R. S. Vessey 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 595-596

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

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.

	This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
	a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


R. S. VESSEY. Few men are more prominent or more widely known in the 
enterprising village of Wessington Springs, South Dakota, than R. S. 
Vessey, the junior member of the mercantile firm of Albert & Vessey. He 
is a prominent factor in business circles and his popularity is well 
deserved. as in him are embraced the characteristics of an unbending 
integrity, unabated energy and industry that never flags. 

Mr. Vessey is a native of Wisconsin, born on a farm in Winnebago 
county, in 1858, and is a son of Charles and Jane Vessey, natives of 
England and Ireland, respectively. The father was engaged in business 
in Liverpool up to the time of his emigration to America. The mother 
was reared on the Isle of Man, and about 1850 came to America with her 
parents to locate at Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Her father, who was a minister 
of the Methodist Episcopal church, took an active part in the early 
revolution in Ireland. 

The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm four miles from 
Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and attended the common schools of the locality 
until thirteen years of age, after which he was a student in a 
commercial college at Oshkosh. Leaving home at the age of sixteen years 
he went to the pineries of Northern Wisconsin. After attaining his 
majority he spent a year in Texas, Kansas and other southern states, 
and then returned to the pineries of Wisconsin, being employed as 
foreman of a camp during the last year he was there. In 1882, he 
married Miss Florence Albert, who was born near Oshkosh, in 1861, her 
father being engaged in the lumber business at that place. 

In 1883, Mr. Vessey came to Jerauld county, South Dakota, and located 
in Pleasant township before it was surveyed, living in a claim shanty 
there for two months, or until a house could be built. That year he put 
up two hundred and eighty feet of sod wall. The only thing that then 
marked the site of Wessington Springs was a pile of lumber where his 
store now stands. He embarked in the sheep business and continued to 
reside upon his farm until his wife's failing health compelled him to 
remove to the village of Wessington Springs. As a member of the firm of 
Vessey Brothers, Ransom & Company, he was interested 
in the general store in the Hansel building, now occupied by Jewel & 
Shaefer. In 1885 the firm built a corner store on lot 1, block 12, and 
two years later Albert & Vessey succeeded to the business. Under the 
present style business has since been conducted. In 1888 their 
buildings and nearly all of the stock was destroyed by fire, after 
which they were located temporarily in the east end of town, and in 
1891 moved to their present location, where they have a good store 
building 24 x 80 feet. The first store occupied by the firm was only 16 
x 30 feet, but as their trade has gradually increased they have been 
forced to enlarge their stock, and now have the largest store in 
Wessington Springs. They also do the largest amount of business in the 
place, having by fair and honorable dealing gained the confidence and 
support of the entire community. Mr. Vessey still owns the farm taken 
up from the government in early days, but disposed of his sheep 
business in 1888. He is, however, interested in the cattle business as 
a member of the R. S. Vessey Cattle Company, which during the summer 
expects to handle four hundred head of cattle. They have a pasture 
covering two thousand two hundred acres, the largest in the county. Our 
subject was also one of the three incorporators of the Dakota Southern 
Telephone Company. He is public-spirited and thoroughly interested in 
whatever tends to promote the moral, social and material welfare of his 
town and county. As a Republican, he takes an active part in politics 
and was a member of the last territorial convention of his party. 
Religiously, he holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church.