Near Pierpont in Day County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Charles H. Sheldon
Second Governor of South Dakota
— 1893 - 1897 —
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, December 6, 2015
1. Charles H. Sheldon Marker
Inscription.
Charles H. Sheldon. Second Governor of South Dakota. Born at Johnson, Vermont, Sept. 12, 1840. His father died when he was 4 and at 6 he was bound out to work on a farm. He had 3 months schooling per year until 14 when, to get better educational opportunity, he got a store job for room and board and $20.00 per year. First rejected, he enlisted Sept. 23, 1861 in Co. "E" 7th Vermont Infantry and was mustered out in 1865 as a captain. Resourceful, capable he made his mark in the Army. He became a storekeeper in Illinois. Married in 1875 to Martha Frizzel, they had two children, Ethel, 1878 and Charles H., Jr., 1881. He came to Dakota Territory in 1880. He homesteaded near Pierpont in 1882. Active in G.A.R. affairs, he was a member of the Council of 1886 where he was an able legislator. At the Republican Convention in 1890, he made an impromptu speech "with such eloquence and power as to raise the convention to a high pitch of enthusiasm". Nominated for Governor in 1892 and again in 1894, he won by a wider margin, showing that the people approved his administration. He retired to private life but in the campaign of 1898, went to the Black Hills on a speaking tour, where, exposed to bad weather, he took sick and died at Deadwood on October 20, 1898. Buried at Pierpont.
Born at Johnson, Vermont, Sept. 12, 1840. His father died when he was 4 and at 6 he was bound out to work on a farm. He had 3 months schooling per year until 14 when, to get better educational opportunity, he got a store job for room and board and $20.00 per year. First rejected, he enlisted Sept. 23, 1861 in Co. "E" 7th Vermont Infantry and was mustered out in 1865 as a captain. Resourceful, capable he made his mark in the Army. He became a storekeeper in Illinois. Married in 1875 to Martha Frizzel, they had two children, Ethel, 1878 and Charles H., Jr., 1881. He came to Dakota Territory in 1880. He homesteaded near Pierpont in 1882. Active in G.A.R. affairs, he was a member of the Council of 1886 where he was an able legislator. At the Republican Convention in 1890, he made an impromptu speech "with such eloquence and power as to raise the convention to a high pitch of enthusiasm". Nominated for Governor in 1892 and again in 1894, he won by a wider margin, showing that the people approved his administration. He retired to private life but in the campaign of 1898, went to the Black Hills on a speaking tour, where, exposed to bad weather, he took sick and died at Deadwood on October 20, 1898. Buried at Pierpont.
Erected 1965 by Mr. & Mrs. C.V.N. Perry and State Highway Commission. (Marker Number
Location. 45° 30.136′ N, 97° 50.239′ W. Marker is near Pierpont, South Dakota, in Day County. Marker is at the intersection of South Dakota Route 27 and 130th Street, on the right when traveling south on State Route 27. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Pierpont SD 57468, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Also see . . . Charles H. Sheldon - Wikipedia. (Submitted on December 16, 2015, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota.)
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, December 6, 2015
2. Charles H. Sheldon Marker
May 7, 2022
3. Charles H. Sheldon Marker, from the north
Credits. This page was last revised on May 11, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 16, 2015, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 346 times since then and 25 times this year. Last updated on August 20, 2021, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. Photos:1, 2. submitted on December 16, 2015, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. 3. submitted on May 11, 2022. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.