Lucien W. Stilwell Biography


	This biography appears on pages 88-91 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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				LUCIEN W. STILWELL.  

	Lucien W. Stilwell is proprietor of an extensive curio 
establishment at Deadwood and in this connection is widely known 
throughout the country, having built up an extensive business which 
extends to every state of the Union. He was born at Manlius, New York, 
on the 24th of March, 1844. His father, Lonson Stilwell, was also a 
native of the Empire state and a farmer by occupation. He wedded Mary 
K. White, a daughter of Hamilton and Sarah J. White, and to Mr. and 
Mrs. Lonson Stilwell were born eight children, of whom Lucien W. is the 
eldest. On leaving New York the father removed westward to Fond du Lac 
county, Wisconsin, where he secured a claim of government land which he 
transformed into a productive farm, making his home thereon until his 
death in 1891. His widow survived him for a decade and passed away in 
North Dakota in 1901.  

	Lucien W. Stilwell attended the district schools near Fond du 
Lac, Wisconsin, later was a student in a select school and afterward 
entered Ripon College, where he pursued the literary course and also a 
course in mathematics. When he had passed the period of school life he 
assisted his father upon the home farm until nineteen years of age. He 
next went to Cairo, Illinois, where he was employed in connection with 
a market and produce business. In 1864 he began dealing in groceries on 
his own account as a partner in the firm of Bristol & Stilwell and 
remained in the grocery business for ten years. He then sold out to his 
partner, after which he entered the wholesale commission grain business 
as a member of the firm of Cunningham & Stilwell. In 1878, when the 
yellow fever epidemic caused him to return to Wisconsin, he tarried 
there for but a brief period and then removed to Elgin, Illinois, where 
he became bookkeeper for the Elgin Watch Company. After three or four 
months, however, he removed to Deadwood, Dakota territory, where he 
arrived in 1879 to take a position with the banking house of Stebbins, 
Post & Mund. This was later merged with the First National Bank and 
later Mr. Stilwell was for some years with the Merchants Bank of 
Deadwood as accountant. In the meantime he had begun in a small way to 
deal in curios, but the business grew to such large proportions and 
brought such satisfactory financial returns that in 1890 he resigned 
his position at the bank to give his entire attention to the curio 
business in connection with the fire insurance business. His trade 
extends, both as to sale and purchase, to every civilized country of 
the world and is largely wholesale to dealers, museums, scientific 
laboratories, etc. His collection of Indian handiwork and relics, 
natural history, mineral, fossil and geological specimens, gems and elk 
teeth is among the most comprehensive and valuable in existence and he 
has furnished many consignments of specimens to the great British and 
European museums. He has made a deep study of his work and is a 
recognized authority, particularly on the geology of the northwest. An 
idea of the completeness of his collections may be gathered from the 
department devoted to American archaeology, which alone contains over 
ten thousand specimens. He has learned to identify many of these as to 
workmanship or to geological period upon sight with absolute accuracy.  

	In September, 1873, Mr. Stilwell was united in marriage to Miss 
Julia A. Bristol, a native of Charleston, South Carolina, who removed 
to Connecticut. Her father, William Bontique Bristol, was engaged in 
the wholesale shoe business in New York city. Her brother, William M. 
Bristol, was one of the pioneer educators of South Dakota, serving for 
seven years as superintendent of the Yankton public schools. His later 
years were spent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he passed away in 
1910. To Mr. and Mrs. Stilwell have been born four children, as 
follows: Mary Irene, the wife of Stephen C. Berry, of Belle Fourche, 
South Dakota, who holds the office of county surveyor of Butte county 
and by whom she has four children; Hugh Alvin, who died at the age of 
ten years; Donald Lonson, who wedded Miss Maude Kellerman and is a 
practicing physician and surgeon of Detroit, Michigan; and Nora Alice, 
who died in infancy. Mrs. Stilwell has taken a very active part in 
church and charitable work and in the work of the Epworth and Junior 
Leagues and the Sunday school. She has for years been a member of the 
Twentieth Century Club and her cooperation is a feature in the growth 
and development of many projects for the public good.  

	In politics Mr. Stilwell is a republican, versed in the 
significant political questions of the age yet not an office seeker. 
Both he and his wife have membership in the Methodist church. He is the 
present secretary and treasurer of the Deadwood Cemetery Association. 
He has always been an active worker in the cause of temperance and his 
cooperation may always be counted upon in any movement looking toward 
the moral betterment of the community. Deadwood has reason to be proud 
of him as a citizen, for his life work has placed him high among those 
whose names are well known in connection with scientific research. 
Moreover, his sterling traits of manhood and citizenship entitle him to 
prominent and honorable mention in this volume.