A. H. German 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 312-313

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

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HON. A. H. GERMAN. No citizen of Edmunds county, South Dakota, has been 
more prominent in the advancement of its better interests than the 
gentleman whose life history is given in this article. From the early 
days of the history of this region his influence has been cast for 
right and progress, and he is today a respected, upright citizen and 
one of the extensive land-owners of Powell township. The family is well 
known and their land interests cover four hundred and eighty acres. The 
home is located on the northeast quarter of section twenty-two, in 
Powell township. 

Our subject was born in Plattsburg, Clinton county, New York, July 17, 
1827, and was the third in a family of seven children born to Henry and 
Mary (Hall) German, the father a native of Madaberg, Prussia, and the 
mother of Rhode Island. The great-grandfather of our subject was in the 
service of Frederick the Great during his wars, and the grandfather of 
our subject, Augustus German, was by occupation a farmer, as was also 
the maternal grandfather, Nathaniel Hall. The parents of our subject 
were married about 1820, and the mother died when our subject was but 
ten years of age. The father of our subject was conscripted into the 
French army in 1807 to make up the Prussian part of that army. He was 
at the battle of Waterloo, where he was wounded, and during the siege 
of Paris was in the hospital at Brussels, and nine years was with 
Napoleon. He emigrated to America about 1817 and settled in Clinton 
county, New York, and spent the remainder of his life engaged in 
farming, going from New York to Wisconsin in 1855. His family being 
scattered, he again married, and both he and his second wife died in 
Wisconsin. 

Our subject was reared on a farm in New York, and at the age of 
fourteen left home to earn a livelihood for himself. He worked at any 
honest labor and spent some of his time working on the Erie and 
Champlain canals. He went to Wisconsin in 1849 and engaged in farming, 
taking up land in Marquette county, remaining thus engaged until 1872. 
He went into the hide and fur business and handling of boots and shoes 
in Montello, in 1878, and in the spring of 1883 disposed of his 
interests in Wisconsin and went to Edmunds county, South Dakota. He 
took the northeast quarter of section twenty-two, in Powell township, 
and erected a 10 x 12-feet claim shanty. His family joined him in the 
spring of 1884, and the home was permanently established. He engaged in 
wheat and cattle-raising, and since 1892 has been the owner of a 
threshing machine. 

Mr. German was married in April, 1852, to Miss Helen Marshall, daughter 
of James Marshall, a farmer of Vermont and later of Wisconsin. Seven 
children have blessed the home of Mr. and Mrs. German, named as 
follows: Fred Eugene, Edwin, Charlie, Willard, Alice, Pearl, and 
William, who died in infancy. 

Our subject holds membership in the Masonic fraternity. He is an active 
member of the community in which he resides, and while living in 
Wisconsin was elected county clerk of Marquette county on the 
Democratic ticket, serving two terms, covering four years. In 1876 he 
was elected sheriff of Marquette county. He takes an active part in 
state and county affairs, and has held several offices in his township. 
He was elected in 1896 as a representative to the state legislature, 
and discharged his duties honorably and well. Powell township was 
organized in 1885, and our subject was chairman of the first board of 
supervisors. In political sentiment he is a Populist and stands firmly 
for reform. He is a well-cr~-cd man and thoroughly awake to the 
necessities of his community, and has aided more perhaps than most of 
the members of the far-llill~ districts in advancing and upbuilding 
Edmunds county. He is now passing his declining years amid friends and 
pleasant surroundings, enjoying the well-merited respect of all.