William Lehman 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 568-569

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

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WILLIAM LEHMAN. Faulk county has many well-to-do and successful farmers 
who are the architects of their own fortunes and have borne an 
important part in the upbuilding, and development of this section of 
the state. Prominent among these is the subject of this personal 
history, who was born in the province of Posen, Germany, October 21, 
1860, a son of Frederick and Minnie (Sievert) Lehman, who were born, 
reared and married in that country. There the father, who was a farmer 
and carpenter by occupation, continued to make his home throughout 
life. After his death the mother married again, and in 1879 came with 
the family to America. They landed in New York and at once proceeded 
westward to Minnesota. 

Our subject, who was the oldest in a family of five children, was 
mostly educated in the schools of his native land, but to a limited 
extent attended school after the emigration of the family to America. 
During his residence in Minnesota, he was employed as a farm hand most 
of the time. In the spring of 1883 he came to Faulk county, South 
Dakota, and located on the northeast quarter of section 4, township 
119, range 68, which had not yet been surveyed. No roads had been laid 
out, and as far as the eye could reach nothing was to be seen except 
burned prairie. His little board shanty, eight by ten feet, was one of 
the first in the neighborhood, and in it he lived alone for a year, 
during which time he worked for others, digging wells. In 1884 he 
commenced to improve and cultivate his land, his stock at that time 
consisting of two horses and one cow, but he is now quite extensively 
engaged in the raising of cattle, horses and sheep. He has steadily 
prospered since coming to this state, and is now the owner of six 
hundred and forty acres, of which two hundred and sixty-seven acres are 
under a high state of cultivation, the remainder being pasture. In 
addition to other improvements he has two good wells, one of which has 
a windmill attached. He has set out fruit trees, and now has a good 
residence in two parts, sixteen by twenty six feet and fourteen by 
twenty feet, with a kitchen twelve by fourteen feet. 

In 1884 Mr. Lehman was united in marriage with Miss Emma Sitz, a native 
of Wisconsin and a daughter of August Sitz, who was born,in Germany and 
for a time served as a soldier in the German army. In 1855 he emigrated 
to the United States and first located in Wisconsin, but when Mrs. 
Lehman was ten years old, he removed with his family to Iowa; later 
went to California and subsequently to Oregon and Nebraska; and is now 
engaged in farming in the Indian Territory. The children born to our 
subject and his wife are Nina, Emma, Amanda, Anetta, Mattie, Lizzie, 
Freda, Erich and Edwin. 

In his political views Mr. Lehman is a pronounced Republican, who takes 
an active interest in public affairs and attends the county conventions 
of his party. He and his family hold membership in the German Lutheran 
church and receive and merit the respect and esteem of all who know 
them.