Charles Nelson Herreid (October 20, 1857 – July 6, 1928) was the fourth Governor of

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large po ...

Biography

Charles Herreid was born in

Dane County, Wisconsin Dane County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 561,504, making it the second-most populous county in Wisconsin. The county seat is Madison, which is also the state capital. Dane County is th ...

. His parents, Nels Olson Herreid (1832–1902) and Thone Kittelson Herreid (1833–1908), were both Norwegian immigrants. He attended Galesville University in Wisconsin from 1874 to 1878 and the

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...

from 1880 to 1882. He married Jeannette E. Slye in 1881 and he moved to

McPherson County, South Dakota McPherson County is a county in the U.S. state of South Dakota. As of the 2020 census, the population was 2,411. Its county seat is Leola. History The county was created in 1873 and organized in 1884. It is named for American Civil War Gen ...

in 1883. There he served as a McPherson County court judge from 1888 to 1891.

Career

Herreid was elected

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

of the new State of

from 1892 to 1896. He chaired the Republican State Central Committee from 1898 until 1900, when he was elected governor. Herreid, a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

from

Eureka, South Dakota Eureka is a city in western McPherson County, South Dakota, United States, that is near the North Dakota state line. The population was 813 at the 2020 census. History Eureka was laid out in 1887, and named "Eureka", a Greek exclamation meani ...

, served from 1901 to 1905. He had previously served as the third Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota from 1893 to 1897 under Governor Charles H. Sheldon. During Herreid's first gubernatorial term, efforts were made to reform the state's penal code, and a reduction in railroad rates helped ease the plight of farmers. Herreid worked for growth in state schools, Indian care and the development of good roads during his term as governor. During his second term, big business interests were brought under control, as was the power of political machines. Herreid declined to run for a third term, returning to his law practice in

Aberdeen, South Dakota Aberdeen ( Lakota: ''Ablíla'') is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, South Dakota, United States, located approximately northeast of Pierre. The city population was 28,495 at the 2020 census, making it the third most populous ci ...

. In addition to his political activism and engagement in the practice of law, during his lifetime, Herreid was director of the Western Mutual Life Insurance Company, president of Citizens Trust and Savings Bank, Federal Food Administrator for

, chairman of the

Military Training Camps Association, trustee of the

, and a member of the Board of Regents for Education for

. He also served as a member of the South Dakota committee of the Red Cross.

Death

Herreid died in

following an attack of ptomaine poisoning. and was interred at Riverside Memorial Park Cemetery, Aberdeen, Brown County, South Dakota.

References

External links

National Governors Association
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Herreid, Charles N. 1857 births 1928 deaths People from Eureka, South Dakota Politicians from Aberdeen, South Dakota Politicians from Madison, Wisconsin South Dakota state court judges Republican Party governors of South Dakota Lieutenant Governors of South Dakota Gale College alumni University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni American people of Norwegian descent