J. Orren West Biography


	This biography appears on pages 299-300 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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				J. ORREN WEST. 

	J. Orren West is cultivating a farm of three hundred and twenty 
acres in Three Rivers township, Spink county, which belongs to his 
father-in-law, John Clifford, and in its development he displays a 
thorough understanding of modern agricultural methods. He has always 
lived in that county, having been born about six miles north of Doland, 
on the old family homestead, October 2, 1884. He is a son of Charles 
and Elenora West, who came to this state in 1880 and secured a claim 
near Doland, the father performing the arduous task of developing and 
improving the place, which was entirely wild when it came into his 
possession. He was a veteran of the Civil war, doing active service in 
support of the Union cause. He died in August, 1900, at the age of 
sixty-four years, and was laid to rest in the Doland cemetery, while 
his widow, still surviving, makes her home with their son Orren. 

	The family is of Scotch-Irish lineage in the paternal line and of 
German descent in the maternal line. The grandfather, Christian 
Alspaugh, came from Germany to the new world and at the time of 
hostilities between the north and the south espoused the Union cause, 
spending some time at the front in active defense of the stars and 
stripes. 

	In a public school near his father's home J. Orren West pursued 
his studies until his textbooks were put aside at the age of fourteen 
years. He worked for others during the summer months and continued to 
engage in farm work after completing his schooling, becoming familiar 
with all of the duties and labors that fall to the lot of the 
agriculturist. His training was very thorough, so that he was well 
qualified to engage in business on his own account when in 1909 he 
rented the place upon which he now resides. He devotes much of his time 
to stock-raising, making a specialty of handling shorthorn cattle and 
mule-foot hogs. The high grade of his stock insures a ready sale upon 
the market and his success is increasing year by year. 

	At Watertown, South Dakota, Mr. West was united in marriage on 
the 2d of December, 1907, to Miss Julia Clifford, a daughter of John 
and Elizabeth Clifford, the former a prominent farmer and old settler 
of Spink county. The mother died in 1888 and her remains were interred 
in the family burial lot in Watertown. An account of the lives of Mr. 
and Mrs. Clifford appears elsewhere in this work. Mr. and Mrs. West 
have become the parents of four daughters and one son: Ellen May, 
Elizabeth Lonora, Catherine Julia, Margaret Irene, and John Clifford. 
Mr. West has filled the office of overseer but prefers to concentrate 
his energies upon his private business interests rather than upon 
public affairs. He is working diligently and his persistency of purpose 
and energy are elements in his growing prosperity.