Peter
NORBECK was born in 1870 in Charles Mix County, South Dakota
USA. He died in 1936 in Charles Mix County, South Dakota USA. He
He died from Cancer in 1936 in Charles Mix County, South Dakota
USA. He was buried in 1936 in Frankes Lutheran Cemetery. He was
elected as Governor in South Dakota USA. He was elected as U.S.
Senator for 16 years in United States of America. He ran an
Artisian Well Drilling Business in Charles Mix County, South
Dakota USA. He was also known as "The Father of Custer State
Park in South Dakota USA. (88)
Norbeck was first to drive an auto to the Black Hills: Peter
Norbeck had several "firsts" to his credit. He was the
first big driller of artesian wells in the state, he was the
first native son to become Governor of South Dakota and he was
the first man ever to drive to the Black Hills by automobile. In
this day of interstate highways it is interesting to note
Norbeck's experience in the spring of 1905. Norbeck's own account
follows: "There is no question that I drove the first
automobile from the Missouri River to the Black Hills. There had
been a couple of attempts the fall before, but they were
failures. I drove in the spring in a single cylinder Cadillac,
leaving Redfield between April 5 and 10. I was accompanied by
Oscar W. Nicholson and Ole Iverson the latter being a mechanic.
The old machine required frequent repairs and adjustments. This
was in the year 1905. The trip to the Missouri was without
incident. We left Ft. Pierre at daylight and we got out 88 miles
that evening. Have had more or less mud to contend with during
most of the afternoon. A real spring rain came on and we remained
at a ranch house for a couple of days. I do not recall the name.
They were people from Hasarden, Iowa. If I remember correctly
there was a postoffice at the place...several miles east of
Grindstone Buttes...19 miles from Phillip. After the rain quit
and the sun came out, we attempted to go, but the gumbo was to
heavy, so we hired a ranchman to hitch onto the car. He
accompanied us to the Frank Cottle place on the Cheyenne River.
It required both the horse power and the motor power to navigate.
That distance I recall is about 30 miles. The Cheyenne River
looked bad, but fortunately there were three riders about to
cross when we reached to bank. They suggested helping us, but I
did not see what they could do as they had no harness. For the
first time I learned that a horse could pull about as well from a
saddle horn as from a harness. The three riders hitched their
ropes to the machine and took up through the stream on a gallop,
the machine pounding onto the rocks in the river bed. It was
fortunate indeed that the machine was not smashed, but that
thought never occured to the horsemen." Peter Norbeck died
December 20, 1936 at Redfield. His funeral was in a little church
erected by his father and he was buried at Bloomington in Frankes
Congregation cemetery, Charles Mix County, three miles west and
five and a half miles north of Geddes. Even in death, his life
work was demonstrated as thousands went by his bier, from the
immediate neighborhood, the state and nation. U.S. Senators,
Congressmen, Governors and prominent citizens were viewing a man
who had the ability to associate with presidents and kinds and
the most important businessmen of his country, but who was not
too proud to invite to his table and have daily associations with
a humble citizen of this state. Peter Norbeck was a
rough-and-tumble well-driller, a politician, a fine man who
believed in the value of hard work and determination. He will
stand out in authentic history as a crusader and a creator. Peter
Norbeck was born of religious, pioneer parents, the oldest child
of the Rev. George Norbeck and wife Karen on August 27, 1870.
Peter's father, Pastor George Norbeck, accepted a call from
Frankes Congregation (later removed to a church in Bloomington).
Charles Mix County, Dakota Territory. The Norbeck family left
their homestead in Clay County in heavily loaded covered wagons
pulled by horses. It was partly luck and partly native ability
and ambition that gave young Norbeck his first opportunity to do
something other that till the soil. The problem of securing an
adequate water supply was one of the most seroius difficulties
confronting pioneers in Dakota Territory. The Norbecks lived in a
community where the water problem was serious. The first artesian
wells were very expensive and few, if any, individual farmers
could afford one. Here was Peter Norbeck's opportunity. In the
summer of 1892, his father purchased an old well-drilling machine
while visiting friends in Clay County. The machine operated on
the jetting principle with power being provided by a horse
walking in a circle around the ring. After drilling
intermittently for two seasons in Davison County, Norbeck
returned home. Now on the home place, he drilled a strong flowing
830' well. The brought "Pete", as everyone called him,
a great deal of favorable publicity. He began receiving requests
for wells in Charles Mix and surrounding counties. Never again
would he consider returning to the farm. A quiet rural life could
not compare with the thrill of bringing in a well which sometimes
spouted water 100' in the air. On a farm in Davision County,
Norbeck completed his first successful well. It was 420' deep and
had a two-inch flowing stream. This was the first in a total of
over 10,000 wells Norbeck would drill in his lifetime. Peter Norbeck is Bitten by Political Bug in 1908. Since Norbeck spent most of his time making his business successful, he had very little time left for any social life. However, in 1899, he became interested in the attractive Lydia Anderson, who was one of his sister's friends. He was very bashful around girls but when other young men started to show some attention to Lydia, Peter was stirred into action and on June 7, 1900 they were married. The couple had four children, named Nellie, Ruth, Harold and Selma. As a respected and influential man in the community, Norbeck became involved in the workings of the government. He was urged by friends to run for politacal office. His father, a member of both the territorial and first state legislature, warned him against the evils of politics and advised him to stick strictly to business. Early in 1908 the possibility of Norbeck running for the state senate began to play on piople's minds. His campaigning involved voter registration and issues of importance to the rural community. He won the nomination and later defeated his Democratic opponent by 700 votes out of a total of 3,000. After his success in the state senate, Norbeck was urged by fellow progressives to seek the gubernatorial nomination. Norbeck had been bitten by the political bug. He was elected lieutenant governor and then governor of South Dakota. As lieutenant governor, he played an important role in enacting a law designed to protect deposits in all banks operating under state charters. As governor he pushed for legislation that would be of benefit to the farmers, better highway systems and tax reforms. In 1920 Norbeck announced his candidacy for the United States Senate. He won the senatorial position and remained an active member in that body until his death in 1936. Peter Norbeck's 28 years of public service started with his election in November 1908 to the South DakotaState Legislature. When Norbeck arrived in Pierre for the legislative session early in January, 1909, South Dakota's new capitol building was almost completed. Here he began his transition from bossing well-drilling crews to the art of legislative procedure. The only bill sponsored by Norbeck that became law during his first legislative term was a statute increasing the number of peremtory challenges allowed the prosecution in criminal cases. Norbeck was not a good speaker, but he made careful preparation before a Senate debate. Although his language was often crude, he was level-headed and deliberate and depended upon logic to meet his opponent's arguments. As chairman of the Committee on Railroads, he helped to obtain a great deal of regulator legislation. Having spent two terms in the Senate, Norbeck returned to Pierre as an experienced legislator in January, 1913. As lieutenant governor, he played an important role in enacting one of his favorite measures, a law designed to protect deposits in all banks operating under state charters. He felt that this was one of his greatest achievements. On February 24, 1916, Norbeck formally announced his candidacy for governor, promising the voters a sound business administration. Here again election results definitely showed that South Dakota Republicans had confidence in "old Pete". He polled 31,987 votes while his opponents together secured only 21,891.
Parents: Reverend Goran "George" Persson (KJOSTAD) NORBECK and Karen Larsdatter KONGSVIG.
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