Ferdinand Baatz 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 627-628

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

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FERDINAND BAATZ, a well-known and honored citizen of Red Lake township, 
has resided in Brule county for almost twenty years, arriving in 
pioneer days. The difference between the past and the present can 
scarcely be realized; even by those who have been active participants 
in the development of the county. In this work of transformation, Mr. 
Baatz has borne no unimportant part, and from the wild land he has made 
a fine farm on section 3, Red Lake township. 

He was born in Germany, in 1840, and there his parents spent their 
entire lives, the father working at his trade as a carpenter. Our 
subject, who is fourth in order of birth in a family of eight children, 
was reared in Treptow, a city in the province of Pomerania, and 
received a common-school education. At the age of fourteen he began a 
four years' apprenticeship to the baker's trade, and when his time had 
expired worked at the same in different towns in Germany for two years, 
and at home for seven years. 

In July, 1864, Mr. Baatz crossed the broad Atlantic and landed in New 
York City, where he worked at his trade for fifteen years. During that 
time he was married, in 1874, to Miss Caroline Ottman, a native of 
Bavaria, Germany, who came alone to America in 1872, and worked in New 
York City. Four children were born of this union, two sons and two 
daughters, but only the former are now living and are with their father 
upon the home farm. 

In the fall of 1879, Mr. Baatz, with his family, removed to Yankton, 
South Dakota. His brother had previously come to Brule county and 
selected land on the west half of section 3, Red Lake township, on 
which our subject and his family located in the spring of 1880. Their 
first home here, a little house 12 x 16 feet, was built of lumber 
hauled from Yankton, and their first supply of provisions were also 
obtained at that place, while their second came from Mitchell, the 
nearest railroad town, there being no railroads through the county at 
that time. Mr. Baatz drove from Yankton with two oxen and two ponies, 
and for the accommodation of his stock constructed a sod stable. In 
1881 his wife died leaving him the care of two little boys. During the 
winter of 1880-81, the ground was covered with snow until the first 
week in May, and as the family had no neighbors, the only people they 
saw during this time were the railroad graders. They had plenty of 
provisions, however, and managed to get through the winter all right. 
Mr. Baatz at first devoted his attention exclusively to the raising of 
small grain and his crops were good. From the one cow he brought with 
him from Yankton, he made his start in the cattle business and now has 
twenty-three head. He now owns three hundred and twelve acres, of which 
eighty acres are pasture land and another eighty acres are under 
cultivation, but altogether he operates one hundred and sixty acres of 
cultivated land. His farm adjoins Red Lake, where there is now plenty 
of water, but previous to 1896 it was dry for ten years. Near this lake 
he has a good well, operated by a windmill, and his place is supplied 
with all the accessories found upon a farm of the nineteenth century. 

In his political affiliations Mr. Baatz is a pronounced Republican, and 
he has most capably filled the offices of assessor for ten years, 
school clerk two years, and overseer of roads two years. He has watched 
with interest the entire growth and development of this region, and has 
given his support to every enterprise which he believed calculated to 
prove of public good. He has remained here and prospered while others 
have become discouraged and left, and it is to his own well-directed 
efforts that he owes his success. Among the relics that he has of early 
days is tax receipt No. 2, he being the second man to pay his taxes 
after the county was organized.