George T. Paine Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1551-1552 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

	This file may be freely copied by individuals and non-profit 
	organizations for their private use. 

	Any other use, including publication, storage in a retrieval 
	system, or transmission by electronic, mechanical, or other 
	means requires the written approval of the file's author.


	GEORGE T. PAINE is of New England birth and inherits many of the 
sterling characteristics for which the people of that section of the 
Union have long been distinguished. He was born January 8, 1861, in 
Providencetown, Massachusetts, but when a child of seven years was taken 
by his parents to Champaign,. Illinois, where he grew to maturity, 
received his educational discipline and began his life work. His father 
being an enterprising contractor and builder, young George was early 
instructed in brick masonry, and after becoming an efficient workman he 
followed the trade in different parts of Illinois until 1884, the two or 
three years prior to that date being devoted to contracting upon his own 
responsibility. In the fall of 1884 he took a government contract to do 
certain masonry work in Fort Robinson, South Dakota, which being 
completed, he was similarly engaged the following years on Fort 
Niobrara. Finishing these contracts, Mr. Paine, in the latter part of 
1885, went to Buffalo Gap, preceding the railroad to that point and 
located a ranch on Chilsin creek, thirteen miles west of Hot Springs, to 
which the next spring he brought a large number of cattle with the 
object in view of making the raising of live stock his principal 
business. He made many improvements on this ranch and devoted his 
attention exclusively to cattle raising until 1891, when he was 
attracted to the newly settled town of Edgemont, where he found abundant 
opportunity for the exercise of his trade, builders of all kinds having 
been in great demand at that time. He at once took contracts to erect a 
number of business blocks, private residences and other kinds of work, 
and in due time had his various edifices under headway, giving 
employment to a considerable force of men, who under his leadership soon 
transformed the place from a wild waste into a beautiful and by no means 
unpretentious city of large expectations. 

	The year of his arrival Mr. Paine opened a feed and grain store in 
Edgemont which early became the chief source of supplies for the farmers 
of the surrounding country, and he has maintained an establishment of 
this kind ever since, the meanwhile building up the extensive business 
which he still commands. In addition to flour, grain, feed, etc., he 
handles large quantities of coal, being the heaviest dealer in these 
lines of merchandise in this part of the country. 

	In 1901 Mr. Paine organized the Bank of Edgemont, a state 
institution of which he is president, George Highly, vice-president, and 
H. H. Thompson, cashier, all three business men of recognized ability 
and high standing. Mr. Paine's brother-in-law, E. L. Arnold, is 
interested with him in his various business enterprises, the latter 
looking after the ranch and giving personal attention to the live stock, 
while the subject manages the bank and store, besides devoting 
considerable time to contracting, which he still carries on. From the 
foregoing brief career it will not be difficult to assign Mr. Paine his 
proper place in the history of Fall River county and the city of 
Edgemont. In addition to his connection with the general welfare of Fall 
River county, in the different spheres of endeavor, Mr. Paine proved of 
great benefit to Edgemont by his activity in behalf of the Burlington & 
Missouri Railroad and he still has a large contract to furnish the 
company with sand to be used on the line through this part of the 
country, thus giving employment to a large force of men who live in the 
town and who derive their entire income from this source. By good 
management the subject has come into possession of an ample fortune and 
is now accounted one of the wealthiest men in the county of Fall River, 
owning in addition to his various business interests, a large amount of 
land in different parts of the country, and valuable city property, 
being one of the heaviest real-estate holders in this section of Dakota. 
Fraternally Mr. Payne belongs to the Pythian lodge at Edgemont, the 
Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, at Lead, and is an influential 
member of the Modern Woodmen of America and the Woodmen of the World 
organizations, which meet in the former place. Politically a staunch 
Democrat, he has repeatedly and persistently declined public office, 
being first of all a business man to whom the plain title of citizen is 
much more desirable than any honor within the power of the people to 
confer. Mr. Paine has a beautiful modern residence in Edgemont, and is 
the head of a family which is highly esteemed not only in the best 
social circles of the city, but by all classes and conditions of people 
in the community.