Charles H. Tinkham 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 435 Scan, OCR and editing by Joy Fisher, jfisher@sdgenweb.com, 1999. This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm CHARLES H. TINKHAM is one of the leading merchants of De Smet, Kingsbury county. He operates a large furniture house, dealing also in picture frames, wall paper, shades, etc., besides having a department devoted entirely to undertaking. Mr. Tinkham was born in Somerset county, Maine, May28, 1854. His parents, Orville W. and Clara (Holbrook) Tinkham, are natives respectively of Massachusetts and Maine, and of English and Scotch extraction. Orville Tinkham was born September 14, 1820, and his wife November 25, 1825. They were married in Maine, and settled in Somerset county, where they still reside, the parents of five children: Frank M., Charles H., the subject of this sketch, Granville C., deceased, Orville C. and Emma, deceased. Charles spent his early days upon the farm in Maine receiving his education in the district schools, and at the Eaton Family and Day school, of South Norridgewock, Maine. At the age of seventeen he commenced teaching school, and followed the profession during the winter months for the next seven years, in the summer working in a shoe factory at West Bridgewater and Campello, Massachusetts. In the spring of 1876 Mr. Tinkham went west to Minnesota, filing on some land in Rock county, that state. Later he accepted a position with Angell & Loomis, dealers in furniture and harness at Luverne, in the same state. He remained there until 1879, when he went back to Massachusetts. On the 21St of October of that year he was married to Miss Addie L. Jennings, at Cochesett. Mrs. Tinkham was born at Taunton, Massachusetts, November 25, and is the daughter of William H. and Harriet (Lona) Jennings. In the spring of 1880, Mr. Tinkham came to South Dakota, locating immediately at DeSmet. Soon afterward he engaged in his present business upon a small scale. He has been very successful, and has continued year after year to enlarge and put in new lines, until to-day he has one of the best and most complete stocks of furniture, household wares, undertaker's goods, etc., to be found in any town of similar size in the state. Mr. Tinkham is also president and one of the largest stockholders of DeSmet Stove Company, incorporated, manufacturers of straw consuming stoves, ranges, etc. This is also a large and flourishing concern. Mr. Tinkham is prominent among the Odd Fellows, being now a past grand patriot in the fraternity. He is a Republican in politics, and always manifests a keen interest in public affairs. He was one of the first trustees of DeSmet, having been one of the original village board. In 1884 he was elected treasurer of Kingsbury county, and served one term, giving general satisfaction in the discharge of his duties. Mr. and Mrs. Tinkham have one son, Harold, who was born October 19, 1882.