George M. Trimmer Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1680-1681 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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	An engraving and the signature of G. M. Trimmer face page 1680.


	GEORGE M. TRIMMER.—Among the men who have been active in promoting 
the various interests of South Dakota, George M. Trimmer, of Hot 
Springs, is deserving of especial mention. Honored and respected by the 
people of his community, he enjoys a large measure of public esteem, not 
alone on account of his activity in business circles, but also by reason 
of the creditable course he has ever pursued and the worthy standing 
attained in the domain of citizenship. A native of McLean county, 
Illinois, where his birth occurred on the 8th of November, 1844, he 
spent his childhood and youth on a farm. grew up to habits of industry 
and enjoyed the advantages of a common-school education. He remained in 
his native state until reaching the years of manhood, and then started 
out to make his own way. going in 1865 to Fort Sully, on the upper 
Missouri, where he engaged in the wood business. During the ensuing ten 
years he handled a great deal of wood at various places along the river, 
shipping to different points, and met with encouraging success in the 
business. In 1876, when the country became excited by reason of the 
discovery of gold in the Black Hills, he wound up his affairs on the 
Missouri and, organizing a party of friends and furnishing an outfit for 
the same, started for the Hills, leaving the river a little below Fort 
Thompson, and going through Dakota via Pierre to Bear Butte, thence up 
Elk creek along the Custer trail to Box Elder, where the party spent 
about one month prospecting. From that locality they proceeded to Rapid 
creek, but after prospecting for two months at the latter place with 
indifferent success, the party finally disbanded. When Rapid City sprang 
into existence Mr. Trimmer went there and engaged in freighting, driving 
from that place to Pierre and other points and devoting about one and a 
half years to this kind of work. Later he became interested in the mines 
at Hill City, and going there to live made the place his home until 
1879, the meanwhile suffering severe reverses as a miner, the result 
being the loss of nearly all his earthly possessions. 

	After this discouraging experience Mr. Trimmer decided to abandon 
mining and turn his attention to a more certain means of obtaining a 
livelihood; accordingly with two friends, L. B. Reno and Frank Holton, 
he came to what is now Hot Springs, where the three took up adjoining 
homesteads, the subject locating on the place which has since been his 
place of residence. This being done, the parties returned to Hill City, 
but in the spring of 1880 Mr. Turner moved his family to his claim, and 
at once began improving the same, also engaging in the cattle business, 
which he carried on quite successfully during the first few years, and 
then turned his attention to horticulture, finding his land particularly 
adapted to fruit growing. While improving his ranch, he also traded 
considerably with the Indian tribes in the vicinity, but this was of 
short duration and only reasonably profitable. In 1884 Mr. Trimmer set 
out his first orchard, and since that time has gradually increased the 
area of the same, until he is now the largest and most successful fruit 
grower in his section of the state. He has selected his trees with the 
greatest care and from the choicest varieties, and by judicious culture 
has so developed them that they seldom fail to return him large profits 
every year, a shortage in his crop being a rare occurrence. During the 
early settlement of Hot Springs he did quite an extensive business in 
gardening and dairying; having supplied the town for a number of years 
with butter, milk and all kinds of vegetables and small fruits, but as 
population increased he found horticulture more remunerative and, as 
already indicated, gradually worked into the latter and now follows it 
with success, such as few men in this part of the state have achieved. 

	Mr. Trimmer owns a beautiful home adjoining the town and is well 
situated to enjoy the many comforts and conveniences of life which he 
has accumulated. His residence, situated in a fine grove of maples and 
cottonwoods, with orchards in close proximity, also attractive 
shrubbery, tastefully arranged flower beds and well-kept lawns on every 
hand, is an almost ideal dwelling place and he spares no pains nor 
expense in adding to its attractiveness, being a man of refined tastes 
and progressive ideas. Politically Mr. Trimmer is a staunch and 
unswerving Democrat. While zealous in maintaining his principles, he has 
persistently declined office at the hands of his fellow citizens, 
manifesting little interest in active party work and none for public 
position. Mr. Trimmer has met with much more than ordinary success 
financially, which fact speaks well for his ability to recover from 
business reverses, such as would have discouraged a man of less tact and 
determination. The ample competence in his possession is the result of 
his own industry and excellent management, and the enviable position 
which he occupies in business and social circles has been honorably 
earned by a course of conduct singularly free from adverse criticism. 

	Mr. Trimmer was married in June, 1871, to Miss Mary Byua, and to 
this union were born three children, as follows: Maggie, the wife of 
Elwood Williams; Fannie, the wife of J. W. Finnegan, a conductor on the 
Chicago & Northwestern Railway, and Elizabeth. The subject's second 
marriage occurred February 16, 1891, to Mrs. Mary A. (Wood) Roberts, a 
native of Louisville, Kentucky, who came to the Black Hills in 1877.