Samuel H. Elrod

Samuel H. Elrod

Samuel Harrison Elrod (born May 1, 1856 in Coatesville , Hendricks County , Indiana , †  July 13, 1935 in Clark , South Dakota ) was an American politician ( Republican Party ) and from 1905 to 1907 the fifth governor of the state of South Dakota .

Early years and political advancement

Samuel Elrod attended public schools in his home country. He then studied at DePauw University in Greencastle until 1882 and became a lawyer and land broker. In 1883 he moved to the Dakota Territory and attended the first constituent assembly for the future state of South Dakota. In 1884 he served as the Clark County attorney . From 1885 to 1887 he was head of the post office in this district. Between 1887 and 1897 he was a senior state attorney ; from 1892 to 1900 he was also employed by the Federal Bureau for Indian Affairs.

South Dakota Governor

In 1904 Elrod was elected the new governor of South Dakota. He began his two-year term on January 3, 1905. In the two years of his tenure, he essentially continued the policies of his predecessor, Charles N. Herreid . Between 1906 and 1907, the railway expansion west of the Missouri proceeded rapidly. Also in 1906 the construction of a railway line crossing the whole of South Dakota began, which was built through to the west coast until 1909. Since this line no longer touched the previous trading hub Evarts , this city was soon abandoned and abandoned. Otherwise, Elrod's term of office passed without any particular incident. In 1908, he decided not to run again. Therefore, he resigned from the office of governor in January 1909.

After the end of his tenure, Samuel Elrod became a farmer near the village of Clark, where he also practiced as a lawyer. He also died in Clark in 1935. The ex-governor was married to Mary Ellen Masten, with whom he had two children.

Web links

• Samuel Elrod in the National Governors Association (English)
• Samuel H. Elrod in the database of Find a Grave (English)