George W. Abbott Biography


	This biography appears on pages 711-712 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. I (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	GEORGE W. Abbott was born in Sandwich, Carroll county, New 
Hampshire, October 10, 1858, being a son of Lyman and Shuah W. Abbott, 
who are now dead, the father having devoted his life to agricultural 
pursuits. The subject was reared under the vigorous discipline of the 
old homestead farm in New England, and after completing a course of 
study in the high school of his native place he continued his studies 
in famous old Phillips Academy, at Exeter, New Hampshire. At the age of 
twenty years he set forth to seek his fortunes in the west, coming to 
Colorado as secretary for a mining expert, and he continued to reside 
in that state until 1887, when he took up his residence in the 
territory of Dakota. He located in what is now McIntosh county, North 
Dakota, having assisted in the organization of the county and having 
been its first superintendent of schools, as was he also its first 
postmaster, the office being located in the frontier hamlet of Ashley, 
now a thriving town. He there conducted a general merchandise business 
and operated a cattle ranch. In 1887 Mr. Abbott disposed of his 
interests there and removed to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he was 
engaged in the furniture and hardware business until 1891, when he came 
to Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and became the general manager of the Co-
operative Loan and Savings Association of this city, retaining this 
incumbency until September, 1894, when he resigned. He then effected 
the organization of the Union Savings Association, to the promotion of 
whose interests he has since devoted his attention, in the capacity of 
general manager, as well as secretary and treasurer. He has exceptional 
initiative and administrative ability, is sincere and straightforward, 
and his reputation as a business man has done much to further the 
building up of the magnificent enterprise with which he is thus 
identified. In 1891, at Minneapolis, he was elected vice-president of 
the International Building & Loan League, which represents a paid-in 
capital of about six hundred million dollars, and of this office he 
remained in tenure until 1894. The deputy public examiner in the state 
department of banking and finance wrote of the corporation of which Mr. 
Abbott is manager in the following words of endorsement, in 1902: "The 
examination of the Union Savings Association, conducted by this 
department, shows a most satisfactory condition of affairs. It is 
impossible for me to go into details at this time, but you certainly 
have an institution which you may well be proud of." A further and more 
personal endorsement is that given under date of April 15, 1903, by Ed. 
D. Lewis cashier of the Farmers & Merchants' Bank of Worthing, this 
state, this being a sample of many other commendations received by the 
association: "I hereby certify that I became a member of the Union 
Savings Association of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in December, 1896, 
and paid as dues three hundred and sixty dollars. and received a draft 
for five hundred dollars, making me thirteen percent. per annum on the 
investment. I am well satisfied with the treatment given me by the 
association." December 14, 1903, Samuel T. Johnson, public examiner and 
superintendent of banks for the state of Minnesota, wrote as follows: 
"I believe the Union Savings Association of Sioux Falls to be solvent, 
and honorably conducted." In 1902 the Colton State Bank, at Colton, 
Minnehaha county, was. organized, and of this institution Mr. Abbott 
has been president from its inception.  

	In politics Mr. Abbott gives his allegiance to the Republican 
party, and fraternally he is a prominent and appreciative member of the 
Masonic order, being affiliated with the following bodies of the same 
Minnehaha Lodge, No. 5, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons; Sioux Chapter 
No. 2, Royal Arch Masons of which he is king at the time of this 
writing; Cyrene Commandery, No. 2, Knights Templar, of which he is past 
eminent commander; and El Riad Temple, Ancient Arabic Order of the 
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, of which he is potentate and 
representative to the imperial council of the order. He and his wife 
are prominent and zealous members of the First Congregational church, 
in Sioux Falls, of whose board of trustees he is a member, having been 
chairman of the board for five years.  

	On the 1st of June, 1896, Mr. Abbott was united in marriage to 
Miss Mary G. Quinlan, of Cleveland, Ohio, and they have four children, 
George L., Gladys, Annie Josephine and John Wesley.