Biography of William H. Loucks

	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 287.

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



HON. WILLIAM H. LOUCKS. - Among the prominent men now living in Moody 
county who have won an honorable name, none is better deserving of 
representation in a volume of this nature than Hon. William H. Loucks, 
whose home is in section 18, Blinsman township. He has risen to prominence 
by dint of his own efforts, backed by the indomitable will and powers of mind 
which came to him as a heritage from industrious and thrifty ancestors.

	Mr. Loucks was born in Walworth county, Wisconsin, April 27, 
1844, a son of John Henry and Maria (Wood) Loucks, the former born in 
Seneca county, New York, January 16, 1818. He was a son of Peter and 
Anna Loucks, both born in Germany, probably married in Germany and came 
to America before their children were born. They first settled in 
Schoharie county, on a farm, and subsequently moved to Seneca county, 
where they both died, the father about the year 1820  and the mother 
about 1840. They had thirteen children, of whom only two are now 
living, John Henry and Phaebe, now the widow of a Mr. Smith. John Henry 
Loucks grew to manhood and was educated in New York. He lived with his 
parents on a farm until old enough to work out as a farm laborer and 
from that time earned his own living. At the age of eighteen years he 
ran away from home and in 1840 was married in Cayuga county, New York, 
to Miss Maria Wood, of New York state, and began farming. The same year 
they came west, and settled on a farm in Racine county, Wisconsin, 
where they lived several years, and then moved to Floyd county, Iowa. 
In 1876 they moved to Dakota and took a claim in Enterprise township, 
and in 1892 moved to Flandreau, where he has since lived retired from 
active business. TO Mr. and Mrs. Loucks have been born ten children, 
eight of whom are now living, viz.: William, George, Charlotte, 
Archibald, Frank, John and Harriet. Mr. Loucks is a member of the 
Baptist church, and in political views is a Republican.

	William H. Loucks, the subject of this sketch, was reared on a 
farm in Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, and was educated in the public 
school of his district. August 14, 1862, he enlisted in Company A, 
Thirty-second Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry as a private, and later was 
promoted to the office of a corporal. He was sent to Memphis, 
Tennessee, where he joined General Sherman's army, with which he 
remained until the close of the war, participating in the following 
engagements: Tallahatchee, Mississippi, December 3, 1862; Holly 
Springs, December 16, 1862; Parker's Cross Roads, Colliersville, 
November 3, 1863; Moscow, December 4, 1863; Lafayette, December 11, 
1863; Martin Station, February 9, 1864; Paducah, Kentucky, March 25, 
1864; Decatur, Alabama, April 30, 1864; Courtland, Alabama, July 26, 
1864; Siege of Atlanta, Georgia, August, 1864; Jonesboro, Georgia, 
August 31, 1864; Siege of Savannah, Georgia, December, 1864; Three 
River Bridges, February 3, 1865; South Ediste, South Carolina, February 
9, 1865; Orangeburg, South Carolina, February 12, 1865; Columbia, South 
Carolina, February 17, 1865; Cheraw, South Carolina, March 2, 1865; 
Fayetteville, North Carolina, March 1O, 1865; Bentonville, North 
Carolina, March 25, 1865; Raleigh, North Carolina, April 13, 1865; was 
at the surrender of General Johnston's army, and then started with the 
army from Raleigh to Washington, D. C., where, May 24, 1865, he 
participated in the Grand Review. He then remained in Washington in 
camp until June 12, when he started for Wisconsin, where he was 
discharged, having served three years.

	At the close of hostilities our subject returned to the farm in 
Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, and in March, 1869, moved to Floyd 
county, Iowa, settling on a new farm which he improved and made his 
home for several years. In 1873 he went to Dakota, taking up the claim 
on which he now lives. He returned to Iowa the following year and moved 
his family to their new home, where they arrived in March. He brought 
with him one thousand feet of lumber which he drew from Worthington, 
Minnesota, with oxen, and built a small house and set to work to 
improve and develop his farm, which now consists of five hundred and 
sixty acres and ranks among the best farms in the township. Soon after 
coming to the county Mr. Loucks began to give special attention to 
raising fine stock, and has now eight head of full blood shorthorn 
cattle, besides about forty head of high grade cattle. He has also a 
good grade of horses, both roadsters and draft horses, Hambletonians 
and Normans. For the past ten years he has had a fine flock of 
Shropshire sheep. In 1895 he put up a fully equipped creamery, which he 
has since successfully operated, shipping his product to Chicago and 
New York City, and some parts of the season ships thirty tubs per week.

	Mr. Loucks is a member of the C. C. Washburn post, No. 15, G. A. 
R., of Egan, and has filled the office of commander of the post and is 
its present quartermaster. Politically he is a stanch advocate of the 
principles of the Republican party and is a zealous worker in local 
political affairs. He is a member of the school board and has held the 
office of county commissioner two terms. He was elected by his party to 
the first legislature of the state in 1890, and served on several 
committees. He has several times been a delegate to the state and 
county convention, and for ten years was postmaster of Brookfield, now 
called Trent.

	Mr. Loucks was married March 14, 1867, to Miss Jeannette E. 
Appleton, a native of Lewis county, New York, daughter of Richard and 
Ruby (Bettis) Appleton. Her parents were also from New York, and moved 
to Green Lake county, Wisconsin, where the mother died July 9, 1872, at 
the age of sixty-eight years. The father died in Iowa November 7, 1884, 
at the age of sixty-eight years. They were the parents of six children, 
viz: Soranus W.; Juliet Cullings; David, deceased; George; Theodore; 
and Jeannette E., born August 25, 1846.

	Mr. and Mrs. Loucks have five children: Asa A., who married Josie 
Platts, to whom have been born two children; Charles H., who married 
Theresa Kapaun, to whom has been born one child; Richard A., died 
October 21, 1874; Harry C., and Bertha C.