John H. Baldwin 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 331-332

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

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JOHN H. BALDWIN, the junior member of the law firm of Pusey & Baldwin, 
of Miller, occupies a distinguished place at the bar of Hand county. In 
no calling in life does success depend more entirely upon individual 
efforts and talents than in the law. To gain prominence one must 
possess strong mentality, keen discrimination and unflagging industry, 
must be thoroughly conversant with the principles of jurisprudence and 
must prepare each case with due regard to precedent and law, and at the 
same time must fence his position with logical argument and clear 
deductions. It is these qualities which have won for Mr. Baldwin 
gratifying success. He was born in Grant county, Indiana, April 4, 
1851, a son of Lindsey and Mary (Harvey) Baldwin, the former a native 
of South Carolina and the latter of North Carolina. The Baldwin family 
is of Welsh origin, and the- grandfather of our subject, who was a 
Quaker and an opponent of slavery, removed to Indiana at an early day 
to be freed from the influences attending that institution of the 
south. Lindsey Baldwin cleared a tract of land and developed a good 
farm in that state, and there made his home until his death, in 1 866. 
His wife long survived him and passed away in 1885. They were parents 
of four sons, three of whom remained in Indiana. 

The subject of this review is indebted to the public school system of 
that state for the early educational privileges he received. He 
afterward studied in Spiceland Academy, and for years engaged in 
teaching school. In 1872 he entered the office of his brother, who was 
county sheriff, and served as clerk until 1874. In the fall of that 
year he again engaged in teaching, after which he took up the study of 
law in the office of Steele & St. John, prominent attorneys of Marion, 
Indiana. In 1876 he was admitted to the bar and began practice as 
deputy prosecuting attorney, filling that position for five years, when 
he resigned in order to take up his abode in Dakota. He first located 
in St. Lawrence, Hand county, and in connection with his law practice 
engaged in dealing in real estate. After a year he removed to the 
present site of Howell and assisted in settling up that part of the 
county, but at the expiration of a year he returned to St. Lawrence, 
where he made his home until his removal to Miller, in January, 1898. 
In 1884 he was given the management of the town site of St. Lawrence 
and remained in control for two years. In 1888, at the time of the 
county-seat contest between Miller and St. Lawrence, he was the leader 
of the faction favoring the latter place. . 

In the practice of law Mr. Baldwin has been very successful, has 
secured a large clientage, and has been connected with much of the 
important litigation tried in the district. He has also been interested 
in real estate, erected a good brick block and a number of residences. 
In an official capacity he has also been prominently connected with the 
interests of his town, county and state, has filled several local 
offices, and in 1891 was appointed state engineer of irrigation by 
Governor Mellette. In 1895 he was reappointed to the same office by 
Governor Sheldon, and served in that capacity until 1897. In politics 
he is a stalwart Republican and has served on both the county and state 
committees, also on the state executive committees. His opinions carry 
weight in the councils of his party, and his labors have been effective 
in promoting its interests. 

In 1877 Mr. Baldwin was united in marriage to Miss Estella Wheeler, a 
native of Indiana, and to them were born two children: Ada R., now the 
wife of S. F. Henderson; and John M. The mother met death in a runaway 
in 1893. The following year Mr. Baldwin married Ora E. Johns, of Fort 
Wayne, Indiana, and in social circles they hold a very prominent 
position and enjoy the hospitality of the best homes of this community. 
Mr. Baldwin is a prominent member of various fraternal and benevolent 
organizations, his name being on the membership rolls of the Modern 
Woodmen of America, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Knights of 
Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Masonic 
fraternity, and in the last named he has taken the Knight Templar and 
Mystic Shrine degrees. His force of character, ability, pleasant manner 
and genial disposition render him a favorite, and he is justly regarded 
as one of the distinctively representative men of Hand county. Mr. 
Baldwin and all his ancestors, as far as history can trace them, belong 
to the Society of Friends, generally known as Quakers.