William Pexton 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 897-898

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

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WILLIAM PEXTON. A prominent place as a representative farmer of Benton 
township, in Spink county, and one of the pioneer settlers of that 
region should be accorded the subject of this review. He is one of the 
loyal citizens who risked his life and went to his country's cause, 
serving bravely throughout the struggle. He is a tradesman and his 
present calling has dated from his settlement in his present home, but 
possessed of an abundance of energy, business ability and integrity he 
has succeeded and is now one of the well-to-do agriculturists of South 
Dakota. His comfortable home is located on section 32 and he is 
surrounded by the comforts of life, passing his declining years in 
peace and plenty. 

Mr. Pexton was born in Oneida county, New York, in 1832. His parents 
were natives of England and emigrated to America about 1829 from 
Yorkshire, England. His father was a butcher and furrier and followed 
this occupation in New York until his death. Our subject was reared in 
Westmoreland and received a common-school education, and at the age of 
fifteen years was apprenticed to the harness maker's trade, serving 
four years, after which he established a harness shop for himself. 
After one year his health failed and he went to the Hudson river, 
working on the steam boats plying on the river. After one year he run a 
boat on the Erie canal and the following year learned the molder's 
trade, following this for three years. He went to Iowa in 1858 and was 
employed in a hotel in Grinnell for four years. 

Mr. Pexton enlisted in Company B, Fortieth Iowa Infantry in 1862 and 
was immediately sent to Columbus, Kentucky. He was in the campaign 
around Vicksburg and on Steele's expedition to the capture of Little 
Rock, Arkansas. He went with General Steele to Camden, Arkansas, in the 
spring of 1864, and was next in the battle of Jenkin's Ferry and later 
was at Fort Gibson. He was mustered out in Iowa in 1865 after three 
years of active service. 

After the war he returned to Grinnell, Iowa, and followed the harness-
maker's trade one year, and then, having learned the trade of 
carpenter, worked at the latter until 1882, when he went to Dakota and 
located on his present farm. He erected a dwelling and barn in the fall 
of 1882, shipping the lumber from Grinnell in shape to be put together 
upon arrival at the new home, and the following spring his family 
joined him. At that time the nearest neighbor was five miles distant 
and there were few shanties to be found. During the winter of 1883-84 
an antelope made his winter quarters in a straw pile on the farm of our 
subject. The land is now well improved and about two hundred acres is 
under cultivation. A complete set of farm buildings make a valuable 
property, and a visit to the farm convinces one of the prosperity 
attendant upon its owner. Our subject has engaged principally in wheat 
raising, but is interested to some extent in the raising of stock. 

Mr. Pexton was married in 1878 to Mrs. Maria Abbott, a native of LeRoy, 
New York, and the daughter of a farmer. Mrs. Pexton's previous marriage 
was to M. W. Abbott, a mason by trade. Mrs. Pexton is a lady of high 
education and was a teacher previous to her marriage. 

Our subject is one of the principal citizens of Spink county, and has 
held prominent positions wherever he resided. In Iowa he was city 
marshal of Grinnell, and is a member of the Iowa Legion of Honor. In 
political views he is a Republican, and stands firmly for the 
principles advocated by his party. He is an ardent worker for the 
advancement of his community, and well deserves the high esteem in 
which he is held by his fellows.