Abraham Turgeon of South Dakota
Photo of Margaret Langdeaux Turgeon, wife of Abraham Turgeon
Earlier photo of Margaret
Margaret Langdeau Turgeon Pete with George Pete, her second husband (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
Margaret Hart Langdeaux and her daughters. (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
Abraham & Margaret Turgeon home (CLICK TO ENLARGE)
Notes for ABRAHAM BENJAMIN TURGEON: From "The Saga of Sully Flats," by Adeline S. Gnirk,
published 1977, by Gregory Times-Advocate, Gregory, South Dakota, page 322-323.
Abraham B. Turgeon Sr. (1847-1890) was born to Casare and Jane (Tracy) Turgeon near Beaumont,
Bellechasse County in the province of Quebec, Canada. Beaumont was located on the south side of
the St. Lawrence River. Abraham, Sr. the eldest son of Casare and Jane, departed the land of his
birth alone for Fort Chicago, Illinois.Here he labored as a blacksmith for about a year.He journeyed
through the Northwest Territory into Dakota Territory coming to Fort Randall. He located in the
Wheeler area across the river from Fort Randall. He had contracted from the U.S. Government a
managership of the freight lines from the Agency of White Swan through Deadwood and on to Fort
Laramie, Wyoming. He was responsible for nineteen freight wagons pulled by teams on oxen.
Abrahamsent word to his brothers in Canada to join him. Louis and Phillip arrived first, followed in
1880 by Ludger, Onesenme, Benjamin and their three sisters, Laida, Oralee and Auror. Louis and
Phillip becamedrivers of the Conestoga freight wagons for Abraham, Sr. Ludger, Onesenme and
Benjamin freighted to the gold mines in the Black Hills. A trip, if all went well, required about one
month of steady driving in a wagon train. It was necessary to be alert for hostiles, therefore, one
driver was a vigilante during the night; each driver took a turn.
After their marriage Abraham, Sr. and Margaret (Landeau) Turgeon made their home near Wheeler,
S.D. Abraham, Sr. managed his government freight lines employing his brothers as drivers. They
became the parents of four children, Joseph, Alvina, Abraham, Jr. and Susan. Abraham, Sr. died in
Wheeler, S.D. in 1890, when his son, Abraham, Jr. was six years old.
Abraham Turgeon was born October 25, 1847 in Beaumont, Belle Chasse County, Canada. As the
eldest of the boys to venture form the home nest, he arrived at Boston, Massachusetts where he
learned the blacksmith trade which he followed for several years in Boston. He came to Dakota
Territory in 1865 and located at Fort Sully on the upper Missouri River where he engaged in cutting
wood and putting to supply to government post for several years. He managed the U.S. freight run
from White Swan, Wheeler to Fort Pierre and to the Black Hills.
Abraham Turgeon met his death September 10, 1890 on his ranch as the result of mistakenly taking
medicine from the wrong bottle. He was buried at Wheeler.
Margaret Langdeau Turgeon, wife of Abraham Turgeon
In October, 1892, George Pete was married to Margaret Landeau Turgeon, widow of Abraham B.
Turgeon, mother of four small children. They located on her allotments in the northeastern portion
of Herrick Township. Here, in their home, took place the infamous, bloody dance of Chris Colombe
fame. Chris had captured his love, Emma Schunk, and ridden away with her after one of the
bloodiest brawls in the history of Gregory County. George had been knifed in the abdomen.
Margaret had sewed him up and sat upon him, which might well have been the saving of his life.
Top row, left to right: Susan Turgeon Ford, George Pete, Margaret Langdeau Turgeon Pete,
seated: Margaret Hart Langdeau, children: Chloe and Lillian Ford. Picture taken in the 1910s
in South Dakota.
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Margaret Hart was baptised by the famous missionary, Father DeSmet in Omaha, Nebraska. Several of Margaret's descendents married into the South Dakota Turgeon family. Margaret Hart Langdeau again, with 3 of her daughters. Top row, Left to right, Susan Langdeau, who married Oliver Dion; Margaret Langdeau, who married 1st Abraham Turgeon and 2nd, George Pete. Bottow row, left to right: Adelle Langdeau, who married William Zenil Emery; and Margaret Hart Langdeau, who married Maurice Langdeau. This picture was taken about 1910 in Burke, South Dakota
Adelle Langdeau, interesting story
To Adelle, being the sheriff's wife, fell the duty of cooking meals for the prisoners or
whomsoever her husband brought to their home to feed. From celebrities to rag-a-muffins, she
fed them all, also caring for anyone who came to their home needing assistance. One day she had
baked and enormous batch of yeast bread. She mixed and kneaded the bread, allowing the ponge
to rise two times before shaping it into loaves in the bread pan. The bread, when risen again, was
baked in the oven of a large iron cook stove which required wood or coal to produce heat. The
baked product was on the table, cupboards, all over the kitchen so the invited a group of Indians
into her home for lunch. They enjoyed the freshly baked bread and ate heartily. When finished
they proceeded to fill their lard pails with the remaining loaves of bread. Adelle did not know it
was the custom of these Indians to eat to their satisfaction then take the leftover food home with
them. Adelle delivered many new babies into this country. Burke did have Dr. George Waterman,
but only in very serious cases was his service ever required. It was deemed unseemly by mothers
to have a male doctor assist in the delivery of their infants.