George P. Billups Biography


	This biography appears on page 666 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (1915) and was 
	scanned, OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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				GEORGE P. BILLUPS.  

	George P. Billups, one of the leading citizens of Rochford, 
Pennington county, has built up an extensive business as a dealer in 
groceries and meat, hardware, lumber, implements, grain and hay. He was 
born in Cedar county, Iowa, on the 28th of December, 1861, of the 
marriage of Charles F. and Sarah J. (Martin) Billups, natives 
respectively of Virginia and Ohio. The father devoted his life to 
agricultural pursuits except during the period of excitement following 
the discovery of gold in California. At that time he drove an ox team 
across the plains to the Golden state and continued there for four or 
five years, after which he returned east and settled in Cedar county, 
Iowa. Subsequently he removed consecutively to Pottawattamie county, 
Iowa, southern Missouri and Oklahoma, going to the latter state when it 
was opened for white settlement. His demise occurred there and his 
widow is still residing in Weatherford, Oklahoma.  

	George P. Billups attended the district schools of Iowa and 
subsequently pursued a business course in a commercial college at 
Shenandoah. He remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age, 
although he taught in the local district schools for two or three years 
previous to that time. Upon leaving the parental roof he removed to 
Nebraska and engaged in farming there for about five years. At the end 
of that time he took a commercial course, as he had decided to engage 
in business, and upon its completion entered the employ of a large 
lumber and grain company in Platte county, Nebraska. About ten years 
later, in 1901, he came to South Dakota and settled in Rochford. After 
mining for a year or so he turned his attention to the general 
mercantile business, establishing a store in Rochford, which he is 
still conducting. He deals in meat, groceries, hardware, lumber, farm 
implements, grain and hay and has the full confidence of the public as 
his business methods have always been above reproach. He is meeting 
with gratifying success as a merchant and also has a number of other 
business interests, being connected with several mining ventures and 
dealing in stock. He was one of the organizers of the Rochford-Wyoming 
Oil Company and is still connected with that concern but devotes the 
greater part of his time to the conduct of his store.  

	Mr. Billups was married in January, 1896, at Plattsmouth, 
Nebraska, to Miss Berenice Kerney, who was born in Mills county, Iowa. 
To their union was born a daughter, Tirzah, who died when three years 
of age. Mr. Billups is a republican but although he takes a keen 
interest in public affairs he has never desired office. Fraternally he 
is connected with the Knights of Pythias, and the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen and his many friends both within and without those 
organizations.