Abraham Turgeon (eldest brother to Phileas, our ancestor)

"The better class of people began to arrive when the Turgeons came in 1878 and soon after engaged in ranching there... The large immigration came in 1883...Many of the houses built here were of logs hauled from the River, with dirt roofs."

The Turgeons Biography, Charles Mix County, SD (1906, published by Geo. A. Ogle & Co. , p. 55)

The Turgeons came into the county in 1878 and 1879.  Abraham, since deceased, and Francis arriving first, soon followed by Onesime, Louis and Phil.  As soon as they were located they engaged in ranching, and have acquired extensive tracts of land.  Phil Turgeon, who was so well and favorable known among pioneers, was drowned some years ago in the Missouri, but Louis and Onesime still reside on their farms.  Onesime Turgeon was one of the pioneers in sinking a large artesian well, which he is still using to drive his saw mill, threshing machine and other farm machinery.

Benjamin Turgeon

Armine Langdeau Turgeon

The Landeauxs  (or Langdeaus)

and

Turgeons

• Son of Abraham & grandson of Cesar Turgeon of Beaumont.
• November 14, 1877.  Thanksgiving Day William and Adelle (Landeaux), her sister Margaret and Abraham Turgeon were married in a double ceremony by the priest at Wheeler, S.D. They were married in a double wedding ceremony with Margaret's sister, Adelle Landeaux and William Emery.  William had met Adelle while he was living in Bon Homme County. Father DeSmet had baptized the Landeaux sisters at Fort Omaha, Nebraska.
  William and Adelle Emery made their home at Wheeler, a pioneer settlement in what is now Charles Mix County. William was engaged in hauling freight by oxen from Yankton west for the government
• William Emery and his nephew, Abe Turgeon, built a hardware shop on Main Street. They sold hardware, stoves, wash tubs and kitchenware to the public.

The Emerys were closely linked with the Turgeons.  In addition to marriage between the families, they had business partnerships and other associations.

Marie Elizabeth Dolezal Turgeon

The Modern Woodmen of America Lodge whose meetings were held on the second floor of the Hardware and Pool Room building was built by J. J. Dolezal. March 20, 1905

Benedict Anthony Turgeon (son of Abraham Benjamin Turgeon)

About 1862 Joseph came to Minneapolis and sometime in the 1870's, his father brought the rest of the family to join him. The Primeaus attended Our Lady Of Lourdes Church in Minneapolis and lived at 59 S. Main Street.

Joseph Primeau Jr. was a laborer and worked for the City of Minneapolis as a teamster, watering the streets to keep the dust down. He was married on August 26, 1872 to Delima Rose Gagne -"Rose" , daughter of Francois and Caroline (Dion) Gagne. They were the parents of the following children: Ida born March 22, 1872, married Alphonse Turgeon, Mary, born 1877, died young, Louis, born 1880, married Alice ____, Emma, born March 28, 1882, married Joseph Hartl, Alfred, born June 6, 1885, married Nell ___., and a baby boy who was born and died on Oct 20, 1888. Joseph died March 25, 1916 . His wife Rose died July 11, 1931 and both are buried at St. Mary's Cemetery in Minneapolis.

• The Turgeon ranch was situated in the lower southwest portion of the section, beside the south bank of the south fork on the Whetstone Creek, or Miyogli Wakpala in Indian, on the Sully Flats
• Neighbors to the Turgeons were the Dimonds, Dions, Reynolds, Sullys and Emerys, who had also ventured early to this last great frontier. Here they established homes, schools, and cemeteries. They grazed their cattle and horses on the rolling prairies of the Sully Flats, with an abundant water supply in the Whetstone Creek and the Missouri River, they had chosen wisely and well
• William Emery and his nephew, Abe Turgeon, built a hardware shop on Main Street. They sold hardware, stoves, wash tubs and kitchenware to the public.
• "The Gregory Buttes or "Little Pikes Peak" was a lookout used by the Indians to spot Indian war parties, buffalo herds, wagon trains or a lone horseman of the white race moving into or through their hunting grounds. The buttes were landmarks for the white man's wagon and team to point their way into Gregory County. The early ranchers located their cattle and horse herds from the Buttes for the roundups held in Dixon and at the Ben Turgeon ranch in what was later Turgeon Twp. in the Whetstone Valley. In many of these roundups were cattle numbering in the 32,000's gathered together. Cows, bulls, heifers, steers and calves were picked out by their respective owners. They were roped and thrown by cowboys on their horses to be branded, de horned and earmarked. One trail boss was Ole Severson, and a few of the riders were Sam Emery, Joe Turgeon, George Pete, John Ham and Carl Nelson."

One of Phileas Turgeon's brothers who lived near Lake Andes, South Dakota.