Steward F. Goodykoontz 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 333-334 Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm STEWARD F. GOODYKOONTZ, ex-county treasurer of Davison county, South Dakota, is one of the old settlers of Mitchell, and, having always taken a prominent part in public matters, he has attained a reputation second to none in the county and has become one of the most widely known in the county. Our subject was born in Madison county, Indiana, August 26, 1835, a son of Simon Goodykoontz. The latter was a native of Virginia, but moved from there when a young man to Indiana. In 1856, he moved to Allamakee county, Iowa, and settled on a farm where he spent the remaining years of his life and died at the age of sixty-six years. Politically he was a Whig during the early part of his life, but later joined the ranks of the Republican party. His father, Daniel Goodykoontz, was a native of Holland and came to America when a young man and settled in Virginia. His occupation was that of farming, blacksmithing and milling. Our subject's mother, who bore the maiden name of Mary Craycraft, was born and reared in Ohio, and died at the age of sixty six years. Her father was of Scotch birth and was a farmer by occupation. Steward F. Goodykoontz, the subject of our sketch, is the second in the order of birth of a family of five. He was reared in Indiana, his native place, until he reached the age of twenty-one years, and then moved with his parents to Iowa. In 1856, he returned to Indiana and was united in marriage to Miss Sarah J. Pierce, who was a native of Ohio, and then made his home in Indiana for a time. He then moved once more to Allamakee county, Iowa, and, during the last ten years of his stay in that county, he was engaged in the milling business about six miles northeast of Postville. In 1874 he went to Knoxville, Tennessee, and built and for four years operated a flouring mill. In 1879 he came to South Dakota, located in Mitchell, Davison county and engaged in the real estate business. In 1880 he started a private bank, which was the first banking institution organized in the city of Mitchell, and two years later he organized the First National Bank and became its president. About the year 1883, he sold out his interest in the bank and again opened a real estate business and became one of. the most extensive land owners of the, county. In 1888, Mr. Goodykoontz had the honor of being the first man elected by the Independent party to the office of county treasurer of Davison county, and served two years. In 1894 he was again elected to the office of county treasurer, reelected in 1896. Mr. and Mrs. Goodykoontz are the parents of three children, of whom we have the following record: Estella F., the wife of F. M. Hammer; Myra, wife of J. F. Kimball, of Chicago; and Rettie, who was her father's assistant in the office. Our subject is a populist in Political views, and, as will be seen by the above record, has become very prominent in the affairs of that organization. In political movements and in the affairs relating to the government of the county and city in which he lives, and also every project intended to enhance the growth or improve the status of the city of Mitchell, he takes a prominent position and his name is indissolubly connected with the history of its growth and prosperity. He has spent twenty thousand dollars in the erection of buildings alone in the city of Mitchell.