Lewis Elson Whitcher Biography


	This biography appears on pages 918-921 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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				LEWIS ELSON WHITCHER. 

	Lewis Elson Whitcher, postmaster at Highmore and known there as a 
substantial, worthy and valued citizen, was born in Wentworth, New 
Hampshire, August 24, 1858, a son of Lyman P. and Betsy H. (Emerson) 
Whitcher. The father, who was a farmer by occupation, was also born in 
Wentworth, as was the grandfather. The family is of English lineage and 
during the early period in the colonial development of the country was 
founded in Massachusetts. The name has been spelled Whicher, Whittier, 
Whitaker and in various other ways and representatives of the family 
were related to the poet, John Greenleaf Whittier. The Emerton family 
comes of Scotch and Welsh ancestry and was also founded in 
Massachusetts during its early colonization. Ancestors on both sides 
took part in the colonial and Revolutionary wars. 

	Lewis E. Whitcher was educated at St. Johnsbury, Vermont, being 
graduated from the Kimball Union Academy with the class of 1878. For 
two or three years he worked in a machine shop and also followed other 
vocations. He next entered the law office of Pike & Parsons, of 
Franklin, New Hampshire, and read the same books that Daniel Webster 
read, Mr. Pike having purchased the Webster library. Some of these 
books are now in the possession of Mr. Whitcher. For two years he 
remained in the office of Pike & Parsons and in September, 1882, came 
to Dakota territory, settling at Yankton. His first work was copying 
the proceedings of the city council in the proper record book from the 
press records published in the Press & Dakotan, of which Mr. Kingsbury 
was the editor, but after a short time he entered the law office of S. 
H. Gruber and two months later was admitted to the bar before Judge 
Edgerton. Not long afterward he removed to Highmore, Hyde county, and 
began the practice of law. He also filed on land at Holabird, securing 
three hundred and twenty acres. He continued in the practice of law, 
however, largely devoting his attention to land law, and in 1892 became 
editor and owner of the Highmore Herald, which he continued to publish 
for two years, when he sold out. 

	In 1892 Mr. Whitcher was on the state democratic ticket for 
United States congressman and in 1889 he became a candidate for member 
of the state senate, but his party was in the minority. He took an 
active part in the Cleveland campaign of 1892 and for about eighteen 
years has been a member of the state democratic committee, in which 
connection he has done effective work in promoting the interests of 
democracy in this state. In 1896 he was appointed to fill out an 
unexpired term as receiver of the land office at Mitchell and when he 
had retired from that position he took charge of the Mitchell Gazette, 
which he published for about two years. On the expiration of that 
period he returned to Highmore and resumed the practice of law, in 
which he is still engaged. He has conducted about twenty-one hundred 
lawsuits and made seventy-five hundred collections during his practice 
in Highmore, which indicates that he has been accorded a libel-al 
clientage and has been successful in the conduct of his practice. His 
official service also covers ten years as city attorney of Highmore, in 
which time the waterworks and sewer systems were installed, the city 
hall and the depot were built and about fifteen miles of cement 
sidewalk were laid. There was also a marked improvement made in the 
town in the way of cleanliness and improved sanitary conditions. Fire 
alarms were established and an ordinance passed permitting the erection 
of fireproof buildings only, and in all of this work Mr. Whitcher was a 
leading factor. Since taking his present position be has secured new 
fixtures for the post office and Highmore today has one of the best 
post offices in the United States, due entirely to Mr. Whitcher. It is 
said of him that whatever he goes after he gets and the reason is that 
he never goes after anything that is not right. Such is the reputation 
which he bears among his fellow townsmen, who entertain for him high 
regard and are appreciative of his many sterling traits of character 
and the excellent work which he has done in behalf of the public. 

	On the 6th of June, 1900, Mr. Whitcher was married to Mrs. Etta 
A. (Frawley) Bowman, of Mitchell. He is a thirty-second degree Scottish 
Rite Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine. He also belongs to the 
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and his family attend the 
Congregational church. The consensus of public opinion places Mr. 
Whitcher in a most creditable position among the business and 
professional men of his town. They recognize his public spirit and 
devotion to the general good, for since locating in Highmore he has 
been an active factor in advancing the welfare of the community.