Faulk County, SD Biographies.....Humphrey, H. A. 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 10, 2005, 8:55 pm

Author: C. H. Ellis



    CAPTAIN H. A. HUMPHREY was among the first settlers of Faulk county, and one

of the most successful workers for the advancement and upbuilding of society. He

was editor and publisher of the Faulkton Times, one of the best and most

reliable newspapers ever published in Faulk county. The Times was an outspoken,

independent and reliable exponent of the various questions, that entered into

the upbuilding of moral, social and political standing of the young and

important county. Earnest in his efforts to advance the interests of the

community and keep in touch with the upbuilding of Faulkton.



    Captain Humphrey and his inestimable companion were important co-workers in

lifting life's burdens, cheering life's pilgrimage and in bringing together and

building up a social, congenial and happy community, out of the early pioneer

settlers from different states and communities, that had, without any reference

to each other, decided to make Faulk county their future home. Personally he was

an independent thinker and an outspoken worker; his intelligence, and the

further consideration that he was usually on the right side, compelled his

recognition as a safe, reliable and successful leader.



    He was appointed by Territorial Governor Ordway one of the commissioners to

perfect the organization of Faulk county. In whatever position or public work to

which he was called, the duties were ably and conscientiously performed, until

his leadership, as voiced through the Times, became acknowledged by a large

following, not only in Faulk count3' but in other parts of the state. No

reliable history of the struggle for county organization and statehood can be

written without Captain Humphrey occupying a large and important place. With

statehood, assured, a looking forward for political preferment became the order

of the day.



    Watertown claiming the governorship, the Black Hills a United States

senator, and Canton, Sioux Falls and. Yankton claiming the other senator and one

representative to congress, public, or rather political attention, was turned,

toward the northern portion of the state and particularly toward Faulk county,

and also toward Captain Humphrey, as the man for the important place.



    Before the campaign had far advanced Hon. John A. Pickler, another Faulkton

man, developed so much strength that little real work was done by Captain

Humphrey's friends, and at the convention to elect delegates to the state

convention, county pride and political policy decided them in giving Major

Pickler their entire county delegation, and he was triumphantly nominated for

congress at the convention.



    Major Pickler's friends realizing that Captain Humphrey would feel

disappointed and that he would not give him the hearty support that his home

paper would be expected to, a move was made to buy the Times. This move

succeeded and the Times became a Pickler organ.



    And here we have always thought that Captain Humphrey made the mistake of

his life, so far as political preferment and advancement was concerned. If

Captain Humphrey had said to the party that had been selected to negotitate for

the Times, "no, the Times is not for sale, it is a republican paper and will

give the most hearty support to the republican ticket, especially to our

townsman and fellow citizen, Major Pickler," the writer of this sketch is in a

position to know, that while some particular plans might have been upset and

political disappointment followed, the assurance would have been accepted and

Captain Humphrey been in line for political preferment, with an open door to the

highest office within the gift of the people of South Dakota.







Additional Comments:
From:



HISTORY OF

FAULK COUNTY

SOUTH DAKOTA

CAPTAIN C. H. ELLIS



TOGETHER WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PIONEERS AND PROMINENT CITIZENS



ILLUSTRATED

19O9

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