George E. Robbins
Custer County
History of Montana, Sanders, 1913

One of the Prominent citizens of Miles City who ability and 
integrity have been recognized by election to various offices 
of public importance is George E. Robbins, now serving in his 
sixth year as assessor of Custer County.  During a long career 
of public usefulness, Mr. Robbins has maintained a high 
standard of citizenship and his service to his adopted city 
has been such as to make his position secure in the esteem 
of his fellow citizens.  George E. Robbins was born March 
27, 1861 in Syracuse, New York and is a son of Edmund and 
Charlotte Robbins, natives of that state.

Shortly after their marriage, the parents of Mr. Robbins 
moved from the east and settled in St. Louis Missouri, 
from which city Edmund Robbins traveled in the interest 
of the P.J. Peters Company, manufacturers of saddlery and 
hardware.  He also traveled out of New York as a 
representative of the Smith-Worthington Saddle Company 
for several years, subsequently engaging in the saddlery 
and hardware business on his own account in Salt Lake 
City Utah.  During the seventies he identified himself 
with a Frisco banking concern but eventually returned 
to his former line of business as an employee of the 
Simmons Hardware Company and had charge of one of the 
departments of this large St. Louis house at the time 
of his death in 1911.  They had three children, of 
whom George is the only survivor.

George E. spent a great deal of his boyhood in traveling 
from one point to another throughout the country as his 
father was at that time making various changes in his 
business and his education was obtained in the public 
schools of Aurora and Chicago Illinois, Salt Lake City 
Utah and Wisconsin.  His first work was as a farm hand 
in Dane County Wisconsin but he subsequently learned the 
saddler's and harness maker's trade in Black Earth Wisconsin.  
He also clerked for some time in a general merchandise store 
in Black Earth and in 1880 came west as far as Cheyenne 
Wyoming where he was engaged in working at his trade until 
1884.  In that year he embarked in the hotel business in 
Idaho but in the spring of 1886 came to Miles City, worked 
at his trade for some time and in the spring of 1891, 
with a partner, engaged in the saddlery business under 
the firm name of Robbins and Lenoir.  This association 
continued until 1894 when Mr. Robbins and his partner 
disposed of the business.  He then engaged in business 
upon his own responsibility and remained thus occupied 
until the fall of 1902 when he disposed of his interests 
again.  This move was actuated by the fact that he had 
been elected to the office of County Treasurer of Custer 
County and so well did he discharge the duties of his 
official position that he was reelected in 1904.  In 
1906 he was elected to the office of County Assessor 
and in that office he has been repeatedly reelected 
until now (1912) he is serving his third term.  That he has 
filled the office honestly and honorably is evidenced  by the 
fact of his repeated election.  He is courteous, able and 
conscientious official and not public servant in Custer 
County has ever been more deserving of the confidence in 
which is regarded than Mr. Robbins.

On September 7, 1883, Mr. Robbins was united in marriage with 
Miss Mary E. Jones who was born in Kansas.  She is a daughter 
of Hiram Jones, who died when she was a mere child.  Mr. and 
Mrs. Robbins have one child, Frank, a graduate of Louisville 
Kentucky Dental College, class of 1912.  Since 1907 Mr. 
Robbins has been engaged in the sheep business and has a 
band of them on his six hundred acre ranch near Olive in 
Custer County.  His home ,however, is established in Miles 
City where he is the possessor of a handsome modern 
residence at No. 121, North Eighth Street.

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