George H. Patton Biography


	This biography appears on pages 629-630 in "History of Dakota 
	Territory" by George W. Kingsbury, Vol. V (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 H. PATTON. 

	Chester's business interests find a worthy representative in 
George H. Patton, a general merchant conducting business under the name 
of the G. H. Patton Company. He was born in Lake City, Minnesota, on 
the 6th of January, 1864, and is a son of Augustus and Julia Patton. 
The father was a merchant, devoting his entire life to commercial 
pursuits, but he died at a comparatively early age, passing away when 
his son George was a lad of five years. The mother still survives. 

	George H. Patton is indebted to the public-school system of his 
native state for the educational opportunities which he enjoyed and he 
made his initial step in the business world as a clerk in a general 
mercantile store, in which he was employed until he attained his 
majority. He then embarked in business on his own account at Roswell, 
South Dakota, in 1884, there remaining for seventeen years, at the end 
of which time he removed to Pipestone, Minnesota, where he engaged in 
the wholesale grocery business for three years. In October, 1905, he 
arrived in Chester, where he opened a small store. His trade, however, 
gradually increased and in 1911 he found it necessary to enlarge his 
facilities and erected his present commodious building, which is two 
stories in height with basement. He carries a stock valued at twenty 
thousand dollars and has the largest trade of the town. His business 
methods are such as will bear the closest investigation and scrutiny, 
for they conform at all times to the highest commercial ethics. 

	On the 20th of October, 1886, Mr. Patton was united in marriage 
to Miss Jennie A Richardson, a daughter of George Richardson. They have 
a son, George, who was born in 1890 and is now associated in business 
with his father. 

	The religious faith of the family is that of the Methodist 
church, to the teachings of which they are loyal, while the work of the 
church finds them generous supporters Mr. Patton also has membership 
with the Modern Woodmen and the Knights of Pythias in the lodges at 
Chester and he is a republican in his political views. He regards it 
the duty as well as the privilege of every true American citizen to 
cast a ballot for the measures which he deems essential in good 
government. He is never neglectful of duty in any relation and his 
efforts have been an element in advancing the material, intellectual, 
political, social and moral welfare of Lake county.