MAJOR JOHN A. PICKLER is a native of Washington county, Indiana, where he was born on the 24th of January, 1844, being a son of George and Emily (Martin) Pickler, the former of whom was born in Indiana and the latter in Kentucky, while both families early settled in the Hoosier state, in the pioneer epoch. The father of Major Pickler was for many years engaged in agricultural pursuits, finally removing to Davis county, Iowa, where he engaged in merchandising, as did he later in Kirksville, Missouri, where both he and his wife passed the closing years of their earnest and useful lives. Major Pickler passed his boyhood days on the old Indiana homestead and secured his preliminary educational discipline in the district schools, after which he completed a course of study in the high school at Bloomfield, Iowa, where his parents had taken up their abode. He was later matriculated in the Iowa State University, where he was graduated as a member of the class of 1870, with the degree of Bachelor of Philosophy.

Shortly afterwards he entered the law department of the celebrated University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, where he completed the prescribed course and was graduated in 1872, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Laws. After thus fortifying himself for the work of his exacting profession he engaged in the practice of law at Kirksville, Missouri, whence, in 1875, he removed to Muscatine, Iowa, where he entered into a professional alliance as a member of the law firm of Hoffman, Pickler & Brown, which held prestige at the bar of the Hawkeye state, and he continued to be thus associated until coming to Dakota Territory in 1882, since which year he has retained his home in Faulk county. He possesses one of the largest and best selected libraries in the state.

Prompted by intrinsic loyalty and patriotism, Major Pickler early offered his services in defense of the Union when ''grim-visaged war reared its horrid front." In 1862 he enlisted in Company D, Third Iowa Volunteer Cavalry, in which he became a non-commissioned officer. During his period of service with this command he was granted a furlough of thirty days in order that he might attend, in Philadelphia, a military training school for applicants for command in colored troops. He was later examined, in the city of St. Louis, and passed for captaincy, and there rejoined his regiment to await developments. He continued in active service with the Third Iowa Cavalry until 1864, when he veteranized and rejoined the same company and regiment, being promoted to second lieutenant, first lieutenant and finally captain of Company D, in the meanwhile having declined to be mustered in as captain in the One Hundred and Twenty-second Regiment of the United States Colored Infantry. Upon being mustered out of the Third Cavalry he was made major of the One Hundred and Thirty-eighth Regiment of United States. Colored Infantry, at the age of twenty-one years, and commanded this regiment for several months at. Atlanta, Georgia This regiment was mustered out in January, 1866, and Major Pickler then received his honorable discharge. He participated in a number of the notable engagements of
the great internecine conflict and made an enviable record as a faithful and valiant soldier and able commanding officer. He retains a deep interest in his old comrades in arms and is an honored member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

In September, 1882, Major Pickler came from Iowa by railroad to Mitchell, South Dakota and thence by stage to Huron, at which point he joined a party of gentlemen who were going to the center of Faulk county to locate a town, which they hoped to make the county seat. The party proceeded by rail to Miller, Hand county, where the subject of this sketch and others of the company procured lumber for claim shanties, the material being loaded with other lumber belonging to others of the party and designed for the construction of a hotel in the new town. In the procession that finally proceeded northward over the un-trampled prairies there were thirteen wagons, each being well loaded. For eight miles out of Miller they followed a somewhat beaten" track, but thereafter proceeded across the prairies without a trail, placing lath on various high points as they traveled, in order that they might find their way back by the same route. On sunfall of the second day they arrived on the present site of Faulkton, locating that town on the south bank of the Nixon river. The next day Major Pickler settled upon a pre-emption claim adjoining the town, and his pleasant home is located on this property, a considerable portion of which is now platted into town lots. He was active in assisting in the organization and development of Faulk county, being one of the most prominent members of the bar of this section.

In politics he has ever given an uncompromising allegiance to the republican party and has long been known as one of its leaders in the state. He served as state's attorney of Adair county, Missouri, and while engaged in practice in Iowa was a Garfield elector from the second district of that state. He served as a member of the legislature of Iowa, and in 1885 was elected to the territorial legislature of South Dakota. By his old colonel of the Third Iowa Cavalry, General John W. Noble, secretary of the interior under President Harrison, he was appointed an inspector in the public land service, in which capacity he served until his election to congress in 1889. Upon the admission of South Dakota to the Union, Major Pickler was elected at large as one of the first members of congress from the state, the fifty-first congress. He was re-elected at large to the fifty-second, fifty-third and fifty-fourth congresses, and thus was a representative of his state in the lower house of the federal legislature for four successive congresses, within which he accomplished much for the furtherance of the best interests of South Dakota. He served as a member of the committees of public land, Indian affairs, invalid pensions, irrigation of arid lands, alcoholic liquor traffic and that of claims. He was chairman of the committee on invalid pensions in the fifty-fourth congress. He was not a candidate for re-election to the fifty-fifth congress but was a candidate for nomination for the United States senate. He received the Republican legislative caucus nomination and the unanimous vote of the caucus for more than thirty days, but the Republicans were lacking five votes of a majority and as it was deemed improbable that a Republican could be elected, the representatives of the party, with one exception, voted for Hon. James. H. Kyle to succeed himself as senator, and he was duly elected. The senate succeeding President McKinley's first election was known to be very equally divided between the Republicans and the opposition, and the national Republican committee was very desirous; and so expressed itself to Major Pickler, that in case it became apparent that a Republican could not be elected, the Republican strength in South Dakota be thrown to a man who would, if necessary, vote for the tariff and financial policies of the Republican party. In accordance with this expressed desire of the national leaders, and after protracted support by the caucus, Major Pickler advised the change of vote from himself to Senator Kyle, who could be relied upon to support the measures desired. While acting as chairman of the house committee on invalid pensions Major Pickler became so popular with the veteran soldier elements in the Republican party, that petitions poured in from every direction by the thousands asking the Secretary of the Interior to appoint him commissioner of pensions, a request which if seconded by the man who had been so anxious for him to withdraw from the race for senator in the interest of the party, when at last an equal chance for victory was before him, would have assured his appointment, but the request of thousands of comrades was not seconded and the appointment was not made. The Major is identified with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, the Knights of Pythias and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He and his wife are prominent and valued members of the Methodist Episcopal church in their home city.

On the sixteenth of November, 1870, was solemnized the marriage of Major Pickler to Miss Alice M. Alt, who was born in Johnson county, Iowa, in 1848, being a daughter of Joseph A. Alt, one of the sterling pioneers of that state. They have four children, Lula A., wife of W. J. Frad, dry goods merchant in Faulkton. Madge E., wife of Prof. N. B. Hoy, editor of the Grand Valley Herald and real estate dealer at Meadow, Perkins county, South Dakota, Alfred A., editor of the Aberdeen (South Dakota) Daily American, and Dale Alice, now a student at Simmons College, Boston, Mass.

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ALICE M. A. PICKLER is the daughter of Joseph and Eliza Alt. She was born in Johnson county, Iowa, near Iowa City, in 1848. She comes of a family very old in America. A paternal ancestor, Michel Drew by name, left the service of the king a few years prior to the outbreak of the Revolution, came to America, and enlisted and served in the Continental army. An ancestor on her mother's side, Frederick Kepford, was with Washington at Valley Forge. A family tradition has it that upon one occasion, as he slept one winter night at his accustomed place under a baggage wagon, his cue froze fast to the ground. The names of these ancestors still survive among the Christian names of the family. Mrs. Pickler's father was born near Harper's Ferry, Virginia, and when a few weeks old was taken by his family to Springfield, Ohio, where he lived until 1840. He then came to Johnson county, Iowa, and resided on land which he obtained from the government, until his death, in January, 1904, a period of sixty-four years. Her mother, Eliza Kepford, removed with her people from Pennsylvania to the same county in the 'forties, where she-married Mr. Alt and where they had their home together for fifty-six years. She died February 5, 1904, one week after the death of her husband. They were the last of the early Iowa pioneers in that vicinity.

Mrs. Pickler lived with her parents upon the farm, attending the district school and engaging in the duties devolving upon a girl living in the country at that time. She attended the Iowa State University for a period of six years, commencing when at the age of fourteen. She was one of the early students of that institution and is a member of the Elder Daughters of the University. She taught school a portion of the time during her attendance at the university, a part of the time in the model school of that institution. While attending the university she became acquainted with her future husband, J. A. Pickler, who was attending at the same time. They were married November 16, 1870. She accompanied her husband during his law course at Ann Arbor, Michigan; afterwards they resided at Kirksville, Missouri, two years and at Muscatine, Iowa, seven years, from whence they came as pioneers to Faulk county, Dakota Territory. She was accompanied to Dakota by her two younger sisters, Kate K. and Nellie Alt, the wives respectfully of W. G. Faulkner, ex-county auditor, and D. H. Latham who has been state's attorney for Faulk county.

Mrs. Pickler's parents were quiet, but aggressive and positive, people, who loved good principles as their own lives, and in this atmosphere their oldest daughter, Alice, grew to womanhood. The church and the temperance reform found in her parents warm friends. During the great Civil war eight of their immediate relatives had a part, serving with fidelity and distinction. Mr. Alt was a Whig and cast his vote for John C. Fremont for President. So intense was their loyalty that it was deeply impressed on the minds of the children who were old enough to understand the editorials in the New York Tribune, which was the standard paper in the family. The enthusiasm that sent hospital supplies to the army at the front was shared by the children and young people. When the war ended a number of the younger soldiers attended school at the Iowa State University, among them Major J. A. Pickler, then twenty-two years old. A four years acquaintance in this pleasant college ended in the marriage of Alice M. Alt to him.

Up to the time of their removal to Dakota, Mrs. Pickler's field of work was most and first of all, her family of three children, the Methodist church and a membership in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. When she, with others in that great territory of Dakota, began to make homes and "plant the roots of states" a desire for the same happy environments in the new state that had been left in the old, led her into more active work along broader lines. Her husband was a member of the territorial legislature of 1885, which gave her a wide acquaintance with many of the best and most active men and women of the two Dakotas. This friendship she cherishes at the present time. Her sphere of opportunity was still more-widened upon the accession of statehood and during the eight years following she became acquainted with a number of representatives of the western states" who made their home for a time at the national capital.

Mrs. Pickler had been a member of the executive board of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union in her state for many years. Also was honored as the unanimous choice for president of the State Relief Corps. She was also national chaplain of that body in 1900. She was one of the first trustees of the Methodist Episcopal church at Faulkton. She has been a grand officer of the Order of the Eastern Star. In all of these organizations she is an earnest member, but to her family she is most devoted. The children, Lula A., wife of W. J. Frad, late editor of the Mitchell (South Dakota) Gazette and now dry goods merchant at Faulkton; Madge E., who has become the wife of N. E. Hoy, editor of the Grand Valley Herald and real estate dealer at Meadow, Perkins county, South Dakota; Alfred A. editor of the Aberdeen (South Dakota) Daily American, and Dale A., now a student at Simmon's College, Boston, Mass., have all done honor to themselves and parents in their college work, and the positions they occupy.

Residence of Hon. J.A. Pickler

In their pioneer home a large lamp always hung in the window to guide the lost traveler on the great prairies to a place of shelter. The home has grown to one of ample size, of the colonial type. The light still shines and friend or caller there finds the same open-handed hospitality which helped in the 'eighties to weave the ties that bind in unbroken friendship those pioneers who have made the history of the state of South Dakota.

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