Louis Greenough was a pioneer who was one of the first residents of Pierre, South Dakota

Pierre, South Dakota

Pierre is the capital of the U.S. state of South Dakota and the county seat of Hughes County. The population was 13,646 at the 2010 census, making it the second least populous state capital after Montpelier, Vermont...

 in what was then the Dakota Territory

Dakota Territory

The Territory of Dakota was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from March 2, 1861, until November 2, 1889, when the final extent of the reduced territory was split and admitted to the Union as the states of North and South Dakota.The Dakota Territory consisted of...

. With Harry Adams, he is credited with building the first automobile in South Dakota. He worked in the hardware business most of his life and was involved in civics. He served on the city commission and the School Board. He was a member of the Democratic Party

Democratic Party (United States)

The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...

 and a Roman Catholic. He was born in Richmond, Vermont

Richmond, Vermont

Richmond is a town in Chittenden County, Vermont, United States. The 2000 census revealed a population of 4,090.Local students attend Mount Mansfield Union High School, Camel's Hump Middle School, And Richmond Elementary School. Mount Mansfield Union High is in the neighboring town of Jericho...

, on November 15, 1853. He died in 1932 of a stroke

Stroke

A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...

.

In 1897 Louis Greenough was so excited after seeing an electric powered horseless carriage at the Yanktown State Fair, that he set out to build an internal-combustion powered automobile. With the help of Harry Adams he added a two cylinder Wolverine engine to a traditional wagon and built the area's first internal combustion engine driven vehicle.