James H. Wharton 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 841

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

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JAMES H. WHARTON, a well-to-do agriculturist and pioneer settler of 
Burdett township, Hand county, is a native of Indiana, and was born in 
Delaware county, March 31, 1838. His grandfather, Robert Wharton, was a 
native of Pennsylvania, and by occupation was a farmer, and passed his 
life in his native state. The parents of our subject, John and Mary A. 
(Smith) Wharton, were natives respectively of Pennsylvania and 
Delaware. The father was an agriculturist, and located in Indiana in 
1837, removing to Mahaska county, Iowa, in 1859. His death occurred in 
the latter place in 1868, his wife's death occurring the same year. Our 
subject had six brothers and four sisters. One brother resides in Hand 
county, and one brother passed away in the same county within the past 
year. 

Mr. Wharton received his education in Indiana, and then engaged in 
farming in his native state until 1860, when he removed to Mahaska 
county, Iowa, remaining there until he went to Dakota, in 1884. He 
located in Hand county, and filed a claim on section 11, in Holden 
township, where he resided twelve years, and then went to his present 
location in Burdett township. He has a well-improved farm of one half-
section, and is engaged in general farming and stock raising, in the 
pursuit of which he has been successful, and is surrounded by the 
comforts of a rural home. 

Our subject was married, in 1862, to Susanna Horn, a native of 
Clearfield county, Pennsylvania. Eight children have blessed the home 
of Mr. and Mrs. Wharton, and are named as follows: Cyrus B.; Rossella, 
now Mrs. Hawkins; Willis; Irena, now Mrs. Banning; Bertha, now Mrs. 
Patterson; Josephine; Elza; and Edna. The family are members of the 
Methodist Episcopal church, and Mr. Wharton is a member of the Masonic 
fraternity. Our subject is an active worker for the advancement of his 
community, and is especially interested in educational matters, and has 
held various school offices, and has served in township offices of 
trust. He is widely known, and enjoys the esteem of his associates. In 
political views he is a Democrat.