Frank Sauter 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 1038-1041

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

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FRANK SAUTER, a representative farmer and highly esteemed citizen of 
Twin Lake township, Sanborn county, residing on the southwest quarter 
of section 12, is a man whose sound common sense and vigorous, able 
management of his affairs have been important factors in his success, 
and with his undoubted integrity of character have given him an 
honorable position among his fellow men. A portrait of Mr. Sauter is 
presented on another page of this volume. 

Mr. Sauter was born in Wisconsin, in 1861, of German parentage, and was 
reared upon the home farm, his education being acquired in the country 
schools of the neighborhood, which he attended during the winter months 
only for a few years. At the age of thirteen he left home and began 
working in a cigar factory, where he was employed for three years. 
Subsequently he worked in a sawmill and in the lumber woods during the 
winter months and upon farms during the summer season. 

After working as a harvest-hand in Minnesota, Mr. Sauter came to 
Mitchell, South Dakota, in 1882, and was employed on the Chicago, 
Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad, then being built north through Sanborn 
county. In the fall of that year he took up the southwest quarter of 
section 12, Twin Lake township, and in the spring of 1883 he had five 
acres broken and planted in corn, potatoes and beans. This was one of 
the best crops he has ever raised since coming to the state, the beans 
surpassing any that he has ever seen, but the acreage was small. Mr. 
Sauter continued working for the railroad off and on until the spring 
of 1885, when he purchased a yoke of steers and commenced farming in 
earnest. When he erected upon his place his little board shanty, 8 x 12 
feet, there were scarcely six buildings in Twin Lake township. In 1883 
he constructed a sod barn for his oxen, but he now has good and 
substantial buildings upon the farm, including a neat residence, and 
barn, 28 x 40 feet, with a basement, granary, corn cribs, chicken 
house, etc. Besides the homestead, which he originally entered from the 
government, he now owns the northwest quarter of section 13, Twin Lake 
township, having bought a contestant's interest in the same. He has 
placed one hundred and sixty acres under cultivation and has one 
hundred and thirty acres in pasture land. He is about the only one in 
his locality who has met with success as a fruit grower, but upon his 
place is a fine variety of raspberries, gooseberries, currants and wild 
plums, which are doing well. He has a good assortment of modern 
machinery for the operation of his land and has a well of soft water, 
162 feet deep, with a windmill. For six years he continued to break and 
cultivate his land with the oxen he first purchased, but now has 
twenty-three head of good cattle and horses. He is a thorough and 
systematic farmer, who has met with a well-deserved success in his 
undertakings. 

Until 1896 Mr. Sauter was never identified with any political party, 
but, being in favor of the free coinage of silver, he voted for William 
J. Bryan that year and now affiliates with the Democratic party. He has 
served as road supervisor for the past three years to the satisfaction 
of all concerned. Mr. Sauter has the finest grove in the township, 
containing ten acres.