Person:Theodore Roth (1)

Born in New Lisbon WI. At age 16 he went to work for uncle Alois Zienert at store/trading posts in Bon Homme and Tyndall, Dakota Territories. He left New Lisbon on 24 May 1880 (two weeks after his 16th birthday) and arrived in Tyndall four days later with stops in Portage, Madison, and Prairie du Chien. He walked and rode in a farm wagon the remaining 17 miles to Bon Homme. His brother AA also worked for Uncle Zienert. Alois Zienert opened a branch store in Tyndall and TJ worked there until he was 21.

The Zienert store was across the Missouri River from the Sante Indian Reservation. Sioux indians were transferred there from Mankato MN after an indian massacre. The indians came across the river and traded government provided shoes, stockings, overalls, hats and yard goods for groceries and "Dr. JH McLeans Strengthening Cordial and Blood Purifier".

On 1880 census in Twp 93 R59 Bon Homme County, Dakota Territory with Alois Zienert & his wife Susanna (Schliessmann), and Alois's parents Alois and Anna. John Schliessmann, his wife Mary, and sons Theodore and Otto were farming in T96 R60 Bon Homme, DT.

In partnership with brother AA established a store in Wessington Springs, 20 Aug 1885, and two years latter in Alpena SD. Alpena store first mentioned in 23 Dec 1887 ad for both stores in the Wessington Springs Herold.

8 Feb 1888 Roth Bros. had their front porch demolished by the wind Monday morning.

6 Jul 1888 Wessington Springs Herald - Roth Bros. Busted - Gone out of business - Goods at half prices.

A History of Jerauld County SD by N.J. Dunham (1910) - 1859 Indians removed to reservations. 1863 Indian uprising at New Ulm MN. 1876 First settlers. 1878 Wessington Post Office supplied by Yankton-Ft. Thompson mail line over the old Ft. Thompson Trail every two weeks (Ft. Thompson was 45 mi. from Wessington). 1881 Immigration began. Population grew from 123 people in 1882 to 2500 in 1884. 1882 First Doctor - Mrs. N.C. Weems, first birth, town of Wessington Springs platted. 1883 First newspaper, first grocery, first hotel. 1884 First bank. 20 Aug 1885 TJ & AA Roth arrived and purchased the stock of the N.D. Wilder store. Roth Bros. first advertisements in Sep 1885. TJ Roth on arrangements committee for dance in new court room on 12 Nov 1885. 4-6 July 1886 Three days of very hot wind killed crops and dried up lakes. Fall 1886 WL Arnold sold stock of merchantile business on the NW corner of Main & 2nd Street in Alpena to JR Milliken. In 1887 Milliken sold the business to Roth Bros. of Wessington Springs. 12 Jan 1888 great blizzard killed 5 and many with freeze injuries. July 1888 Roth Bros. moved across the street into the I.O.O.F. building in Alpena. 1889 Security Bank opened in the Roth Bros. store in Apena. 1889 At Roth Bros. stores, $1.00 would buy 12 lbs sugar, 22 lbs prunes, 17 lbs evaporated apples, 20 lbs choice whitefish, 32 bars good soap, 10 lbs bacon, 12 lbs cured shoulders, 16 yards good shirting. A sack of Baker's flour was $1.05. 1890 OP Hull became proprietor of Roth Bros Store in Wessington Springs, OP Hull sold stock to George & EE Burger, "Louis" (AA) Roth took charge of store in Alpena, Theo. (TJ) Roth opened a store in West Superior WI. 1891 Roth Bros. business in Wessington Springs sold to DS & MA Manwaring. AF Smith bought the stock and business in 1897. 1893 Great panic. 1894 drought.

25 Jan 1889 Wessington Springs Herald - Theo. Roth came over from Alpena Tuesday evening. He reports things very quiet in that little village and seemed quite pleased to see the business and bustle at the Springs once more.

Feb 1889 TJ left Alpena SD to visit his old WI home and from there will go to Washington to attend the inaugeration of President Harrison.

26 Apr 1889 - Roth Bros. have started a museum which now consists of a stuffed coyote and a wild-cat.

When TJ came to Superior and bought the Bee Hive Bazaar in 1890, he sent for Anna Krisch (1st cousin), Lena Klenert (1st cousin), his brother Carl and Otto Schliessmann (1st cousin) of Dakota to come and help him run the store. A short time later he bought an eight room house at 426 Hughitt Ave and all of them lived there. His mother came from New Lisbon and kept house for all of them with the help of Nellie Arntz (1st cousin) of Dakota who did the house-work. In April 1892, brother Carl had a hemorrhage of the lungs and the Doctor recommended a warmer climate so Carl and his mother went back to New Lisbon and AA and his wife, who moved from Wessington Springs, took over running the house. When AA's wife Anna died of typhoid after giving birth to Anna Frances in Nov 1892, Lena Klenert and Hertha Butter (AA's sister-in-law) ran the house until TJ and Emma arrived on 24 Jan 1893 after their wedding 12 days earlier. Anna Krisch had gone back to TS Martin Store at Sioux City, IA and her place at the store was taken by Lena Klenert; Otto Schliessman went back to Tripp SD and Otto Krisch (1st cousin) took his place at the store; Nellie Arntz went back home and 16 year old Martha was hired to do house-work. Emma came down with typhoid fever in May 1893 and TJ hired a nurse, got Martha's sister to help, sent all the cousins to live elsewhere, and Emma got better in about a month. TJ and Emma went to New Lisbon and Portage in July 1893 where brother AA, brother Carl, their mother and 6 year old Huttie (AA's son) were living. TJ and Emma came back to Superior in August. Carl died in September, 1893. Eda was Born to TJ and Emma in Oct 1895 and AA remarried that same month. TJ's mother came to live with TJ and Emma in Jan 1896. AA, his new wife Clara, and son (by his first wife) Huttie came back to Superior and lived with them for two months and then moved to 6th & Cummings. Frances was born in 1897 and Elsa was born in 1899. They lived at 426 Hughitt until Aug 1901 when they rented a house at 1318 Hughitt Ave and lived there until Aug 1905 and then Roosevelt Terrace ("first condominium in USA"), 1708 N. 21st St. until 21 Aug 1909 when they moved into their home that TJ had built at 1802 Hammond. The house at 426 Hughitt had an indoor toilet and a wash basin but the house at 1318 Hughitt had a bathroom.

In 1903 TJ bought lots 1, 2, 3, 4 Block 303, 14th Division. On 6 Feb 1906 he bought lots 1800-1806 Hammond Ave.

Roth Bros. store first at 608-10 Tower, moved to 522 Tower, then to the west side of 6th & Tower and then to a larger building at Broadway and Tower (1001 Tower) which burned 24 May 1911 and was rebuilt. Neil Smith (TJ's son-in-law) started at Roth Bros 2 Apr 1923. TJ, as sole owner of Roth Bros. in 1926, bought out Lightbody-Wingate and moved the store into that building on 14th & Tower. The building at 14th & Tower burned on 26 Jul 1998.

From "Pen and Sunlight Sketches of West Superior" 1892 - ROTH BROTHERS Among the most enterprising and progressive business in West Superior, and one which has built up a large and rapidly increasing trade is that of the Bee Hive Bazaar, dry goods, millinery, carpets, draperies, shoes, stationery, wall paper, fancy goods and notions at 522 Tower Avenue. This splendid business was established in March, 1890, by Messrs. A. A. and T. J. Roth, the present proprietors, and have done a large business ever since its opening. The Bee Hive Bazaar occupies the entire floor at the above location, is 24x140 feet in size, with a two-story warehouse 20x40 attached. They have also a larger warehouse on Sixth Street, where their reserve stock is stored. Every available foot of space in these three buildings is utilized by their immense stock, which is always large and of the best quality. The Roth Bros. employ from fifteen to twenty-five clerks, who are all under the personal direction of the proprietors, are polite and attentive to customers, and sell goods at prices not equaled by competition. They were the first in the city to use the cash and parcel basket system. Roth Bros. are natives of Wisconsin, but for several years operated stores at Alpena and Wessington Springs, S. D. Since 1890, they have been located in Superior.

TJ and Frances sick with typhoid 17 Oct 1911 (is this TJ's mother or his daughter?).

1915 Roth Farm at ES Bardon Ave. & S Range Rd.

?Record of a Roth born 22 Oct 1895 and Oscar Roth born 16 Oct 1901 in Douglas Co. Unknown connection?

TJ & Emma traveled to Kaaden Austria in 1925 with Anna Zienert (1st cousin). 9 Apr 1925 TJ sent card to mother from Dresden: "Dear Mother - Recieved a letter here from Anna Krisch (1st cousin). It was the only letter from home since about the first of March. All the other mail seems to have missed us. Had photo taken today of the Roth house in Kaaden, will send it to you from Berlin. Also have a number of picture cards of Kaaden. Took from 11 AM to 6:30 PM to reach Dresden. This is a beautiful city. With love Theodore."

Along with JC Leisch, TJ was named executor of Alois Zienert estate (1922).