William J. Evans, M. D.


	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 900-903

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

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WILLIAM J. EVANS, M. D. The medical fraternity has no more able 
representative in Brown county than the gentleman above named. He has 
been a, practicing physician of the community of Groton for many years 
and was one of the first settlers of that vicinity, and now enjoys an 
extensive practice and an honorable name. He is a gentleman of the 
highest character, and in every possible way keeps pace with modern 
methods and ideas, and has acquired a knowledge of his profession that 
brings successful results, and has gained the confidence of the people 
among whom he makes his home. He is connected with the business 
interests of the town of Groton, as well as the real estate interests 
and stock raising in that vicinity. We take pleasure in presenting a 
portrait of Doctor Evans on the opposite page. 

Doctor Evans was born in Hanover, Licking county, Ohio, April 28, 1860. 
His grandfather, J. W. Evans, came from near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 
and was of German descent, and a mechanic by trade. The father of our 
subject, William D. Evans, was a carriage maker and followed his trade 
in Hanover all of his life. The mother of oar subject, who bore the 
maiden name of Catharine McGill, was born in Ohio, of Scotch and Welsh 
parentage, her parents coming to America from Great Britain and 
settling in Ohio, where they were farmers of wealth. 

Of a family of four children, our subject was third in order of birth. 
He was raised in Hanover, Ohio, and attended the public schools, and at 
the age of eighteen years began the study of medicine with Dr. J. 
Bland, of Bucyrus, Ohio. He graduated from the Starling Medical 
College, of Columbus, Ohio, in 1881. at the age of twenty one years. He 
practiced for a short time with Dr. Bland, and in the spring of 1883 
went to Brown county, South Dakota, on the first train run after the 
great blockade of 1882-83. Groton then consisted of but a few small 
buildings, and our subject took a homestead southeast of the town and 
established his office for practice in the city. He erected a claim 
shanty, 8 x 10 feet, in which he made his home, and he has added to his 
possessions from time to time and now owns eight hundred acres of land, 
several dwellings in Groton, and has an extensive and remunerative 
practice. He engages in mixed farming on his land and raises stock. 
Trotting and draft horses are the principal feature of his stock 
raising, and his brother, Wallace Evans, has charge of the farm. The 
farm is known as the Evans Stock Farm and has more fine and highly bred 
horses than any other stock farm in the Dakotas and the Doctor has had 
here some of the fastest horses in the Northwest, and has sold horses 
nearly all over the Union. The premier stallion of the farm prior to 
this year was the great Cheyenne, 2:09 1/2, of fame. This noble horse 
was killed in a railroad wreck on the Wisconsin Central at Chippewa 
Falls, Wisconsin, in September last, but his progeny survives him and 
many of his get are to be found on the farm. Guy, 2:06 3/4, another 
horse of national fame, is owned here, together with young campaigners, 
whose reputations are yet to be made, but who no doubt will be heard 
from in the near future. Among the most promising are Brown Saxon, by 
Saxward, a very fast three-year-old trotting stallion, whom Mr. Miller, 
the farm's driver, says is nearly as fast as Cheyenne. This colt stands 
nearly sixteen hands now, weighs over eleven hundred pounds, and is a 
beautiful brown, or nearly black, and one of the finest and most 
beautiful horses to be found in the Northwest. Another promising colt 
is a two year old by John R. Gentry, 2:00 1/2. Gentry was the fastest 
stallion in the world until last year, when Star Pointer reduced the 
world's stallion record to 1:59 1/2. Others by such stallions as Guy, 
2:06 3/4; Cheyenne, 2:09 1/2; Eggleston, 2:16; Hammit, by Metwood; 
Shadd and Onward, 2:18. 1/2, etc., etc., are equally promising. 

Dr. Evans was married in 1885 to Miss Florence Painter, a native of 
Ohio. Mrs. Evans was a lady of excellent education and was a teacher in 
Massachusetts for three years. Her parents were Americans and were 
teachers, and all of her brothers and sisters and her grandfather 
followed that vocation. Mrs. Evans died in August, 1892. Dr. and Mrs. 
Evans adopted a son, Walter, who was born in 1888. Dr. Evans remarried, 
Miss Rachell Henderson becoming his wife. Mrs. Evans was born at 
Minneapolis, Minnesota, of English parentage. Her father. J. V. 
Henderson, was a lumberman. Dr. and Mrs. Evans are the parents of one 
child, Willie, born in January, 1898. Dr. Evans is well known 
throughout the state as a physician and public-spirited man. He has 
been railroad surgeon for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad 
for twelve years and is at present surgeon for the Chicago & 
Northwestern railroad, and was coroner for eight years. He was one of 
the members of the first city council in Groton, about 1883 or '84, and 
is a Republican in political sentiment and has attended numerous county 
and state conventions. He does not now take an active part in political 
movements, his practice preventing him from so doing. He has passed all 
of the chairs of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is now 
commander of the Knights of Maccabees. He was one of the organizers of 
the Sons of Veterans in Groton and has spoken at many of the meetings 
of the G. A. R. He is a gentleman of enlightened views and is popular 
as a public speaker, fluent and entertaining and enjoys an enviable 
reputation.