George C. Dunton Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1126-1127 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. IV (1915) 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.

	This file is part of the SDGENWEB Archives. If you arrived here inside
	a frame or from a link from somewhere else, our front door is at

	http://usgwarchives.org/sd/sdfiles.htm


				GEORGE C. DUNTON. 

	George C. Dunton, cashier of the First National Bank at Webster, 
was born in Naples, New York, February 8, 1865, and is a representative 
of one of the old families of the Empire state, his ancestors having 
come from England to the new world. His grandfather, John Dunton, born 
in New York, was a successful farmer of that state for many years and 
there occurred the birth of his son, Lemuel M., in the year 1834. He 
was reared and educated at the place of his nativity and after 
attaining his majority wedded Harriett E. Culver, who was born in New 
York in 1834, a daughter of George Culver, also a native of that state, 
who traced his ancestry back to the early Puritans who settled New 
England. Mr. and Mrs. Lemuel M. Dunton continued their residence in the 
east until 1870, when they removed to Missouri and afterward to Kansas, 
Mr. Dunton devoting his attention to sheep raising in both states. 
While in New York he had handled both sheep and cattle. He won a very 
gratifying measure of success and was well-to-do at the time of his 
demise. He was well educated and well read and in his community 
exercised considerable influence over public thought and action. He 
died in the year 1910, having for a decade survived his wife, who 
passed away in 1900. She was a consistent member of the Presbyterian 
church. Mr. Dunton held membership with the Masons and belonged to both 
the blue lodge and chapter. His political allegiance was given to the 
republican party. To him and his wife were born two children, George C. 
and Harry I., the latter a resident of Canandaigua, New York. 

	George C. Dunton completed his education by graduation from the 
Canandaigua Academy of New York with the class of 1884 and for two 
years thereafter devoted his attention to merchandising in the Empire 
state. In 1886 he arrived in South Dakota, where he engaged in clerking 
for a time, and later established a store of his own at Langford. On 
disposing of that he lived retired for a short period and afterward 
purchased a hardware store. During his residence in Marshall county he 
served as treasurer for four years and was a prominent and influential 
resident of that community. In 1902 he removed to Webster and organized 
the First National Bank, which from the beginning has been a 
substantial and paying institution. It is capitalized to twenty-five 
thousand dollars, has a surplus of fifteen thousand dollars and its 
average deposits amount to one hundred and sixty-five thousand dollars. 
A general banking business is conducted and as its cashier Mr. Dunton 
has practically managed its affairs and contributed in a very large 
measure to its success. He also has farming interests in this state and 
is a representative business man, alert and enterprising. 

	In December, 1898, occurred the marriage of Mr. Dunton and Miss 
Clara M. Deerson a native of Illinois and a daughter of John Deerson, 
who was born in Germany but in early life came to the new world, 
settling in Illinois, where he followed the cabinetmaking trade. His 
daughter, Mrs. Dunton, is a member of the Episcopal church and occupies 
an enviable position in social circles of the city 

	Mr. Dunton is a prominent Mason, having taken the degrees of the 
Scottish Rite and of the Mystic Shrine. A republican in his political 
views, he has been active in the work of the party yet never sought 
office as a reward for party fealty. He has a strong attachment for the 
west, which has given him his opportunity, and he possesses the 
enterprising spirit which has ever characterized the development of 
this section of the country.