Seth L. Wilcox 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 503

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

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SETH L. WILCOX. On the roster of the county officials of Hand county 
appears the name of this gentleman, who is now the incumbent in the 
office of sheriff, and by his faithful discharge of duty is winning 
uniform commendation from the law-abiding citizens. He was born in 
Pennsylvania, January 4, 1860, and is a son of Joseph and Mary 
(Johnson) Wilcox, the former a native of New York and the latter of the 
Keystone state. For a time the father engaged in operating in oil in 
Pennsylvania, and later removed to Iowa, now making his home in 
Ringgold county, that state. His wife died in 1894. They had three 
sons, two of whom are now residents of Hand county, South Dakota, and 
the third of Iowa.  

Seth L. Wilcox spent the great part of his childhood and youth in the 
Hawkeye state, and after completing his education entered upon his 
business career as a civil engineer in the employment of the Burlington 
Railroad Company, in Iowa, remaining with that corporation for nearly 
ten years, in Missouri, Iowa and Illinois. In 1883 he came to Hand 
county, where he took a claim, since which time he has owned and 
operated land in this locality. He has also been engaged in raising 
cattle, and to some extent has done civil engineering for the railroad 
company. He is still engaged successfully in farming and stock raising, 
although in 1898 he was elected county sheriff on the Populist ticket 
and is now filling that office. He discharges his duties without fear 
or favor, and his fidelity to the trust reposed in him is most 
commendable.  

In 1896 Mr. Wilcox led to the marriage altar Miss Mabel Wade, a native 
of Missouri, and a daughter of Thomas Wade, ex-clerk of the courts of 
Hand county. She died in May, 1 898, and many friends mourned her loss. 
Mr. Wilcox is an ardent Populist in his political affiliations and 
assisted in organizing the party in Hand county. He keeps well informed 
on the issues of the day, and does all in his power to promote the 
growth and insure the success of the political organization with which 
he affiliates. He is a loyal and public-spirited citizen, an 
enterprising agriculturist and a gentleman of sterling worth, who 
commands the respect of all with whom he is brought in contact.