Biography of Julian Bennett

	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 with a 
	review of their life work... Also a compendium of national biography."
        Publisher: Chicago, G.A. Ogle, 1898. Pages 224-226

	Scan and OCR by Joy Fisher, 1997. This file may be copied for non-profit 
	purposes. All other rights reserved.

JUDGE JULIAN BENNETT, Judge of the Third Judicial Circuit, and one of South Dakota's 
most prominent men, is a resident of Watertown, Codington county. Judge Bennett was 
born in Sparta, Wisconsin, August 19, 1862, and is a son of Dr. Jesse and Julia (Shelley) 
Bennett. Dr. Jessie Bennett was a physician, and a prominent man of his day in Wisconsin. 
He was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1804, and about the year 1849 went west, 
settling in Watseka, Illinois, where he practiced medicine and acted as clerk of the 
circuit court. In 1858 he removed to Fountain City, Wisconsin, and began practicing 
as a physician and surgeon there, remaining three years, after which he went to Sparta, 
in the same state. In the year 1878 he journeyed to Watertown, Dakota, and established 
himself in practice there, with Dr. Briggs, the first firm of physicians who ever settled 
at that point. The town was in its infancy then, and the only inhabitants were a few of 
the hardy pioneers (who, it might be added, scarcely ever fell sick). Dr. Bennett 
remained there until 1887, and came to be regarded as one of the best and most skilled 
doctors in that section. In the year above mentioned he bought a farm near Richmond, 
Virginia, and spent his winters there, beside a good part of the other seasons. He 
died in Sparta, Wisconsin, March 27, 1893. Dr. Bennett was a member of the Wisconsin 
legislature for three sessions, and took an active part in politics while in the Badger 
state. He was always a Republican, and after coming to South Dakota was chosen as 
chairman of the Republican county central committee, upon which he served for some 
years. In his early days the Doctor attended Hiram college, in Ohio, which is noted 
from the fact that the lamented Garfield was once a student and teacher there. Dr. 
Bennett was a man of kindly disposition, and was possessed of all the elements which 
gain popularity and esteem, besides having marked ability for the profession which he 
chose so well, and his death was regarded as a keen personal loss to those who were 
fortunate enough to have been his personal friends. His father was a native of 
Pennsylvania, a tailor by trade, and came of Pennsylvania Dutch stock. Our subject's 
mother, Julia Bennett, was born in Connecticut, as was her father, Mr. Shelley, who 
was of English descent. Mrs. Bennett died October 4, 1867. There were three children 
in the family — two daughters, Ione and Jessie, and Julian, the subject of this sketch. 
Ione, who was the wife of Frederick B. Cornes, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, died in 1889, 
at the age of thirty-seven. Jessie, who married Dr. D. L. McKinney, of Sioux Falls, 
South Dakota, died in June, 1895, aged forty-one. Our subject, who was the youngest 
child in the family, and is now the only survivor, was educated at Sparta, Wisconsin, 
having been graduated from the high school there with the class of '78. He then became 
a student of the Milwaukee high school, remaining there two years, after which he 
entered the University of Wisconsin. He was graduated from the law department in 
1884, and the same year went to Watertown, South Dakota, where he formed a partnership 
with Arthur C. Mellette and opened a law office. This arrangement continued very 
successfully until the first of January, 1886. The firm was then dissolved, and 
Judge Bennett went to live upon a farm which he had homesteaded some years before. 
This place, which he still owns, is in Codington county, a short distance from 
Watertown. He remained there for one year, and on the first of January, 1887, 
returned to Watertown and began practice once more. He has since continued in 
this profession and has made a flattering success. He built up a large and profitable 
practice, and has been concerned as counsel in some of the most important cases in 
Codington county in recent years. In politics Judge Bennett is a Democrat. In 1889 
and 1890 held the office of city attorney, and at the November election, 1897, he 
was elected judge of the Third judicial circuit court of South Dakota. He is a member 
of the Knights of Pythias fraternity, Trishocotyn lodge, No. 17, of Watertown. In 
September, 1893, Judge Bennett married Mrs. Hattie M. Gearn, of Newburgh, New York. 
Mrs. Bennett's maiden name was Hattie Davenport. She was born in Orange county, New 
York, September 12, 1863, and she is a daughter of Stephen and Emily (Moule) Davenport. 
She spent her girlhood days in Orange county, and is a graduate of Cook's seminary, 
of Poughkeepsie, New York. Mrs. Bennett is the mother of one child, by her first 
marriage.