Edward Borwell Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 825, 828

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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EDWARD BORWELL, one of the early settlers of Spink county and a 
prominent agriculturist and citizen of Conde, South Dakota, is well 
known to the residents of the locality where he has passed so many 
years. He was in the real estate, insurance and mercantile business for 
a number of years and is considered one of the substantial men of the 
county. He has built up an enviable reputation for integrity of 
character and uprightness of business methods, and no man has taken a 
more active interest in the welfare of the locality. 

Our subject was born in Manchester, England, December 5, 1842. His 
parents were natives of England, the father of Lincolnshire and the 
mother of Lancashire, and his father was a merchant. On the mother's 
side the family were old residents of Manchester and her uncles and 
brothers were in the British army. The family came to America in 1855, 
our subject accompanying his parents, and they made their home for a 
short time in Canada, afterward locating at Arena, Iowa county, 
Wisconsin, where the father engaged in farming. 

Our subject received his early education in his native land and at the 
age of eighteen years, September 25, 1861, he enlisted in Company G, 
Eleventh Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, and was sent immediately to 
Missouri. They guarded the Iron Mountain railroad till the spring of 
1862, and the summer following was with General Curtis in Missouri and 
Arkansas. They joined Grant in Louisiana in March, 1863, and were in 
the Vicksburg campaign. Here our subject was wounded May 22, 1863, was 
sent to the hospital at Memphis, Tennessee, and discharged from the 
service July 28, the same year. He returned home for a short time and 
in 1864 served in the cavalry bureau of quartermaster's department 
until the close of the war. He moved to Trempealeau county, Wisconsin, 
in June, 1870, and engaged in farming and established a general 
merchandise business. His farm consisted of three hundred and twenty 
acres, half of which was broken for cultivation, and a small orchard 
was one of the features of the place. He afterward disposed of his 
mercantile interests and, in the spring of 1882, disposed of other 
property and went to Dakota. He located on the south half of section 
10, Beotia township, in Spink county, and took a pre-emption and 
homestead. He erected a shanty 12 x 14 on the line between the pre-
emption and the homestead, resting mostly on the pre-emption and 
afterward put an addition to the shanty on the homestead 16x20 feet. 
When he settled on the land not a shanty was in sight, but during the 
summer the country settled up very fast, and was soon transformed into 
a thriving agricultural district. Our subject shipped lumber, horses, 
cows, grain and other necessaries to the new home, and soon was in a 
way to make a success of his calling. His first barn was of sod, but 
the present buildings are complete and commodious, and furnish an air 
of comfort and prosperity to the property. Our subject resided there 
until January, 1887, and engaged principally in grain and stock 
raising. The land was all under cultivation except eighty acres of 
pasture, and plenty of good water is to be obtained. The railroad was 
built through Conde during the fall of 1886, and our subject removed to 
the town in January of the following year, his residence being the 
second dwelling built in the town. He resided here until 1893, and was 
then elected county auditor on the Republican ticket, and was re-
elected in 1895, serving two terms. He returned to Conde in 1898, since 
which time he has been a resident of that town, and has become 
thoroughly identified with its interests. 

Mr. Borwell was married in 1868 to Miss Elizabeth Carter, a native of 
Dane county, Wisconsin, and the daughter of a prominent farmer. Two 
daughters and one son have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Borwell. The 
eldest, Annie, is the wife of S. L. Cleveland, a farmer of Beotia 
township; Joseph, afarmer and stock men of Beotia township, and Mary 
E., wife of C. C. Campbell and resides in Redfield. 

Our subject is a member of the Masonic fraternity, the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen and the G. A. R. In political faith he is a Republican 
and is an ardent worker for the principles of his party. As a prominent 
citizen, and an industrious member of his community, and one in whom 
the people can repose every confidence, the subject of this review well 
merits his high position.