Lafayette F. Culver 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 761-762

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

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LAFAYETTE F. CULVER, one of the pioneer settlers of Doland, South 
Dakota, who has added to his possessions by his industry, honesty and 
business ability, stands well to the front as a citizen of Spink 
county. He is a dealer in general merchandise in the town of Doland, 
and has also formerly been interested in other business, including 
farming and the grocery business, and his reputation is widespread. 

Our subject was born in Illinois in 1844, was the son of a shoemaker, 
and was the seventh in a family of eight children. His grandfather on 
the maternal side served in the Revolutionary war. The paternal 
ancestors were early settlers of America, and date from the colonial 
times. The parents of our subject were natives of Vermont, and were 
married in their native state, and moved to IIlinois in 1836. They were 
raised on a farm, but the father learned the trade of shoemaker, and 
had a shoe business and followed his trade in Ogdensburg, New York, 
where he lived for several years. 

Our subject went to Iowa at the age of twenty years and bought stock 
for his brother, afterward spending one year in Missouri in a furniture 
store. He then located in Illinois and engaged in farming, which he 
followed in that state for seventeen years. He rented land in Illinois, 
but owned a farm in Indiana consisting of one hundred and sixty acres, 
well improved with good buildings and under cultivation. being a 
prairie farm. He located in Doland, South Dakota, in November, 1883, 
and was one of the first settlers of the town. The hotel was a tar 
paper shanty, 12 x 20 feet, and was the principal building, there being 
but one store and a few small buildings 

Our subject took a homestead the fall of 1882 and the following spring 
moved his family to the new home. They passed their first winter in a 
12 x 20 shanty of matched flooring and tar paper. The railroad was 
built as far as Redfield, and facilities for obtaining supplies were 
rapidly progressing, and the winter was one of pleasure to the family 
and passed without incident. Our subject established a livery business 
in Doland, and the family conducted the farm. The building in which he 
conducted the business was the largest in Doland, and he continued in 
the livery four years, the family removing to town in 1884. He disposed 
of his interests in Doland and became interested in the Western Farm 
Mortgage Company, with headquarters at Aberdeen, and also engaged in 
the grocery business, remaining in Aberdeen until 1892, when he 
returned to Doland and purchased an interest in the general merchandise 
store with R. M. Hassinger. The store was the first established there, 
and the year following our subject's purchase Mr. Hassinger disposed of 
his interests to J. M. Howard, who, in turn, sold to W. G. Norton, 
since which time Mr. Norton and our subject have conducted a successful 
business. Mr. Culver gives the business his personal attention and does 
not divide his time with other interests. 

Our subject was married in 1869 to Miss Sarah Scofield, a native of New 
York and a daughter of a farmer. She removed to Illinois with her 
parents when but a young girl. Mr. and Mrs. Culver are the parents of 
one daughter. Mr. Culver has taken an active part in matters of local 
import, and has filled various offices of trust, but during the past 
few years takes an interest but no active part in political matters. 
Three years he served as constable, has been on the board of trustees 
in Doland for the past two years and in 1899 was again elected in the 
same capacity. He is a stanch Republican and during the early days 
served on the county central committee for his party for four years. As 
a public spirited citizen, ready to support and promote the interests 
of his community, he well deserves the esteem in which he is held. He 
is a prominent member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the 
Methodist Episcopal church. A gentleman of genial nature, he has a 
large circle of friends.