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in the Sioux County Pioneer-Arrow, July 17, 1931 p. 8  John [Jean-Baptiste] Magloire Carignan was born September 18, 1865, at Lachine, near Montreal, Canada. His father, William Carignan, was also a native of Montreal, and a descendant for French ancestors, and spent his life at Montreal where he was a skillful pilot on the St. Lawrence River, being the first man to pilot a large boat down the Lachine Rapids. William Carignan married Mary Jane Gaynor, of Montreal. Both have passed away.
After completing his education, John M. Carignan came to the United States, arriving at Fort Yates, DT, in April 1883. He accepted a position as clerk in the post sutler’s store owned by H. F. Douglas. In 1886 he was appointed teacher in the Indian service and took charge of a day school on the Grand River, in SD, near the camp of Sitting Bull…
Resigning as teacher, Mr. Carignan returned to Fort Yates where he again worked in the store. In 1892 he took over the management of the store at the Cannon Ball sub-agency. After three years there he came back to Fort Yates and acted as assistant manager with Mr. Meade, who as partner of H. F. Douglas, ran the store. In the meantime post sutler’s stores had been discontinued and the firm was now doing business at the Agency.
In 1900 the business was bought by Col. C. W. Robinson of Mayville, ND, and Mr. Carignan continued as assistant manager with M. L. Parker. When Geo. H. Bigenheimer resigned as Indian agent President Theodore Roosevelt appointed Mr. Carignan to this important position which he filled with success until Mr. Parker left the store when [Carignan] resigned as agent and assumed complete management of the Robinson store.
1911 saw many changes on the reservation and one of the most noteworthy was the organization of a new firm of Carignan & Stiles in which John A. Stiles and J. M. Carignan engaged in a general store and stockraising business. This continued successfully until 1915, Mr. Carignan bought out the interest of Mr. Stiles and assumed complete ownership of the store, leaving the cattle business to his former partner. Mr. Carignan also served as postmaster at Fort Yates until he was elected to the state legislature, being the first chosen representative from the 49th legislative district from the new county of Sioux. He served one term and continued his store business until 1922. Then he served as postmaster until 1927, when his family, having moved to Kansas City, Mr. Carignan retired from all business and official connections at Fort Yates and moved there.
His health had been failing for some time and it was thought that a change of climate would be beneficial. But slight relief was enjoyed and in February, 1929, Mr. Carignan suffered a partial stroke of paralysis which rendered him physically helpless. About two weeks [before his death] while walking across a waxed floor, Mr. Carignan slipped, fell, and fractured his hip. Taken to a hospital in Kansas City, he failed rapidly and after intense suffering passed away Wednesday morning, July 8th [1931].
John M. Carignan, Sr. married Emma Schubert November 12, 1893, at Cannon Ball, ND. They were blessed with eight children, who have grown to adulthood. They are: John M., County Judge at Fort Yates; Henry, who died when a year old; Marguerite (Mrs. Louis Primeau of Kansas City); Charles Bernard of Cairo, IL; Theodore of Beulah, ND; Patrick, Walter and Martin of Kansas City. He is also survived by his widow and one sister, Mrs. Madge Megan of Montreal.
Another Obituary, Burial, Tombstone Picture Northern Pacific Railroad Station Postmaster - Fort Yates Portrait - Horse Thieves Article Anna was a postmaster in Selfridge for a short time in the first part of 1913. She and her children moved here after her husband had died. In the summer of 1913 she moved to Florida where she lived for many years and passed away there.
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