Eugene W. Coughran Biography This biography appears on pages 501-502 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 . This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit organizations for their private use. Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other means requires the written approval of the file's author. This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at http://www.usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm COUGHRAN, EUGENE W., was born in Reedsburg, Wisconsin, June 17, 1856; attended the common schools, and was graduated from the high school at Sparta, after which he entered the telegraph office of the Northwestern Railroad Co. at that place. He was in Sioux Falls a short time in 1875 but did not come there to locate permanently until November 10, 1876. He was at first employed in I. D. Cameron & Co.'s bank, but near the close of the month was employed by the Northwestern Telegraph Co., in its office just opened at that time in a small frame building on Phillips avenue. The next year Cameron & Co. built the block now occupied by Charles Vincent, just opposite this frame building, and the bank and telegraph office were moved into the new block. In the fall of 1877, he entered the United States land office in Sioux Falls as chief clerk, and retained this position until the office was removed to Mitchell. In 1880, he entered into a copartnership with T. B. McMartin, under the firm name of Coughran & McMartin, which continued until October 1, 1889. The firm was engaged in the practice of law, real estate and loans. Since the dissolution of the firm, Mr. Coughran has confined his business to real estate and loans. He is a good business man, and has been successful; is a good citizen, but has never been a candidate for office.