David Rose 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 719-720

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

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DAVID ROSE is the fortunate owner of one of the model farms of Spring 
Valley township, McCook county, and he may well be classed among the 
leading farmers of the community. He is one of the old settlers of the 
county, carefully selected his farm when he first arrived in the state, 
and ever since has devoted his time and energy to the cultivation and 
improvement of this tract of land, and is now enjoying the fruits of 
his efforts, a cozy home and a comfortable income. 

Mr. Rose was born in 1841, on Long Island, and his boyhood was spent 
there in the village of Patchogue, about half a mile from the shore of 
Great South Bay. His parents were both American born, but the father 
was of Scotch descent, his ancestors having come to this country in 
colonial times. The latter was a farmer, sailor and fisherman by 
occupation, and our subject also followed these lines of work, helping 
his father while not in school during the summer months. At the age of 
seventeen years he started in life for himself as a sailor on vessels 
doing coast line service. He followed this occupation for thirty-five 
years, although he had many narrow escapes from drowning, and once in a 
storm the vessel was completely stripped of everything on deck, masts 
and all. 

In 1863 Mr. Rose enlisted in Company B, Fifty-fourth New York 
Volunteers, and was sent to South Carolina under Shimmelfinney, and saw 
considerable service about the small islands off the coast of that 
state. 

He participated in many skirmishes and minor engagements, being on 
raids most of the time. He was in South Carolina at the time Sherman 
captured Johnston, and helped to hold Charleston after it had 
surrendered. He helped to build the railroad from Branchville to 
Aaronsburg, the line that Sherman had to tear up and then rebuild. Soon 
after this he was taken sick of a fever from the effects of which he 
has never fully recovered. He was afterward put on garrison duty in 
South Carolina, and was thus engaged until 1866. He then went home and 
resumed his former occupation for two or three years and then moved to 
Minnesota and settled on an eighty-acre farm. This farm produced well, 
but it was much too small, so in 1 882 he went to McCook county, South 
Dakota, and filed claims to the southwest quarter of section 28, and 
the southeast quarter of section 33, Spring Valley township. 

For the first three or four years, Mr. Rose found it very difficult to 
make ends meet. The farm was unbroken and unimproved, and before there 
could be much improving done it had to be cleared of stones, so it was 
a long time until the place began to repay him for his labor. He has 
now two hundred and twenty acres under cultivation and the buildings 
are substantial and convenient in their arrangement, and are pleasantly 
situated in a little grove, and altogether make a very beautiful home. 
Mr. Rose has conducted a general farming business since settling in 
Dakota, and for the first few years he engaged to considerable extent 
in stock raising, but failing health and old age have unfitted him for 
that line of work and he is confining his efforts more and more to the 
products of the field. It is his intention to soon rent the farm and 
spend the evening of his life in retirement. In politics our subject is 
a Republican, and with one exception, has voted that ticket ever since 
he attained his majority. He and his wife are both members of the 
Presbyterian church. 

Mrs. Rose, who bore the maiden name of Miss Mary J. Goodrich, is an 
American lady, her ancestors having lived in this country for many 
generations. She was united in marriage to the subject of our sketch in 
January, 1862, and their wedded life has been blessed by the advent of 
a family of six children, five of whom are living, and of whom we have 
the following record: Addie Jane, Everet, Emma May, Charlie and Ellie. 
All the children are grown and away from home, and all are married 
except Charlie.