Frank Beardsley 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 375-376

	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


FRANK BEARDSLEY. Success is not a matter of genius, as many urge, but 
is the result of diligence, enterprise and sound judgment, and no other 
qualities are absolutely essential to its requirements. It is these 
elements of prosperity that have enabled Mr. Beardsley to take his 
place among the substantial citizens of Spink county. where he is now 
successfully engaged in farming, being the owner of an extensive and 
valuable tract of land. He came to the county in pioneer days and has 
since been prominently identified with the growth and development of 
the region. A native of Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, he was born 
December 30, 1852, the only son and eldest child in a family of four 
children born to Alex and Lovina (Rice) Beardsley. He remained at home 
until he had attained his majority and during that time was well fitted 
for life's practical duties by excellent educational privileges. After 
leaving the public schools he spent three years in college with the 
intention of later taking up the profession of law, but in 1873, on 
account of the ill health of the father, the family removed to Boulder 
county, Colorado, and Mr. Beardsley, of this review, engaged in 
clerking and prospecting in the mining district. In 1878 he returned to 
Wisconsin, and afterward spent some months in looking over the western 
farming lands in Minnesota and Dakota. He finally decided to locate on 
the James river, and purchased a team and some stock and provisions, 
and with his partner, Roswell Bottom, drove across the country, 
arriving at his destination in the spring of 1879. 

The partners entered adjoining lands and on the boundary line erected a 
shanty twelve by twenty-four feet, making a comfortable "bachelor's 
hall." Their post office was at Watertown, seventy miles distant and 
there they went for provisions and other supplies. Mr. Beardsley spent 
the winter of 1879-80 in the company of Mr. Clifford, his partner 
having returned to the east. They whiled away the long winter months by 
caring for their stock, hunting and trapping and occasionally visiting 
their neighbors- the settlers living within a radius of ten miles, 
numbering in all about five families. During that winter periodical 
trips were also made to Watertown, supplies were laid in, seed, grain 
and farm implements were purchased and everything made ready for the 
spring farming. The crop of the fall of 1880, their first crop, was 
destroyed by hail, and they began the hard winter with but very little 
money and few supplies. Mr. Beardsley and Mr. Clifford went to Oak 
Gulch, forty miles distant, and chopped wood until about the 1st of 
February following when the heavy snows prevented their further labors 
in that direction and they returned to the James river, where for two 
months they had recourse to the coffee mill for grinding their wheat 
into flour. In the fall of 1882 they raised what is locally known as 
the "big crop," Mr. Beardsley having one hundred acres planted, which 
yielded twenty-five bushels to the acre and was marketed for about 
eighty cents per bushel. Having thus gained a comfortable capital he 
erected upon his farm a good frame house, and in 1886 he purchased the 
landed interests of his partner, thus becoming the owner of a valuable 
property of eight hundred acres. In 1893 his home and contents were 
destroyed by fire, and he has never replaced it, but he still owns the 
farm, and from its cultivation derives a good income. 

In the early organization of the county Mr. Beardsley was appointed one 
of the first justices of the peace. The first election in the county 
was held in the fall of 1880 in three places, Old Ashton, Frankfort and 
Foster City. Since that time he has held a number of township offices, 
including that of clerk and for five years he was a member of the town 
board. He has also served on the school board, and in all public 
positions has discharged his duties with marked promptness and 
fidelity. He is a prominent member of several social organizations, his 
name being on the membership rolls of the Masonic order, the Ancient 
Order of United Workmen and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a man 
of strong character and resolute purpose. Since coming to Dakota he has 
had to contend with hail and drought, with fire and flood, but his 
strong determination has enabled him to overcome all obstacles, and by 
energy and enterprise he has steadily worked his way upward to success. 
As a citizen he is public spirited and progressive, deeply interested 
in everything pertaining to the welfare of the community, and giving a 
generous support to all measures for the public good.