never ceased to have great faith in the value of land as an investment and owns a section of fine farming land in Sully county and he also holds title to real estate in Onida. His determination and energy have enabled him to carry out his plans and every enterprise with which he has been connected has proved a success. Mr. Snyder was married on the 5th of April, 1891, to Miss Cynthia Helen Green, who was born in Union City, Tennessee, but was taken by her parents to Illinois when still an infant. Her father, John J. Green, was born in Orange county, North Carolina, April 5, 1836. During the Civil war he served in the Union army as he believed its cause to be right. He had some difficulty in leaving the south but succeeded in getting north and enlisted in Company B, Second Illinois Volunteer Cavalry. However, he was with his command but a small part of the time that he served in the army, as he did much valuable work as a scout, guide and sharpshooter while his command was in the vicinity of his old home in Tennessee. During the campaign in that region he was compelled to fight against his own relatives, who were serving in the Confederate army. Later he went on the Red River expedition and in all he served for four years. He was wounded a number of times and on one occasion was shot through the leg with a rifle ball. Another time he was shot with buckshot which he carried to his grave, while on still another occasion his horse was killed by a shell and in falling Mr. Green dislocated his hip. In 1863 he was taken prisoner in the rear of Vicksburg and was confined in Libby prison for seven months and twenty- one days. He was discharged on the 22d of June, 1865, and then returned to Tennessee, where he married Miss Mary Curlin, who was born in Union City, that state, January 16, 1845. In 1867 they removed to Lincoln, Illinois, which remained the family home until 1883, in which year they came to South Dakota, arriving in Sully county in April. The father engaged in farming and also did some freighting in the early days. He passed away on the 4th of January, 1911, and his wife died on the 23d of August, 1903. Mrs. Snyder, who was the oldest in a family of twelve children, was born May 30, 1868, the first established Memorial Day. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder are the parents of two sons. William Ellsworth, who was born February 7, 1892, attended the School of Mines at Rapid City and is a civil engineer by profession. He is a talented musician and is especially proficient as a cello player. He was bugler in the militia at Pierre and is now sergeant in Company A, Fourth Regiment of the South Dakota National Guard. He is much interested in the work of the militia and is recognized as one of the best marksmen in the state, being the second best expert rifleman in South Dakota. Marion Abraham, who was born November 15, 1895, is a graduate of the Cedar Rapids Business College and is assisting his father in his various lines of business. He is an amateur artist of more than usual ability and has done a number of drawings which show marked talent. He is a sharpshooter and like his brother, belongs to Company A, Fourth Regiment of the South Dakota National Guard, and both were members of the five man team which won the regiment championship of the state at Camp Hagman, July 16, 1915. Mr. Snyder is a republican and was the first mayor of Onida after it was organized as a city. Fraternally he is connected with the Masonic blue lodge at Onida, of which he is treasurer, and the Royal Arch chapter at Pierre. He possesses in a large degree the qualities of enterprise, initiative and sound judgment, which are so highly esteemed in this country, and the success which he has achieved financially is solely the result of his own energy and wise management of his affairs. He also recognizes, however, the value of other factors in life and all movements for the moral, intellectual and civic progress of his community receive his hearty cooperation and substantial support.