Frank W. Coolidge 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. Page 265

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

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FRANK W. COOLIDGE, county judge of Spink county, is one of the few men 
who could fill the responsible position of presiding over the legal 
affairs of a community with the same ease of manner and dignity as is 
displayed in this gentleman. His judgment is of the best, and his words 
of counsel are given with a consciousness rarely found, while his duty 
is performed with an unbiased mind, and a desire that justice be meted 
to all. He was born in Dane county, Wisconsin, March 9, 1858, and was 
the second child of a family of seven children born to Aaron and Anna 
(Elliott) Coolidge. His father was of New England descent, and his 
mother was a native of New Castle-on-Tyne, England. 

Our subject was a farmer's son, but with the mind which he possessed 
the quiet of this life was not a desirable one to him, and he decided 
to equip himself as a business man. After the completion of his common 
school branches and a short normal course at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, he 
took a business course at Madison, Wisconsin. He devoted himself to 
teaching and also working on a farm, and in April, 1880, went to Spink 
county, being one of the earliest settlers of that region. He 
established himself in bachelor quarters on his land in Lodi township, 
erecting a small frame house, and applied himself to farming, teaching 
and home study. He accepted a position in the warehouse at Frankfort in 
1884, and went to Redfield as agent for the Winona Milling Company the 
following year. Sickness compelled him to resign his position, and he 
went to the pine region of Wisconsin in 1886, where he regained his 
health after several months of free outdoor- life. After a visit to his 
old home and relatives in Wisconsin, he returned to Redfield, and began 
the study of law in the office of C. T. Howard, and was admitted to the 
bar in May, 1892. He soon entered the employ of the North Western 
Mortgage Trust Company, as collector and book-keeper, and in 1895 was 
elected secretary and treasurer of this organization, in which capacity 
he now serves. 

Our subject was married in October, 1897, Miss Mabel Williams, a native 
of Wisconsin, becoming his wife. Their home has been blessed by the 
birth of a daughter, Jessamine. Judge Coolidge is rapidly rising in 
prominence in his county, and has been called upon to serve in various 
responsible positions. He served four years as chairman of the county 
Republican central committee, and also on the state central committee 
He was elected county judge in 1898. He is a member of the Masonic 
fraternity, attending the blue lodge, of which he is worshipful master, 
the chapter and the Eastern Star, and also holds membership in the 
Knights of Pythias. In political views he is a Republican.