Robert Westall Biography


	This biography appears on pages 624-625 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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				ROBERT WESTALL. 

	Among those whose efforts contribute toward making South Dakota 
one of the richest agricultural states of the Union is Robert Westall, 
who is living on section 29, Concord township, Lake county, where he 
has an excellent tract of land, thoroughly modern in its equipment and 
conducted according to scientific methods of farming. He was born in 
Lancashire, England, on the 22d of February, 1865, a son of Richard and 
Betty (Holder) Westall. The father was a quarryman and engineer and in 
the year 1882 came with his family to the United States, settling first 
at Slayton, Minnesota, where he engaged in farming on land which he 
purchased from the railroad company. He devoted nineteen years to the 
cultivation and further improvement of that place and in 1901 came to 
South Dakota, where he arrived on the 1st day of April. He then 
purchased seven quarter sections of land, erected thereon large 
buildings, made extensive improvements and successfully carried on 
general agricultural pursuits until his death, which occurred in 1908. 
There were five sons in his family and to each he gave a quarter 
section of land. The mother still resides on the old home place, 
comprising three quarter sections, and the farm is cultivated by one of 
her sons. 

	Robert Westall was educated in England, where he remained to the 
age of seventeen years, when he came with his parents to the new world. 
The family were in rather straightened financial circumstances at that 
time but all worked hard to achieve success. They used oxen in farming 
their land but as they prospered they did away with old-time methods of 
farming and introduced the latest improved machinery. The home place of 
Robert Westall is located northwest of Concord, on section 29, Concord 
township. He left the old homestead and went to his present farm in 
1905, since which time he has placed all of the improvements upon it. 
These are thoroughly modern in every respect and indicate his 
progressive spirit. He now owns and cultivates four hundred acres of 
rich and productive land and from his fields annually gathers 
substantial harvests. He is also interested in the Farmers Elevator 
Company at Winfred and is a stockholder in the Farmers Savings Bank at 
that place and in the Nansen Telephone Company. 

	On the 16th of March, 1897, Mr. Westall was married to Miss Alice 
Stillwell, a daughter of Alton Stillwell, of Pipestone, Minnesota, and 
their children are: Helen; George; Alice, who is in Minnesota; 
Frederick; and Richard. The family occupy an enviable social position 
and they are members of the Congregational church. 

	In his political. views Mr. Westall is a republican and is now 
serving as town supervisor. The spirit of progress and enterprise which 
dominates the west finds expression in his business career and in his 
connection with public affairs and he is regarded as one of the 
substantial and worthy citizens of Lake county.