Orson Rexford 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 439-440

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

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ORSON REXFORD, one of the best known and prosperous farmers of 
Brookings county, resides on section 3, Trenton township, near Aurora.  
Mr. Rexford was born in Stanstead, Ontario, March 8, 1852. His parents 
were Luther and Sarah (Richardson) Rexford, an extended mention of whom 
appears in the sketch of Mr. O. F. Rexford, which will be found in this 
volume.  Orson was but three years of age when his parents removed to 
Filmore county, Minnesota. He attended the Empire school there, and 
spent his youth upon the farm of his father. After his fourteenth year 
he frequently speculated in live stock, cereals, etc., and when he 
reached his majority had the neat sum of twenty-five hundred dollars to 
his credit in the bank.  He then turned his attention to farming in 
Fillmore county.  He bought a tract of land containing eighty acres, 
which he still owns.  In March, 1879, Mr. Rexford came to Brookings 
county and settled upon the claim in Trenton township which constitutes 
a portion of his present farm. He began at once to improve the land, 
and four years later built a very good farm house.  Mr. Rexford now 
owns three hundred and twenty acres where he lives, and one hundred and 
sixty acres in Alton township, which he lets to others.  He has a large 
number of blooded Clydesdale horses and shorthorn cattle upon the farm, 
and makes a specialty of breeding them.  He has brought many horses 
from Minnesota and other states in an endeavor to improve the grade of 
his animals, and has had most gratifying success, now owning some of 
the finest stock in Brookings county.  Mr. Rexford has been a 
Republican from boyhood, and though a faithful private in the ranks, 
has no desire to lead the political hosts, nor to enjoy any of the good 
things after wresting them from the enemy.  The successful conduct of 
his great farm and stock ranch is his life work, and the fact that he 
has built these up from practically nothing is his greatest source of 
satisfaction.

Mr. Rexford married Miss Flora Cunningham July 4, 1880.  Mrs. Rexford 
is the daughter of Robert Franklin and Melinda (Spradling) Cunningham, 
and was born in Rochester, Minnesota.  Her parents settled in that 
state many years ago, coming from Brookville, Indiana, where both were 
born.  Mr. Cunningham's grandfather was a native of Ireland.  Mr. and 
Mrs. Rexford have no children.