Biography of William Henry Skinner

	This biography is extracted 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 with a review of their life work...
	Also a compendium of national biography" pages 334-338  
	       Publisher: Chicago, G.A. Ogle, 1898.

	Submitted and transcribed by Terry & Teri Cleaveland, 
	<pastor751@greenapple.com>

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			WILLIAM HENRY SKINNER

WILLIAM HENRY SKINNER, whose portrait will be found on another page,
is a pioneer of Brookings county, and to him belongs the credit for
doing more, probably, than any other individual in the building up of
Brookings city and county.  Mr. Skinner, always  a broad minded and
public spirited man, has had the interests of his chosen city at heart
ever since he first arrived upon the wild Dakota prairie, where
Brookings now stands, in 1873.  His history is part of the history of
South Dakota, and were the early events in which he figured
prominently to be written of at length they might easily fill a
volume.   Mr. Skinner was born in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, on the 24th
of July, 1851. He is the son of Henry and Ruth A. (Ilsley) Skinner, of
whom sketches will be found upon another page of this work .  Mr.
Skinner received an elementary education in the public schools of Nova
Scotia, and later attended Acadia college, which is now the University
of Nova Scotia. He taught school for two years in Nova Scotia, and at
the age of eighteen came with his parents to Iowa, where he resumed
his professional labors. In June, 1873. Mr. Skinner came to Brook-ings
county, locating at first in Trenton township, where he homesteaded a
claim and pre-empted another, making in all three hundred and twenty
acres of rich land which he acquired. This was converted into a large
farm, and remained in Mr. Skinner's possession until 1893, when he
sold it, his other interests having become so large that they required
all of his time and attention. One of the most important services,
among the many which he rendered to Brookings county was getting the
Chicago & North-Western railway to establish a station at Brookings.
This was no easy task, as a railroad in those days was something of a
seventh wonder among  most of the folk who lived in that region, and
they were in the habit of letting the officials do about as they
pleased. Mr. Skinner purchased about two hundred and forty acres of
land at Brookings while the place was; yet virgin prairie. His
intention was to make it the site of a future great city; and as a
preliminary step, to secure a station on the North-Western road on or
near his land and secure the location of the county seat at this
place. The whole idea was daring in its' conception, an still more so
in its execution. This projector after securing the assistance and
cooperation of the leading citizens of the county went before the
officers of the road represented to them the future of the city and
it's advantageous location, and closed by offering one hundred and
sixty acres of land to them if they would agree to add Brookings to
the line and build a station there. It was thus finally a arranged
through Mr. Skinner's zeal, though the engineers and some of the high
a officials protested against the move the county  commissioners were
at once  petitioned to submit to a vote the question of location of
county seat, which resulted in Brookings being selected by a good
majority.  This was merely one of the clever coups which Mr. Skinner
executed in the days. His farsightedness and ability showed in his
next move. After securing assurances that the railroad station located
at Brookings, he adver-tised the fact very extensively, and also made
it known that there was a town named Brookings, and that he had
several acres of town lots to sell.  So well was the matter arranged
that people soon began to inquire about the lots, and finally to
purchase them and from that time forth Brookings began from the
condition of a hamlet into the proud estate of a city. It was Mr.
Skinner and his property that started the city, and to him alone is
due the credit of originating and carrying out the project. In 1879
Mr. Skinner's services were par-tially recognized. and he was
appointed to the office of clerk of the district court. The county
seat was then at Medary, a very diminutive hamlet, which has since
become but a memory.  Mr. Skinner immediately took his office
parapherna-lia upon assuming the office and conveyed it to the new
town, Brookings. This start-ling move had an immediate effect, for all
a  other county officers forthwith followed in his footsteps, and soon
the city which Mr. Skinner had laid out became the official capital of
Brookings county, a title which it poss-esses to the present day.  Mr.
Skinner has since devoted most of his time to real estate and business
ventures, all of which have been successful, and he is, of course, in
very easy circumstances. He has not relaxed his efforts in behalf of
the city, however, and is still one of its most active and energetic
residents. In 1896 he, with a num-ber of others, incorporated the
Brookings Cooperative Creamery Company and he is at present one of the
largest stockholders. This company was organized, as its name implies,
upon the cooperative basis, and for the benefit of the farmers, who
thus have a direct and personal interest in all of it's concerns. Up
to the present time it has met with great success. Mr. Skinner was one
of the promoters of the Masonic Temple, which is one of the finest
brick business blocks in the city. The second floor contains the
finest suite of lodge rooms in the state.  During 1886-87 Mr. Skinner
was one of the Trustees of the State Agricultural college.  He served
two years and it was largely through his efforts that one of the
largest and finest buildings on the campus was erected. Mr. Skinner is
a free-silver Republican politically, and has held a num-ber of public
offices. In addition to being clerk of the courts and a trustee of the
agricultural college, he was postmaster of Brookings from 1891 to '95.
He is prominent in secret society affairs, and is a mem-ber of the
blue lodge, chapter, commandery and council of the Masonic fraternity,
also a leader of the M. W. A. and the A. O. U. W.  Mr. Skinner married
Miss Elizabeth A. Laird, April 13, 1873 She was the daugh-ter of James
and Margaret Laird, and was a native of Chickasaw county, Iowa. Mrs.
Skinner died in July, 1886, leaving five chil-dren: Ansel 0., who is
now manager of the Creamery at Pierpoint, South Dakota; Agnes A., a
teacher of Yankton; Charles H., Guy E. and May E.  Mr. Skinner
re-married February 29 1888, his bride being Georgia A. Laird a cousin
of his first wife.   Mr. and Mrs. Skinner are the parents of four
children now living. They are: Catharine,  Ruth A., Rae G. and Grant. 

Compendium of Biography
pages 334-338