Ferdinand Desnoyers 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 649-650

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

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FERDINAND DESNOYERS. A brilliant example of a self-made American 
citizen and a grand exemplification of the progress that an ambitious 
foreigner can make in this country of unbounded opportunities is shown 
in the case of Mr. Desnoyers, now a leading general merchant of Clark, 
South Dakota. His singular success is due to his own energy and the 
high ideal which his lofty and laudable ambition placed before him. 
Success in any walk of life is an indication of earnest endeavor and 
persevering effort,-characteristics that he possesses in an eminent 
degree. 

Mr. Desnoyers is a Frenchman, born August 18, 1850, near Montreal, St. 
John's county, province of Quebec, Canada, and is a son of Joseph and 
Emelia (Richard) Desnoyers, both now deceased. He is sixth in order of 
birth in a family of eleven children, and his early life was spent in a 
quiet manner upon a farm where he grew to manhood. He received a 
collegiate education in French, but could not speak English when he 
came to the United States, at the age of twenty three years. He first 
secured a position as general help in a sewing-machine store at Troy, 
New York, but as his wages were very small he soon turned his attention 
to painting, and during the three years he was thus employed he 
mastered the English language to a considerable degree by a careful 
study of the papers and books which came in his way. He was next a 
collector for a French newspaper, but as he did not meet with success 
in that line, he took up the barber's trade at Manteno, at which place 
he later secured a position as clerk in a general store. The mercantile 
business was his pet ambition, and along that line he worked at various 
places, including Goodland, Indiana, where he was married and finally 
started in business for himself as a merchant. Though at one time he 
lost considerable by fire, on the whole his business there was 
successful. In 1882 he came to Watertown, South Dakota, bringing with 
him his stock of goods, and engaged in business there for a few months 
until the railroad was extended-westward to Clark, when he removed to 
that place and embarked in his present business with a stock of goods 
valued at about eight thousand dollars,-a very heavy stock for those 
uncertain days. He prospered, however. winning a liberal share of the 
public patronage by fair and honorable dealing and a good class of 
goods. He now carries a well selected stock of general merchandise 
worth ten thousand dollars and is considered one of the most prosperous 
merchants of Clark. 

In 1876, Mr. Desnoyers led to the marriage altar Miss Olivine Beauvais, 
also a native of Canada and of French extraction. They have no children 
of their own, but have reared Rosa Roy, who has become a daughter to 
them. In religious faith they are Roman Catholics, and in political 
sentiment Mr. Desnoyers is a Republican who has the best interests of 
his adopted country at heart and believes in the state control of 
liquor.