Leroy T Butterfield

photographer: Butterfield
cor Main and Ninth
Sioux Falls, SD

Leroy Taylor Butterfield
(1852 - 1897)

Timeline sources; US census, city directories, newspaper items as shown, 19th Century Sioux Falls Through the Lens: Photographs of Leroy T. Butterfield

1852 Feb 16
Windsor County, VT, Leroy Taylor Butterfield is born to Merrick Butterfield and Eliza S Phinney
1872, 1873
Urbana, IL, Illinois Industrial University
1876
Prairie du Chien, WI, Wiconsin Family Albums, moves to this town works with photographer Farr for two years and then buys the gallery
1877
Sioux Falls, SD, Argus Leader, of 04 Mar 1887 news item mentions Butterfield has been photographer for eleven years
1878 Nov 13
Marengo, IL, L T Butterfield marries Martha E Rich
1880
Prairie Du Chien, WI, US census as photographer
1883 Dec 31
Prairie Du Chien, WI, city records, daughter Mabel Alice Butterfield is born

1887 Mar 04
(Sioux Falls, SD) Argus Leader, news item takes over studio of George W Taylor
1887 Mar 19
(Sioux Falls, SD) Argus Leader, display ad says new gallery opens 21 Mar 1887
1888
Sioux Falls, SD, city directory as photographer at 127 w 9th se cor Main; res 217 Prairie
1889 - 1894
Sioux Falls, SD, city directory as photographer se cor Main; res 217 Prairie
1890
Sioux Falls, SD, city directory as photographer with Butterfield & Ralston, cor Main av and Ninth
1890 May 08
(Sioux Falls, SD) Argus Leader small ad for studio
1891 Jan 05
(Sioux Falls, SD) Argus Leader news item says Butterfield & Ralston have dissolved partnership and Butterfield will continue in the business
1893 May 15
(Sioux Falls, SD) Argus Leader news item says Butterfield has leased out the gallery to Oliver Evans
1894 Jan 30
(Sioux Falls, SD) Argus Leader news item says Butterfield took over the studio again at the YMCA block

1896
(Sioux Falls, SD) Argus Leader Retired this year (see obituary of 1897, next)
1897 Dec 27
(Sioux Falls, SD) Argus Leader, L T Butterfield dies at age 45


Samuel Archibald Ralston
(16 Dec 1858 - 15 Sep 1944)

Very little was found about S A Ralston except the mentions on this page. He appears to have been in the photography business with Butterfield just about a year, in Sioux Falls, SD. After that he went into the pharmacy business in Iowa and never returned to photography or South Dakota.

The cabinet card at the left must have been finished when Ralston was not a partner in the gallery. Considering the style of the card it was probably done after January of 1891 when the partnership disolved and before 1896 when Butterfield retired.

Another example from KEN on Flickr

Sioux Falls, SD, Argus Leader - 04 Mar 1887

Sioux Falls, SD, Argus Leader - 19 Mar 1887

Sioux Falls, SD, Argus Leader - 19 Mar 1887

Sioux Falls, SD, Argus Leader - 22 Jul 1887

Wisconsin Family Albums: Photographer Imprints - 1888

Sioux Falls, SD, City Directory ad - 1880

Sioux Falls, SD, Argus Leader - 08 May 1890

Another example at Langdon Road Gallery

Sioux Falls, SD, city directory ad - 1890

Sioux Falls, SD, Argus Leader - 05 Jan 1891

Sioux Falls, SD, Argus Leader - 15 May 1893

photographer: Butterfield
Sioux Falls, SD
Example Ancestry.com
Probably about 1892 or after

Sioux Falls, SD, Argus Leader - 30 Jan 1894

Sioux Falls, SD, Argus Leader - 28 Dec 1897

photographer: Butterfield
Sioux Falls, SD
example from auction site

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Here's the photographer's INDEX by name. Listed here are all the Cabinet Card photographers of the 19th century found in LOST GALLERY. This is a work in progress. For a look at the original postings go to
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