H. E. Mayhew 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. Page 305

	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


HON. H. E. MAYHEW. There are few men in Sanborn county who have done 
more for its business interests and its growth and development than the 
man whose name heads this review. Without vain display he has moved on 
the even tenor of his way, and left his mark on almost everything that 
has served to make the city of his adoption take front rank among its 
sister cities in this section of the state. He has also been an 
important factor in public life and has been honored with prominent 
official positions. 

Mr. Mayhew is a native of New York State, born in 1841, of American 
parents, and is the second in a family of four children. When twelve 
years old he accompanied his parents on their removal to Wisconsin, 
where he grew to manhood upon a farm, completing his education in the 
Wayland University at Beaver Dam. At the age of twenty-four years, he 
was united in marriage with Miss Mertie B. Drown, a native of New 
Hampshire, whose father was a minister. After his marriage he returned 
to New York state, where he lived for five or six years, and then 
removed to Delavan, Minnesota, where he was engaged in the grain 
business for a number of years. 

In the spring of 1882, Mr. Mayhew came to Sanborn county, south Dakota, 
and took up land on section 19, Letcher township, and while proving up 
his claim lived in a little shanty, 14x12 feet, undergoing all the 
experiences incident to such a life. In 1883, when the Chicago, 
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad was continued from Mitchell, and the town 
of Letcher was located, Mr. Mayhew and a Mr. Heald were the first on 
the scene of action, the latter being appointed postmaster of the place 
before a building was erected. Our subject was agent for the town lot 
company, and the same year he purchased an interest in the Letcher 
"Blade," and later the plant. He was editor and publisher of the paper 
for sixteen years, during which time his paper was very influential in 
political circles and was instrumental in bringing many people into the 
state. Through all these years, Mr. Mayhew has continued to 
successfully engage in the real estate business. 

As a Republican, he has ever taken an active and prominent part in 
political affairs, and in 1884, at the organization of the county was 
appointed the first register of deeds. In 1896 he was elected state 
auditor, and most creditably served in that position for one term. He 
is quite prominent in Masonic circles, being a Knight Templar and a 
member of the Mystic Shrine. As a citizen he ever stands ready to 
discharge every duty devolving upon him, and the best years of his life 
have been given to the building up and advancement of his adopted city 
and county.