George Roszelle Milburn
Montana GenWeb Archives 
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Judge George Roszelle Milburn, Judge of the Seventh Judicial 
District, comprising the counties of Dawson, Custerand 
Yellowstone, Montana, is a resident of Miles City. He 
was first elected to his present position in October 1889
and re-elected in 1892 having been nominated by a Democratic 
convention, the district being largely Republican. He 
humorously claims to have been elected "by the grace of 
God and the help of the Republican party." He was born 
in the District of Columbia, in 1850, a son of Benedict 
and Martha Page Milburn. His father was of awell known 
family in St. Mary's County, Maryland. His mother was 
closely related to the old Revolutionary families of the 
Pages of Virginia and Maryland. His father was a strong 
Union man during the late War Between the States. Our 
subject, when a youth, took a preparatory course at 
Rittenhouse Academy, Washington, District of Columbia 
and finally graduated at Yale College in the class of 
1872. In May 1873 Mr. Milburn engaged in the real estate 
business in Washington City and lost all his investment 
after which in 1877 he passed a civil service exam, ranking 
third in a line of 139 applicants. That was at one of the 
first civil service exams held which were when Mr. Hayes 
was President and Mr. Carl Schurz Secretary of the 
Interior. Mr. Milburn was appointed Examiner of 
Pension Claims at Washington; but close confinement 
so impaired his health that he had to seek another 
climate and another vocation.Accordingly he went to 
New Mexico, as clerk to the Pueblo Indian agency. He 
had previously graduated in law, however, at the 
National University, at Washington City, received 
his diploma at the hands of President Hayes, who 
was then chancellor ex-officio of the university. 
In this institution Mr. Milburn ranked second in a 
class of seventeen. September 30, 1882 he resigned 
his position in New Mexico, having in the meantime 
been admitted to the bar atSanta Fe, in February 
1881. In November 1882 he was appointed U.S. 
special Indian agent and ordered to inspectagencies 
in Dakota, which he did, and came to Montana in 
February 1882 and has been a resident of this state 
almost continuously ever since. As special Indian agent 
he had charge of constructing the buildings at the Crow 
Indian Agency, in 1884 by order of the Government. He 
opened his first law office and began the practice at 
Miles City in January 1886. Within the same year he was 
nominated on the Democratic ticket for County Attorney 
and was electedover his Republican opponent, William H. 
Ross and also over another candidate, a bolting Democrat. 
In 1888 he wasdefeated for re-election by Dr. W.A. 
Burleigh, Republican. The latter, however, eleven 
months afterward was in turndefeated by Mr. Milburn 
when he was first elected Judge of the district. 
He was re-elected as District Judge, in 1892 over 
the prominent Republican lawyer in Custer County. 
But Judge Milburn declares that he will not be a 
candidate for re-election to succeed himself on the 
bench. He is a stanch Union man and on national 
issues is adecided Democrat so long as the party 
remains patriotic. December7, 1875, Mr. Milburn 
married Eugenie Prentiss Bliss, the daughter of Dr. 
D.W. Bliss, who had principal charge of President 
Garfield while suffering from the fatal wound 
inflicted by the notorious Guileau. Herfather, 
now deceased, had a national fame as a surgeon. 
He was a prominent army surgeon during the war. 
Judge Milburn and his wife have three sons and one 
daughter, vis.: Paul Willard, born October 15, 
1876; Eugene, born October 2, 1882, Roszelle, 
March 9, 1892 and George, born January 8, 1894. 
The first two were born in Washington City. The 
Judge is a member and Past Grand of the I.O.O. F. 
and a member of the Knights of Pythias and the
uniform rank of the latter order.

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