Brought to attention by Member: 46529155
From Sioux Falls Argus Leader
S.D. Moments: Early settler witnessed Lincoln's assassination
Other Stites in city's history was mayor

11:18 PM, Dec. 20, 2011 A.H. Stites was born March 2, 1858, in Millerstown, Penn. Bill Hoskins, director of Siouxland Heritage Museums, could find nothing to indicate that A.H. and William D. were related.

After A.H. Stites graduated from high school in 1875, he attended the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. In June 1881, A.H. Stites moved to Sioux Falls and opened a drug store. He operated in several buildings before opening a store in the Carpenter Hotel.

A.H. Stites was president of the territorial and state pharmaceutical societies for six years. He was elected county commissioner in 1895 and mayor in April 1896. He left that office in 1898 when he was elected to the state Senate, serving two terms.

From 1906 to 1910, A.H. Stites was postmaster of Sioux Falls. He died at the age of 77 on Aug. 16, 1935, and is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

The other (besides William D.) Stites who made an impact in Sioux Falls was A.H. Stites, who was an early mayor of Sioux Falls, a root beer manufacturer who expanded his plant to Minneapolis and a postmaster appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.

A.H. Stites led a delegation that greeted Roosevelt when he visited Sioux Falls in 1903.

"Mr. Stites was quite a person," says local historian Bob Kolbe. "He was more of a person than more people give him credit for."


From: http://www.mtpleasantsf.com/content/view/33/43/

Albert H. Stites
Business and political interests of Sioux Falls have been influenced in an important way by the activities of Albert H. Stites, whos interests have extended to both fields, in each of which he has won for himself an important position and an honored name. He is regarded as one of the leading druggists of Sioux Falls and, having been connected with this business since the beginning of his active career, has won the success wich comes from practical experience and thorough knowledge.

He was born in Millerstown, Pennsylvania, March 2, 1858, and attended the public schools in that locality, graduating from the high school in 1875. Following this he went to Philadelphia and entered a drug store as clerk. He was graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 1879 and afterward continued in the drug business in that city until 1881. In June of that year he came to Sioux Falls and opened a drug store in the old Land Office building, which in 1883 was removed and the Peck building erected on the same site. During this removal Mr. Stites had to conduct business elsewhere, but on the completion of the new building he returned to his first location, where he remained until October, 1914, when he established his present store in more commodious and modern quarters in the new Carpenter Hotel building. From 1885 to 1889 Frank S. Kimball was associated with Mr. Stites in the drug business but since that time he has carried on the enterprise alone. He has been very successful and has built up a large and representative patronage, for his store is considered one of the finest and most modern in the city. Mr. Stites was president of the territorial and state pharmaceutical societies for six years and is very well known among the druggists of South Dakota.

Mr. Stites was married April 14, 1884, to Miss Lizzie M. Law, a daughter of John Law of Chicago, Illinois, and they have a son, Samuel L. Stites, who was born July 7, 1885. A daughter, Eda G., died in 1907 at the age of seventeen. On the 14th of April, 1908, Samuel L. Stites married Miss Florence Harrison, a daughter of Charles M. Harrison, and they have two children, Ruth E. and Frances Ann.

Mr. Stites of this review is a member of Minnehaha Lodge, No. 5, A. F. & A. M., and in 1896 was master of the same. He is also a member of the Country, the Elks and the Dacotah Clubs and is well known in social circles of Sioux Falls. He gives his political allegience to the republican party and is prominent and active in public affairs. In 1895 he was elected county commissioner and assumed the duties of that office in the following January. He was elected mayor of the city of Sioux Falls in April, 1896, and filled that position until 1898, when he was elected to the state senate, in which he served for two terms, leaving the impress of his ability and energy upon a great deal of important legislation. From 1906 to July 1, 1910, Mr. Stites was postmaster of Sioux Falls under appointment by President Roosevelt. He is a man whose business reputation is beyond question and whose official record has been varied in service and faultless in honor."

Kingsbury, George W. History of Dakota Territory. Chicago: S. J. Clarke, 1915,

IV. pp. 840 - 841.

Albert Stites lived to the age of 77 years and was buried on August 16, 1935 and was buried in Block 17, Lot 3 of the Cemetery along with other members of his family.

We wish to thank the Grand Lodge of South Dakota. He was a member of Minnehaha Lodge No. 5 and Master of that Lodge in 1896. You may visit the Grand Lodge at www.mygrandlodge.org.

Brought to attention by Member: 46529155
From Sioux Falls Argus Leader
S.D. Moments: Early settler witnessed Lincoln's assassination
Other Stites in city's history was mayor

11:18 PM, Dec. 20, 2011 A.H. Stites was born March 2, 1858, in Millerstown, Penn. Bill Hoskins, director of Siouxland Heritage Museums, could find nothing to indicate that A.H. and William D. were related.

After A.H. Stites graduated from high school in 1875, he attended the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy. In June 1881, A.H. Stites moved to Sioux Falls and opened a drug store. He operated in several buildings before opening a store in the Carpenter Hotel.

A.H. Stites was president of the territorial and state pharmaceutical societies for six years. He was elected county commissioner in 1895 and mayor in April 1896. He left that office in 1898 when he was elected to the state Senate, serving two terms.

From 1906 to 1910, A.H. Stites was postmaster of Sioux Falls. He died at the age of 77 on Aug. 16, 1935, and is buried in Mount Pleasant Cemetery.

The other (besides William D.) Stites who made an impact in Sioux Falls was A.H. Stites, who was an early mayor of Sioux Falls, a root beer manufacturer who expanded his plant to Minneapolis and a postmaster appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.

A.H. Stites led a delegation that greeted Roosevelt when he visited Sioux Falls in 1903.

"Mr. Stites was quite a person," says local historian Bob Kolbe. "He was more of a person than more people give him credit for."


From: http://www.mtpleasantsf.com/content/view/33/43/

Albert H. Stites
Business and political interests of Sioux Falls have been influenced in an important way by the activities of Albert H. Stites, whos interests have extended to both fields, in each of which he has won for himself an important position and an honored name. He is regarded as one of the leading druggists of Sioux Falls and, having been connected with this business since the beginning of his active career, has won the success wich comes from practical experience and thorough knowledge.

He was born in Millerstown, Pennsylvania, March 2, 1858, and attended the public schools in that locality, graduating from the high school in 1875. Following this he went to Philadelphia and entered a drug store as clerk. He was graduated from the Philadelphia College of Pharmacy in 1879 and afterward continued in the drug business in that city until 1881. In June of that year he came to Sioux Falls and opened a drug store in the old Land Office building, which in 1883 was removed and the Peck building erected on the same site. During this removal Mr. Stites had to conduct business elsewhere, but on the completion of the new building he returned to his first location, where he remained until October, 1914, when he established his present store in more commodious and modern quarters in the new Carpenter Hotel building. From 1885 to 1889 Frank S. Kimball was associated with Mr. Stites in the drug business but since that time he has carried on the enterprise alone. He has been very successful and has built up a large and representative patronage, for his store is considered one of the finest and most modern in the city. Mr. Stites was president of the territorial and state pharmaceutical societies for six years and is very well known among the druggists of South Dakota.

Mr. Stites was married April 14, 1884, to Miss Lizzie M. Law, a daughter of John Law of Chicago, Illinois, and they have a son, Samuel L. Stites, who was born July 7, 1885. A daughter, Eda G., died in 1907 at the age of seventeen. On the 14th of April, 1908, Samuel L. Stites married Miss Florence Harrison, a daughter of Charles M. Harrison, and they have two children, Ruth E. and Frances Ann.

Mr. Stites of this review is a member of Minnehaha Lodge, No. 5, A. F. & A. M., and in 1896 was master of the same. He is also a member of the Country, the Elks and the Dacotah Clubs and is well known in social circles of Sioux Falls. He gives his political allegience to the republican party and is prominent and active in public affairs. In 1895 he was elected county commissioner and assumed the duties of that office in the following January. He was elected mayor of the city of Sioux Falls in April, 1896, and filled that position until 1898, when he was elected to the state senate, in which he served for two terms, leaving the impress of his ability and energy upon a great deal of important legislation. From 1906 to July 1, 1910, Mr. Stites was postmaster of Sioux Falls under appointment by President Roosevelt. He is a man whose business reputation is beyond question and whose official record has been varied in service and faultless in honor."

Kingsbury, George W. History of Dakota Territory. Chicago: S. J. Clarke, 1915,

IV. pp. 840 - 841.

Albert Stites lived to the age of 77 years and was buried on August 16, 1935 and was buried in Block 17, Lot 3 of the Cemetery along with other members of his family.

We wish to thank the Grand Lodge of South Dakota. He was a member of Minnehaha Lodge No. 5 and Master of that Lodge in 1896. You may visit the Grand Lodge at www.mygrandlodge.org.