Peter Compton's Obituary

Black Hills Weekly Journal
19 Feb. 1885

DIED…

…in Rapid City, [South Dakota], Wednesday morning February 18^th, 1885, Peter Compton, in the 86^th year of his age. Interment this afternoon in Plateau cemetery under the auspices of Rapid City Lodge No. 25 A. F. and A. M. Funeral sermon preached at library hall this afternoon by Rev. J. I. Bartholomew.

Peter Compton was born in Orange County, New York, April 25^th, 1799, and resided there until 1819, when he moved west with his brother-in-law to Steuben County, settled on wild land, and commenced clearing a farm. Here he married, a year later, a daughter of Samuel Buckbee. Four or five years later he was commissioned a colonel of the Eighty-first New York Militia by Governor Marcy. Under Governor Bouck and the state senate, he was appointed inspector of the Eighteenth Brigade, which position he held until the state militia was disbanded.

Times were hard, and he found that he could scarce support his growing family, and to better his condition he took the position of foreman under Walter Burling, a builder of lake boats. In this position he worked at the head of Seneca Lake until 1836. When the panic came on, Burling was forced to dispense with his hands and he was thrown out of employment. During all this time his family had lived on the farm. He went into business on his own account. His old employer Burling became bankrupt and was left without men or means to finish the last boat on his stocks. Compton, who had done well, took his crew of men, finished up Burling’s boat and presented it to him free of cost. He bought 232 acres of land, presented his father with fifty acres, and built a house for him. He afterwards repurchased this 50 acres.

As a rule times were hard, and though for the greater part of thirty-three years [makes it about 1852 or 1854)] he lived in that place he was in fair circumstances, he found at the end of that period he still owed $1,000 on the land. He had sent his daughters to college and fitted his two boys out to go to California. He finally sold off his stock, went to California and in a short time by hard work raised $1,000, with which he paid the balance due on the land, which he then deeded to his sons.

He remained in California until 1861 when he sold out the property he had accumulated there, went back to his old home, and commenced raising troops to engage in the war which had just broken out. He had one company of 100 men boarding at his expense when the proclamation was made that no more troops were needed. His company was disbanded, and he paid all bills out of his own pocket. Shortly after this, there was a call for 300,000 more men. He again commenced recruiting, and raised three companies. Of one company a neighbor was made captain, and A. J. Compton, son of deceased, was made captain of another. This son prevailed on his father to allow him to go and to consent to remain at home himself. Captain Compton served with distinction. He acted as colonel at Atlanta, his superior officer having been killed.

After his return from the war, he and deceased together bought into a mill property, mortgaging the old homestead to secure payment. They added some improvements at considerable expense and were called upon to repair great damages caused by a washout. Friends for whom they had stood as security failed, and the whole property—mill, farm and everything—went to pay the debt.

About this time, the wife of deceased went to California, and the deceased was never afterwards able to rejoin her. He went to Michigan and lived for a time with a son-in-law. Came to the Hills in 1878. Lived at Rockerville two years. Came to Rapid Valley and lived for a time with Joseph Wickham, and later with Messrs. Hart and Warner. He died at the residence of his son-in-law, L. S. Wakefield, on Wednesday morning, as stated in the notice. He leaves a wife and one daughter [Amelia] in San Francisco, two sons and two daughters [Charles and Alonzo Gaylord; Marion and Clara] in Grass Valley, California, one daughter [Harriet] in Jackson, Michigan, and one daughter [Maria] in Rapid City.

To everybody in this community the face of Col. Compton became familiar during the last few years of his life. He had a kind word and greeting for all, and though he was confined to his bed for several months prior to his death, no word of complaint ever escaped his lips. When visited recently by the writer of this article, the old man said: “I am going; I have lived a long time and never knowingly wronged a fellow being; death is near, but I am not afraid, for God is very good.”

Received via mail, Sept. 25, 1999 by Shelley Compton Hutchens, from Helen Bishop, 2451 Plateau Lane, Rapid City, SD 57703

Cut from Hannah’s Family

Grass Valley Union
February 27, 1885

Death of Peter Compton

Peter Compton, quite well known in Grass Valley, died in Rapid City, Dakota Territory, on the 18th inst., at the advanced age of nearly 86 years. He was born in Orange county, New York, in April, 1799, and emigrated to Western New York and settled in what is now Schuyler county in 1819. In 1821 he married Maria Buckbee. By this union twelve children were born, seven of whom survive their father. Some years later he moved with his family to Havana, New York, where he engaged in boat building, and did a successful business in that line for several years. In 1852 he came to California and lived in Grass Valley up to 1857 when he returned to New York State, but came back to Grass Valley and remained here till the breaking out of the rebellion, when he again went East, and was instrumental in raising several companies of volunteers for the Union army. At the close of the war he again came to California, and was employed by the C. P. Railroad Company in the construc-tion of the snow sheds over the mountains. In 1870 he again went to New York, remained a few years, and then emigrated to Dakota Territory, settling in Rapid City, where he purchased 160 acres of land, and engaged prin-cipally in hunting and trapping. Up to within a few months of his death he had hardly known a sick day during his entire lifetime, but a short time ago he commenced to fail, and his decline was rapid, and as above stated he passed away on the 18th. He had always had a great love for the frontier, and could never be satisfied in thickly settled regions. His wife, five married daughters and two married sons survive him. He also leaves several grand children and great grand children.

And this is a scan of this first one.