James M. Miles 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 865-866

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

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


JAMES M. MILES, editor and proprietor of the "Redfield Press," of 
Redfield, Spink county, is a native of Clinton county, New York, and 
was born April 25, 1848. He was the youngest of seven children born to 
Moore and Mary (Cummings) Miles. When a boy he became a resident of 
Dane county, Wisconsin, where he lived until he reached his majority, 
and went to Dodge county, Minnesota. Seventeen years of the earlier 
part of his life he spent in the school room, teaching and taking a 
course of study in the Madison University, of Wisconsin, and served as 
superintendent of schools in Dodge county. He began his newspaper 
career in 1879, by purchasing the "Dodge Center Press," which sheet he 
published for one year. He located in Brookings, Dakota, in 1880, and 
published the "Sioux Valley Journal" for two years, after which he went 
to Redfield and edited the "Redfield Journal." He was appointed clerk 
of courts of Faulk county, in 1885, and resided near Faulkton for the 
succeeding four years, engaging also in agriculture. He developed a 
very fine system of truck gardening by irrigation. He purchased fifteen 
acres of land near Redfield, and irrigated it by ditches from an 
artesian well, and soon had a garden which was the pride of the county. 
Fruits and vegetables of all kinds were raised and found a ready sale. 
Others entered into. the same line of work, and soon the market was 
over supplied, but as a demonstration of what can be done in Dakota 
gardening it was a decided success. 

In partnership with J. M. Beidleman, in 1894 our subject became 
proprietor of the paper which he now edits, and in 1897 he became sole 
owner. His office is well fitted, and the machinery is of the best and 
is operated by water power from the artesian well. The job printing 
department is one of the best to be found, and the fine specimens which 
it turns out evidence the painstaking care with which Mr. Miles 
supervises the work. "The Redfield Press" stands strictly for 
Republican and prohibition principles, and as a party paper it has a 
reputation for cleanness, strength and brilliancy. 

Mr. Miles was married in 1873 to Miss Francena Burdette, who death 
occurred in 1875. He remarried in 1878, Miss Ella Greenwood, of 
Mankato, Minnesota, becoming his wife. Mrs. Miles is a lady of rare 
attainments, and is a graduate of the Mankato Normal, and was a teacher 
in the Normal schools for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Miles are the 
parents of three children: Leona, deceased; Lou E., a graduate of 
Redfield High School, and Lee M. Both tour subject and his wife are 
prominent members of the Congregational church. The family have a large 
circle of acquaintances, and are highly esteemed.