John M. Spicer Biography


	This biography appears on pages 674 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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				JOHN M. SPICER. 

	John M. Spicer, who died on the 5th of August, 1915, was one of 
the well known farmers of Lake county. He was born in Winnebago county, 
Illinois, March 28, 1860. His father, George W. Spicer, was a native of 
Oneida county, New York, and a representative of one of the pioneer 
families of the Empire state. He removed westward to Winnebago county, 
Illinois, in 1833, at which time Chicago, then a small village, was 
their nearest market, to which point they traveled with ox teams-a 
distance of one hundred and twenty-seven miles. George W. Spicer took 
an active part in the pioneer development of the community in which he 
lived and for more than six decades continued a resident of Winnebago 
county, where his death occurred in 1896. His wife, who bore the maiden 
name of Lucy Hawkins, was also a native of Oneida county, New York. 

	In their family were seven children, of whom John M. Spicer was 
the third in order of birth. He pursued his education in the schools of 
Illinois and remained at home until he reached his twenty-fifth year, 
when he removed to Iowa and purchased a farm near Sanborn, that state. 
Thereon he continued to engage in agricultural pursuits until 1905, 
when he came to Lake county, South Dakota, and purchased land near 
Madison which he converted into a model farm property, conducted along 
the latest approved methods of tilling the soil and caring for the 
crops. He annually gathered good harvests and in addition did an 
extensive business as a breeder of shorthorn cattle and Duroc hogs. 

	On the 14th of January, 1889, Mr. Spicer was joined in wedlock to 
Miss Mary Traver, a native of Winnebago county, Illinois, and a 
daughter of Luther and Fannie (Clapp) Traver. They had been schoolmates 
in early life. Their children are three in number, namely: Clarence, a 
ranchman residing near Ogden, Utah; Mildred; and Ray. 

	Mr. Spicer was a republican in his political views and served for 
some time as a member of the township board. He was an enthusiastic 
advocate of good roads and of various other movements which result 
beneficially to the community. He was one of the prosperous and 
progressive citizens and his advancement came as the legitimate result 
of hard work, keen discrimination and unfaltering purpose. He always 
lived in the middle west and the spirit of enterprise which has been 
the dominant factor in the upbuilding of this section of the country 
was ever manifest in his life.