C. C. Moulton 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 481-482

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

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C. C. MOULTON. The records of the lives of our forefathers are of 
interest to the modern citizen, not alone for their historical value 
but also for the inspiration and example they afford; yet we need not 
look to the past. Although surroundings may differ, the. essential 
conditions of human life are ever the same, and a man can learn from 
the success of those around him if he will heed the obvious lessons 
contained in their history. One of the most successful men of Faulkton, 
South Dakota, is C. C. Moulton and through his entire business career 
he has been looked upon as a model of integrity and honor, never making 
a contract that he has not fulfilled and standing to-day an example of 
what determination and force, combined with the highest degree of 
business integrity, can accomplish for a man of natural ability and 
strength of character. 

Mr. Moulton was born in Hartford, Connecticut, December 3, 1835, and is 
a son of Spencer and Chloe (Williston) Moulton, the former a native of 
New Hampshire, and the latter of West Springfield, Massachusetts, where 
their marriage was celebrated. Both were of English descent and 
belonged to families which were founded in this country prior to the 
Revolutionary war, in which struggle some of the maternal ancestors of 
our subject took part. The father, who was a paper and powder maker by 
trade invented the machine for sifting powder used to-day! and was 
foreman in a powder mill at East Hartford, Connecticut, for some years. 

Our subject is next to the youngest in a family of twelve children, and 
was principally reared in Springfield, Massachusetts. At the age of 
eight he commenced attending the common schools of Boston and remained 
in that city until twenty-five, five years of which time were devoted 
to the study of architecture with different contractors, as he was a 
natural builder. He then went to Springfield, where he worked two years 
in the Wasson car manufacturing shops, and at the end of that time 
embarked in business on his own account as a contractor and builder, 
being thus engaged in that city for twenty-two years. The largest 
building he constructed was the Barney & Berry skate factory at 
Springfield. He made the plans for the reform school in Hampden county, 
Massachusetts. In July, 1881, he removed to Minneapolis, Minneapolis, 
where he erected the Korkendall building owned by H. W. Phelps, at cost 
of one hundred and sixteen thousand dollars, and during his stay there 
of two years erected several other expensive buildings. 

Mr. Moulton was joined by his family in Minneapolis in 1882, and in 
March, the following year, came to Faulk county, South Dakota, to 
recuperate and to locate his son, W. C. Moulton, on a farm. At that 
time Faulkton contained but one store and there was no railroad west of 
Redfield. All his goods and supplies were hauled from Mellette, Spink 
county, but in two weeks from the time he arrived at that place he had 
a six-room house erected upon land which he had entered in Faulk 
county. For two years he engaged in agricultural pursuits and then 
removed to Faulkton, where he has since made his home, being engaged in 
loaning money and looking after his property interests. He owns several 
tenement houses here and seven farms in the county and is interested in 
raising cattle and horses. Out of the sixty contractors in Springfield, 
Massachusetts, he and one other were the only ones who survived the 
panic of 1872 and were able to meet all their obligations. He still 
owns a block of nine tenement houses and a store building at that 
place. 

In 1862, Mr. Moulton married Miss Susan C. Chapin, who was born in 
Warehouse Point, Connecticut, where her father, Henry Chapin, owned and 
operated the ferry between Warehouse Point and Windsor Locks, but later 
was in the boot and shoe business at Springfield, Massachusetts, where 
she was reared. Her early ancestors were among the Puritans who came to 
these shores in the "Mayflower" and she is of the ninth generation in 
descent from William Bradford, governor of the Plymouth colony. Of the 
three children born to our subject and his wife only one son, W. C., is 
now living. He is married and has one child, and was in the employ of 
the Great Northern Railroad Company at Pipestone, Minnesota, for twelve 
years after coming west and is still in their employ. 

Since casting his first presidential vote for John C. Fremont in 1856, 
Mr. Moulton has been a stanch supporter of the Republican party and 
served as chairman of the first Republican county convention held in 
Faulk county. For two years he was a member of the board of trustees of 
the reform school of this state, and in the spring of 1898 was elected 
mayor of Faulkton, an honor which was entirely unsolicited on his part. 
The reins of city government were never in more capable hands, as he is 
a public-spirited and progressive citizen, willing to do all in his 
power for the good of the community. He has been a member of the 
Masonic order since 1864, and formerly affiliated with the Knights of 
Honor and the Knights of Pythias. At the age of eighteen he united with 
the Methodist Episcopal church, but since coming to South Dakota has 
become a member of the Congregational church. He has always taken an 
active and prominent part in religious affairs; assisted in building 
the first church in Faulk county, and has served as superintendent of 
several Sunday schools. His estimable wife also takes an active 
interest in Sunday school and church work, and on account of their 
sterling worth and many excellencies of character both are held in high 
regard. Mrs. Moulton is past department president of W. R. C. of South 
Dakota.