George W. James Biography


	This biography is from "Memorial and biographical record; an illustrated
 	compendium of biography, containing a compendium of local biography,
	including biographical sketches of prominent old settlers and 
	representative citizens of South Dakota..." Published by G. A. Ogle & 
	Co., Chicago, 1899. Pages 745-746

	Scan, OCR and editing by Maurice Krueger,mkrueger@iw.net, 1998. 

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GEORGE W. JAMES, a prominent hardware merchant of Kimball, South 
Dakota, and an honored veteran of the Civil war, is a worthy 
representative of one of America's most patriotic and loyal families, 
which has been well represented in every war of this country, including 
the Spanish American war, in which a son of our subject served as 
second lieutenant. Mr. James was born in Pennsylvania, in 1844, and 
traces his ancestry back through four or five generations to the 
founder of the family in the United States, who crossed the Atlantic 
with William Penn and settled in what is now Pennsylvania. Our 
subject's paternal grandfather was a lumber merchant and at one time 
owned the farm on which the city of Reading, Pennsylvania, now stands. 
The father was a tobacconist. 

The first eight years of his life Mr. James spent in Reading, and then 
went to South America with his brother, who was a civil engineer, being 
gone from home about three years. On his return he attended school 
until fourteen years of age, when he commenced learning the tinner's 
trade, which he has made his life work. In May, 1861, he enlisted in 
Company L, First Pennsylvania Cavalry, and served for four years during 
the Rebellion, with the Army of the Potomac, taking part in twenty-
eight regular battles and seventy-five skirmishes. He received several 
flesh wounds, first at Bristol Station, and later at Brandy Station, 
Babbling Brook, and while on picket duty. 

After the war, Mr. James worked at his trade for a few months in New 
York, and during the following twenty-one years traveled over all the 
states east of the Rocky Mountains. At one time he was engaged-in the 
stock business in Texas. Prior to the war he had married Miss Jessie B. 
Mortermore, who died in January, 1868, leaving two children, and in 
1873 he was again married, his second union being with Lizzie B. Quinby 
by whom he also has two children, namely: Bailey and George M. 

In 1883, Mr. James came to Brule county, South Dakota, and took up a 
claim, which he held down for one year, living alone in a shanty, 10 x 
16 feet. He then worked at his trade in the hardware store of Frank 
Smith in Kimball, and in November, 1887, purchased the store, which he 
has since conducted on his own account. From the start he has met with 
success, being a man of excellent business ability and broad resources, 
and by his upright and honorable dealings has gained the confidence and 
high regard of his many patrons. Politically, Mr. James is an ardent 
Republican but takes little part in public affairs aside from voting, 
though he has most efficiently served as a member of the city council.