James A. Payne 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 774-775

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

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JAMES A. PAYNE is a worthy representative of the better farming classes 
of Beadle county, South Dakota, where he holds large landed interests, 
and has his residence on the southeast quarter of section 27, Altoona 
township. He is a pioneer of the county. 

Mr. Payne was born in the province of Ontario, Canada, February 17, 
1851, the third child in order of birth of a family of six children 
born to David and Ellen (Comer) Payne. The parents were natives of 
England, and emigrated to the province of Ontario and invested in a 
farm. Here our subject was reared and schooled in the common schools 
until he was twenty years of age, when he went to Michigan and engaged 
in the lumber business. He afterward learned the blacksmith's trade, 
working at it in Michigan Center for seven years. He then returned to 
Canada and farmed for three years. In May, 1881, he went to Dakota, 
accompanied by his family, and arrived in that territory with a few 
household goods and seventy - five dollars in money. He brought with 
him to Altoona, later known as Altoona P. O., and now as Hitchcock, the 
first load of lumber, and erected a shanty, 16 x 32 feet, which served 
as a hotel for some time. Mrs. Payne was the first white woman to take 
up her permanent home in the township. Our subject took up land in 
section 27, Altoona township, erected a small sodded shanty thereon, in 
which he took up his residence. One night, a few weeks after its 
completion, the sod shanty was blown down during a storm, and Mr. Payne 
and his family were compelled to make their way in the darkness and 
rain to the house of a neighbor. This house was also carried off its 
foundation, and the two families sheltered themselves as best they 
could behind a sod wall, and awaited the coming of daylight. In 1882 
our subject located his homestead, where he now resides, and erected a 
small house. This structure was burned down in 1891, and he purchased 
the house in which he now lives. During the early days his funds were 
so low that he could not begin farming at once, but was compelled to 
find employment on the railroad, then purchased a yoke of oxen, with 
which he broke land for his neighbors, and was finally able to buy 
machinery for himself with which to cultivate his own land. He is now 
the fortunate possessor of four hundred and eighty acres of excellent 
lands, and annually cultivates to crops from three hundred to four 
hundred acres. 

Mr. Payne was married, in 1876, to Miss Sophronia Murdiff, a native of 
the province of Ontario, Canada, born April 12, 1861. They are the 
parents of ten children, named as follows: Lillian, a public school 
teacher of Beadle county; Fred H., at home conducting the farm; Maude 
E.; Mary; Alice; Emily; Florence; Arthur; Leah; and Grace. Mr. Payne 
holds membership in the A. O. U. W., the Modern Woodmen of America, and 
both he and Mrs. Payne belong to the Degree of Honor. In politics our 
subject is a Populist, favors state control of the liquor traffic, and 
advocates equal suffrage.