John B. Lumbra 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 922-925

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

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
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	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


JOHN B. LUMBRA, a pioneer settler of Brown county, who by dint of 
energetic effort and good management, has become one of the well-to-do 
men of the township of Riverside, was born in Quebec, Canada, March 24, 
1835. A portrait of Mr. Lumbra is presented on another page of this 
work. 

The father of our subject, John B. Lumbra, was a farmer in Canada and 
later came to the United States and worked in the lumber mills in 
Franklin county, Vermont. The mother of our subject, whose maiden name 
was Mary St. John, was born and raised in Canada, and both parents of 
our subject were of French descent. In a family consisting of seven 
sons and, one daughter, our subject was the eldest. All of his brothers 
are mechanics in Montgomery, Vermont. He moved to that state with his 
parents when he was but eight years of age, and was given little 
opportunity for schooling, acquiring his knowledge in other ways. He 
left home at the age of fourteen years and worked for William H. Stiles 
fourteen years, and it was under his guidance that he learned the 
mechanic's trade. 

Mr. Lumbra entered a partnership in the lumber business in 1863, 
manufacturing lath, shingles, butter tubs, etc. The partnership was 
dissolved in 1867 and our subject purchased a grist mill, which he 
operated four years. He erected a lumber mill in 1871 or 1872 and 
manufactured lath, shingles, etc., for seven years, making a success of 
that industry. He meantime dealt in real estate, and many of the farms 
near Montgomery he has owned from time to time. When he left that 
location he had real estate interests comprising 1600 acres, and in 
1882 he disposed of all of his interests in Vermont and came to Brown 
county, South Dakota, and purchased a relinquishment of the northeast 
quarter of section 9, township 124, range 61, and also one on section 
4, same township and range. He shipped the lumber for his house and 
barn, cut ready to fit together, and during the summer lived with 
neighbors, erecting his house in the fall. It was in two parts, one 20 
x 26 feet, and the other 20 x 18 feet, and he built a barn 54 x 54 
feet. These were practically the first buildings erected in the 
township and are still the best in the neighborhood. He raised his 
first crop in 1883, and from the following year until 1890 his -crops 
averaged over twenty-two bushels per acre, the best average recorded in 
southeastern Brown county. He now has a farm of three hundred and 
twenty acres, and in 1899 operated six hundred acres. He uses the 
latest pattern machinery and has a complete set of fine farm buildings 
for the sheltering of his stock and grain, and. a substantial residence 
for the comfort of the family. He has twelve of the best farm horses in 
the county and his stock is of the best throughout. A grove of forest 
trees five acres in extent is one of the features of the farm and adds 
to the beauty of the place. He engages principally in grain raising, 
and in 1898 raised seven thousand four hundred and seventy bushels of 
wheat and two thousand bushels of horse feed. 

Mr. Lumbra was married in 1859 to Miss Mary Menouch, a native of 
Vermont. Mrs. Lumbra's parents were of French descent, and were farmers 
in Vermont. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lumbra, as 
follows: Harvey, Clarie and Albertie. Mr. Lumbra is a progressive and 
influential citizen, and well merits his success. Politically he is a 
Republican, and stands firm for his convictions.