Jakob Richter Biography


	This biography appears on pages 606-607 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	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://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


				JAKOB RICHTER

Jakob Richter is well known and active among those who, realizing the 
natural resources of Lake county, have made it a splendid agricultural 
district. His home is on section 31, Farmington township, and there he 
has lived since 1905, being one of the extensive land holders of his 
community. He was born near Warsaw, Poland, on the 30th of May, 1860, 
and is a son of John and Katherina Richter. The father has devoted his 
life to farming but now, in the evening of his days, is living retired, 
having reached the advanced age of ninety three years. The mother has 
passed away. 

	Jakob Richter pursued his education in his native country and his 
youth was a period of earnest and unremitting toil. At twenty-one years 
of age he joined the army and after serving for three years returned to 
his home, where he remained for two years. He was then married and 
began farming on his own account. He continued his residence in Poland 
until 1887, when, at the age of twenty-seven years, he sought the 
opportunities of the new world, making his way direct to South Dakota. 
He journeyed to Madison, making the trip soon after the train service 
was started. His initial step in the business world was taken as an 
employee of Henry Roherer, for whom he worked at eighteen dollars per 
month. He was afterward employed in the lumber woods in Wisconsin 
during the winter season, but the following year he returned to Lake 
county, where he worked at the carpenter's trade. He built many houses 
in Madison, leading a most industrious life, and then with his savings 
he purchased land. In 1905 he built his present residence, which is one 
of the attractive homes of the county. In the rear are good barns and 
outbuildings, the improvements upon his place being worth ten thousand 
dollars. His home stands in the midst of a large farm of five hundred 
and twenty acres situated on section 31, Farmington township, and a 
glance over the place indicates the efficiency of his farm methods both 
in the production of grain and in the raising of stock. He handles a 
large amount of registered stock, including fifty-two Percheron horses 
and a large number of Poland China hogs. He has his own lighting plant 
upon the farm and in the spring of 1915 he purchased a tractor. He 
utilizes the latest improved methods in farming and has one of the most 
beautiful and attractive places in the state. 

	On the 8th of October, 1885, Mr. Richter was married to Miss 
Emelia Ermes, a daughter of John Ermes, a native of Germany, and their 
family now numbers the following named: Arthur, Oscar, Herman, Esther, 
Waldemar, Elsie, Erna, Myrtle, Amelia, Jakob and Ulda. In religious 
belief the family are Baptists and the political faith of Mr. Richter 
is that of the republican party. He has served as road supervisor for 
sixteen years and strongly favors the improvement of public highways. 
He has also been a member of the township board for three years and his 
influence is always on the side of progress and improvement. He belongs 
to the fair association, which has done much to stimulate pride in 
their achievements among the farmers of the county and has been a 
factor in holding up high standards before the people. Mr. Richter has 
never had occasion to regret his determination to come to the new 
world, for here he has found the opportunities which he sought, and as 
the years have gone by he has wisely used his time and talents with the 
result that he is now one of the prosperous farmers of his adopted 
country.