Faulk County, SD Biographies.....Grater, Joseph L. 1842 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com January 10, 2005, 9:36 pm Author: C. H. Ellis JOSEPH L. GRATER was born in Switzerland, June 26, A. D., 1842, and when twenty-nine years of age he immigrated to the United States and located in the city of Buffalo, state of New York, where he resided until 1885, when he came to Dakota and located in Turner county, where he rented a half section of land, and commenced farming with one yoke of oxen. At that time he was in such straightened circumstances, that he had to borrow money to pay for the oxen. His farming enterprise was a success, but on April 2nd, 1889, prairie fire wiped out all his posessions, causing a loss of more than two thousand dollars. Ten days after the fire, he purchased, all on credit, a quarter section of land on which he had to erect a house and barn. The first year on the farm the crop was nearly a total failure, the second year it was only a little better, and the third year was a bumper crop, which enabled him to pay all his debts and buy two more quarters of land. In 1893 Mr. Grater sold his farm for twenty-two dollars per acre, arid in the fall of that year removed to Redfield, in Spink county, where he bought six hundred and forty acres of prairie land, erected a house and barn, and commenced improving his farm. After nine years upon his Spink county farm he sold his land for $8,000 or $12.50 per acre. He next moved to Faulk county, in 1902, and bought twelve hundred and eighty acres of laud six miles southwest of Faulkton, for five dollars and thirty cents per acre. He had to build a house and two barns and make improvements at a cost of about eight thousand dollars. Three years ago Mr. Grater sold 480 acres of unbroken prairie at fifteen dollars per acre, $7,200. In 1908 the remainder of his land was sold for $35.00 per acre, amounting to thirty-two thousand dollars. He immediately bought a half section of prairie land two and one half miles from Faulkton, a barn was erected, an artesian well 1280 feet deep, was put down, with an excellent flow of water. In the spring of 1909, one of the best farm residences in Faulk county, at a cost of about five thousand dollars, was erected. In 1868, Mr. Grater was united in holy matrimony to Miss Anna Mary Buchlman, who was born in Switzerland. To them have been born twelve children, viz: Joseph Leo, who died at the age of seventeen years and seven months; Rosa M., who is proprietor of the Gem Hotel in the city of Faulkton; Joseph, who died when nineteen months old; Edward Lewis, William Joseph, Anna Mary, Clara Amelia, George, Gertrude, John, who died in infancy; Frank Aloysius and Agnes Theresa. Additional Comments: From: HISTORY OF FAULK COUNTY SOUTH DAKOTA CAPTAIN C. H. ELLIS TOGETHER WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF PIONEERS AND PROMINENT CITIZENS ILLUSTRATED 19O9 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/sd/faulk/bios/gbs109grater.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/sdfiles/ File size: 3.3 Kb