A. F. Kelly 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 283

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

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A F. KELLY, an enterprising agriculturist of Union township, is the 
owner of one of the finest and most attractive farms in Sanborn county, 
and his management of this estate is marked by the scientific knowledge 
and skill which characterize the modern farmer. He was born in 
Illinois, in 1859, a son of Alexandra and Margaret Kelly, natives of 
Pennsylvania, whose ancestors had resided in this country for many 
generations and were of pure Scotch Irish descent. Before their 
marriage his parents removed to Illinois, where both engaged in 
teaching school, and some time after the birth of our subject went to 
Benton county, Iowa, where the father followed farming and stock 
raising. 

At the age of twenty-one years, A. F. Kelly left home and started out 
in life for himself, at first running a corn sheller for a year. In 
1881 he came to what is now Sanborn county, South Dakota, and took up a 
claim on section 1, Union township, where he constructed a sod shanty 
and embarked in farming. At that time there were only five or six 
little homes in the vicinity, and the country was all wild and 
unimproved. 

He commenced life here with three horses, a plow and harrow. In 1882 he 
removed to the northeast quarter of section 2, the same township, where 
he erected a frame building, 12 x 16 feet, while he used the old sod 
house 12 x 12 feet, on section 1, as a barn. He secured three quarter 
sections from the government, all adjoining, a thing which was seldom 
done. In those early days he experienced all of the hardships and 
trials incident to pioneer life. In 1891 one of the largest prairie 
fires that ever swept over this section, started eighteen miles to the 
northwest, destroyed over one thousand five hundred dollars worth of 
property, and was put out not over three hundred feet from our 
subject's buildings. During a blizzard, January 12, 1888, all of his 
cattle and horses were out, and he spent about four hours in trying to 
save them, but lost three head of cattle during the storm. In 1886 he 
built the front part of his present residence, and completed it in 
1892; he built one barn, in 1888, which is 144x ,8 feet, another in 
1893,112x56 feet; and has numerous other outbuildings of smaller size, 
having two complete sets of farm buildings upon his place and all 
necessary machinery to operate his land. He has nineteen miles of 
fence, three flowing wells and two others with pumps and windmills 
attaching. So fortunate has he been in his farming operations, that he 
is now the owner of the largest farm in the county, it comprising one 
thousand nine hundred and twenty acres, of which eight hundred and 
fifty acres are under a high state of cultivation. Though engaged in 
mixed farming he makes a specialty of the raising of cattle, horses and 
hogs, and generally has stock enough to use all the corn which he 
raises. Most of his farm, however, is devoted to wheat, which has 
averaged as high as twenty-seven bushels to the acre. He attributes his 
success in a great measure to stock raising and the rotation of crops, 
believing that the land, besides being properly cultivated, should be 
alternated each year with corn and small grain. 

In 1892 Mr. Kelly was united in marriage with Miss Alice Prosser, a 
native of New York state, whose father was employed in a foundry 
manufacturing steel rails. Mrs. Kelly was reared in Rome, Oneida 
county, New York, where she continued to make her home until coming 
with her parents to Dakota in 1883. Here her father engaged in 
agricultural pursuits. Our subject and his wife now have two daughters, 
Lillian Elsie and Jennie Margaret. In his political views Mr. Kelly is 
an ardent Republican, and he has held some township office almost 
continuously since coming to Dakota, being elected county commissioner 
in 1892. He is a worthy representative of that class of citizens who 
lead quiet, industrious, honest and useful lives, and constitute the 
best portion of a community. Wherever known he is held in high regard, 
and as an honored pioneer and highly respected citizen he is certainly 
deserving of honorable mention in the history of his adopted county.