M. L. Tobin Biography


	This biography appears on pages 180-183 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


				M. L. TOBIN. 

	In the spring of 1883, M. L. Tobin established a blacksmith shop 
in Huron which he has conducted continuously throughout the intervening 
three decades, now owning the finest shop of the kind in South Dakota. 
He has also been prominent in public life and served as a member of the 
state senate from 1907 until 1909. His birth occurred in Massachusetts 
on the 22d of January, 1857, his parents being Patrick and Katherine 
(Morrisey) Tobin, of that state. In 1858 they removed to Janesville, 
Wisconsin, and there spent the remainder of their lives. 

	M. L. Tobin attended the public schools in the acquirement of an 
education and subsequently learned the blacksmith's trade. In the 
spring of 1883, in association with Frank Wilson of Janesville, he came 
to Huron, South Dakota, and opened a blacksmith shop, which he has 
carried on continuously since with the exception of but one day. His 
shop was destroyed by fire on the 21st of January, 1903, but he 
immediately secured other quarters. In the early days he manufactured 
wagons and buggies. Mr. Tobin's shop is well equipped in every 
particular, having electric light and power and the most modern 
machinery. It is, in fact, one of the best establishments of the kind 
in the entire state, and in its conduct our subject has won a 
gratifying and well merited measure of prosperity He is a director of 
the machinery department of the state board of agriculture, being 
appointed by Governor Vessey and reappointed under Governor Byrne on 
the 20th of March, 1913, and also has charge of machinery and acts as 
superintendent of grounds for the State Fair Association. 

	In 1883 Mr. Tobin was united in marriage to Miss Emma Higgins, of 
Janesville, Wisconsin, by whom he has two children, Florence and Floyd 
J. He gives his political allegiance to the republican party and has 
ably served as a member of the town council for many years, while he 
has also been one of the commissioners of Huron. He was likewise 
honored by election to the state senate and remained an active and 
valued member of that legislative body from 1907 until 1913, having in 
the meantime been reelected. Mr. Tobin belongs to the Knights of 
Columbus, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Modern Woodmen 
of America, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Royal 
Americans, and with his family attends the Catholic church. He enjoys 
the respect and confidence of all with whom he has had transactions and 
has achieved creditable success in the development of his business, 
which annually nets him a comfortable income.