D. P. Fargo 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 954

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

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D. P. FARGO, one of the leading citizens and prominent business men of 
Spink county, makes his home in Doland. Mr. Fargo was born in Michigan 
in 1844. His father was a native of New York and of German descent, and 
the mother was born in Ohio. They removed to Michigan about the year 
1840. 

Our subject is the oldest in a family of six children, and was reared 
to manhood on a farm, and attended the public schools. He afterward 
attended Poughkeepsie Business College, where he received valuable 
training for a business life. For a time he worked at the carpenter's 
trade, and then farmed for a few years. Selling out his property in 
Michigan, he located in Dakota in 1883, end took up government land. He 
built the Fargo House, the first hotel in Doland, completing it in 
1883, and continued to conduct it for ten years. He then rented it and 
soon afterward sold it. In 1894 he was elected register of deeds of 
Spink county on the Republican ticket, and at the end of his two years' 
term was re-elected for another term. In 1898 he purchased the hardware 
business of W. H. Elce & Son in Doland, and business that had been 
established by J. N. Johnson in 1883. The business is now conducted 
under the firm name of Fargo & Sons. 

Mr. Fargo was married in 1866 to Miss Sarah C. Devine. Mrs. Fargo is a 
native of Michigan and was a teacher before her marriage. Her parents 
were natives of New York state. To Mr. and Mrs. Fargo four children 
have been born, three boys and one girl. John is employed in a bank at 
Redfield; Ella is married and lives in Iowa; Charles conducts a large 
stock farm near Doland, and Ralph is in the hardware business with his 
father. Mr. Fargo has large land interests in the county, and has 
turned over the management of his farming operations to his son 
Charles. The farms consist of two hundred and forty acres south of the 
village and one hundred and sixty lying northeast. It is chiefly 
devoted to wheat growing and stock raising, Hereford cattle and 
Clydesdale horses being a specialty. Our subject is a member of the A. 
O. U. W. and a Mason. He is widely known and highly respected 
throughout the county.