Cephus W. Ainsworth Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Page 243

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

	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


CEPHUS W. AlNSWORTH, LL. D., was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, 
April 9, 1840. His father, Stephen Ainsworth, was of English descent 
and was a shoemaker. His mother, Isabel (Straw) Ainsworth, was of 
Scotch-Irish descent. She was the mother of six children, of whom 
Cephus W. was the second child and oldest son. 

Mr. Ainsworth learned the shoemaker's trade from his father and 
afterward engaged in teaching. He entered Yale College in 1864, but his 
studies were interrupted by his accepting the position of principal of 
the Boys Industrial School, at Lancaster, Ohio. In 1868 he completed 
his course in Yale and graduated with degree of LL. D. He was connected 
with the Jamesburg (New Jersey) State Reform School, and in 1869 became 
assistant superintendent of the Indiana Reform School. Mrs. Ainsworth 
was the first lady teacher in this institution. Mr. and Mrs. Ainsworth 
participated in the inauguration of the State Reform School for Boys 
and Girls near Salem, Iowa, in 1868 and 1869. About four years Mr. 
Ainsworth was engaged in the Westboro (Massachusetts) Reform School. 
Returning to Ohio, he again accepted a position in the Reform School of 
that state for five years, and in 1887 settled in Watertown, where he 
edited the `' Daily Courier-News." 

Mrs. Ainsworth's maiden name was Miss Sarah Morrow, and she was united 
in marriage with Mr. Ainsworth in 1869. Her life has been closely 
identified with that of her husband in the uplifting of those 
unfortunate ones whose innate sense of right has been too frail for 
their environments. 

Mr. Ainsworth advocates Republican, prohibition and equal suffrage 
principles. His many friends will be pleased to find his portrait 
presented in connection with this sketch of his life.