Biography of Josephus C. Plank

	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 416

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


JOSEPHUS C. PLANK, dealer in real estate, Clear Lake, Deuel county, was 
born in Camden, Carroll county, Indiana, February 14, 1848, a son of 
John and Anna Plank. The father was a native of Pennsylvania, born 
November 2, 1815, of German descent, and died in Clear Lake, South 
Dakota, January 10, 1893. In the early part of his life he followed the 
calling of a farmer. The mother, Anna (Thomas) Plank, was born in 
Pennsylvania, January 9, 1823, and was married September 12, 1839. She 
died at Eyota, Minnesota, December 25, 1878.

	The subject of this sketch was educated and spent his boyhood in 
Eyota, Minnesota. He engaged in farming there for some time but was 
engaged with his brother in the mercantile business for about nine 
years. In February, 1865, he enlisted in Company H, First Minnesota 
Heavy Artillery, at the age of seventeen, but giving his age as eighteen 
in order to be accepted. He went to Fort Snelling where the battery was 
organized.; From there he went to Nashville, and was with the command at 
Chattanooga, Chickamauga, Rome, and Fort Crutchfield. The regiment in 
which Mr. Plank served was the largest in operation during the war, 
numbering sixteen hundred and forty men. The battery was ordered home in 
September, 1865,  and was mustered out at Fort Snelling. Upon leaving 
the army, Mr. Plank again went into the mercantile business, conducting 
it alone for a year, and then in partnership with his brother for about 
eight years. He then removed to Brookings county, South Dakota, took a 
timber claim, improved it, and engaged in farming five years. He then 
sold out and went to Clear Lake and engaged in the mercantile business 
for nine years, and then sold out the concern and entered into his 
present occupation, that of operating a real estate business.

	April 26, 1866, Mr. Plank was united in marriage to Miss Mary A. 
Watts, a native of Indiana, born November 16, 1847. She is a daughter of 
David Watts, of Indiana, and later of Albert Lea, Minnesota. where he 
died in 1893. Her mother died at Albert Lea, in 1897. Mr. and Mrs. Plank 
are the parents of a family of three children, two of whom are now 
living, viz: Florence' Tillman Howard, and Ira J., the latter being 
deceased. The family are members of the Lutheran church. The son, T. 
Howard, was educated at the Brookings college and later graduated from 
Hahnemann Medical college as a physician and surgeon, and is now a 
professor in that institution. His home is at 390 Marshfield avenue, 
Chicago. Our subject is a Republican in political views, and is a member 
of the Eyota lodge I. O. O.F., and also the G. A. R. post at Clear Lake. 
In 1872, Mr. Plank had the misfortune to lose one of his arms in a 
threshing machine.