John Alderson 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. Pages 346-349

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

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JOHN ALDERSON, whose portrait will be found on another page, is one of 
the most energetic and enterprising farmers of Sanborn county, South 
Dakota, his home being in Diana township. He was born in Yorkshire, 
England, in 1852, a son of Thomas and Jane Alderson, natives of the 
same country where the father carried on operations as a farmer and 
miller. Our subject remained upon the home farm until fourteen years of 
age, when he commenced learning the mason's trade with an uncle. After 
following his trade for three or four years in his native land, he came 
to America, in 1877, and first located in Wisconsin, where he was 
similarly employed. In 1878 he came to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, but 
after working here for nine months, he went to Minnesota, where he 
spent a year and eight months. In 1 880 we find him in Forestburg, 
Sanborn county, which at that time was a booming little town, somewhat 
larger than it is at the present time. Although there were no railroads 
in the place, it was a great center for stage lines. 

In Union township, Sanborn county, Mr. Alderson took up land fro~n the 
govern~nent, and in the little shanty, 12 x 14 feet, which he built 
thereon, he lived alone while breaking his land and working at his 
trade. During the first years of his residence here he shot several 
deer and antelopes, and in the winter of 1880-81, while hunting the 
same, he was caught in one of the many blizzards of that season. He was 
out nineteen hours before reaching any house, and in his attempt to get 
home from there was out again for twenty hours. During the famous 
blizzard of 1888 Mr. Alderson was in Artesian and assisted in getting 
the school children home. This was done by stretching a rope from a 
hardware store to the school house. After the children were safely 
cared for, he started home along the railroad, one and one-half miles, 
and in order to know when he was opposite his home he counted the rails 
as it was impossible to see more than three feet through the blizzard, 
the snow being so dense that it was pitch dark. 

In 1885, Mr. Alderson was united in marriage with Miss Jennie Ferguson, 
a native of Canada, whose parents were among the early settlers of 
South Dakota. She was reared on a farm and by her marriage has become 
the mother of seven children, namely: Jennie J., J. William, Thomas H., 
Effie M., Nellie B., Fred and Hanna. 

Soon after his marriage, Mr. Alderson removed to Artesian, where he 
worked at his trade for a time, and then traded his land in Union 
township for the southwest quarter of section 5, Diana township. The 
front part of his present residence was first built in Forestburg and 
used as a store. When he moved to Artesian he took it down and moved it 
to that place and still later to his farm, where it now forms a part of 
his pretty little home. He has built a barn, 40 x 60 feet; a granary, 
24 x 34 feet; a corn crib, 24 x 24 feet; and also has machine sheds, 
chicken houses, etc., forming a complete set of good farm buildings. He 
owns four hundred acres of land, of which two hundred acres are under a 
high state of cultivation, has thirteen acres planted in fine forest 
trees, and has two windmills, one attached to a well one hundred and 
thirty-six feet deep, and the other for grinding. The neat and thrifty 
appearance of the place indicates his care and labor as well as his 
skill and ability in his chosen calling, and he is acknowledged to be 
one of the most successful general farmers in his community. In 
political sentiment he is a strong Republican, and has held numerous 
township offices, being treasurer for the past two years. Socially he 
is quite prominent and is an honored member of the Independent Order of 
Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America.