J. Arthur Lake 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 781-782

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

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J. ARTHUR LAKE, proprietor of the largest estate in Potter county, is 
an early settler of that region, and has made a marked success of the 
pursuit of agriculture. He is yet a young man, but has placed himself 
among the foremost men of his community, and has a bright future, and 
is one of the rising men of South Dakota. His home is on the southwest 
quarter of section 19, township 118, range 75, and he has improved his 
farm until it is the finest to be found in the vicinity. He is the 
possessor of twelve hundred acres of land, and judiciously manages his 
affairs, and is enjoying solid prosperity. 

Our subject was born in Mechanicsville, Cedar county, Iowa, November 8, 
1864. His father, Herman P. Lake, was engaged in railroad work during 
his early life, and afterward was a farmer by occupation. He assisted 
in building the Michigan and Illinois Central railroad into Chicago, 
and erected the first hotel in Mechanicsville, Iowa, and established 
the first store in that town. He was a native of New York, and his 
father was born in England. The mother of our subject, whose maiden 
name was Rubie H. Hines, was born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, and 
was of Welch, Dutch and Irish descent, her grandfather Hines being a 
native of Ireland. The parents of our subject were married in Michigan 
City, Indiana, and of their four children who grew to maturity, he was 
the second in order of birth. He received a common-school education, 
and at the age of seventeen years entered railroad work at Boone, Iowa, 
holding successively the position of night baggage man and night ticket 
agent, remaining there two years. 

He went to Huron, South Dakota, in April, 1883, and was train master's 
clerk at Huron for three years, and June 11, 1886, went to Gettysburg 
and took a homestead claim on the southwest quarter of section 19, 
township 118, range 75. He started his farming and did some real estate 
business, and hauling and teaming under government contract, and was 
also in the ice business while attending to his farm interests. He had 
but eight dollars and twenty five cents when he landed in Gettysburg 
and on his homestead he erected a shanty, 12 x 20 feet, and lived a 
bachelor's life. His farm now covers twelve hundred acres, with seven 
hundred acres under cultivation and well improved with farm buildings. 
His dwelling is 24 x 38 feet, with a good cistern and cellar stoned up, 
and his barns are commodious buildings, one 24 x 84 feet and the other 
24 x 32 feet. He also has a second house on his farm in which the 
foreman resides. He has spent five thousand dollars for farm machinery 
and modern methods are used in the cultivation and gathering of the 
crops and the work about the place. He engages principally in wheat and 
flax raising, but is interested in stock raising to some extent, and 
also raises all kinds of small fruits. The town of Gettysburg consisted 
mostly of shanties when he located there and he has witnessed the 
wonderful growth of that region. 

Our subject was married May 14, 1898, to Miss Ethel J. Moulton, a 
native of Vermont. Mrs. Lake's father, A. S. Moulton, was a merchant 
and an old settler of Flandreau, South Dakota. The family have been 
Yankees as far back as can be traced. To Mr. and Mrs. Lake one son has 
been born, named Harold Moulton, born March 14, 1899. Our subject is a 
member of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Knights of Pythias. In 
political faith he is a Populist.