Clark H. Lamport 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 1041-1042

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

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CLARK H. LAMPORT, who has successfully operated one of the fine farms 
of Portage township for many years, and is a resident of section 20, 
township 128, range 60, has passed an eventful career, and a review of 
his life history will prove of interest to the reader. 

Mr. Lamport was born in Sauk county, Wisconsin, August 27, 1858, and 
was the eleventh in a family numbering fourteen children born to Joseph 
and Marietta (Demuth) Lamport, both of whom are deceased. His father 
was a native of England, and his mother was of German descent and born 
in Pennsylvania. After our subject reached his majority he and a 
companion shipped eight cows to Watertown, Dakota, and went to that 
place by rail. Upon arrival in Watertown they broke the cows to drive 
yoked, and with them as a four-yoked team they started overland for the 
Black Hills, crossing the James river at Bealcher's Ford, near 
Redfield, and they traveled over the country as far as Blunt without 
seeing a dwelling. Their trip taken as a whole was an enjoyable one and 
they landed in the Black Hills after a month spent in traveling. After 
a winter's stay in the Hills they started on the return trip via stage 
to Pierre. Arriving there they found the roads blocked and from March 3 
to April 6, our subject was stranded there and worked for his board. On 
the last named date, with one companion, he started down the Missouri 
river on a skiff, and arrived below Yankton on the ninth of April. They 
were floating over the bottoms in the gorged and widened river, and 
after getting into the main channel they were obliged to shoot a falls 
of some fifteen feet, and were swamped, and passed a most disagreeable 
night. It began to snow, and his companion, Mr. Rogers, while striving 
to land attempted to jump from the boat to the ice which projected from 
the shore and was lost. Our subject made his way home afoot and alone, 
without money, working his way and "roughing it." He went to Dakota in 
the spring of 1883 and began farming on his present land. He now owns a 
half-section of land,and is engaged in raising sheep and cattle. He has 
a flock of seven hundred sheep, and has recently made arrangements to 
retire from farm life, and will stock his farm with cows and sheep and 
tenant it. 

Our subject was married in 1881 to Miss Mary Rodacker. Mr. and Mrs. 
Lamport are the parents of three children, as follows: Joseph G., 
Ellery R. and Orrin C. Mr. Lamport holds membership in the Masonic 
fraternity, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Degree of 
Honor. He has been a conspicuous figure in the development of his 
township and county, and has served in various official positions. He 
is a Republican in political sentiment, and is a man who is strong in 
his convictions of right, and works zealously for the best local 
government. From the above it is readily seen that his success is due 
to his own efforts and labor, supplemented by his honest dealings. He 
went to Dakota as a young man, deeding to determine what lies in store 
for a man of energetic spirit in a newly settled region, and the estate 
which he now owns and the good reputation accorded him are ample reward 
for his earlie