George H. Stoddard 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 533-534

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

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GEORGE H. STODDARD, a well known and highly esteemed citizen of Faulk 
county, is now most creditably and satisfactorily filling the office of 
register of deeds, to which position he was elected in the fall of 1898 
on the Republican ticket. He is a recognized leader of that party in 
his community and does all in his power to advance its interests and 
insure its success. He also takes an active interest in educational 
affairs, and has served as school clerk for three years and a half. 

Mr. Stoddard was born in 1857 at Brady's Bend, sixty miles from 
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, a son of Holmes and Ellen (Davis) Stoddard, in 
whose family were nine children, our subject being the second in order 
of birth. The father, who was an iron worker, was born in this country, 
as was also the grandfather, but the great-grandfather was a native of 
England. He came to America prior to the Revolutionary war, and when 
the colonies took up arms against the mother country he aided them, as 
a soldier of the Continental army, in achieving their independence. The 
mother of our subject was born in England and came to the United States 
with her parents when a girl of fourteen years. Her father, John Davis, 
was also an iron worker. 

When three years of age George H. Stoddard accompanied his parents on 
their removal to Elmira, New York, where he grew to manhood and was 
educated, graduating from the high school at that place. There he later 
engaged in clerking in a store for five months, and for three years was 
employed as an iron worker. About 1878 he became connected with 
railroading as a brakeman and held that position for four years. Coming 
west, he landed in Faulk county, South Dakota, March 24, 1883, and 
immediately took up a homestead on which he erected a claim shanty, 10 
x 12 feet. At first he and two companions engaged in farming together, 
owning between them three horses, a yoke of cattle. a plow, mowers, 
etc. At that time all supplies had to be hauled from Northville, a 
distance of twenty miles. Mr. Stoddard started here with a capital of 
seven hundred and fifty dollars, and is now the owner of a valuable 
farm of three hundred and twenty acres, two hundred of which he has 
placed under a high state of cultivation and improved with good and 
substantial buildings. He continued to actively engage in agricultural 
pursuits until January, 1899, when he removed to Faulkton to assume the 
duties of his present office. In the fall of 1885 his entire property 
was destroyed by fire, including house, barn, granary, hay, etc., his 
whole quarter-section being burned black. His loss amounted to over one 
thousand dollars. Notwithstanding this misfortune he has prospered in 
his adopted state. He is engaged principally in the raising of grain 
and his crops have averaged ten bushels per acre. 

In 1885 Mr. Stoddard led to the marriage altar Miss Elfie N. Deloy, a 
native of Wisconsin and a daughter of Joseph Deloy, a farmer who was 
born in France, and was proud of his French descent. To our subject and 
his wife have been born six children, namely: George E., Charles E., 
Mary E., Ruth M., Florence E. and Clarence D. H. The parents are 
earnest and consistent members of the Congregational church of Myron, 
Faulk county, and socially Mr. Stoddard belongs to the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen.