THE STORY OF HARRISON AND ALTA DAVIS
PIONEER RANCHERS OF ROBERTS COUNTY
HARRISON DAVIS AND ALTA DEWOLF ON THEIR WEDDING DAY
Harrison Davis was the son of John and Kathryn Davis, Irish Immigrants who settled in Grant County, Wisconsin. He left home to homestead in 1910 in Corson County, South Dakota on the Standing Rock Indian reservation.
Delmer and Emma (Ladyhoff) DeWolfe moved to Roberts County South Dakota with their family before the turn of the century. When their oldest child, Lyle reached the age of 21 he went to western South Dakota to homestead. He was later joined by his sister Alta who also filed and homesteaded there. Alta met and married another homesteader, Harrison Davis. They had one child, Mildred. In 1930 they returned to Alta's home area in Agency township, South Dakota where they resided for the rest of their lives.
They originally purchased land in the hills of Roberts County and started a sheep ranch. They raised sheep for many years and then changed to cattle and moved from the hills to a building site in the foothills of Agency township near what was known as the Big Spring. They raised Hereford cattle and Harrison continued his profession as an auctioneer.
During the 1940's Harrison organized caravans of harvesters and took them to Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska for the harvesting season. One of the pictures is of him beside his Massey Harris combine holding his first grandchild Sandra Ramynke.
Harrison was a good friend of his neighbor Frank Whipple who promoted rodeos in the summer and Harrison acted as his Rodeo announcer for many years.
Harrison had many friends among the Indians as they were close neighbors. One of his best friends was Charlie Owen, the father of Pierce Owen and grandfather of Owen Dean German. Many of his workers on the ranch came from these Indian families.
HARRISON AND ALTA DAVIS WITH GRANDAUGHTER
SANDRA RAMYNKE. 1947
HARRISON AND SANDRA, OCT. 19, 1947 WITH HIS MASSEY HARRIS COMBINE
THIS STORY AND PICTURES WERE SUBMITTED BY THEIR DAUGHTER MILDRED RAMYNKE OF RURAL PEEVER