Charles Breidenbach 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 606-607

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

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CHARLES BREIDENBACH. Earnest work and strict honesty have placed the 
subject of this brief history in the foremost rank as an agriculturist 
and respected citizen of Fire Steel township, Aurora county. His home 
is located on the south half of section 1, where he has prospered and 
added to his knowledge in his line of work, as well as given an impetus 
to the farming interests of his adopted state. 

Mr. Breidenbach is a native of Rhine, Bavaria, Germany, and was born 
March 30, 1840, the third child of a family of five born to Louis and 
Catherine (Odermann) Breidenbach. When thirteen years of age he, was 
apprenticed to an upholsterer and was engaged in this work in his 
native country until 1864, when, in quest of new ideas in his trade, he 
emigrated to America, landing at New York May 1st, and going at once to 
his uncle's in Cleveland, Ohio. Here he followed his trade for one 
year, but the community was mostly made up of Germans, who spoke the 
language of their mother country, and our subject was anxious to learn 
the language of the country where he intended to make his home and he 
accordingly went to Garrettsville, Ohio, and afterward to Warren, where 
he was surrounded by English speaking people and soon had acquired a 
fair knowledge of their language and methods. He resided for ten years 
in Sharon, Pennsylvania, and in 1880, with a car load of effects, 
removed to Bridgewater, South Dakota, going from there by team to his 
land in Fire Steel township, having filed his claim in 1879. The 
fertile land in the creek bottoms afforded him an excellent opportunity 
to engage in general farming and he has made a success of this 
vocation. His first house was of adobe, 16 x 26 feet and boasting a 
shingle roof, and was situated on the south bank of the creek. He also 
erected a barn for the horses and sod stables with board roofs for his 
stock. At the beginning of the winter of 1880 and 1881, he had fifty 
sheep and twenty-five head of cattle and one team of horses. The winter 
was a very severe one and the snow was too deep for teams to go for 
provisions, but he took a hand-sled and went to the home of his 
brother, five miles distant, where he procured potatoes, and with the 
provisions which he had taken to the new home with him succeeded in 
passing the winter. There were no land marks near his home to guide 
him, and on the bluff nearest his house he erected a flag-pole. He now 
has a fine farm and eighty acres of as rich a meadow land as can be 
found in the northwest. Our subject has an excellent help-meet in his 
estimable wife, whose maiden name was Barbara A. Helwig. Mrs. 
Breidenbach was born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, October 13, 1850. 
They have been the parents of six children, five of whom are now 
living: Lizzie, Charles F., Louis, Frederick and Marie"-and by Mrs. 
Breidenbach's first marriage she has one daughter, Ida May, the wife of 
Wilbur A. Smith, now residing in Hansen county. 

Our subject has been a prominent member of his community and was 
appointed county commissioner, upon the organization of the county, and 
was re-elected at the first general election. He is a member of the 
board of supervisors. He worships with the German Protestants. In 
political views he is a Democrat, favors high license, and opposes 
woman's suffrage.