Joseph Mead Bailey, Jr. Biography

	This biography appears on page 436 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, Jr., JOSEPH MEAD, a brother of C. O. Bailey, came to Sioux 
Falls in June, 1885, and announced that he had come to stay. He was not 
quite twenty-one years old, short in stature, and looked to be two or 
three years younger than he was.  But it was soon known in the city 
that he was a man of affairs.  He contracted for the convict labor in 
the penitentiary, and commenced at once to interest himself in the 
banking business.  He was connected with the German-American Loan & 
Trust Co., and in 1886 became vice president of the Citizens National 
Bank, and was instrumental in the merging of that bank with the 
Minnehaha National in 1888.  When the consolidation had taken place he 
was elected its president, and held the position until his decease.  
April 1, 1889, he was appointed treasurer of the Territory of Dakota by 
Governor Mellette, and held the office until a treasurer of the State 
of South Dakota was elected. He was interested in banking at Huron, 
Parker, Valley Springs and Garretson, and was concerned in several 
large enterprises during the boom days in Sioux Falls.  He was as 
active in political matters as in business enterprises. In 1888, he was 
elected a delegate from the Territory to the Republican National 
Convention, and he found time to devote to city, county, and state 
politics.  But his slight physical resources were not equal to the 
requirements of his active brain and wonderful energy.  He became 
broken in health early in 1891, and went abroad to rest and recuperate, 
but never returned to Sioux Falls.

He was born November 4, 1864, at Freeport, Ill., and died at his 
birthplace on the 12th day of September, 1891.  A large delegation from 
Sioux Falls attended his funeral.  He was educated at Mount Morris 
Academy, Illinois, and was graduated from the University at Rochester, 
N. Y., in 1882.  In 1883, he was appointed swamp-land agent for Iowa, 
to effect a settlement for the Federal government, and in February, 
1885, was appointed swamp-land commissioner of Ohio.  These positions 
he held while engaged in the law business at Eagle Grove, Iowa. He was 
companionable, generous and enterprising, but the most remarkable 
element in his make-up, the one of all others which arrested public 
attention, was the tireless activity of his brain.