Program

NYS Historic

Subject

House, People

Location

1279 NY-990V, Gilboa, NY 12076, USA

Lat/Long

42.385386, -74.378833

Grant Recipient

Conesville Historical Society

Peter Couchman (1831-1904) was a prominent resident of the town of Conesville in Schoharie County, New York. Mr. Couchman resided in the town from 1860 to around 1881, managing his farm and serving as town supervisor for several years, postmaster, and as a state assemblyman from 1871 to 1872.

In 1872, Mr. Couchman built a new home on his farm in Conesville, the same year his wife Mary passed away unexpectedly. Shortly after this, a destructive flood in 1874 required him to relocate his new house a quarter of a mile up the road to higher ground.

Around 1881, Mr. Couchman moved to the Dakota Territory, purchasing land in Walworth County near the Missouri River. He operated a ranch here, raising cattle, and was elected sheriff for Walworth County. While serving as sheriff, he was elected as a delegate to the 1889 South Dakota constitutional convention that would result in the ratification of the state constitution.

Earlier that year, a bill was passed by the U.S. Congress that allowed the territories of Dakota, Montana, Washington, and New Mexico to create constitutions, form state governments, and be admitted as states. It also allowed for the division of the Dakota Territory into North and South Dakota. Having been elected as a delegate to the South Dakota constitutional convention, Mr. Couchman helped create the proposed constitution that was ratified by voters that October. Once ratified, the state constitution was certified by the territorial governor to the president of the United States, and South Dakota achieved statehood in November 1889.

In 1892, Mr. Couchman was the Democratic candidate for governor of South Dakota, but was defeated at the polls. In 1893, he was appointed as a U.S. Indian Agent for the Cheyenne River Agency in South Dakota. While in South Dakota, Mr. Couchman remained connected to Conesville, returning at times to visit family. In 1904, he passed away at the home of his daughter in Gilboa, New York. He is buried in Manorkill Rural Cemetery in Gilboa. As of 2023, his 1872 home still stands along State Route 990V in Conesville.