Clark G. Coats Biography


	This biography appears on pages 492-493, 497 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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COATS, CLARK G., was born at Mecca, Trumbull county, Ohio, March 14, 1844, 
attended the public schools and worked in his father's machine shop and 
novelty works until twenty-two years of age; then went to Cleveland, Ohio, 
and worked in cooper shops seven years; came to "Sioux Falls City," as it 
was then called, July 3, 1869, and went to work for C. K. Howard and the 
next winter went to Flandreau and took charge of C. K. Howard's general 
store at that place; the last of March, 1870, returned to Sioux Falls 
afoot, wading through water waist-deep in some places; in May went to 
Kalamazoo, Mich., and got married, but returned to Sioux Falls in a few 
weeks; his wife came in August, and during the next winter they kept house 
in the barracks, the next spring he commenced building the first frame house 
in Sioux Falls, but W. S. Bloom, who commenced soon after to build the house 
afterwards occupied by T. H. Brown, finished his first. Mr. Coats took up 
one hundred and sixty acres of land in Sioux Falls township, and bought 
forty acres more; two years later he took up one hundred and sixty acres of 
land in Mapleton township and removed there; bought eight hundred and forty 
acres more and resided there until 1883, when he returned to Sioux Falls and 
bought five hundred and forty acres of land situated mostly within the city 
limits, and also acquired considerable city property.

Mr. Coats is a man of great energy and enterprise, and has spent large amounts 
of money in endeavoring to advance the prosperity of the city of Sioux Falls.  
In 1890 he erected a large number of buildings to accommodate the State Fair, 
and also constructed two race tracks, one a half-mile track, the other a kite-
shaped mile track, supposing at that time that horse racing would be generally 
supported. He has contributed liberally to other public enterprises, and is 
recognized as one of the best farmers in the county.  He has been alderman 
from the Third ward six years, and was a member of the constitutional 
convention from Minnehaha county in 1889.  He is a good neighbor and a 
good citizen.