Benjamin Warner 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 842-843

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

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BENJAMIN WARNER. Among the little band of pioneers to whom Spink county 
owes much for its present development and prosperity, the gentleman 
whose name heads this article is deserving of prominent mention. His 
residence is located on section 4, Richfield township, where he has 
demonstrated the adaptability of that region for general farming. 

Benjamin Warner was born in the state of New York, May 27, 1848, on the 
same farm where his father was born, and which owed its early 
cultivation to the industry of his grandfather. Our subject's mother 
was also born in New York, and she is now living on the old farm in 
Montgomery county. 

The Warner family emigrated to America in colonial days, and were 
identified with some of the most important events in the history of 
this country. 

Mr. Warner grew to maturity and was educated in his native state. He 
farmed for sixteen years on the old farm, and then in 1882 emigrated to 
Dakota, arriving there the latter part of January, landing with a 
carload of freight at Watertown. He took up land on section 8, township 
160, range 16, Spink county, on which he erected a house 14 x 20, which 
forms a part of his present residence. He also put up a small barn to 
shelter his three horses. His were the first buildings erected in the 
township, his nearest neighbor living seven miles distant. He "kept 
bach," and devoted his energies to the clearing and breaking of his 
land. In the autumn of 1882 his family joined him in his new home. The 
next year he moved his house to section 4, of the same township, and 
made a substantial addition to his residence, and added many 
improvements and conveniences. 

In 1866 occurred the marriage of Mr. Warner to Miss Orisa C. Tallman, a 
native of the state of New York, where her father was engaged in 
farming. To this marriage have been born three children, two of whom 
have grown to maturity, and are married. Mr. Warner is an advocate of 
Populist doctrines, and takes an active in public affairs. He has 
served as chairman of the township board, and justice of the peace. In 
social life he affiliates with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and 
was early identified with church movements, being a member of the board 
that built the Methodist Episcopal church of Doland. 

Our subject experienced the hardships incident to pioneer life in 
Dakota. In 1882 a prairie fire destroyed forty tons of hay for him, and 
in 1888 he witnessed a January blizzard and narrowly avoided the loss 
of his cattle by getting them to shelter just in time to escape it. In 
those early days they had to build mounds on the prairie by which to 
travel, as there were no natural land-marks from which to take 
bearings. In his business management and industry he has found means of 
building a substantial fortune. He now owns six hundred and forty acres 
of land, three hundred and twenty of which are under cultivation and 
the balance fenced to pasture land. In 1892 he built a commodious barn, 
and in 1898 erected a comfortable and substantial residence. He has a 
complete set of farm buildings, with many improvements, such as well, 
windmill and pump, and a grove comprising three acres. He devotes his 
attention largely to stock raising, and turned off over five hundred 
dollars worth of stock from his place in 1898. Mr. Warner enjoys the 
reputation of an honest business man, kind neighbor, genial companion 
and generous friend.