Dana Reed Bailey Biography

	This biography appears on pages 437-438 in "History of Minnehaha 
	County, South Dakota" by Dana R. Bailey and was scanned, OCRed 
	and edited by Joy Fisher, http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00001.html#0000031
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BAILEY, DANA REED, was born in Montgomery, Vermont, April 27, 1833; was 
reared on a farm, educated in the district schools, Bakersfield 
Academy, Leland Seminary, and Oberlin College, Ohio, where he took a 
two years' course; taught district schools three terms, select school 
six months, and the Beekman school at Saratoga Springs, New York, one 
year; commenced the study of law in June, 1856; entered the law office 
of the late Chief Justice Royce of Vermont in 1857, and the Albany Law 
school at Albany, N. Y., in 1858, and was graduated in April, 1859. 
Commenced the practice of law in May of the same year at Underhill, 
Vt., removed to Highgate, Vt., in February, 1860, and practiced law 
there until September 1, 1864. While at Highgate was town agent two 
years, and trustee of the United States surplus fund two years; was 
deputy collector of the United States customs, having charge of the 
office there three years and three months; was special agent of the War 
Department six months, and in 1863, was appointed secret aid of the 
United States Treasury, and held this appointment three years.  
September 1, 1864, opened a law office at St. Albans, Vt.; entered into 
a copartner-ship with Park Davis, February 3, 1865, and a year later H. 
C. Adams was added to the firm.  Was delegate to the Republican 
National Convention in 1868, and was a member of the State Central 
Committee two years; was elected to the office of state's attorney of 
Franklin county, two terms, and to the State Senate in 1870, and re-
elected in 1872; was chairman of the judiciary committee, and was 
appointed chairman of a committee of five, by joint resolution of the 
legislature, to investigate the Vermont Central Railroad, which 
investigation was not concluded until July, 1873.  Was one of the 
school directors in St. Albans two years.  In 1871, laid out and was 
the proprietor of the village of Baldwin, in St. Croix county, 
Wisconsin; built the Matchless Flouring Mills at that place, and was 
the owner of three saw mills, and half owner of two elevators, and for 
ten years was engaged in manufacturing flour and lumber, merchandising 
and farming, and for several years had a large herd of Shorthorns, 
which in 1877, sold in Chicago for the highest average price of any 
herd in the United States that year.  Moved to Baldwin in 1874; was 
president of the village three years, treasurer one year, and director 
of the village schools seven years.  In 1877, was nominated for the 
State Senate by acclamation by the Republican convention of the Twenty-
fourth Senatorial District of Wisconsin, comprising seven counties, and 
received all the votes cast in the county where he resided, except 57 
out of a total vote of 3,131, the Republican nominee for the Assembly 
having only 99 majority in the county; was chairman of judiciary 
committee of the Senate in 1879.  In 1880, was elected one of the 
county commissioners of St. Croix county, was re-elected in 1881, and 
again in 1882; resigned the chairmanship of the county board December 
19, and arrived in Sioux Falls December 21, 1882, and had charge of the 
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company's business in South Dakota 
until March, 1884. On the 11th day of March of that year opened a law 
office in the Masonic Temple, and was the first tenant to occupy that 
building.  In January, 1886, formed a copartnersbip with Park Davis, 
and W. H. Lyon was added to the firm in 1888. Was city attorney from 
1885 to 1889; on the 21st day of August, 1890, upon the resignation of 
C. O. Bailey, was appointed state's attorney for Minnehaha county, and 
by subsequent elections held the office until 1895, since which time he 
has practiced law. In territorial days was a member for two years of 
the Republican Central Committee, and in 1895-6 was a member of the 
State Agricultural Board.