Biography of J. F. Stahl

	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 360-361

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


J. F. STAHL is the editor of the "Daily Leader," published at Madison, 
Lake county. Mr. Stahl was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio, October 5, 1849. 
His father, Harmon Stahl, was a native of Pennsylvania, and a harness 
maker by occupation. He was of German descent. Our subject's mother, 
whose maiden name was Mary Moffitt, was born in Ohio, and came of Irish 
stock. There were five children in the family, two sons and three 
daughters. Our subject, who was the second son, came with his parents to 
Iowa when six years of age. They located at West Union, Iowa, where he 
precociously began to learn the printing trade in his tenth year. In 
1869 Mr. Stahl went to Sioux City, Iowa, and secured employment at his 
trade. He remained there until 1878, when, deciding to go further west, 
he journeyed to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and soon after, in 
partnership with E. W. Caldwell, assumed control of the "Dakota 
Pantagraph," which was published there. In April, 1882, Mr. Stahl 
severed his connection with the "Pantagraph" and came to Madison. 
Shortly after he purchased the "Leader," and has since been its editor 
and proprietor. In 1890 he commenced the publication of a daily 
afternoon edition of the paper, in addition to the weekly. This new 
venture has been a great success, and the circulation of both editions 
is now at high tide. Mr. Stahl has always been a Republican, though in 
the campaign of 1896 he espoused the cause of silver, though holding to 
the other tenets of his party. His paper did much to aid the silver 
movement, and was one of the factors which contributed to its success in 
the state. Mr. Stahl is a prominent Mason. He is a member of Cyrene 
commandery, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and of the blue lodge, Evergreen 
lodge, and Cyrene chapter, A. F. & A. M., of Madison.

	Mr. Stahl married Miss Justie Schmied, a native of Bohemia, on the 
29th of April, 1874. Mr. and Mrs. Stahl are the parents of one son and 
one daughter, Harmon and Dot.