John Curtis Simmons Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1625-1626 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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	JOHN CURTIS SIMMONS, the able and popular cashier of the Bank of 
Frederick, at Frederick, Brown county, was born in Grangeville, Saratoga 
county, New York, in the year 1857, and is a son of William Simmons, who 
was born and reared in Ireland, whence he emigrated to the United States 
and took up his residence in Saratoga county, New York, where he died 
when our subject was but eighteen months of age, so that the latter has 
very meager data in regard to his family genealogy. The subject was 
reared in his native county, in whose public schools, he secured 
excellent educational advantages, so that he became eligible for 
pedagogic honors, having there been successfully engaged in teaching for 
about three years. In 1882 he came as a pioneer to the present state of 
South Dakota and located in Aberdeen, in which place he arrived on the 
18th of May. He entered the employ of C. A. Bliss, merchant and banker, 
with whom he remained until 1886, when he came to Frederick and, with 
others, purchased the Dow Brothers' Bank, organizing then the Bank of 
Frederick, in which institution he has ever since been incumbent of the 
office of cashier, handling his executive duties with marked 
discrimination and ability and having thus done much to maintain the 
bank on a firm foundation and to gain to it high popularity. The 
institution controls a large and successful business, being capitalized 
for fifteen thousand dollars and having a surplus fund of half that 
amount. During the financial depression of 1893-4 the bank was one of 
the few which, through careful and conservative management, successfully 
weathered the storm and added to its prestige and solidity, no 
assessment having been levied on its stockholders during that critical 
period. In addition to his banking interests Mr. Simmons is the owner of 
a large amount of valuable real estate in the county and also has 
important interests in live stock. In politics he gives his allegiance 
to the Republican party, and fraternally has attained to the thirty-
second degree of Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite Masonry, being also 
affiliated with the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic 
Shrine. He has shown much interest in public affairs and in thc 
promotion of all objects tending to conserve the general welfare and 
progress. He was a member of the first legislature of the state. having 
been elected to represent his district in 1889. 

	On the 3d of December, 1891, Mr. Simmons was united in marriage to 
Miss Emma Burton, who was born in Wisconsin, being a daughter of William 
Burton, who came to South Dakota in 1882, becoming one of the honored 
and influential pioneers of Brown county. Mr. and Mrs. Simmons have one 
child, Ruth.