Stanley County, South Dakota
Biographies
History of Dakota Territory, George W. Kingsbury, Vol. 4, 1915
Contributed by Karen SeemanANDY C. RICKETTS.
The record of Andy C. Ricketts in public service is well known and is a most creditable one, for capability and fidelity to duty have ever marked his public activities. He is one of the adopted sons of South Dakota, his birth having occurred in Charleston, Coles county, Illinois, September 29, 1875, his parents being Joshua T. and Louisa Anna (Bensley) Ricketts.
He attended the schools of Fort Pierre, the family having come to this state during his early boyhood. After his textbooks were put aside he became actively connected with the meat market and thus received his initial business training. He has held various public offices to which he has been called by his fellow townsmen, who recognize in him the qualities of progressive citizenship. He filled the office of city treasurer, was also chosen city auditor and was elected to represent the first ward in the city council. He has been school treasurer of Fort Pierre and was first elected clerk of the courts of Stanley county, in November, 1908, to which office he was reelected in November, 1910, 1912, and 1914. He is discharging the duties devolving upon him with promptness and efficiency. He is also treasurer of the Fort Pierre volunteer fire department. In his political views he is a republican, having supported the party since attaining his majority. He is in thorough sympathy with its principles and purposes and therefore gives to it unwavering
allegiance.On the 9th of November, 1904, Mr. Ricketts was married at Fort Pierre to Miss Mable E. Barkley, daughter of John M. Barkley. They have many warm friends in the city where they reside and their home is a hospitable one, its good cheer being greatly enjoyed by their many friends. Fraternally Mr. Ricketts is connected with Hiram Lodge, No. 123, A. F. & A. M. of Fort Pierre; Pierre Chapter, No. 22, R. A. M., of Pierre and the Elks Lodge, No. 444, of Huron, South Dakota. Almost his entire life has been spent in the northwest and its spirit of enterprise and progress finds an exponent in him.
History of Dakota Territory, George W. Kingsbury, Vol. 4, 1915
Contributed by Karen SeemanJULIUS H. JOHNSON.
The student of history does not have to carry his investigations far before he learns that the northwest owes its development, progress and upbuilding to the Scandinavian race. The strong and sterling characteristics of those who claim their nativity in, or trace their ancestry to Norway, Sweden, or Denmark have been continuously manifest as factors in the material progress and the political and moral welfare of this section of the country. While a native of Iowa, Julius H. Johnson is descended from Scandinavian ancestry, his record being a proof of the facts stated above, he ranks today among the able lawyers of South Dakota, possessing comprehensive knowledge of the law with ability to accurately apply its principles. He is, moreover, an orator of considerable power and a deep and logical thinker, not only upon legal problems but also concerning the great vital principles affecting the welfare of state and nation. He practices law at Fort Pierre but has been heard many times upon the lecture and political platforms and thus bas become widely known throughout the state.
A native of Humboldt, Iowa, Mr. Johnson was born July 13, 1872. His parents were pioneers in Wisconsin and moved to Iowa in 1871. The father. Ole Johnson, was a successful farmer, but died in 1874 leaving the mother, Mrs. Anna Johnson, whose first husband had died in the Civil war, with a family of small children to raise. She is now past eighty and is making her home with her son Julius at Fort Pierre.
Julius H. Johnson spent his early youth on the farm where he worked early and late in addition to attending school, later continuing his education at the Red Wing Seminary at Red Wing, Minnesota, where he was graduated with the class of 1894. In 1900 he was graduated from the University of Minnesota with the degree of Bachelor of Literature, and the following year he received the degree of Bachelor of Laws from the University of Iowa. For three years Mr. Johnson was engaged in the practice of law in Clinton, Iowa. Then he removed to South Dakota, where he has since won distinction as an able and learned member of the bar. He was appointed city attorney of Fort Pierre and served for six years. In 1908 and 1910 inclusive he served Stanley county as states attorney. In this time he secured fifty-nine convictions of criminals in the circuit court and also fifty-four convictions in justice court. The thoroughness and care with which be prepares his cases, combined with clear and cogent reasoning have been the salient features of his success.
On the 19th of June, 1901, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Julius H. Johnson and Lydia B. Carlsson were married. Their only child, Charlotte Amelia Johnson, was born at Clinton, Iowa, May 6, 1902. Extended mention is made of Mrs. Johnson elsewhere in this work in connection with her club work and her efforts in behalf of equal suffrage.
Mr. Johnson is a progressive republican and secured the endorsement of the conservation and irrigation plank in the republican platform of 1912. He has lectured extensively on political economy and few men have as comprehensive and accurate knowledge of the subject. Fraternally he is a Master Mason, and in 1913 he filled the office of noble grand in the Odd Fellows lodge at Fort Pierre. He has likewise been master workman in the Ancient Order of United Workmen and belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America. He is secretary of the Commercial Club of Fort Pierre and is deeply interested in every vital problem affecting the welfare, upbuilding and progress of the municipality and of the commonwealth. He has traveled extensively in Europe and while abroad studied governmental questions in England, Norway, Sweden and Germany. His views are comprehensive, his reasoning clear and his decisions are logical.
History of Dakota Territory, George W. Kingsbury, Vol. 4, 1915
Contributed by Karen SeemanCLAUDE A. BENNETT.
Claude A. Bennett, judge of the county court of Stanley county, who since 1908 has been an active representative of the South Dakota bar, was born on the 18th of April, 1882, six miles west of the city of Canton, in this state, his parents being Millard and Mary Bennett, who settled on a homestead in Lincoln county in 1874. The father was a native of New York born of English parentage and the mother a native of Illinois and of Welsh descent. Both are residents of Canton at the present time. They were pioneers in the development of the great west, recognizing its possibilities and aiding in the work of reclaiming the broad acres for the purposes of cultivation and improvement.
Judge Bennett mastered the elementary branches of learning and qualified for entrance into the Canton high school from which he was graduated in 1898. He subsequently became a student in the Yankton College from which he won the Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation with the class of 1904. Subsequently he became a student in Chicago University,completing the course there in 1907 and in 1913 Yankton College conferred upon him the Master of Arts degree. He closely applied himself to his law studies and his careful preparation has constituted the foundation of his success at the bar. He settled at Philip, South Dakota, on the 11th of May, 1908, and there entered upon the active practice of law, winning a large clientage that connected him with much of the important litigation tried in the courts of his district. His ability in handling intricate and involved legal problems led to his selection for the office of county judge of Stanley county and following his election he removed to Fort Pierre on the 1st of January, 1913. He is now upon the bench and his decisions are strictly fair and impartial, being based upon a comprehensive knowledge of the law and the equity of the case.
On the 28th of August, 1912, at McLaughlin, South Dakota, Mr. Bennett was united in marriage to Miss Irene M. Harris, who is a daughter of Mrs. Anna Harris of McLaughlin, and who was born in Beadle county, South Dakota, in 1885. Judge and Mrs. Bennett attend the Congregational church in which she holds membership and he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being affiliated with Philip Lodge, No. 153, A. F. & A. M.; Pierre Chapter No. 22, R A. M.; and Capital Commandery, No. 21, K. T. He has always been an earnest republican in his political views, believing firmly in party principles, yet he has never allowed partisanship to interfere with the faithful performance of his judicial duties.
History of Dakota Territory, George W. Kingsbury, Vol. 4, 1915
Contributed by Karen SeemanW. L. CUSICK.
W. L. Cusick is a prominent and well known firmer of Clay county, owning six hundred acres of land, three hundred and sixty of which are located in that county, and two hundred and forty in Stanley county. He was born upon the farm on section 27, Fairview township, where he still lives, in 1875, a son of Nelson W. and Annie (Ledew) Cusick. The father was born in New York state and the mother in St. Mary, Iowa, in 1857. The father came west when a young man and first located in Michigan, but afterward removed to Dakota territory in the early '60s, becoming one of the pioneers of Clay county, where he entered a homestead and also a preemption claim. In company with Cornelius Andrews and Jonas Meckling he platted the town site of Burbank in June, 1873. He fanned and raised stock until his death, which occurred in 1889 when he was in his sixty-fourth year. He was an excellent business man and was one of the wealthy men of the county at the time of his death, owning thirteen hundred acres of land situated in Clay, Union and Yankton counties. During the Civil war he enlisted in Company A, Volunteer Dakota Calvary, under Captain Nelson Miner, which was organized chiefly to protect settlers from Indian outbreaks, etc. In political matters he adhered to the democratic party but never sought office for himself. In 1894 his widow joined him in death when in her thirty-sixth year. To their union were born six children, three sons and three daughters: W. L., of this review; Mollie, the wife of James Hitchcock, of this state; William, of Clay county; Carrie, the wife of W. A. Chaussee, of Clay county; Lillie, deceased; and John, a resident of Montana.
W. L. Cusick was given excellent educational opportunities, as he was a student in the University of South Dakota after finishing the course in the local schools. When he began his active business career he turned his attention to farming and stock-raising, which he still follows. He is residing upon the old homestead where his birth occurred and owns six hundred acres of land, three hundred and sixty of which are in Clay county and the remainder in Stanley county. He is progressive, energetic and businesslike in all that he does and his extensive interests are well managed and yield him a large annual income.
In 1897 Mr. Cusick was united in marriage to Miss Emma O. Russell, a native of Lincoln county, South Dakota, and a daughter of C. S. and Catherine A. Russell. Her parents removed to South Dakota from Iowa in 1876, and previous to living in the latter state they were residents of Wisconsin. The mother was born in Pennsylvania and the father in Ohio. He passed away in 1900 and was survived by bis widow for nine years. He was a veteran of the Civil war, having served faithfully and gallantly in the Union army, and was familiarly known as Uncle Sam in his neighborhood. All of his six children survive and they are as follows: W. R., a resident of Lake Andes, South Dakota; Mrs. Ida L. Sherman, living in Hotchkiss, Colorado; Mrs. Abbie J. Smith, a resident of Berkeley, California; Calvin L., who lives in Vermillion, this state; Mrs. Cusick, the next in order of birth; and Mrs. Katie May Hopson, who makes her home in Winnifred, South Dakota. To Mr. and Mrs. Cusick have been born five children: La Verna whose birth occurred in 1898 and who is now attending high school; Frank R., born in 1900; Lee Wallace, born in 1902; Corinne M., in 1907; and Arthur Burdette, in 1910.Mr. Cusick it a democrat in his political allegiance but has confined his political activity to the exercise of his right of suffrage. Fraternally he belongs to the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Yeomen, and in his life exemplifies that spirit of brotherhood which is the basis of all fraternal organizations. He has won at the same time material success and the sincere respect and esteem of those who know him, as his integrity and honor have been no less marked than his business ability.
History of Dakota Territory, George W. Kingsbury, Vol. 4, 1915
Contributed by Karen SeemanJUDGE JOHN F. HUGHES.
Judge John F. Hughes, of Fort Pierre, who is sitting on the bench of the sixth judicial circuit of South Dakota, is now serving his second term in that office and is recognized as a jurist who adds to a thorough knowledge of the law an unbiased mind and the ability to decide a question solely upon its merits. He was born in Scott county, Iowa, November 26, 1856, a son of John and Eliza (Parks) Hughes, both natives of the north of Ireland, the father born in County Monaghan and the mother in County Armagh. John Hughes resided for seven years in Scotland, but in 1848 came to America and for a time engaged in contracting with a cousin. About 1852 he located near Davenport, Iowa, and for a time worked as a farm hand, but eventually became the owner of land nine miles north of that city, where he spent the remainder of his life, dying on the 22d of May, 1882. He gave his political allegiance to the democratic party and held a number of local offices. His wife died March 1, 1894. Their marriage was celebrated in Iowa and they became the parents of two children, of whom our subject is the elder.
Judge John F. Hughes attended the country schools of Scott county, Iowa, and subsequently took a classical course in St. Vincent's College at Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He resided upon the homestead during the period of his minority and when sixteen years of age, owing to his father's illness, he assumed charge of the operation of the farm. Before he was eighteen years old he began teaching near Davenport, his first school being located three miles from the city. Later he taught school in his home district. While teaching he took up the study of law in Davenport and for some time continued his studies, teaching at intervals. In 1883 he was admitted to the bar and in the fall of that year he made his way to Dakota territory and took up a preemption near DeSmet, but a few days afterward went down the river and a little later removed to Pierre. In the winter of 1882 he returned to Iowa, but in the following spring located in Pierre, where he engaged in the practice of law. He soon gained recognition as a lawyer of ability and built up a large and lucrative practice. He specialized in trial work, handling both criminal and civil cases, and the court records show that he won a large percentage of favorable verdicts for his clients. He recognised the fact that success in court depends first upon careful preparation and overlooked no point that might have a bearing upon the case. This habit of careful study of all phases of the case combined with his power of skillful and convincing presentation of his arguments caused his colleagues to recognize the fact that he was an opponent worthy of their best steel. During the period following the election of 1896, when Governor Lee was chosen for chief executive of South Dakota, Judge Hughes was retained as counsel for the governor in all litigation resulting from actions of defeated politicians. Judge Hughes ably represented his client and by prompt and accurate work secured the election of Kelley and Freeman Knowles to congress. He has held a number of offices in the path of his profession, having been city attorney of Fort Pierre and having served for four years as states attorney of Stanley county. He is now serving the first year of his second term as judge of the sixth judicial circuit, the excellence of his record having won him reelection without opposition and with the indorsement of all parties. His ability and strict integrity have gained him not only the confidence of the people but also the unqualified respect of the members of the bar of the circuit.
Judge Hughes has also been connected with business interests of Pierre for a number of years. For some time he engaged in the real-estate and insurance business and for three years was a partner in J. D. Hilger & Company, who owned and conducted a clothing store. About 1890 he began dealing in live stock on an extensive scale and still raises and sells many fine horses. He owns a half section of land adjoining Fort Pierre, which he personally operates, devoting it chiefly to the raising of alfalfa. He also owns two sections of land about four miles from Fort Pierre and has a number of other sections under lease, the entire tract being operated as a stock farm by his son, who is also financially interested in the property. Judge Hughes likewise owns valuable property in Pierre and Fort Pierre. In 1901 he removed from Pierre to Fort Pierre and at that time homesteaded the farm which he owns adjoining the latter place. However, he did not remove his office to Fort Pierre for a number of years.
Judge Hughes was married June 29, 1886, to Miss Helen Feeney, who was born in County Galway, Ireland. Her father, Patrick Feeney, died in Ireland, but her mother, who bore the maiden name of Margaret Connally, accompanied her family to Hughes county and passed away in Pierre. Mrs. Hughes was only about ten years of age when she came to this state. An uncle had previously settled in Hughes county and had the only house between Huron and Pierre and was well known in that section of the state. To Judge and Mrs. Hughes have been born thirteen children, namely: Felan, who operates the stock ranch before mentioned and who married Miss Florence Chamberlain; Francis, a rancher and stockman of Stanley county; Helen M., who teaches music and reading in the Fort Pierre high school; Kiran, who graduated from the high school with the class of 1915; Mary, who also graduated in 1915 and was the valedictorian of her class; Leo and Katherine, both attending high school; Loretta, Joseph, Irene and Josephine, all attending school; and two who died in infancy.
Judge Hughes is a republican and his advice is often sought in local party councils. In addition to the offices which have already been mentioned, he has held a number of positions of trust and honor. For four years he was receiver of public moneys in the Pierre land office, for several years in the early '90s he was chairman of the board of commissioners of Hughes county and for four years he was a member of the board of education of Pierre. During the various campaigns for the location of the capital, Judge Hughes took a moat active interest in supporting Pierre and has always been an earnest worker in behalf of any movement that would benefit his city or county. His religious faith is that of the Roman Catholic church and fraternally be is connected with the Knights of Columbus. He is not a club or fraternity man, but prefers to spend his leisure time at home with his family, to whom he is devoted. He possesses a naturally keen mind which has been disciplined by thorough training, and seldom fails in quickly distinguishing between the essential and the nonessential in any issue that arises in the work of the courts. His record as a lawyer and as judge is one of which he has just cause to be proud and he has been equally successful in his business enterprises. Although his official duties and his private interests have made heavy demands upon his time and attention, he has, nevertheless, found opportunity to assist in bringing about the advancement of his community along lines of civic and moral progress, and his public spirit has added to the esteem in which he is held wherever known.