Graydon B. Jackson Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1170, 1173 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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				GRAYDON B. JACKSON. 

	Graydon B. Jackson, of the firm of Jackson Brothers and manager 
of the farm-loan department, is a representative business man, far-
sighted, alert, energetic, and belongs to that class of representative 
business men, who, while advancing individual interests, contribute 
largely to public prosperity. A native of Buchanan county, Iowa, he was 
born at Independence, May 11, 1879, a son of Hon. Frank D. and Anna F. 
(Brock) Jackson The father, now president of the Royal Union Mutual 
Life Insurance Company of Des Moines, was governor of Iowa from 1893 to 
1895 and in various ways has left the impress of his individuality upon 
the history of that state, where he and his wife still reside. 

	After attending the public schools Graydon B. Jackson continued 
his education in the Des Moines Preparatory College and in the Culver 
Military Academy of Culver, Indiana, completing the course in 1898. He 
then entered his father's office in Des Moines, at which time he became 
connected with the mortgage and loan department, gaining broad 
experience in this his initial undertaking in the business world. In 
1900 he arrived in South Dakota, but previously was located for a time 
at Stuart, Nebraska, where he was interested with F. Barclay in the 
cattle and loan business. When he arrived on the present site of Dallas 
there was nothing but a tract of wild land, no collection of buildings 
giving evidence of a growing town. In fact, there were only a few 
buildings in Gregory county. His brothers soon afterward came and all 
filed on homesteads five miles south of Gregory. The town of Dallas was 
then located southeast of the present site of Dallas on Ponca creek, 
but when the. railroad was built the town was left to one side and on 
the 1st of January, 1907, all of the buildings were removed from the 
old to the present town site of Dallas, drawn by teams. Jackson 
Brothers had purchased the town site in 1906 and from that moment have 
been most active in the development of the town. It was a bitterly cold 
winter when they moved the buildings. The snow was deep, rendering the 
task a difficult one, but they placed the buildings on steel cables and 
thus drew them over the frozen snow. Throughout the intervening period 
to the present the company has dealt extensively in farm lands and made 
many loans. They own forty thousand acres in Gregory, Tripp and 
Mellette counties and are the owners of several town sites, including 
Dallas, Winner, Jordan, Carter, Chilton, Berkley and White River. 
Jackson Brothers have carefully systematized their work and are 
following out carefully defined plans and methods in developing the 
towns in which they are interested, looking ever beyond the exigencies 
of the moment to the possibilities and opportunities of the future. In 
addition to his other interests Graydon B. Jackson is the vice 
president of the Bank of Dallas. 

	On the 31st of March, 1903, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. 
Jackson and Miss Leila Stewart, a daughter of Rush M. Stewart, of 
Fremont, Nebraska. They are Episcopalians in religious faith and Mr. 
Jackson is a Mason of high degree, holding membership in Oriental 
Consistory, No. 1, S. P. R. S. His attention, however, is chiefly given 
to his business affairs and he is a member of what, by the consensus of 
public opinion, is regarded as the most progressive firm of Gregory 
county. Their interests are most extensive, they having been the 
largest investors in the county, and in conducting their business they 
have contributed in superlative measure to the upbuilding and 
improvement of this section of the state. Mr. Jackson is in every way a 
fine man, for while business ability has brought him to the forefront 
in that connection, his admirable social qualities and manly principles 
have given him firm hold upon the regard and good will of all with whom 
he has been brought in contact.