Faulk-Beadle County, SD Biographies.....Latham, D. H. 1859 - living in 1909
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Author: C. H. Ellis
    HON. D. H. LATHAM is one of the prominent lawyers and public spirited

citizens now practicing at the bar of Faulk county. He is a man who has brought

his keen discrimination and thorough wisdom to bear, not alone in professional

paths but also for the benefit of the county and state, which has been his home

since pioneer days and with whose interest he has been thoroughly identified.



    The story of his life is one that offers a typical example of that alert

American spirit which has enabled many a person without means, to rise from

obscurity to affluence and worth solely through native talent, indomitable

perseverance and good judgment.



    Mr. Latham was born in Wayne county, Michigan, December 23rd, 1859. The

father and mother of our subject were Scotch Irish. His father was a pioneer of

Michigan where he settled upon a new farm in the year of 1839.



    Our subject worked on a farm and taught school, thus raising the funds to

complete a course in the State Normal school and afterwards pursued his legal

studies in Detroit.



    The call of the west had always been strong with him and in April, 1884,

seized with a desire to try his fortune in the west, he came to South Dakota,

landing at Huron with a total capital of fifty dollars. He secured a first grade

teacher's certificate and taught in the schools of Beadle county for one year.

In 1885 he came to Faulk county and filed upon land in DeVoe township where he

secured title to three hundred and twenty acres of land under the preemption and

homestead laws. In April, 1888, he was admitted to the bar at the first term of

court held in Faulk county. He practiced at DeVoe until 1890, when he opened an

office in Faulkton.



    In 1894, he was united in marriage to Nellie A. Alt, a native of Iowa, where

her parents were pioneer settlers, her father having settled in Johnson county,

Iowa, in 1839. In March, 1882, Mrs. Latham came to Faulk county with the family

of her sister, Mrs. J. A. Pickler, and filed upon government land near Faulkton

and still owns the three hundred and twenty acres upon which she made final

proof in the early years.



    In political sentiment Mr. Latham is an ardent republican and he has ever

taken an active interest in county and state politics.



    In 1894, he was elected state's attorney and re-elected in 1896, 1902 and

1904, serving in all eight years in a most creditable and satisfactory manner.



    As one of the early settlers he takes great interest in the Faulk County Old

Settlers' Picnic, held at Miller's grove each year, and has been chairman of the

committee on arrangements for many years. Mr. Latham has always had great faith

in the value of our black prairie soil and had the good judgment to invest

largely in our cheap lands years ago and is now the possessor of over two

thousand acres of the best farm land in the county.





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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