Jacob E. Ziebach Biography


	This biography appears on pages 605-606 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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				HON. JACOB E. ZIEBACH. 

	Hon. Jacob E. Ziebach, of Gann Valley, Buffalo county, and member 
of the state senate, was born at Sargent's Bluff, Iowa, March 1, 1858, 
a son of Hon. Francis M. and Elizabeth (Fisher) Ziebach, both of whom 
were natives of Pennsylvania and became pioneer residents of Dakota 
territory. Their son Jacob was educated in the public schools of Sioux 
City, Iowa, and Yankton, and after putting aside his textbooks entered 
the newspaper field with his father, who was one of the founders of the 
Weekly Dakotan, the first newspaper published in Dakota territory. 
Craving the outdoor life, however, he joined the government engineers 
in surveying the territorial lines and served on most of the survey 
work in the two Dakotas. He turned, however, to commercial pursuits, 
subsequently managing a book and stationery store in Yankton for three 
years. He afterward returned to newspaper work in Potter county and 
while there residing also served as clerk of the courts. In 1885 he 
became connected with the Scotland Citizen and thus continued until 
1894, when he was appointed special agent of the United States treasury 
department, his duties taking him Alaska in connection with the sealing 
interests there. That work successfully completed, he returned to South 
Dakota and in 1902 went to Buffalo county, where he has since been 
largely interested in the live-stock business, operating a ranch of 
several thousand acres, on which he has hundreds of head of stock. He 
is familiar with every phase of the business which he is now 
successfully managing, his indefatigable industry, determination and 
careful management, bringing him a gratifying measure of success. He is 
also financially interested in the Bank of Gann Valley. 

	It was on the 21st of March, 1887, that Mr. Ziebach was married 
to Miss Ada Beardsley, a daughter of E. R. and Olive (Bandle) 
Beardsley, of Kankakee, Illinois, and a granddaughter of Dr. Davenport 
Beardsley, a pioneer of Indiana, and founder of the city of Elkhart, 
that state. 

	Mr. Ziebach largely finds his recreation in outdoor sports, 
greatly enjoying a hunting trip. He is a Mason, having attained the 
Knight Templar degree, while with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, he 
has crossed the sands of the desert. His political allegiance is given 
to the democratic party and he has always been an active worker in its 
ranks. In 1908 he was elected to represent his district in the state 
legislature and was returned in 1910 and in 1912. At the close of his 
third term he was elected to the state senate in 1914 and his long 
service in the house and his grasp of public affairs has made him one 
of the leaders in the upper branch of the general assembly where he has 
served on important committees, on appropriations, elections, printing 
and railroads. Already he has left his impress for good upon the 
legislative history of the state and his course is characterized by an 
unfaltering devotion to duty that rests upon a cognizance of the needs 
of the commonwealth, its opportunities and possibilities.