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Oscar S. Gifford

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Oscar S. Gifford
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from South Dakota's at-large district
In office
November 2, 1889 – March 3, 1891
Preceded byConstituency established
Succeeded byJohn Rankin Gamble
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Dakota Territory's at-large district
In office
March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889
(Delegate)
Preceded byJohn B. Raymond
Succeeded byGeorge A. Mathews
Personal details
Born
Oscar Sherman Gifford

(1842-10-20)October 20, 1842
Watertown, New York, U.S.
DiedJanuary 16, 1913(1913-01-16) (aged 70)
Canton, South Dakota, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
OccupationLawyer

Oscar Sherman Gifford (October 20, 1842 – January 16, 1913) was an American lawyer of Canton, South Dakota.[1] He served six years in the United States House of Representatives, first as the non-voting delegate from the Dakota Territory, then as a full member of the House from South Dakota.[2]

Biography

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Oscar was born in Watertown, Jefferson County, New York, and moved with his parents to Wisconsin, settling in Rock County and then in Brown County, Illinois.[1] He served as a private in the Union during the American Civil War.[1]

After the war, Gifford studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1871, beginning his practice in Canton, Dakota Territory (now South Dakota).[1][3] He was district attorney for Lincoln County, mayor of Canton, and a member of the state constitutional convention of South Dakota which convened at Sioux Falls on September 7, 1883.[3] He was a Republican, and was twice elected as the Territorial delegate to Congress, and served from March 4, 1885 to March 3, 1889.[2]

Upon the admission of South Dakota as a state, it was allocated two seats in the U.S. House. Candidates ran at-large for Seat A or Seat B. Gifford was the first Congressman elected to Seat B, and served from November 2, 1889, to March 3, 1891.[4] He was not a candidate for re-election in 1890, and resumed the practice of law in Canton. He was the first superintendent of the Canton Asylum for Insane Indians and resigned in 1908.[5] He continued to live in Canton, where he died on January 16, 1913.[6] He was interred in Forest Hill Cemetery in Canton.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d "GIFFORD, Oscar Sherman | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives". History, Art, and Archives, United States House of Representatives. Archived from the original on January 4, 2025. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  2. ^ a b "GIFFORD, Oscar Sherman". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Archived from the original on July 18, 2024. Retrieved April 19, 2025.
  3. ^ a b Robinson, Doane (1904). History of South Dakota. Vol. 2. pp. 1010–1011.
  4. ^ Brown, Thomas H. A compilation of the laws of the several states relating to state aid for Civil War veterans. Sioux Falls, SD.
  5. ^ Saxman, Michelle C. "The Canton Asylum for Insane Indians" (PDF). crm.cr.nps.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 15, 2011. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  6. ^ "Hon. O. S. Gifford Passed Away". Dakota Farmers Leader. January 24, 1913. p. 1. Retrieved April 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
[edit]
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Delegate to the U.S. House of Representatives
from Dakota Territory
March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
District created
 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from South Dakota's at-large congressional district
November 2, 1889 – March 3, 1891 		Succeeded by


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