William Field Biography

303-304

WILLIAM FIELD, an industrious and thorough farmer, as well as one of 
the leading and representative citizens of Dudley township, Aurora 
county, South Dakota, was born in Sussex county, England, in 1848. His 
parents spent their entire lives in that country, where the father was 
employed as a farm laborer. Our subject was reared upon a farm, which 
was principally devoted to the raising of hops and sheep, and where 
some dairying was also done. With these occupations he became 
thoroughly familiar, but his literary training was somewhat meager, 
though he attended the country schools off and on until sixteen years 
of age. He was then bound out to a company for three years to learn the 
ship carpenter's trade, at which he later worked as a journeyman in 
Rye, Southwick and other places in England. 

On first coming to America, in 1870, Mr. Field worked at his trade in 
Syracuse, New York, and on the canal boats at Lockport, that state, and 
at Hamilton, Canada, after which he returned to Syracuse. In February, 
1873, he led to the marriage altar Miss Mary Larkin, also a native of 
England, whose father also worked as a farm laborer in that country and 
as a gardener in America. The five children born of this union are as 
follows: John, Marian, George, Annie, and Alice, who died July 30, 
1898. 

After his marriage Mr. Field moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he 
worked at the carpenter's trade for two years, and then went to 
Atkinson, Illinois, where he operated a rented farm for seven years, 
raising principally corn and hogs. It was in 1883 that he came to 
Aurora county, South Dakota, and bought the relinquishment to the claim 
of one hundred and sixty acres on the northeast quarter of section 13. 
Dudley township. To the improvement and cultivation of this farm he has 
since devoted his energies with most gratifying results, and has now 
one hundred acres under the plow, while the remainder is used for 
pasturage. He engages in general farming, but is gradually giving more 
and more time to stock raising. On coming to the county, his 
possessions consisted of two horses, a wagon, household goods, drag and 
harrow, and his first home here was a little house 16 x 22 feet, but 
here he has prospered, and upon his place he has erected good and 
substantial buildings. The farm is also equipped with modern machinery, 
and has upon it a flowing well five hundred feet deep, which supplies 
water for all purposes except washing. 

Politically, Mr. Field is independent, voting for the men whom he 
believes best qualified to fill the offices, regardless of party ties. 
He has been honored with several local offices, and has most creditably 
and satisfactorily served as assessor of his township eight years, 
school treasurer fifteen years, and as a member of the township board 
of supervisors. Religiously, his estimable wife was a member of the 
Free Methodist church. She died in February, 1887.