WILLIAM DAILEY

Will and Amelia Christianna MALLDER were married 1 Feb 1881 at Mitchell, Mitchell, IA. They had the following children: 1. Robert DAILEY, Sr. was born 22 Nov 1881 at Egan, Moody, DT and died 02 Oct 1963 at Flandreau, Moody, SD. 2. Edward William DAILEY, was born about 1883 at Flandreau, Moody, SD and died about 1920. 3. Lawrence E. DAILEY was born 05 May 1884 at Flandreau, Moody, SD. 4. Myrtie DAILEY, my grandmother, was born 15 Nov 1886. Myrtie married Elmo DUNN 19 Oct 1904 at Flandreau, Moody, SD.

For Will's biography.

See a 24-inch panoramic photo of a Dunn-Daily family get together about 1919 at Moody County, SD.

On March 07, 1879, Will paid the Register and Receiver fee of $14.00 at the Land Office in Sioux Falls, SD. Final proof on the homestead was required within seven years from the date of the receipt.

On December 05, 1885 Will gave notice of his intention to make final proof to establish his claim. To that end he was reqiured to submit a list of four witnesses to prove his claim of continuous residence and cultivation by two of the witnesses. The four witnesses submitted were Levi Gray, C.W. Tobia, A.E. Gray, and J.E. Willard, all of Flandreau, Moody, D.T. Also it was required that the local newspaper, The Moody County Enterprise, publish for six consecutive weeks a notice of his intent to establish his claim. That was done, begining with the December 24, 1885 issue and ending with the January 28, 1886 issue.

Will swore his final affidavit before James Wilson, Clerk of the District Court, Moody County, D.T. on January 30, 1886, saying he had lived on the land since May 15, 1879. In his testimony Will answered the following questions:

1. On the day you made your original application or entry of land in question, where were you residing?

Answer: On Section 30, Township 106, Range 47.

2. If living in your house, give value of same and value of your household furniture.

Answer: Was single man at this time and was living with my brother on sect 30-106-37.

3. Give date you established you actual residence upon the land, the character of your house, it's value and a description of your household furniture in the same and it's value.

Answer: May 15, 1879. Board house 12 x 32 feet, with 2 doors and 1 window, 1 cook stove, 1 table, 1 bed and necessary bedding, and dishes, total value $50.00.

4. When did your family establish their home upon this land?

Answer: May 5, 1881.

5. How much of the time since you made your filing or entry have they spent away from this claim?

Answer: Residence of my family has been continuous since May 15, 1879, excepting from January 9, 1881 to April 12, 1881.

6. What business were you engaged in the day you made your filing or entry? Where and have you continued in the same?

Answer: Farming in Moody County, D.T. Yes.

7. What was the value of your personal property and real estate the day you made your filing or entry?

Answer: No real estate. Value of personal property $525.00. 3 horses, 1 wagon, 1 harvester, 1 breaking plow.

8. State the times you have been absent from the land since you established your residence thereon, the date of each absence, the duration of same, and the purpose for which you were absent.

Answer: Was absent once, as stated, from January 9, 1881 to April 12, 1881 for the purpose of getting married and on account of blockade of Rail Road by snow.

The two witnesses who actually testified were Levi Gray and J.E. Willard. In addition to answering the same questions they testified Will was a natural born citizen and that he had 120 acres under cultivation and had raised crops six seasons.

They described his home as follows: Frame house 14 x 22 feet with wing 10 x 16. Barn 24 x 34, grainery 16 x 24 feet, value of improvements $1,200.00. Will said his family consisted of himself, wife, and four children.

On February 11, 1886, upon payment of a $4.00 receiver's fee, the Homestead proof was final. The final certificate number was 6244.

On October 20, 1991 Will received Certificate Number 862 for a "timber Culture" at the NW Quarter of Section 5, Township 106 containing 179 and 39/100 acres.

The act authorizing Timber Culture was introduced by Phineas Hitchcock of Omaha, Nebraska and became law March 3, 1873 and ammended March 3, 1874 and June 14, 1878. The act required an entryman to plant 40 acres of trees. The law was repealed in 1891 because of widespread abuse by land speculators.

A 1900 census of Lone Rock township that includes the William Dailey family can be found here.

In 1932, at 76 years of age, Will was honored by being named one South Dakota's Eminent Farmers by South Dakota State College