Abraham S. Palmer 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 871-872

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

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ABRAHAM S. PALMER. The three stepping stones to success, perseverance, 
industry and honesty, have been combined in the subject of this review. 
He started with no resources except the tools with which nture endowed 
him and he has gained a comfortable competence and the respect of his 
fellow men. He is proprietor of a fine estate in Groton township, Brown 
county, and makes his home in the town of Groton, where he also owns 
considerable property. 

Mr. Palmer was born in Barrow, Lancashire county, England, March 6, 
1852, and was the son of Richard and Grace (Slatter) Palmer. His father 
was a farmer in England and died when our subject was but two years of 
age. His grandfather, Abraham Slatter, was also a farmer by occupation. 
His mother's cousin, William Slatter, was in the House of Lords in 
England. 

Our subject was the second in a family of three children, and was 
raised on a farm in his native country. At the age of twelve years he 
left home and worked out at farm work, receiving seven dollars and a 
half for six months' work, also his board. When about fifteen years of 
age he worked with a surveying crew two years and earned seven dollars 
and a half per week, and at twenty years of age came to America and 
visited relatives in Canada. He spent three or four years there working 
at farm work and tree selling, and in 1878 he returned to England for 
one year. He next came to Michigan and worked in the iron mines for two 
years, and while employed there he witnessed the death of a fellow 
laborer, caused by ore falling upon him from the hangings above. Our 
subject was the strongest man in the mine where he worked, and at one 
time the men loaded his wheelbarrow with a half ton of ore and he 
wheeled it from the pit to the shaft, a feat which could not be 
duplicated by any other man in the mine. He went from Michigan to 
Minneapolis, Minnesota, and for two years worked as a stone mason and 
in the flouring mills, and in the spring of 1882 he went to Groton, 
South Dakota, and took as a pre-emption the northeast quarter of 
section 5, township 123, range 60, and later filed a homestead claim. 
He erected an 8 x 12 shanty and lived as a bachelor the first summer. 
He had nothing when he landed there and did not engage in farming to 
any extent until 1888. He started the first barber shop in Groton and 
continued it until 1888, about seven years, when he disposed of his 
business and has since engaged in farming. He now owns one hundred and 
sixty acres and operates six hundred and forty acres, and engages 
mostly in grain raising. He resides in the city of Groton, where he 
owns ten acres of lot property. In 1892 he lost about one hundred acres 
of wheat by hail, but he has persevered despite these discouragements, 
and is one of the substantial men of his township. When he built his 
shanty on his pre-emption there were but three or four other shanties 
in sight, and the present appearance of that vicinity is indeed 
gratifying to the men who worked during those early days. 

Our subject was married, June 25, 1894, to Miss Katherine J. Hacket, a 
native of Michigan, who went to Dakota with her parents when seventeen 
years of age. Her father, U. S. Hacket, was an old settler in Dakota 
and a wealthy farmer. Mr. Palmer is a Republican in political 
sentiment, and is a gentleman who keeps abreast of the times in all 
public affairs. He has made a success in his adopted land, and entirely 
through the exercise of his own energetic efforts, and may be truly 
classed among the self-made men of his community.