Faulk County, SD Biographies.....Wallace, J. H. ************************************************ 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, 12:35 am Author: C. H. Ellis J. H. WALLACE was the oldest of eleven children to grow up to manhood upon the old homestead in the Empire state. Aiding in the work on the farm in the summer, and attending country school during the winter months. At the age of twenty-two he went upon the great lakes as a sailor and remained upon the water ten years, first as second, then first mate, and later as master of a vessel. In one storm upon Lake Erie, October 10th, 1880, the "Valentine" a three mast schooner upon which he was then sailing foundered about forty miles from Cleveland and went down. The crew left the vessel in a life boat, and after drifting about from one o'clock a. m. until five o'clock p. m. the next day, finally reached land six miles below Fairport, Ohio. At the age of twenty-eight Mr. Wallace was united in marriage to Miss Viola Graves who was born and reared at Madison, Ohio, and was educated in the common schools and in a seminary that has been turned into a home for the widows and nurses of the civil war. On the paternal side she is of English descent and the family can be traced back for eight hundred years. Her father was Corlton Graves, who was the owner of vessels and for many years sailed the lakes as master both of sailing vesssls and of steamers. His father's family consisted of fourteen children, seven sons and seven daughters, of whom four sons have become Sailors, and lake captains. The subject of this sketch has but one child, Blanche Estella, who is now twenty-one years old. After his marriage Mr. Wallace purchased a farm near Madison, Ohio, though he occasionally made trips upon the lakes. His time was principally devoted to agricultural pursuits. He had an excellent farm with a stream running through it and improved with fine buildings and ten acres of fruit. Selling his place in the spring of 1883, he came to Faulkton, in Dakota Territory, and took up a preemption in Faulk county. Previous to proving up, a man jumped his claim as a homestead and it went into lititagation where it remained for four years, Mr. Wallace being beaten in all the courts. Afterwards the homestead man left the claim, and after one year's absence Mr. Wallace filed on it as a homestead, having had possession of it for fifteen years prior to proving up. He also took a quarter section of land under the tree claim law which he proved up, all of which he has since sold. The same year of his arrival he embarked in the hardware and farm machinery business in Faulkton in a little building 20 by 40 feet. To meet the growing demand of his trade, he had to seek more commodious quarters, and now occupies a building 75 by 150 feet, well stocked with staple and fancy groceries, and all kinds of hardware and farm machinery. During the early days the nearest railroad station was Athol, Spink county, a distance of thirty miles. At that time he also kept lumber, coal, flour and feed, and often had three or four teams on the road hauling supplies and one in constant use. In'1887 he also conducted a store at Millard, Faulk county, but his stock was destroyed by fire on the 4th of July, that year, with a loss of two thousand dollars. In the spring of 1886 he lost a house, granary, and five hundred bushels of wheat in the same way. This loss amounted to between five hundred and one thousand dollars. Notwithstanding the reverses he has steadily prospered in business since coming to Faulkton and is today one of the most substantial citizens of this city. He is a straightforward, energetic and capable business man and carries forward to successful completion, whatever he undertakes. In his political views Mr. Wallace is a democrat and has served as a delegate to the conventions of his party. He has been prominently identified with everything calculated to boom the interests of the town and county. The first Fourth of July celebration in Faulkton was held in his uncompleted storeroom which was the fourth building erected in the new town. He was appointed postmaster under President Arthur's administration and filled that, office from 1885 to 1888. He was one of the first county commissioners elected in Faulk county, and served in that, position for one term. Religiously he is a member of the Congregational church, and socially is affiliated with the Masons. Mr. Wallace has his own peculiar business methods, in all his own business transactions. For forty-six years he has been his own banker, never having given a check, handling all his own money, keeping his own books and paying all his liabilities in cash, and in sixteen years, prior to 1899, had taken in and paid out two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. He has never been sued or sued any man and has never been in court as a witness but once,, never uses tea, coffee, tobacco or liquor. 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/gbs70wallace.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/sdfiles/ File size: 5.5 Kb