Robert J. McCarthy Bigoraphy 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 411-412 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 ROBERT J. McCARTHY. Prominent among the early settlers of Hand county who have witnessed the marvelous development of this state during the past fifteen years, and who have, by honest toil and perseverance, succeeded in making for themselves and families a comfortable home, is the gentleman whose name introduces this sketch. He resides on section 19, York township, and is actively and successfully engaged in agricultural pursuits. Mr. McCarthy is a native of New York, his birth having occurred in Westchester county, October 29, 1 85 5. His parents were George and Mary McCarthy, of whom mention is made in the sketch of George McCarthy on another page of this work. The first twelve years of his life our subject passed in his native county, and then accompanied the family on their removal to Monroe county, New York, where he later engaged in farming until 1883. In that state he was married, in 1874, to Miss Helen Lane, a native of Monroe county, who died in 1881, leaving two children: George A. and Cora M., now the wife of Grant Ditch, of Hand county, South Dakota. Mr. McCarthy was again married, in 1882, his second union being with Miss. Rose Hollenbeck, also a native of Monroe county, New York, and to them have been. born four children, who are all living, namely: Ella R., Robert, Elmer and Hattie. Mrs. McCarthy was the daughter of Miland and Demilah (Baxter) Hollenbeck, the former a native of Holland, who served in the army and died in the service during the Civil war. The mother was a native of Hamlin, Monroe county, New York. In 1883, Mr. McCarthy came to Hand county, South Dakota, and took up a claim on the southwest quarter of section 2, Carleton township, on which he remained for six months. He then returned to New York and brought his family to this state in 1884, at which time he took up a homestead on the northeast quarter of section 19, York township, Hand county. He is now the owner of a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres, which he has placed under a high state of cultivation, and follows both farming and stock raising with marked success. Politically, Mr. McCarthy gives his allegiance to the men and measures of the Democracy, and has held several local offices in the gift of the people. He is one of the representative men of his community and well merits the high regard in which he is held by all who know him.