John Mannings 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 854-855

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

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.

	This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
	a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


JOHN MANNINGS. One of the finest estates in Great Bend township, known 
as the "Beebe & Miller farm," is controlled by the subject of this 
review and his sons, and they have made a success of their calling and 
are among the prominent men of Spink county. The home is located on 
section 27, and the surroundings indicate comfort and even luxury, a 
fit reward for one who has gained his wealth through the hardest of 
struggles and strictest honesty. Mr. Mannings is a loyal citizen. who 
gave the years of the Civil war to the cause of his country and went 
bravely through the service, leaving an unsullied record on the pages 
of that history. 

Our subject was born in London, England, January 11, 1841. He was 
reared by his uncle and aunt, Thomas and Elizabeth Mannings, both of 
whom are deceased. At the age of seven years he accompanied his uncle 
to America, and they located in Ozaukee county, Wisconsin, and removed 
to Minnesota in 1857. Our subject enlisted in Company K. First 
Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, May 5, 1861, and was sent direct to 
Washington, thence to Alexandria, and was engaged in the first battle 
of Bull Run, receiving in this engagement a bayonet wound. Then 
followed Balls Bluff, the Valley campaign, Yorktown, Fair Oaks, Seven 
Days' battle, Harrison's Landing and Antietam, where our subject was 
wounded by a ball in the forearm. Following this came Gettysburg, where 
the First Minnesota won renown in their brilliant charge; Bristow 
Station, Mine Run, Deep Bottom, Reams' Station, Hatcher's Run and 
Appomattox. He enlisted in the heavy artillery in September, 1865, held 
the rank of sergeant, and was mustered out at Chattanooga. Returning to 
Winona, Minnesota, he accepted the position of janitor of the normal 
school, which position he held for eight years, after which, on the 
advice of his doctor, he left his work and went to Dakota. He had taken 
land the year previous near Redfield, and located on the farm in the 
spring of 1881. Fanning here did not prove successful and he removed to 
his present location on the Jim river, in 1890, and now has one of the 
best stock farms in that region, the location and land being admirably 
adapted to this branch of agriculture. He controls about twelve hundred 
acres, and has six hundred to one thousand acres under cultivation. 

Mr. Mannings has an able helpmeet in the person of Mrs. Mannings, whose 
maiden name was Evelyn S. Gillman, whom he married in 1867. She is a 
native of New England, and is a lady of high standing, and mistress of 
a home where their children have grown to maturity with the training 
becoming to peace loving people. Six children have blessed the home of 
Mr. and Mrs. Mannings, as follows: Arthur J., deceased; Charles E., a 
member of the fire department of Fargo, North Dakota; Bert, who is 
interested in the work with his father; Clarence L., Lucy end None, the 
last three named residing at home. Our subject is prominent in matters 
of local importance and is a member of the township board, and an 
ardent worker for the welfare of his community. He keeps abreast of the 
times, and advocates reform, supporting the movements for temperance 
and equal suffrage. In political faith he is a Republican.