William D. Frankhauser 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 260

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

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WILLIAM D. FRANKHAUSER, a leading young business man and representative 
citizen of Eureka, South Dakota, where he now successfully conducts a 
meat market,was born in Big Stone county, Minnesota, April 24, 1871, 
and is a son of Frederick Frankhauser, a native of Albany, New York, 
and the first of the family born in the United States. The grandfather, 
David Frankhauser, was from Switzerland, and after his emigration to 
America was for some time engaged in the hotel business in Sauk Center, 
Minnesota. After the Civil war, in which Frederick Frankhauser served 
for about three years, he settled down to farming in Big Stone county, 
Minnesota, and from there he subsequently removed to Big Stone City, 
South Dakota, where he erected a large hotel and also a store building, 
and carried on business in the former for some time. 

Frederick Frankhauser, father of our subject, married Miss Emma Movius, 
a native of Berlin, Germany, and a daughter of Dr. William Movius, who 
was extensively engaged in the milling business, owning at one time 
nine different mills, including grist and oil mills. His eldest son, 
Albert, came to America to complete his education and induced the rest 
of the family to join him here. They crossed the Atlantic in 1865 and 
settled in Big Stone county, Minnesota, among its earliest settlers. 
There Dr. Movius put in operation the first flouring mill with stones 
to crush the grain, and he also engaged in the cattle business. To Mr. 
and Mrs. Frankhauser were born five children, of whom our subject is 
the oldest. The family removed to Big Stone City, South Dakota, in 1 88 
1, and there the mother died February 20, 1885. In May, 1889, they came 
to Eureka, where for some time the father engaged in the butcher 
business. He now conducts a market at Mound City, Campbell county, 
South Dakota, which was started as a branch house by our subject in 
1895. 

During his boyhood and youth, William D. Frankhauser, of this review, 
received a fair common-school education. At the age of twenty-one he 
commenced draying in the employ of Benjamin Haggard at Eureka, and next 
accepted a position in the German Bank at that place. In the fall of 
1892 he became interested in the butcher and live stock business with 
James H. Pike, a partnership which existed for two years, during which 
time they rented his father's market for fifty dollars per month. Our 
subject then purchased a half interest in his father's business, and 
together they carried on the enterprise for three years, when, in 
January, 1898, the son became sole proprietor and now runs the market 
alone. It was the second established in the town. Mr. Frankhauser began 
the meat business on a capital of only one hundred and fifty dollars, 
and, though he has at times met with reverses, he has ably managed his 
business affairs and is now one of the prosperous young men of the 
community. For some time he dealt largely in stock and shipped from 
sixty to sixty-three car loads of cattle annually. Besides his market 
he owns a good farm of one hundred and sixty acres, all fenced, one 
hundred acres being pasture land, while sixty acres are under 
cultivation. In 1897 drought destroyed his crops, and the following 
year they were injured by hail, so that he only harvested ninety 
bushels of wheat off the sixty acres. He carries a life insurance of 
four thousand dollars. 

In 1897, Mr. Frankhauser married Miss Martha Saueressig, who spent her 
girlhood in Big Stone City, and was a former schoolmate of our subject. 
Her father was a native of Germany and a farmer by occupation. Mr. and 
Mrs. Frankhauser have a little daughter, Oneitta, born October 5, 1898. 
Politically our subject is identified with the Republican party, and 
socially affiliates with the Knights of Pythias and the Ancient Order 
of United Workmen. He is a member of the German Methodist church, while 
his wife holds membership in the Evangelical church, and both are 
highly esteemed by all who know them. They have a pleasant home in 
Eureka, where they delight to entertain their many friends.