EDGERTON, Alonzo J., was born at Rome, N.Y., in 1827, and was educated at the Lowville academy at Lowville, N.Y., and at the Wesleyan university at Middletown, Conn.  In 1850 he came to Dodge county, Minn., where he engaged in the practice of law.  In August, 1861, he raised Company B, 10th regiment of Minnesota infantry, and was elected its captain.  He served in the Indian campaigns of 1862-63, and then went south with his regiment, where he was in active service during the remainder of the civil war.  He was mustered out in 1867, but before that time commanded a brigade during the riots in New Orleans.  He was a member of the first legislature of the State of Minnesota, and from 1871 to 1874 was railroad commissioner.  In 1876 was one of the Hayes electors from Minnesota.  In 1881 was elected United States senator to fill the vacancy created by Senator Windom’s accepting the office of secretary of the treasury in President Garfield’s cabinet.  In December, 1881, was appointed chief justice of the supreme court of the Territory of Dakota, and removed from Minnesota to Yankton, Dakota.  Was elected president of the South Dakota constitutional convention in 1885 and 1889, and was for a short time president of the state board of regents.  November 19, 1889, was appointed United States district judge of the district of South Dakota and held this office until his death, which occurred on the 9th day of August, 1896.  He resided in Yankton four years, Mitchell four years, and Sioux Falls Six years.  Judge Edgerton was a sagacious politician, an hones, upright judge, and enjoyed the absolute confidence and the highest esteem of his fellow citizens.

EDMISON, Percival H., is a native of Canada, and was born February 24, 1844.  He attended the public schools during his youth, and then took a two years course in the Queen’s University at Kingston.  He taught school three years in Canada and Michigan, and during the same time attended the University of Michigan, at Ann Arbor, one term.  He next engaged in mercantile business at Winthrop, Iowa, remaining in trade about four years, and then traveled for a commercial house for seven years.  In November, 1871, he started for Sioux Falls, but was caught in a blizzard at Beloit, and did not get any further until April, 1872, when he again started for Sioux Falls, this time arriving at his destination in due time.  He took up the southeast quarter of section thirteen in Sioux Falls township, and bought the corner of Phillips avenue and Ninth street upon which the Edmison-Jameson building now stands, where he built a frame building in 1873, which remained there until the present stone structure was erected.  In November, 1880, he removed his family to Sioux Falls.  In 1882, he built the European Hotel, and in 1883, he erected the three story building on Ninth street, west of the Edmison-Jameson block.  In 1890, he built a stone front business block on the west side of Phillips avenue between Ninth and Tenth streets, and the same year, in connection with James Jameson, erected the Edmison-Jameson building, a six story stone business block, the finest and most costly in the city.  One thing is certainly true of Mr. Edmison, he had great faith in the future of Sioux Falls, and has not hesitated to invest largely in such enterprises as bid fair to return a good income, and has added greatly to the imposing character of the improvements of the city.  For this he is entitled to great credit, and it has stamped him as one of the most enterprising and courageous citizens of Sioux Falls.

ELLIS, Axel S., was born in Sumner, Oxford county, Maine, May 2, 1851.  His parents removed to Sparta, Wis., when he was quite young, and from there to Owatonna, Minn., where the subject of this sketch graduated from the high school.  He was reared on a farm, and upon attaining his majority went to Minneapolis and for two years was employed in the Pillsbury flouring mills; from there went back to Sparta, where he was employed in the post office as assistant postmaster until the last of January, 1887.  At that time W. P. Carr was postmaster at Sioux Falls, and at his solicitation Mr. Ellis came to Sioux Falls January 31, 1887.  The next day he went into the post office as assistant, and remained in the office in that capacity until he was appointed postmaster in June, 1896.  He received his appointment on the 10th of June, but did not take charge of the office until the first day of August following.  The office under his charge has been conducted to the entire satisfaction of its patrons, and a more efficient and obliging corps of employees would be difficult to find.  Mr. Ellis is a pleasant, courteous gentleman to meet, popular with his associates, and a highly esteemed citizen.

EMERSON, Frank S., was born at Bangor, Maine, in 1847, but was reared and educated at Melrose, Mass.  In 1866, he went to Memphis, Tenn., in 1869, to St. Louis, Mo., and in 1871, to Western Kansas, where he engaged in the stock business six years.  In 1877, he fitted up a “prairie schooner” and with his wife and baby started for Sioux Falls, where they safely arrived, and where they have since resided.  Mr. Emerson has led a very active life since coming to Sioux Falls.  He has not only engaged in business, but has been enterprising in public affairs.  He was an official under the village organization, and city assessor in 1883-4-5, and also a member of the board of education in 1887.  On the 3d day of January, 1893, was appointed county commissioner from the fourth commissioner district which office he has since held.  Mr. Emerson makes a good official.  He is a charter member of Granite Lodge 18 of the order of Knights of Pythias, has passed the chairs of the lodge, and was elected Grand Representative in 1888.  He has also passed the chairs in the subordinate lodges in the order of I.O.O.F., and served as secretary of both the Grand Lodge and Grand Encampment of Dakota, Grand Master, Grand Patriarch, and Representative to the Sovereign Grand Lodge, and has also the rank of Major in the Patriarchs Militant.  He is also a Mason, being a member of the Blue Lodge, Chapter, Commandery, and Shrine at Sioux Falls.  No man in the city is better or more favorably known in social circles than Frank S. Emerson, and if he is as happy as he always appears to be, he is the most enviable man in the city.

ENGLISH, Ovando D., was born in Oswego county, New York, October 19, 1841.  He came with his parents to Milwaukee, Wis., in 1849; graduated from the high school at that place and from Delton Academy at Delton, Wis.  He learned telegraphy, and taught it two years in a commercial college, and became a telegraph operator on the first railroad built out of St. Paul; established the office at Shakopee, Minn., and was the operator there for one year; was in the same employment at Red Wing for a few months; in 1868 went to Nashua, Iowa, and engaged in the furniture business until 1872; on the 21st day of October of that year came to Sioux Falls and took up several claims on Nine Mile creek and in Grand Meadow township; for the next few years was employed in freighting and taking care of his claims; was engaged in the flour and feed business for two years in the city of Sioux Falls, and for six years was the telegraph operator at the Omaha depot.  He is now employed in the county auditor’s office.  Mr. English is highly respected as a neighbor and a citizen.

ERICSON, Carl Oscar, was born in Sweden April 15, 1853.  His father was a manufacturer of tower clocks, watches and other clocks on quite an extensive scale, and the time he could spare from his studies was spent in the shops, where he soon learned to master the intricacies of machinery and watchmaking with wonderful accuracy.  When only seventeen years of age he was employed to regulate and remodel a great number of clocks of exceedingly fine workmanship for Stockholm.  In 1872 he was taken with the fever of seeing America, and setting out for that country landed in Quebec, Canada, where he engaged in the watchmaking and jewelry business for about five years; came to the United States and after looking the country over located at Brodhead, Wis., until he removed to Sioux Falls, where he arrived in the fall of 1879.  He opened a jewelry store on Phillips avenue, and soon after commenced building the tower clock which is now doing duty in the Masonic Temple at Sioux Falls, and was the first tower clock in Dakota.  In 1886 he was induced to take charge of the Electric Light plant at Sioux Falls, which was then in its infancy, and he remained its superintendent and manager through all its stages of development until it became one of the largest and best running plants in the Northwest, and gained for himself quite an enviable reputation as an electrician.  He was a mechanical genius and made several inventions, one of which in particular attracted the attention of the scientific world and was discussed at length in the Scientific American and other kindred papers, and for which the Inventors’ Academy of Paris, France, awarded him on the 12th of August, 1893 the “Great Gold Medal,” and conferred upon him the title of Member of Honor of the Academy.  During the latter part of 1896 his health commenced failing and he was compelled to resign his position at the electric light works and went to California in the hope of regaining his health, but after a few months stay in that country returned to Sioux Falls, where after a lingering illness he died on the 4th day of February, 1898.  Mr. Ericson was a conscientious, upright and highly respected citizen, and his death was deeply regretted by his large circle of friends.

ERICSON, Miss Anna Bernardina, is a native of Sweden and came to the United States in 1889, to visit her brother, Oscar Ericson, of Sioux Falls.  In 1890 she commenced a course of phonography in the office of the court reporter, E.P. White, in order to perfect herself in the English language.  In 1891 she had become so proficient in stenography and type writing that she obtained employment as stenographer in a law office, and since then has been employed by some of the best law firms in the city.  She has also devoted considerable time to the collection of data, and in preparing the manuscript of this History for the press.

ESTABROOK, L.M., is a native of Platteville, Wisconsin, and was born February 25, 1852.  He received his education in the first State Normal School which was located at Platteville, and was graduated form the law department of the Michigan University in the class of 1875.  He then located at Logan, Iowa, and practiced law for one year, and then came to Sioux Falls, where he engaged in the practice of his profession and in the real estate business for several years.  Owing to poor health of himself and family he moved out on his farm in Brandon and remained there until 1894, when he returned to Sioux Falls, where he has since resided.  He was appointed city auditor in May, 1898.  Mr. Estabrook is one of the leading politicians in the state.  He was one of the first men in this county to join the Populist organization, and has grown up with it.  During the presidential campaign of 1896 he was chairman of the state committee, and contributed largely to the success of the party.  He is well posted, and makes a good speech from his standpoint when campaigning, and is radical enough in his political views to be recognized as one of the advance guard.  He is a good citizen, and popular with the laboring classes whose cause he most heartily espouses.

FERNYHOUGH, John Harry, was born in England, June 22, 1863.  When about four years old he came to the United States with his mother; his father having previously died.  After coming to this country he resided with his mother in Wisconsin and Iowa, and came with her to Sioux Falls, December 18, 1879, where he has since resided.  He graduated from the high school in Sioux Falls, and then entered the law office of Boyce & Boyce, and also attended a law school in Chicago for one year.  After being admitted to the bar he was employed in Boyce & Boyce’s office for two years.  He then opened a law office for himself, but soon drifted into the real estate business.  After the boom was over in 1893, he resumed the practice of law, in which he has since continued.  Mr. Fernyhough is a genial, good fellow, attentive to business, a good citizen, and has a host of friends.

FERRIS, James, was born in Belfast, Ireland, September 7, 1852; attended school until twelve years old, and then entered Queen’s Island shipyard as a ship plumber apprentice, where he remained seven years.  After this he worked at his trade in Liverpool, Glasgow and Aberdeen.  He emigrated to the United States, arriving in New York March 24, 1884, worked there a short time, and then in Detroit, Michigan, and St. Paul, Minnesota, and arrived in Sioux Falls in August, 1884; was employed by W.A. Dow eighteen months, and since then has been in business for himself.  Mr. Ferris is an industrious man, a competent plumber, and a good citizen.

FILES, Dr. Frederick H., was born in Gorham, Maine, December 1, 1862; was reared on a farm, attended the public schools, and fitted for college at the Westbrook seminary, and was graduated from Bowdoin college in 1883; the next three years taught the boys’ department in the Westbrook seminary, and studied medicine during the same time; the next two years attended the school for medical instruction at Portland, and the medical department of Bowdoin college, from which he was graduated in 1888; from August 1 of that year until August 1, 1889, was house surgeon in the Maine general hospital at Portland; and then started west on an excursion, and fell in with the Commercial Club of Sioux Falls, at Duluth, and came to Sioux Falls with them, where he has since resided engaged in the practice of his profession.  He is prominent in Masonic circles, and has been Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of South Dakota.  Was appointed member of the State Board of Health for five years in 1894; is now secretary of the board, and under the provisions of the law establishing the board will be its president in 1899.  Has been a member of the County Board of Health for two years and its superintendent one year.  Has also been president of the Minnehaha County Medical society; is now president of the board of trustees of the Congregational church; and was a director of the Union National Bank.  Dr. Files is an enterprising citizen, a skillful physician, and well liked by all who know him.

FISHER, Rev. Thomas L., was born at Hartford, Connecticut, June 8, 1855.  He attended the public schools, and graduated from the high school at Hartford in 1874.  He then entered Amherst college, and was graduated from there in 1878.  During the next year he studied medicine, and then commenced a course of study for the ministry.  He was ordained deacon in May, 1883, by Bishop Huntington of Central New York, and the following year was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Paddock of Massachusetts.  For five years he had charge of a parish at Malden, Mass., and then became rector of a parish at Clinton, Mass., where he remained seven years.  He came to Sioux Falls in December, 1895, and preached his first sermon in the Cathedral December 22.  The next Easter he became pastor of Calvary church, and remained in charge until May, 1899.  While a resident of Sioux Falls he took an active part in all public matters pertaining to the moral welfare of the city, and did not hesitate to express his views freely upon other subjects of public interest.  As a preacher, pastor and citizen he was highly esteemed, and his removal from the city was sincerely regretted by all who had the pleasure of his acquaintance.

 FITZGIBBON, John, was born near Troy, New York, September 25, 1856.  He removed with his parents to Wisconsin when two years old, and was reared on a farm.  Received his education in the common schools, and was graduated from a commercial college.  On the 21st day of April, 1880, came to Sioux Falls, and was employed on the Queen Bee mill a little over a year, and then entered the employ of M. Gerin in his grocery store, where he remained five years.  The next three years he was steward at the Cataract hotel.  On the first day of August, 1890, the firm of Sheridan & Fitzgibbon was established, and it has since then been engaged in the coal, wood and flour business in Sioux Falls.  Mr. Fitzgibbon is a genial good fellow, a good business man, and a respected citizen.

FLEITZ, Eihardt, was born in Baden, Germany, January 6, 1848.  His early youth he spent in attending school, and boating on the Rhine.  In 1862 he emigrated to the United States, and settled in Louisville, Ky.  For awhile he was employed as a laborer in building forts at that place, and then entered a brewery and learned the trade of malster.  In 1866, he enlisted in Co. D, 2d Battalion, 13th U.S. Infantry, but the company was soon after transferred to the 22d Infantry, and he came to Sioux Falls with that company in June, 1866.  On the 7th day of May, 1869, his term of enlistment having expired, he was discharged.  The same year he took up what is known as the True Dennis place in Sioux Falls township, but sold his interest in 1873, and then took up a quarter section of land about three miles north of the village of Hartford.  In 1876 his crops were destroyed by grasshoppers, and he removed to the city of Sioux Falls, where he has since been engaged as a malster in the Sioux Falls Brewery.  Mr. Fleitz is a quiet, unassuming man, and a good citizen.

FOSDICK, Timothy J., is a native of LaPorte, Indiana, and was born October 8, 1851; removed to LaPorte, Iowa, with his parents when seven years old; was educated in the public schools, and graduated from the high school at Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  When seventeen years of age commenced clerking in a clothing house.  In August, 1875, came to Canton, this state, and engaged in the clothing business, and for several years had branch houses at Alexandria, Mitchell, Plankinton and Woonsocket.  In 1888, disposed of the clothing business, and for two years engaged in banking at Canton; was president of the Dakota Loan and Trust Company.  Came to Sioux Falls in April, 1890, and bought out French’s clothing house, and since then has been in the clothing business at this place.  He is member of the Masonic bodies, a successful business man, and a respected citizen.

FOWLER, Oshea A., was born in Pownal, Vermont, April 25, 1851.  His parents removed to Illinois when he was only three years old, and to Rochester, Minnesota, in 1865.  He was reared on a farm, attended district schools and graduated from the Rochester high school in 1869.  He then worked on a farm until he went to Sioux Falls, where he arrived on the 22d day of December, 1870.  He remained in Sioux Falls until 1876, engaged in all sorts of employment; taught school in the old barracks during the winter of 1871, and eight miles north the following winter,  in what was called the John Nelson district.  After leaving Sioux Falls he clerked in a hotel at Sibley, Iowa, for one year, and then traveled in the nursery business until the fall of 1880, when he located at Aberdeen and built the first building there.  He knew the Milwaukee road would soon be there, and this building was erected for hotel purpose and called the Alpha House.  The following spring he sold this building and in company with a man by the name of Hazzard built the Hazzard House, but sold out his interest in the fall.  His first son was born September 3, 1881, at Aberdeen, and was the first child born at that place.  After having sold his hotel interest he commenced the study of law with M.S. Gordon and remained with him for about two years.  His next venture was the opening of a land and loan office at Frederick, in Brown county, and the establishing of the Frederick Herald, the first newspaper at that place.  This plant he sold after having conducted it for a few months.  In 1884 he was admitted to the bar; started another newspaper, but disposed of it in a short time and gave his attention to the practice of law.  In 1886 he came to Sioux Falls and became the attorney for the Insurance Company of Dakota.  This relation existed for a few months, when he entered the employment of the firm of Summers & Van Horn, of Sioux Falls, as their attorney and collector.  After a few months he again went to work for the Insurance Company of Dakota and remained with the company until it ceased to exist.  He then resumed the practice of law, but devoted the greater portion of his time to collections until April, 1896, when he was elected police justice of the city of Sioux Falls for the term of two years and was re-elected for a second term.  Everybody in the county knows O.A. Fowler, and his list of friends foot up about the same as the population.

FOX, James B., was born in October, 1839, in Ohio, and lived there until he was twenty years of age, when he removed to Iowa and remained there until the breaking out of the war.  In October, 1861, he enlisted in the 14th Iowa Infantry and served two years and a half, then enlisted in Company M, 7th Iowa Cavalry and served until his discharge at Sioux City on the 22d day of June, 1866.  Quite a portion of the time his regiment was stationed on the frontier in the northwest, he participated in a good many battles with the Indians.  He was with his regiment at Forts Randall, Thompson, Sully and Dakota.  The winter of 1864-5 he spent in the barracks at Fire Steel, and speaking of “blizzards” Mr. Fox said:  “We had a blizzard that winter that was a blizzard, nothing of the kind has happened in this section of Dakota since then to be compared with it.”  During the fall of 1865 he was at Fort Dakota, where Sioux Falls is now located, and during the summer of 1866 he says, “the water was so low in the Sioux river that people could cross it where the Cascade mill is now without getting their shoes wet.”  At that time there were only two small buildings within the present limits of the city of Sioux Falls, aside form the building occupied by the military forces.  One building was located near where the Cataract hotel is now, and the other on the west bank of the river, near the location of the Tenth street bridge.  The last mentioned building was very small and built of stone, and was occupied by a white man who had a turning lathe and was engaged in manufacturing ornaments of pipe-stone.  This was undoubtedly the first manufacturing industry in the County of Minnehaha.
     After his discharge from the army, Mr. Fox remained a few months in Sioux City and then returned to Ohio.  In 1867 he went to Illinois, where he married his present wife and lived two years, then went back once more to Ohio and remained there until 1878, when he removed to Dakota.  He arrived in Sioux Falls on the 15th day of April of that year, and has been a resident of Dakota ever since.  He is a carpenter by trade, and for the last five years has been employed as janitor for the Central school building in Sioux Falls.  He has always been an upright and respected citizen.

FRIZZELL, Alonzo, was born in Canaan, Vermont, the northeast town in the state on October 16, 1839.  During his minority he worked on a farm, attended the common schools and academic institutions, and taught school several terms.  He went to Wisconsin in 1855, and from there to Madelia, Minnesota, where for some years he was engaged in the agricultural implement and lumber business.  In 1874 he commenced the study of law in the office of H.S. Wilson & Co., of the same city, and was admitted to the bar in 1876.  After his admission he practiced law at Madelia for two years, and removed to Sioux Falls in April, 1878, and commenced the practice of his profession.  In March, 1879, he entered into copartnership with Judge Parliman, under the firm name of Parliman & Frizzell, which copartnership continued until January, 1883.  He was elected village attorney in December, 1878, and acted in this capacity during the time Sioux Falls was a village, except one year.  He was city attorney in 1883 and 1884, during which time he had charge of some very important suits in which the city was interested, and he conducted them successfully.  Again in 1889 he was appointed city attorney and held the office for one year.  In June, 1892, he went to Madison, S.D., and practiced law until 1896.  At that time he removed to Cripple Creek, Colorado, where he remained one year and then returned to Sioux Falls and practiced law until early in 1899, when he again went to Cripple Creek, where he is at the present writing.  He always feels well, is genial and companionable, and has been known to put up a strong fight in a law suit.

FULFORD, Dr. George H., was born at Chittenango, Madison county, N.Y., July 18, 1854.  His father was a Methodist preacher, and he obtained his early education in towns where his father preached.  In 1872 he graduated from Ogdensburg Commercial college; attended Ives Seminary, a literary and college preparatory school, located at Andover, N.Y., three years; was graduated from there in 1876, and won the gold medal offered for best development in scholarship and department that year; attended Syracuse University in 1876-7, and during the fall of 1877 entered the medical department of Boston University; took a three years course, and graduated in 1880; took full course at the New York Polyclinic in 1888-9, and a clinical course in Chicago in 1893; practiced medicine in New York state five years, and located at Sioux Falls in December, 1895, where he has since resided practicing his profession.  He is member of the Lone Star Masonic lodge, of Adams, N.Y., and also of the A.O.U.W., Woodmen of the World, Modern Woodmen, and the Tribe of Joseph.  He was nominated for coroner on the Republican ticket in 1898, but was defeated with the rest of the nominees of that party.  Dr. Fulford is a leading homeopathic physician in this part of the state, and has a large practice.

FULLER, Rev. Andrew King, was born March 3, 1855, in Masonville, Delaware county, N.Y.  His early life was spent on a farm, and when sixteen years of age he taught a district school; was educated at the Afton Academy and Colgate University, where he was graduated in 1879, standing fourth in his class, and became teacher in elocution for two years at the same place.  In 1882 he was graduated from the Hamilton Theological Seminary.  In June of that year he married Phoebe E. Sisson, of Hamilton, N.Y.  During the next seven years he had charge of the Wurts Baptist church, of Rondout, N.Y.  He removed to Sioux Falls September 1, 1889, and remained three years as pastor of the First Baptist church, of Sioux Falls.  He then returned East to Newburgh, N.Y., and on October 9, 1892, took charge of the First Baptist church of that place.  While in Sioux Falls, the church was prosperous under his charge—over one hundred being received into its membership.  He did not mistake his calling, and it is not too much to say that he is a model pastor; his kind, genial manners, his culture and ability, his admirable qualities as a preacher, together with his rare good sense as a citizen, secured for him while in Sioux Falls a large circle of friends who greatly regretted his departure.