Dana Reed Bailey Biography This biography appears on pages 437-438 in "History of Minnehaha County, South Dakota" by Dana R. Bailey and was scanned, OCRed and edited by Joy Fisher, http://www.rootsweb.com/~archreg/vols/00001.html#0000031 . 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://www.usgwarchives.net/sd/sdfiles.htm BAILEY, DANA REED, was born in Montgomery, Vermont, April 27, 1833; was reared on a farm, educated in the district schools, Bakersfield Academy, Leland Seminary, and Oberlin College, Ohio, where he took a two years' course; taught district schools three terms, select school six months, and the Beekman school at Saratoga Springs, New York, one year; commenced the study of law in June, 1856; entered the law office of the late Chief Justice Royce of Vermont in 1857, and the Albany Law school at Albany, N. Y., in 1858, and was graduated in April, 1859. Commenced the practice of law in May of the same year at Underhill, Vt., removed to Highgate, Vt., in February, 1860, and practiced law there until September 1, 1864. While at Highgate was town agent two years, and trustee of the United States surplus fund two years; was deputy collector of the United States customs, having charge of the office there three years and three months; was special agent of the War Department six months, and in 1863, was appointed secret aid of the United States Treasury, and held this appointment three years. September 1, 1864, opened a law office at St. Albans, Vt.; entered into a copartner-ship with Park Davis, February 3, 1865, and a year later H. C. Adams was added to the firm. Was delegate to the Republican National Convention in 1868, and was a member of the State Central Committee two years; was elected to the office of state's attorney of Franklin county, two terms, and to the State Senate in 1870, and re- elected in 1872; was chairman of the judiciary committee, and was appointed chairman of a committee of five, by joint resolution of the legislature, to investigate the Vermont Central Railroad, which investigation was not concluded until July, 1873. Was one of the school directors in St. Albans two years. In 1871, laid out and was the proprietor of the village of Baldwin, in St. Croix county, Wisconsin; built the Matchless Flouring Mills at that place, and was the owner of three saw mills, and half owner of two elevators, and for ten years was engaged in manufacturing flour and lumber, merchandising and farming, and for several years had a large herd of Shorthorns, which in 1877, sold in Chicago for the highest average price of any herd in the United States that year. Moved to Baldwin in 1874; was president of the village three years, treasurer one year, and director of the village schools seven years. In 1877, was nominated for the State Senate by acclamation by the Republican convention of the Twenty- fourth Senatorial District of Wisconsin, comprising seven counties, and received all the votes cast in the county where he resided, except 57 out of a total vote of 3,131, the Republican nominee for the Assembly having only 99 majority in the county; was chairman of judiciary committee of the Senate in 1879. In 1880, was elected one of the county commissioners of St. Croix county, was re-elected in 1881, and again in 1882; resigned the chairmanship of the county board December 19, and arrived in Sioux Falls December 21, 1882, and had charge of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company's business in South Dakota until March, 1884. On the 11th day of March of that year opened a law office in the Masonic Temple, and was the first tenant to occupy that building. In January, 1886, formed a copartnersbip with Park Davis, and W. H. Lyon was added to the firm in 1888. Was city attorney from 1885 to 1889; on the 21st day of August, 1890, upon the resignation of C. O. Bailey, was appointed state's attorney for Minnehaha county, and by subsequent elections held the office until 1895, since which time he has practiced law. In territorial days was a member for two years of the Republican Central Committee, and in 1895-6 was a member of the State Agricultural Board.