William Buss 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 917-918

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

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WILLIAM BUSS. South Dakota is indebted much to her foreign-born sons 
for her present rank and standing among her sister states, as well in 
commerce, finance and agriculture, as in the arts and sciences, and 
Germany has furnished her full share of enterprising, energetic and 
intelligent citizens. Among those who deserve special mention is 
William Buss, whose pleasant home and valuable farm are situated in 
Zell township, Faulk county. 

Mr. Buss is a native of Pomerania, Kingdom of Prussia, Germany, and was 
born September 15, 1836. His father, John F. Buss, was born and reared 
in Germany, and was a wagon maker by trade. John F. Buss married 
Wilhelmina Buss, also a native of Germany, whose parents were farmers. 
Our subject was the eldest-born of a family of eight children born to 
this worthy couple, and was reared in a village of his native land. He 
attended the common schools from the age of six until he was fourteen 
years old. He then worked in his father's wagon shop, and learned the 
trade under him. In 1857 the family came to America, and on landing at 
Quebec, Canada, proceeded west to Wisconsin, arriving in Watertown,of 
that state, July 4, 1857. Here he worked at his trade, while his 
parents went to a farm eight miles from the city. In 1860 he and his 
father purchased in partnership a tract of land, and began farming. He 
conducted farming in Wisconsin for twenty-three years, the last four of 
which he also operated a wagon shop in Lake Mills, while his sons 
worked the farm. That farm consisted of one hundred and thirty acres on 
Crawfish river, and eighteen acres of that tract were covered with 
timber and orchard, consisting of apple trees, grapes, plums and 
cherries, altogether making a first-class farm in every respect. 

In 1883 Mr. Buss and his son Frank made a trip to Dakota, and each 
filed a homestead claim, our subject filing upon the southwest quarter 
of section 30, township 117, range 66. This was in March, and they 
returned to Wisconsin, and in the following September made another trip 
to Dakota, built a shanty 14 x 16 feet, and made other improvements. 
During the following winter he sold out his property in Wisconsin and 
in the spring of 1884 moved his family to Dakota, and during the summer 
lived in the shanty he had built. Corn, potatoes, turnips and garden 
truck, the latter yielding the finest crop he has ever raised, together 
with five acres of wheat, were harvested that year. He broke eighty 
acres of his land that year, and in 1885 it produced the best crop of 
wheat he has ever raised, the yield averaging twenty-three bushels to 
the acre. When our subject located in Dakota there were but three or 
four shanties within sight of his homestead. All supplies had to be 
hauled from Redfield, sixteen miles distant. Mr. Buss is now the owner 
of six hundred and forty acres of excellent land, and has a nice 
residence with a grove for its protection. Three hundred acres of his 
land is under cultivation. Grain growing and cattle and sheep raising 
occupy his attention, and he now owns a herd of five hundred and fifty 
sheep. He has two barns, one 48 x 90 feet, most substantially built, 
and another 40 x 42 feet, and his facilities and conveniences for 
storing grain and protecting his stock are not excelled in the 
township. In 1888 he suffered from the great blizzard. He was working 
on his son Frank's house, doing some inside work, when the storm came 
up. In the afternoon he attempted to cross the road to his home by 
means of a rope which his son had brought to him. They followed the 
rope and finally reached home, but our subject was practically in a 
state of collapse, though the distance he had come was only about three 
hundred feet. 

In 1860 Mr. Buss was married to Miss Henrietta Schmidt. Mrs. Buss was 
born and reared to womanhood in Pomerania, Germany, and came to America 
with her brother in 1860. To this union seven children have been born, 
named in the order of birth as follows: Frank A., W. D., C. A., Anna 
and Helena, twins, G. A. and Emma. With the exception of the last two 
above named, all these children have grown to manhood and womanhood and 
have families of their own. In political sentiment Mr. Buss is a 
Republican, and takes an active interest in local public affairs. He 
has been a county commissioner for the past ten years, having been 
elected five times in succession, and during the past five years has 
been chairman of the board. He is a member of the German Methodist 
church, and is universally trusted and respected by all who value 
honesty, worth of character and business ability in private as well as 
in public matters.