Ansel L. Yeaton 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 920

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

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ANSEL L. YEATON, of Bowdle, South Dakota, is one of the typical young 
business men of the west and has won for himself an eminent position at 
the bar. Many a man would be wise if wisdom could be purchased, but it 
can only be obtained through hard labor and earnest application, and 
the man who wins prominence in any of the learned professions has 
secured it through merit. Mr. Yeaton is a man of broad general 
information and to this he has added a thorough knowledge of the law, 
which makes him one of the best attorneys of Edmunds county. 

He was born in Bangor, Penobscot county, Maine, July 23, 1871, a son of 
Percy I. and Eva A. (Lennon) Yeaton, also natives of the Pine Tree 
state, the former of English and the latter of Scotch-Irish descent. By 
trade the father was a machinist. Our subject's maternal grandfather 
was collector of custom duties at Belfast, Maine, for some years. 

Ansel L. Yeaton, who is the older in a family of two children, attended 
the public schools of his native city and was graduated from the high 
school of that place. Soon after his education was completed he became 
interested in the publishing business, getting out directories, etc., 
and during the four years he was connected with that enterprise he met 
with good success. Prior to this he had traveled for a time for a 
wholesale stationery house. Later he met with some reverses in the 
stock markets, and after severing his connection with the publishing 
business, did business on the stock exchange at Bangor, Maine, for two 
years. 

In March, 1894, Mr. Yeaton came to Edmunds county, South Dakota, and in 
partnership with C. E. Lennon opened a law and real estate office at 
Bowdle. The following year he was admitted to the bar before the 
supreme court, and continued in business with Mr. Lennon until January 
1, 1897, when the partnership was dissolved. During the following six 
months he engaged in practice alone, and then became connected in 
business with A. F. Le Claire, under the firm name of Le Claire & 
Yeaton. On the 1st of April, 1899, that partnership was dissolved and 
our subject is now alone. He gives the greater part of. his time and 
attention to his professional duties, but is still interested to some 
extent in the real estate business. He is one of the leading and most 
popular attorneys of the county, and has met with most excellent 
success in his chosen calling. He is a stanch supporter of the 
Republican party, has taken an active part in politics, and has served 
as a delegate to several state, county and judicial conventions since 
coming to South Dakota. In 1896 he was the candidate of his party for 
state's attorney, was elected, county judge two years later, and is at 
present most efficiently serving as attorney for the town of Bowdle. 
For a young man he has met with most excellent success and no doubt a 
brilliant future awaits him. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonic 
order, in which he has taken the eighteenth degree.