L. H. Willrodt 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 868-871

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

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HON. L. H. WILLRODT. Among the citizens of mark in Brule county, no one 
is more worthy of consideration than the gentleman whose name stands at 
the head of this sketch. He is a man of wide and varied experience, and 
since taking up his residence here in 1880 has exerted a beneficial 
influence in promoting its prosperity and development. He makes his 
home on the southeast quarter of section 10, Grand View township, and 
is one of the largest land owners in the county. A view of his home is 
shown on another page. 

Mr. Willrodt was born in Germany, in 1845, was reared on his father's 
farm, and educated in the country schools. He fitted himself for 
teaching and successfully followed that profession in his native land 
for four years. In 1867 he emigrated to the United States, and was 
first employed as a teacher in a German school in Davenport, Iowa. 
Later he engaged in the book and stationery business in that city for 
ten years, meeting with the most excellent success in that undertaking 
and saving considerable money. Failing health forced him to seek other 
employment, and in 1880 he came to Brule county, South Dakota, where he 
took up a homestead on the southeast quarter of section 10, Grand View 
township, and turned his attention to farming. 

During his residence in Davenport, Mr. Willrodt was married, in 1871, 
to Miss Mary P. Wagner, who was born in St. Louis, and is of American 
ancestry as far back as the family can be traced. Three children, one 
son and two daughters, were born of this union, and are as follows: 
Clara L., now Mrs. J. Q Anderson; L. Henry and Laura A. They have been 
carefully reared and provided with good educations. 

On coming to Brule county, Mr. Willrodt also took up a timber claim, 
and as he has prospered he has added to his farm from year to year 
until now he has one thousand two hundred acres, of which two hundred 
and eighty acres are under a high state of cultivation and devoted to 
small grain and corn, while the remainder is pasture and meadow land. 
This is indeed one of the model farms of the nineteenth century, being 
supplied with all modern conveniences and accessories. Mr. Willrodt has 
always been a great reader and student, and has made a special study of 
tree culture. As a result he has the finest orchard of apple trees in 
this part of the state, covering about two acres and containing ninety 
trees, all in a rugged and healthy condition. Besides this orchard he 
has many apple and plum trees on different parts of the premises, 
besides numerous ash and elm trees. He also has every convenience upon 
his farm for the care of his stock, which includes a large drove of 
hogs and one hundred and seventy head of cattle and horses. He has 
secured water for his stock by damming a small creek, which when filled 
with the spring rains lasts all the year through. 

Politically, Mr. Willrodt is an ardent Democrat, and in 1890 and 1891 
he most ably and satisfactorily represented his county in the state 
legislature. Other official honors would have been conferred upon him 
had he not declined, but he prefers to give his entire time and 
attention to his extensive business interests. His popularity is shown 
by the fact that when elected to the legislature he carried the city of 
Chamberlain, which has always been strongly Republican. In early days 
he organized in his neighborhood what was called the Farmers Club, 
which held occasional meetings and discussed topics of special interest 
to the agriculturist. In 1892, he donated the land for the Grandview 
cemetery, and has always been one of the most public-spirited and 
enterprising citizens of his community, willing to give his support to 
every object for the public benefit. Socially he was a member of the 
Legion of Honor while a resident of Iowa, which membership he still 
retains.