Eugene C. Dennis 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 831-832

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

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EUGENE C. DENNIS, proprietor of the Frederick "Free Press," the oldest 
paper in Brown county, South Dakota, is an able editor who has made a 
popular paper of that sheet. He was born in Maryville, Missouri, 
January 30, 1860, and was the son of William M. and Meriba T. 
(Wickersham) Dennis. 

The father of our subject was born in Pennsylvania, in 1832, and was a 
carpenter by trade, and the mother of our subject was a native of the 
same state. When our subject was but a child the family moved to Monroe 
county, Wisconsin, and when he was eight years of age they removed to 
Mason City, Iowa, and later to Charles City. At the last named place he 
learned his trade and worked at the same in many points in Iowa. He 
went to Brown county in September, 1882, which was then a territory, 
and took land on which he resided several years. He later sold his farm 
and went to California, remaining there for some years and then 
returned to Frederick, South Dakota. He had learned the jewelry 
business during 1878-79, and in partnership with his father-in-law, H. 
J. Hoffman, he engaged in that business on settling in Dakota. In 
connection with that line they also carried a stock of groceries, and 
continued thus until 1894, when they sold the grocery department of the 
business, and in July, 1895, our subject became the owner of the "Free 
Press," which was established March 9, 1882, and is a Republican paper. 
Under his control it is now one of the best papers of the vicinity, and 
has a wide circulation and is one of the bright exchanges of the 
newspaper world. 

Mr. Dennis was married in Waverly, Iowa, November 30, 1881, to Miss 
Kate L. Hoffman, a native of Iowa. Three children have been born to Mr. 
and Mrs. Dennis, as follows: Lucretia M., Ralph J. and Macie. Mr. 
Dennis is a man who stands for the rights of the people and in all 
public matters is particularly interested. He voices the sentiments of 
those around him through the instrumentality of his pen, and every 
worthy cause he promptly advocates. He is yet a young man, but his 
success is assured, and he has become one of the well known men of that 
region.