George Watson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 761-762 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 WATSON, who was formerly a member of the state 
legislature, from Davison county, is one of the progressive farmers of 
the state, his fine landed estate being located in Davison and Hanson 
counties. Mr. Watson was born in the province of Ontario, Canada, in 
1851, being one of the four children of Ebenezer and Margaret (Sims) 
Watson. The father of the subject was born and reared in Scotland, 
whence he emigrated to Canada as a young man, settling near Ottawa, 
Ontario, where he was engaged in farming until his death, which 
occurred in 1890 His wife, who was a native of Ontario, passed away in 
1882, and all of their children are still living.  

	The subject of this sketch was reared to the sturdy discipline of 
the farm, and has devotee the major portion of his life to the great 
basic industry of agriculture. He received a common school education 
and continued to reside in Ontario until 1873, when he removed to 
Rockford Iowa, locating in Floyd county, where he was engaged in 
farming until 1879, when he disposed of his interests there and came to 
Dakota, taking up government land in Davison county, where he has ever 
since maintained his home. He has added to his landed estate until he 
is now the owner of a finely improved farm of seven hundred and twenty 
acres, located in Davison and Hanson counties, about three hundred 
acres of the tract being under cultivation. He devotes special 
attention to the raising of corn, finding this more profitable than the 
raising of wheat, while he also devotes a number of acres to oats each 
year. Upon his place are to be found shorthorn cattle of high grade, 
while he also raises hogs, while he ships each year to the eastern 
markets an average of four carloads of cattle, the greater portion of 
which are from the thoroughbred stock which he keeps, while his herd of 
swine is of the Poland-China type. Upon coming to Davison county Mr. 
Watson took up homestead and timber claims, and this half section of 
land constituted the nucleus of his present well improved farm. He now 
has a fine lot of trees on his place, the same having been planted by 
him and being now well matured.  

	In politics Mr. Watson is a staunch Republican, and he has held 
various local offices, while in 1893 he represented his district in the 
state legislature, making an excellent record in the connection. He and 
his wife hold membership in the Baptist church at Mitchell. They were 
pioneers of the county, and have the high regard of the community in 
which they have so long made their home.  

	On the 25th of October, 1883, Mr. Watson was united in marriage 
to Miss Livonia Phelps, who was born and reared in Huston county, 
Minnesota. being a daughter of H. M. and Rebecca Phelps. Of this union 
have been born six children, all of whom still remain beneath the 
parental roof, namely: Florence, Robert, Frances, Earl, Richard and 
Herbert.