Joshua Watson 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 644, 647

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

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HON. JOSHUA WATSON. This gentleman is one of McCook county's oldest 
settlers, and is one of the representative citizens of Grant township, 
where he has made his home. He is a man who is widely known and highly 
respected and whose life affords an example well worthy the emulation 
of the rising generation. 

Mr. Watson was born in Durham county, England, November 19, 1844. His 
father was also an Englishman, and was the head boss over a lead mine 
in England and also a large stock and hay farm that was operated in 
connection with the mine. This farm and mine both belonged to the Duke 
of Cleveland. The mother was also of English birth. Our subject was 
reared on the farm just mentioned and attended the school conducted by 
the Church of England, there being no public schools at that place. 
After he reached the age of fourteen years, he left school and began 
working in the mines on the farm, receiving his wages as other 
laborers. At the age of twenty four years, he migrated to America, 
landing in New York, and went from there to New Diggins, Wisconsin. 
Soon after he went to Shellsburg, Wisconsin, and engaged in the butcher 
business, and occasionally did some work in the lead mines of that 
place. There he spent eight years, and in 1879 he moved to McCook 
county, South Dakota, having a car-load of stock and plenty of farm 
machinery to start farming and filed a claim to the northwest quarter 
of section 28, Grant township, and has since made that his home. Mr. 
Watson had a fair start in life when he located in Dakota and has made 
good use of his means. He has not only improved his own homestead and 
developed it into a comfortable and attractive home, but has purchased 
a farm for his son. Of the homestead, one hundred and forty acres are 
under cultivation and is devoted principally to the raising of small 
grain. The value of the farm is further advanced by a two-acre orchard 
of apple, plum and cherry trees and also raspberries, currants, etc. 

Our subject is also a minister of the gospel and has done considerable 
preaching, both in Wisconsin and Dakota, and helped to organize nearly 
every Methodist society in the county. He was the first to preach the 
gospel in Montrose, South Dakota, and organized the first church in 
Salem, of this state. In politics he is a stanch Republican, and has 
become one of the prominent and influential members of that 
organization, not only in the county, but he has figured conspicuously 
in the matters of the state. He was elected on the Republican ticket to 
the first state legislature, and has always been looked to to help 
manage the campaigns in his community. He was county assessor of McCook 
county for eight years, and also took the census of 1880 and 1885. The 
whole family are members of the Methodist church, and Mr. Watson has 
performed the duties of superintendent of the Sunday school ever since 
he located in the county. 

The subject of our sketch was united in marriage in 1866 to Miss Mary 
Readshaw, an English lady, who came to America with her parents in 
1854. To this union have been born four children, two sons and two 
daughters.