H. E. Thissell 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. Page 939

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

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H. E. THISSELL has for eighteen years been a resident of Spink county, 
and has witnessed almost its entire development. He has seen its wild 
lands transformed into beautiful homes and farms, its hamlets grow into 
villages and flourishing towns and all of the interests and evidences 
of an advanced civilization introduced. In business life he has always 
kept pace with this progress and over his record there falls no shadow 
of wrong or suspicion of evil. He resides on section 10, Jefferson 
township, where he is extensively and successfully engaged in 
agricultural pursuits. 

Mr. Thissell was born in Lempster, Sullivan county, New Hampshire, July 
17, 1854, in which region his father engaged in farming and mercantile 
pursuits until his death in 1893. In 1860 the family removed to 
Washington, that state, where the father conducted a general store for 
seven years. Our subject, who is the youngest in a family of seven 
children, was reared on the home farm near Washington and his early 
education was such as the district schools of the neighborhood 
afforded, and, previous to the removal of the family to Goshen, New 
Hampshire, in 1878, he attended Tubb's Academy for two terms. 

In May, 1881, Mr. Thissell came to Spink county, South Dakota, and 
homesteaded the southeast quarter of section 10, Jefferson township, 
and also bought a relinquishment on a tree claim on section 4. 

The first year he broke twenty-three acres, which he planted in corn, 
beans and potatoes, and has since given his entire time and attention 
to the further development and cultivation of his farm. His wife filed 
a claim on the adjoining quarter-section on the north, and he has since 
purchased another quarter, making a fine farm six hundred and forty 
acres in extent. He now has about six hundred acres under a high state 
of cultivation, with four hundred and ninety acres planted to wheat and 
the rest to corn and potatoes. He winters about ten head of cattle and 
twenty horses used in the operation of his farm, and is just becoming 
interested in the raising of cattle and hogs for the market, having 
heretofore devoted his energies solely to the raising of grain. Among 
the other improvements upon his place is a very pleasant and commodious 
residence, a large barn, 42 x 40 feet, with fourteen-foot posts, with 
accommodation for thirty head of stock. He is quite extensively 
interested in poultry and now has about two hundred hens, principally 
brown leghorns, who produce about forty dozen eggs per week during the 
summer months. 

Mr. Thissell was married April 18, 1882, the lady of his choice being 
Miss Marcia A. Gove, of Goshen, New Hampshire, and they have since made 
their home upon his present farm. They are widely and favorably known 
and have a host of warm friends throughout their adopted county. In his 
political affiliations Mr. Thissell is a Democrat and is in favor of 
prohibition and woman's suffrage. Religiously, he and his wife hold 
membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, and, socially, he belongs 
to the Masonic lodge in Ashton.