Orator H. La Craft 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 476

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

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ORATOR H. LA CRAFT, the well known postmaster and former merchant of 
Clark, South Dakota, is a native of Wisconsin, born in Washington 
county, on the 13th of August, 1850, and is a representative of a 
family of French origin which was founded in America several 
generations back. His father, John La Craft, was by occupation a sailor 
and farmer. The wife and mother was, in her maidenhood, Mary A. Clice, 
whose mother was a Miss Kendall, a descendant of Captain Kendall of the 
"Mayflower." 

Our subject, who is the second in order of birth in a family of seven 
children, received a good high-school education, and after laying aside 
his text books assisted his father in the operation of the home farm 
for two years. He then went to Sheboygan county, Wisconsin, where he 
engaged in farming and teaching school until the spring of 1883, when 
he came to Clark county, South Dakota, with the hope of improving his 
wife's health, but she died in the fall of the same year. He then 
returned to his native state, but again came to Clark county in the 
spring of 1884, and for about two years devoted his energies to the 
improvement and cultivation of his farm on section 21, Merton township. 
Locating in the city of Clark in 1885 he launched into the mercantile 
world as a partner of a Mr. Welling, and the following year he and his 
brother took the business, which they successfully conducted until 
disposing of the store in the fall of 1890. He is still the owner of 
three quarter-sections of good farm land which he leases. 

Mr. La Craft was first married, in 1873, to Miss Charlotte R. Haviland, 
who died in this state in 1883. Two children were born to them: William 
C., who is agent for the Winona Lumber Company at Clark; and Oscar M., 
deceased. In 1885 Mr. La Craft wedded Miss Clara M. Smith, by whom he 
has had five children, namely: Walter S.; Delmer B., deceased; Osmer 
H.; Lynn K.; and Irma R. 

In the fall of 1892 Mr. La Craft became assistant postmaster of Clark, 
and in February, 1893, was appointed postmaster, to which office he was 
reappointed in 1896 and is the present incumbent. He has proved a very 
efficient and popular official, the duties of the position having never 
been more faithfully or satisfactorily performed. In his political 
views he is a Republican and favors prohibition and equal suffrage. He 
is probably best known in fraternal circles, as he takes an active and 
prominent part in the many lodges to which he belongs' these being the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias, the Ancient 
Order of United Workmen, the Knights of the Maccabees and the 
Brotherhood of Purpose.