Alanson McLaughlin 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 918-919

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

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ALANSON McLAUGHLIN, whose home is in Wilbur township, has contributed 
much to the development and prosperity of Brule county, and the eastern 
portion of that county bears many evidences of his handiwork in the 
form of substantial residences and other structures, the product of his 
skill of carpentry. 

Mr. McLaughlin was born in the state of Pennsylvania, February 15, 
1830, the eldest in a family of twelve children born to Henry and Laura 
(Ford) McLaughlin. This family was originally of Irish extraction, but 
by intermarriages the present generation is so thoroughly Americanized 
that it is difficult to trace the lines of descent by nationalities. 

Our subject in his youth took up the trade of carpenter, serving an 
apprenticeship of three years. He went to Clinton county, Iowa, when 
about twenty-five years of age and followed his trade there for some 
time. In 1862, August 9, he enlisted in Company H, Twenty-sixth Iowa 
Volunteer Infantry, as a private. He went at once to the seat of 
activities and took part in the siege of Vicksburg and at Arkansas Post 
was wounded in the head by a buckshot and had his right arm pierced by 
a minie ball. He did not leave the ranks, refusing to go to the 
hospital, and after this engagement was promoted to be sergeant. He 
also took part in the battles of Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain and 
Atlanta and then joined Sherman's army on its march to the sea. After 
the grand review at Washington, D. C., he received his honorable 
discharge and returned home and again took up his trade. 

In 1883 he was employed by a neighbor to go to Dakota and erect a house 
on a farm in Brule county. After its completion he found plenty of 
employment and secured his land in 1884. His sons took charge of the 
farm, while the father continued to work at his trade, by means of 
which he provided for the wants of his family. The sons engaged in 
wheat raising, in which they have succeeded, the farm not being adapted 
to stock on account of a lack of water. 

In 1855 our subject was married to Miss Nancy J. Betts, a native of 
Crawford county, Pennsylvania, born January 1, 1834. To this union six 
children have been born as follows: Eugene, Laura E., now Mrs. J. H. 
Pulcifer, living in Wisconsin; Carrie J., now Mrs. J. H. Foster, now 
living in Iowa; W. Luverne, living at Stevens Point, Wisconsin. The 
last two are twins, Maude, now Mrs. C. D. Hammel, of Brule county, and 
Claude, who has charge of the home farm. 

In political sentiment Mr. McLaughlin was in his early manhood a 
Democrat. He joined the Greenback party upon its organization, however, 
and is now an earnest supporter of the Populist doctrines, and was a 
member and active organizer of that party in Brule county when the new 
party first came into being. He favors state control of the liquor 
traffic, and equal suffrage. His services have been in almost constant 
demand in public places, he having served as assessor of his' township 
six years, as school treasurer seven years, and has served a number of 
terms on the township board.