Biography of George A. Pettigrew

	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, 1898. Page 314.

	Scan and OCR by Joy Fisher, 1997. This file may be copied for non-profit 
	purposes. All other rights reserved. 




DR. GEORGE A. PETTIGREW, of whom the reader will find a portrait on 
another page, is a real estate dealer and president of Flandreau State 
Bank. Perhaps no man in all of Moody county is so well known for his 
intelligence, active public spirit and thorough appreciation of the 
wants of his locality as is the gentleman whose name heads this article. 
He came to this county February 2, 1883, and has since been identified 
with all matters which pertain to the improvement and upbuilding of the 
better interests of the locality in which he has lived. His active 
participation in public affairs has not been confined to matters 
pertaining to his own township, but he has thoroughly acquainted himself 
and been associated with all matters pertaining to the welfare of the 
entire county and state.

	Dr. Pettigrew is a native of Ludlow, Vermont, and a son of Josiah 
W. and Susan Ann (Atwood) Pettigrew, the former born in Ludlow, Vermont, 
May 3, 1823, and the latter in Londonderry, Vermont, October 2, 1827. 
Josiah W. Pettigrew was a son of Parker Pettigrew, a native of 
Massachusetts, who moved when but a small boy with his father, Andrew 
Pettigrew, also a native of Massachusetts, to Vermont. Andrew Pettigrew 
was the son of a Scotch physician who returned from Massachusetts to 
Scotland and died there, leaving his son in America. Our subject is the 
second cousin of Senator R. F. Pettigrew, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

	Dr. George A. Pettigrew, the subject of this sketch, was born 
April 6, 1858, and was reared in his native home at Ludlow, Vermont. He 
accumulated his knowledge in the Black River academy at Ludlow, at Colby 
academy at New London, New Hampshire, and at Dartmouth Medical college 
at Hanover, New Hampshire, and graduated from the latter in the class of 
1883. The same year he located in Flandreau, South Dakota, which was 
then less than half its present population and already contained several 
physicians. For eight years after locating in Flandreau Dr. Pettigrew 
was government physician to the Indians, and also surgeon for the 
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad six years. For eight years he was 
surgeon of the Second regiment, Dakota National Guards. He was surgeon-
general of South Dakota during both terms of Governor Sheldon's 
administration, and June 4, 1897, was appointed surgeon of the First 
Regiment of South Dakota, the First Regiment being the same regiment 
that was formerly known as the Second Regiment. While practicing he was 
widely known throughout Moody county as a physician of marked ability, 
and, aside from his official positions, enjoyed valuable and ever-
increasing patronage. His studies did not cease with the dropping of his 
practice, but have continued year by year, and that is no doubt one of 
the reasons why he occupies the prominent place he does in the minds of 
the people.

	In May, 1891, the Flandreau State Bank bought out the Farmer's and 
Merchant's Bank and merged it into the present Flandreau State Bank. At 
that time Dr. Pettigrew was elected its president and has since served 
the corporation in this capacity. The same year he also began the real 
estate and loan business, being the pioneer in this line of work in the 
county. In local matters he is always actively interested, and is well 
versed on topics of education and economy. He has attended every state 
convention since the organization of the state until 1896, has been 
secretary of the Flandreau school board, served on the board of township 
trustees and is now secretary of the commercial club of Flandreau and 
chief of the fire department. For ten years he has been a member of the 
local board of pension examiners.

	Dr. Pettigrew married Miss Endora Z. Stearns, a daughter of Paul 
Hetherby Stearns and Salome T. Stearns. Mrs. Pettigrew was born in 
Felchville, Vermont, July 28, 1858. They are the parents of one 
daughter: Addie Stearns Pettigrew. Mr. and Mrs. Pettigrew are members of 
the Baptist church in Vermont.

	Socially our subject is affiliated with the following 
fraternities: Masonic order, Flandreau lodge, No. 11, of which he is 
past master; Orient chapter, No. 19, Royal Arch Mason, is past high 
priest of same; Koda council, U. D., thrice illustrious master of same; 
Ivanhoe commandery, No. 13,

Knights Templar, is eminent commander of same; Oriental consistory - A. 
A. S. R., at Yankton, South Dakota, thirty-second degree, is minister of 
state in same; El Riad temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. at Sioux Falls; Beulah 
chapter, No. 2, Eastern star at Flandreau, is past patron of same and 
Mrs. Pettigrew is now matron of the same chapter; he was grand patron of 
state in 1891 - 2 - 3,  Order of Eastern Star; is grand secretary of 
grand chapter of Royal Arch Masons of the state, which position he has 
held continuously since 1889; in 1894 he was elected grand secretary of 
the grand lodge of the state at Hot Springs, South Dakota. In 1895 he 
was elected grand recorder of the grand commandery, Knights Templar, at 
Sioux Falls; is a member of B. P. O. E. of Sioux Falls and a member of 
the Mystic Legion of Flandreau, Winona castle, No. 16, and is treasurer 
of the castle. Dr. Pettigrew is a man of good qualifications, 
intelligent, thorough and systematic and the records and reports of the 
lodges of which he is grand secretary are a marvel of neatness and 
accuracy. He has an elegant library of nearly 1,400 volumes.