Individual Details

Horace G. Clason Biography
This biography appears on pages 971-972 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.

HORACE G. CLASON.

Horace G. Clason is operating a stock ranch of one thousand acres in Custer county and is also the vice president of the Ranchmen's Bank at Fairburn. He was born near Rochester, Minnesota, November 22, 1857, and has always been a western man, possessed of the independent spirit, the alertness and the enterprise common to this section of the country. His parents, H. H. and Kate (Swarthout) Clason, were both natives of Steuben county, New York, and the father devoted his entire life to the occupation of farming. About 1855 he removed westward with his family to Minnesota, settling near Rochester, where he resided for about twelve years. He then went to Freeborn county, where he remained until 1876, when he removed to Furnas county, Nebraska, there engaging in farming and the live-stock business. He resided at that place until about 1904, when he removed to Bridgeport, Oklahoma, where he is now living retired. His wife, however, passed away in September, 1913.

Horace G. Clason, who is the eldest of nine children, attended school at Oronoco and at Freeborn, Minnesota, and at nineteen years of age began earning his own living in the employ of others. He spent one or two years in that way in Minnesota and then engaged in farming on his own account. About the time he attained his majority he removed to Nebraska, where he resided for a year and a half, and then returned to his native state, where he carried on general agricultural pursuits for three years. In 1883 he once more went to Nebraska, where he engaged in the live-stock business, feeding and raising cattle. There he remained until 1890, when he removed to Custer county, South Dakota, settling on a farm about seven miles from Fairburn. In addition to his agricultural interests he conducted a sawmill business for a number of years, but now devotes his attention exclusively to his stock business and is operating one thousand acres as a stock ranch. He is one of the foremost stockmen of his part of the state, his business having reached large and important proportions. He is also the vice president of the Ranchmen's Bank at Fairburn and is a stockholder in the Hermosa Bank. In addition he owns property in Arkansas, including both farms and timber land.

On the 1st of January, 1880, Mr. Clason was united in marriage to Miss Alice M. Fay, who was born in Wisconsin near Fox Lake, a daughter of Albert and Cynthia (Wilson) Fay, who were natives of Canada, born near Montreal. Her father, who was a farmer and rancher, came to Custer county in 1886, settling near Fairburn, where he engaged in the livestock business until his death, which occurred July 4, 1898. His widow survived him for about nine years and passed away in Fairburn in 1907. To Mr. and Mrs. Clason have been born eight children. Elisha B., residing fifteen miles northwest of Fairburn, where he is engaged in the sawmill business, married Miss Julia Springer. Kate is the wife of Jess Vanourkirk, an engineer living near her father's home. John, who married Nettie Westover, is a contractor of Montana. Ollie is the wife of Earl Brown, a ranchman residing near Custer. William is upon his father's ranch. Raymond, who married Miss Josie Hazen, operates a ranch near Alberta, Canada. Earl and Harold are both at home.

In politics Mr. Clason is independent, voting for men and measures rather than party. He has served as county commissioner of Custer county for two terms and has filled various offices in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodge of which he is a member while twice he has represented the local organization in the grand lodge. He is also connected with the Modern Woodmen of America. A self-made man, he started out in the business world unaided and whatever success he has achieved is the direct reward of his own labor. He has worked persistently and energetically as the years have gone on, making good use of his time and opportunities, and is now the owner of valuable property interests.

From Find-A-Grave:
Birth & death from ground reading in 1983, complete date of death and place from South Dakota deaths on Ancestry. There is a question of his death 28 January 1924 but the State of South Dakota has it recorded as this date in certificate #91706 page 165. His parents, Harry Henry Clason and Julia Catherine Swarthout were married 1 Jan 1856 in Beaver Dam, Dodge, Wisconsin. Horace was born while they lived in Oronoco, Olmsted, Minnesota and they were living there in 1857 on the census. He married Alice M. Fay on 1 Jan 1880 at Freeborn, Freeborn Co., Minnesota.

Birth	22 Nov 1857	Oronoco, Olmsted Co., Minnesota
Residence	1870	Hartland, Freeborn Co., Minnesota
Residence	1880	Carlston, Freeborn Co., Minnesota
Marriage	1 Jan 1880	Freeborn, Freeborn Co., Minnesota - Alice May Fay
Residence	8 Jun 1885	Richmond, Furnas Co., Nebraska
Residence	1900	School District 2, Custer Co., South Dakota
Residence	1910	School District 2, Custer Co., South Dakota
Residence	1920	School District 2, Custer Co., South Dakota
Death	27 Jan 1924	Custer, Custer Co., South Dakota
Burial		Fairburn Cemetery, Fairburn, Custer Co., South Dakota

Spouse	Alice May Fay (1860 - 1946)
Child	Elisha "Bert" Bertram Clason (1880 - 1968)
Child	Katherine C "Kate" Clason (1882 - 1977)
Child	John Halifax Clason (1884 - 1957)
Child	Olivia Daisy Clason (1886 - 1973)
Child	William Grant Clason (1889 - 1965)
Child	Raymond James Clason (1891 - 1971)
Child	Earl B. Clason (1893 - 1958)
Child	Harold Leslie Clason (1899 - 1974)

Father	Harry Henry Clason (1833 - 1917)
Mother	Julia Catherine Swarthout (1835 - 1913)
Sibling	Cassius Lincoln Clason (1860 - 1931)
Sibling	Jay Swarthout Clason (1862 - 1937)
Sibling	Isaac Ferris Clason (1865 - 1934)
Sibling	Dwight Eben Clason (1869 - 1936)
Sibling	Harry A. Clason (1872 - 1894)
Sibling	Lewis Ervin Clason (1875 - 1955)
Sibling	Rufus Alfred Clason (1878 - 1960)
Sibling	Jesse Arthur Clason (1884 - 1939)
Sibling	Jennie Emma Clason (1888 - 1971)