George A. Dodds Biography


	This biography appears on page 1763 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	GEORGE A. DODDS, one of the leading and pioneer merchants of 
Watertown, is a native of the state of New York, having been born in 
Wellington, St. Lawrence county, on the 17th of June, 1845, and being a 
son of Captain George and Anne (Walton) Dodds, the former of whom was 
born in Scotland and the latter in England, while the father was for 
many years engaged in mercantile business, both he and his wife having 
died in Waddington, New York. After attending the public schools of his 
native town the subject of this review went to Ogdensburg, New York, 
where, at the age of seventeen years, he secured a clerkship in a dry-
goods store, being thus employed for the following decade and gaining an 
intimate-knowledge of the details of the business. At the expiration of 
the period noted he came west to the city of Chicago, where he was 
engaged in clerking in leading mercantile establishments until 1875, 
having been in the city at the time of the memorable fire of 1871. In 
1875 he there engaged in the dry-goods business upon his own 
responsibility, continuing this enterprise until 1884, when he disposed 
of his interests in the western metropolis and came to Watertown, South 
Dakota, where he opened a dry-goods store in the Mellette block, his 
having been the first exclusive dry-goods establishment in the city. He 
built up an excellent trade, the growth of the enterprise keeping pace 
with the development and progress of the town, and finally he added 
other departments to his business and secured large and ample quarters, 
where he now has a general stock of merchandise of select and 
comprehensive order. He is one of the alert and progressive business men 
of the city and commands the unqualified esteem of its people, while he 
always maintains a deep interest in public affairs and in the promotion 
of the welfare of the city and state. His political allegiance is given 
to the Republican party and both he and his wife are valued members of 
the Congregational church.

	Mr. and Mrs. Dodds have an attractive home, located on the north side 
of the city, and the same is a center of refined hospitality.