Charles Prinslow - Germany to South Dakota to California

       Charles Prinslow was born in Germany in 1853.  In 1869, he arrived in New York, heading west fairly quickly.  We believe the his father took the family to Wisconsin because that is where he is in 1880 and 1885.  (I haven't found Charles or his father in the 1870 Census.)  By 1880 Charles had settled in Lincoln County, South Dakota.  He met and married Sarah Nina Ireland in 1881.  Charles Prinslow and his family lived about two miles east of the border with Turner County in Brooklyn Township .
     The directory in the 1910 Lincoln County Atlas¹ states that Charles was a "Farmer, Feeder, Buyer, Shipper and Breeder of Thoroughbred Polled Angus Cattle and Duroc Jersey Hogs."  It also shows that he had amassed almost 1000 acres. 
     He invested in businesses in Centerville, including The Centerville Telephone Exchange, although Exchange turned out to be an unsuccessful venture.
     A history of Centerville¹ included information about Joy School, the school that at least the youngest Prinslows attended.  A picture in that history shows the two youngest children at the school.  Charles Prinslow, Elmer Prinslow, John Prinslow, and Charles Prinslow, Jr. all served on the school board.  Gretchen Epple, who grew up in the area, worked as a teacher at Joy School and later married Elmer Prinslow. 
     In 1915, he traveled to San Francisco to visit Panama-Pacific International Exposition and then spent time traveling south to San Diego.  The following year he returned to California and purchased land in Harper (much later named Costa Mesa).  Some of his sons remained in South Dakota working on the farm.  He became involved in the community in California, serving on the water commission.
    When he passed away in 1933, six of his children each received a quarter section of land in Lincoln County.  Another son received land in California.  He died in California but is buried in Centerville, near his farm.

The Prinslow home in South Dakota

     The map³ below shows the location of Charles Prinslow's Land and suspected location of the family home.  The location of Joy School is indicated.  The markers indicates which of the children received that quarter section of land upon Charles' death.  
    Unfortunately for us, Charles passed away when his grandson, John Prenslow Boyd was three years old, so he doesn't have any memories of Charles Prinslow that he can pass down to us.  
     Note: John Prenslow Boyd's middle name is not misspelled even though the name came from Charles Prinslow. That spelling is another story. 





1. _______,  Standard Atlas of Lincoln County South Dakota, George A Ogle & Co, Chicago, 1910 


2. Centerville Centennial Book Committee, Centerville, Dakota Territory - Sunshine State:Our home town. Freeman, SD: Pine Hill Press, 1983.

3. Google Maps Engine, Google Imagery 2013 Digital Globe, State of Ohio / OSIP, U.S. Geological Survey, USDA Farm Service Agency.