Joseph H. Eno 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 453-454

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

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JOSEPH H. ENO, now deceased, was one of the original pioneers of Moody 
county.  Mr. Eno, who resided on section 32, Flandreau township, near 
Egan, settled there in 1872.  He was a prominent figure in local 
affairs, and one of the most popular men in the community.  Mr. Eno was 
born in North Hatley, Quebec, December 11, 1838, and was the son of 
Almon P. and Charlotte (Bowen) Eno.  His father was a native of 
Indiana, and his mother of Connecticut.  Both were of Scotch descent. 
Joseph received the greater part of his education in the Dominion, and 
came with his parents to Ohio when fifteen years of age. In 1854 the 
family removed to Clayton county, Iowa, where Almon Eno secured a large 
farm, which he cultivated for a number of years.  He and Mrs. Eno both 
died there.  Joseph studied law in Clayton county, and was admitted to 
the bar there, On the fifth of July, 1863, he was married to Miss 
Fannie M. Pierce, of Clayton county, who was born in Upper Canada.  
After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Eno remained for four years in Clayton 
county, and then settled in Osage, Mitchell county, in the same state.  
Mr. Eno practiced law there for a time, and also engaged in the sale of 
agricultural implements.  In the fall of 1861 he enlisted in Company E, 
Ninth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, for three years, and went to the war.  
He was soon taken ill, however, and found it impossible to shoulder his 
musket or perform the heavy duties which are required of the soldier.  
He was therefore soon after sent home and finally discharged, with the 
rank of sergeant.  He continued to live in Osage until 1872, when he 
decided to seek a home in the far west.  He visited South Dakota and 
was so taken with its possibilities that he decided to locate there. He 
selected a quarter section in Flandreau township, which was his home, 
except for an interval of a few years, up to the time of his death, and 
upon which his widow now lives. He first put a small sod shanty, and 
before the summer was over he had broken fifteen acres of the stubborn 
Dakota soil.  In the winter he and his wife returned to Iowa, but the 
following spring were back again, ready to renew their great task of 
making a successful farm out of the raw prairie.  Mr. Eno this time put 
up a sod house of somewhat larger dimensions, and gradually, with his 
plucky wife's aid, got his land into some semblance of a cultivated 
state.  During the early days Mr. Eno also acted as general land agent 
for the county, and located many families on government land. He 
continued farming for several years very successfully, and was then 
admitted to the territorial bar. In 1878 he removed to Roscoe, which 
was then a town not far from where Egan now stands.  Two years later 
Mr. Eno and two other gentlemen became the owners of the town site of 
Egan.  They succeeded by degrees in building up a good sized village 
there, and, as Egan grew Roscoe dwindled in corresponding ratio, until 
it was finally abandoned for the new town.  Mr. Eno was for several 
years attorney at Egan for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, 
and was of great assistance to that road in securing its right of way 
through Moody and contiguous counties.  He was a Republican in 
politics, and very active in public affairs.  He held many local 
offices, and in addition to being county attorney, was for a number of 
years previous to his death county surveyor.  During all of his 
official life he enjoyed the reputation of being an honest, fearless 
man, who, having been selected by the people to serve them, intended to 
do his duty, no matter what the consequences.  He attended many 
conventions of his party, both state and county, and was one of its 
leaders in and about Egan. Mr. Eno was a member of C. C. Washburn post, 
G. A. R., No. 15, of Egan, and a faithful communicant of the Baptist 
church. His last illness, which extended over a period of some five 
months, caused him intense suffering at times.  He died on the 9th of 
July, 1896.  He was the father of five children, three of whom are 
living. Lottie C. is now the wife of L. S. Lillibridge; of Akron, Iowa, 
while Ellsworth E. and Almon P. reside with their mother upon the 
homestead near Egan.  Mr. Eno was a man who possessed many fine traits 
of character.  He had hundre4s of friends, was popular among all 
classes, and his taking off was sincerely felt by a large part of Moody 
county's population.  He did much for the eartern part of South Dakota 
in the early days; and well earned a place in the history of that great 
state, whose pioneers toiled and suffered that their posterity might 
enjoy the fruits of the civilization which they established.