Hudson L. Brundage 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 410-411

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

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HUDSON L. BRUNDAGE, a highly respected and honored citizen of Ravenna 
township, Sanborn county, and a veteran of both the Mexican and Civil 
wars, is a native of the Empire state, born in 1825. His parents, 
Alonzo and D. M. (Dean) Brundage, were also born in New York, the 
former of German ancestry, the latter of Scotch. Both families were 
founded in America by the great-grandparents of our subject. The father 
engaged in farming in New York until 1831, when he removed with his 
family to Michigan, where he purchased a tract of government land for 
$1.25 per acre. The region where they located was a dense wilderness, 
and their nearest neighbor for twelve years lived nine miles from their 
home. When the country became more thickly settled, Barry county was 
organized, and the father of our subject took quite a prominent and 
influential part in public and political affairs, holding several 
county offices, including those of treasurer, judge and commissioner. 

H. L. Brundage being the oldest of the children, the greater part of 
the farm work fell to him on the death of his father when he was 
fifteen years old, and he successfully managed the place for his mother 
for six or seven years, when she married again. Selling the farm he 
then enlisted in the United States army, with which he served for one: 
year in the Mexican war, taking part in the battle of Buena Vista and 
several skirmishes. After the war he returned to Michigan, where he 
engaged in railroading for a few years. 

In 1856 Mr. Brundage was united in marriage with Miss Amelia Wright, 
also a native of New York state, whose father was. a cabinet-maker by 
trade. During her infancy she was taken by her parents to Valparaiso, 
Ind., where her father died and where she was reared. After his 
marriage Mr. Brundage engaged in farming in Indiana for about eight 
years, and then removed to. Illinois, where he was living at the time 
of his enlistment in the Union army during the Civil war. He joined 
Company E, One Hundred and Fifty-third Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and 
as he was made wagon master in charge of twenty-two wagons, he took 
part in no engagement. He was mustered out at the close of the war in 
1865. He draws a pension of twelve dollars per month. 

In the spring of 1866 Mr. Brundage went to Kansas, where he followed 
farming for three years, and then returned to Illinois, engaging in the 
dray business there until his removal to Sanborn county, South Dakota, 
in 1884. Purchasing the southwest quarter of section fifteen, Ravenna 
township, he built thereon a shanty 8x8 feet, and a small barn to 
shelter his two cows, five horses and a little machinery, with which he 
began life in this state. He soon placed acre after acre of the wild 
prairie land under the plow until he now has one hundred acres under 
cultivation, five acres in forest trees and forty acres in pasture. He 
and his family experienced all of the hardships incident to the early 
settlement of South Dakota, and during one blizzard (1888) he and his 
wife were out all night until four o'clock in the morning. He has ever 
given his attention to the grain business, but is also interested in 
stock raising to some extent. In political sentiment he is a strong 
Populist, takes an active part in local politics, and as a delegate has 
attended every county convention of his party held in Sanborn county. 
He is widely known and highly esteemed by his fellow citizens, and he 
has ever been found as true to his country's interests in days of peace 
as in times of war.