George L. McCarthy 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 1016-1019

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

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GEORGE L. McCARTHY, an honored pioneer of Alpha township, residing on 
section 12, is one of the many residents of Hand county who started out 
in life with naught but an abundance of determination and indefatigable 
industry, and who have succeeded through their own diligence, energy 
and economy. He was born in Peekskill, Westchester county, New York, 
October 28, 1859, and is a son of George and Mary (Enon) McCarthy, the 
former a native of County Tyrone, Ireland, and the latter of Liverpool, 
Scotland. They were married in the latter place in 1837. The father was 
born in 1801 and in early life was a sailor. Early in the '40s he and 
his wife came to the United States and located in Westchester county, 
New York, where he followed the molder's trade. Later they removed to 
Monroe county, that state, where they continued to make their home 
until coming to Hand county, South Dakota, in 1887. Here the father 
died in December, 1898. In his family were three sons and three 
daughters, but our subject and one brother are the only ones living in 
Hand county. 

George L. McCarthy, of this review, was reared and educated in the 
Empire state, and later worked by the month there until coming to Hand 
county, South Dakota, April 16, 1883. He arrived here without means and 
was with the Town Site company that started the town of Gettysburg, 
Potter county. He bought a team of mules and a breaking plow on credit, 
and taking up a claim began the improvement of his land. He followed 
teaming from Blunt to Gettysburg for some time and with his team often 
earned as high as twenty-two dollars per day. He also worked at 
anything by which he could make an honest dollar. After making a trip 
to the Black Hills he sold his team and returned to his old home in New 
York on a visit. In 1884 he returned to Hand county and took up his 
residence on section 1, Alpha township, where he now resides. As a 
farmer and stack raiser he has met with most excellent success and is 
now the owner of eight hundred acres of land, free from debt. He 
annually handles about two hundred head of cattle and forty head of 
horses, and finds this branch of his business quite profitable. 

In 1895, Mr. McCarthy was united in marriage with Miss Emma Evenson, a 
native of Minnesota, and to them have been born two children: John A. 
and May A. In his political views, he is a Populist, and he has been 
called upon to fill some township offices of trust. Although he came to 
Dakota in limited circumstances, he has by hard work, good management 
and untiring perseverance worked his way steadily upward until he is 
now one of the wealthiest as well as one of the most highly esteemed 
men in his community, and for his success he deserves great credit, and 
honorable mention in a work of this character. Portraits of Mr. and 
Mrs. McCarthy appear on another page of this volume.