Lyman J. Bates 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, 1898. Pages 473-474

	Scan, OCR and editing by Joy Fisher, jfisher@sdgenweb.com, 1999.

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LYMAN J. BATES, the editor of the Lake Preston "Times," is one of the foremost 
newspaper men in Kingsbury county, and gets out a newsy and interesting paper 
every week in the year, full of useful and discursive reading, with just enough 
"pepper" on the editorial page to well season the whole.  Mr. Bates was born May 
1, 1865, in Butler county, Iowa.  His parents, Thomas B. and Mary J. (Needham) 
Bates, were natives of New York and Vermont and were born respectively in 1820 
and 1834.  Lyman, who was the second in a family of three children-Frank G. 
being the eldest and Lois the youngest-attended the schools of his native county 
and later was graduated at the Parkersburg (Iowa) high school.  During vacations 
this young man, who was always occupied, found work upon neighboring farms or in 
the local gristmill.  He afterward (in 1880) entered the Eclipse printing 
office, at Parkersburg, Butler county, Iowa, with the intention' of becoming a 
printer.  He also worked in the "Tribune". office, at Allison, and the 
"Enterprise" office,, at Ackley, and in the spring of 1883 he went to Dakota 
Territory. After spending a few months working in the "Huronite" office, at 
Huron, he located at Lake Preston, South Dakota, and purchased the "Times" of 
that place, which he has since controlled and edited.  The paper is Republican 
in political sentiment, as is also its proprietor.  Mr. Bates was postmaster at 
Lake Preston during the Harrison administration, and is serving in the same 
position under President McKinley, being fortunate enough not to have any 
opposition in securing the prize; and has held a number of other local offices.  
He has been an active member of the Republican county central committee, having 
been the chairman during two campaigns and at present being the secretary of 
said committee.  He is now president of the Lake Preston Creamery Company and 
member of the board of directors.  He is also vice-president of the city board 
of education and vice-president of the Lake Preston Building and Loan 
Association.  Among the fraternal organizations, he is a member of the 
following:  I. O. O. F., Lake Preston lodge, No.66; A. F. & A. M., Meridian 
lodge, No.94, of Lake Preston; Denver chapter, R. A. M., of Arlington; and 
Brookings commandery, K. T., in which he is a Sir Knight.

In 1889 Mr. Bates married Miss Minerva Taylor, a daughter of Lee and Lorane 
Taylor.  Mrs. Bates bore her husband two children: Carmon L., whose birth 
occurred on the 5th of June, 1891, and Marjorie, born December 2, 1893.  In 1894 
Mrs. Bates died and since that time Mr. Bates' mother has looked after the 
household affairs.  She has resided with her son since 1894.

Mr. Bates has always taken an active interest in the South Dakota Press 
Association, in which organization he was for several years the youngest member.  
At the annual meeting, July, 1897, he was honored by being unanimously elected 
president of the association.