Biography of S. H. Bronson

	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. Page 318.

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


HON. S. H. BRONSON, the able and popular editor of the "Advance," at 
Howard, Miner county, South Dakota, was born in New York state, 
September 15, 1842, a son of Rev. Major T. and Matilda (Hotchkiss) 
Bronson, both natives of New York, and both descendants from New England 
families.

	John Bronson (the founder of the family in America) went with Rev. 
Hooker from Boston to Hartford, Connecticut. The great-grandfather of 
our subject, Moses Bronson, was a soldier in the French and Indian war 
and also the Revolutionary war. Grandfather Elisha Bronson was a pioneer 
of Dix, New York, and a soldier in the war of 1812. The parents of our 
subject moved from New York to Columbia county, Wisconsin, where the 
mother died August 3, 1882. The father died in Howard, South Dakota. The 
first peals of a bell from the steeple of the Methodist church of that 
place announced the death of Mr. Bronson. They were the parents of six 
children, as follows: Rev. Edward H.; Amanda B. Hotchkiss, deceased; 
Manly T., who died in the army; Stiles; the subject of this sketch; and 
Harlow B., deceased.

	Hon. S. H. Bronson was reared in Columbia county, Wisconsin, where 
he received a preliminary education in the public schools, which he 
supplemented with a goodly amount of home study. When a young man he was 
employed in a drug store. May 11, 1861, he enlisted in Company B, 
Seventh Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and was appointed sergeant of the 
same. The command at once proceeded to camp at Madison, Wisconsin, and 
August 22, were moved to Washington, District of Columbia, and the 
following month they joined Gen. Rufus King's brigade in the Army of the
Potomac. He participated in a number of skirmishes at Beaver Dams, 
Rappahannock Station and Sulphur Springs. In the battle of Ganesville he 
received a wound in the small finger of his right hand, and shortly 
after the battle of Bull Run he was taken sick at Washington and 
confined to the hospital about two weeks. He was soon in line again, 
however, and participated in the battles of Fredericksburg, Fitz Hugh 
crossing, where he was again wounded by a bale that passed through his 
cartridge box belt and entered his side. At the battle of Gettysburg he 
was captured during the first day's fight and marched to Staunton, 
Virginia, and from there to Libby prison. He was afterward transferred 
to the prison at Belle Isle, where he remained two months and was then 
paroled and sent to Annapolis, Maryland, and from there he returned to 
his regiment on the Rapidan river, in October. He then took part in the 
engagements at Stevensburg, Virginia, Kelly's Ford and Haymarket, where 
they afterward; went into winter quarters, but during the cold weather 
they were ordered to Culpepper Court House. While at the last named 
place, Mr. Bronson re-enlisted for three years as a result of which he, 
received a furlough of thirty days which he spent in Wisconsin. At the 
end of his vacation he again joined the regiment at, Culpepper Court 
House and participated in the battle of the Wilderness where he received 
two wounds in the abdomen and one ball is still embedded under his right 
hip bone. He then entered the hospital at Fredericksburg and from there 
was sent to Douglas hospital at Washington, D. C. He was next 
transferred to Sixteenth and Filbert street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 
and from there to the Judiciary Square hospital at Washington, D. C., 
where he remained until the close of the war. May 16, he was transferred 
to the Forty-fourth Company, First Battalion Veteran Reserve Corps, and 
was made orderly sergeant of the company, and was sent to Douglas 
hospital to guard the same. He was later sent to Harwood hospital where 
he was discharged November 22, 1865.

	After the close of hostilities he returned to Wisconsin, and was 
appointed postmaster at Fall river, and, in connection with same, he and 
his brother, E. H., went into the mercantile business, and our subject 
was also elected town clerk. In 1881 he resigned the post office and 
moved to Miner county, South Dakota, and located at Howard, which was 
then called Longley post office, and moved his press there in 1881. His 
first publication was placed before the public September 15, 1881, and 
as there was no other paper west of there, he gave it the name of the 
“Advance." Shortly after, he was appointed postmaster of Howard and 
served in that capacity four and a half years, but the most of his 
attention, since locating in the county, has been devoted to the various 
departments of his newspaper enterprise and he has been successful in 
building up for himself an excellent reputation as an editor and a large 
patronage for his paper.

	In April, 1881, Mr. Bronson was united in marriage to Miss Aner 
Perrin, a daughter of William Perrin, of London, England. Mrs. Bronson 
was born May 20, 1854, at Hustisford, Wisconsin. To this union have been 
born four children, viz: Obert Manly; Ulysses Grant, deceased; Cecil W. 
and Merle John. Mr. Bronson is a member of the Methodist church. He is 
also a member of the Geo. H. Stevens post, No. 23, G. A. R., of Howard, 
and has filled the office of commander of the post; and is a blue lodge 
member of the Masonic order. Politically he was formerly a radical and 
enthusiastic Republican who attended every state convention of his party 
and took an active and wholesome interest in all public matters, but in 
February, 1893, he forsook the ranks of his former party and united his 
influence with the Populist party. He was a member of the first 
constitutional convention at Sioux Falls, trustee and president of the 
South Dakota deaf mute school, and elected in 1885 to the provisional 
legislature and was in the senate of the same. In 1889 he was elected 
the first state senator from Miner county, and in 1894 he was a 
candidate on the Populist ticket for the office of lieutenant-governor 
of South Dakota.