GARTER, George V., was born at White Pigeon, Michigan, December 17, 1860.  When twenty-one years of age he came to Dakota and located in Brookings county, where he engaged in the mercantile business.  In 1886 he came to Sioux Falls.  In 1889 he secured a position in the office of the register of deed, where he remained until January, 1897.  He was deputy register of deed four years, and the Republican party nominated him for register in 1896, but he met with defeat, the same as all his associates on the ticket.  He made a good official; is a good fellow, and a respected citizen.

GATES, John Howard, was born at Waterloo, Iowa, October 28, 1865; was graduated from the high school in 1882, and form the State University of Iowa in 1888; in September of that year came to Sioux Falls, and remained one year as clerk in the law office of Bailey & Davis; attended the law department of the Columbian University, N.Y., one year; returned to Sioux Falls, and entered the law firm of Davis, Lyon & Gates in December, 1890, of which firm he is still a member; was appointed city attorney of Sioux Falls to fill vacancy, from September, 1893, to May 1, 1894; was nominated on the Republican ticket for state’s attorney of Minnehaha county in November, 1896, and out of 5,108 votes received 2,426; was president of the Commercial Club in 1897.  Mr. Gates is well posted in his profession; is one of the “Big Four” of the Sioux Falls Whist Club, social and genial, and has a host of friends.

GEBERT, Adam, was born in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, April 8, 1823; was reared on a farm; learned the brickmason’s trade, and engaged in farming and worked at his trade until 1852, when he moved to Maquoketa, Iowa, and went into the hardware business.  In 1862, he enlisted in Co. F, 31st Iowa Inf., and was in the military service until June 27, 1865.  He was captain of his company, and was at the front at the time Vicksburg was besieged by Gen. Grant.  He was so afraid that the rebel army would escape that he watched night after night at the foot of a big walnut tree, so that in case an attempt was made he could give the alarm.  This fact became so generally known that the big walnut was called “Captain Gebert’s tree.”  His company numbered one hundred and one when it first went out, but there were only twenty-seven left to be mustered out in 1865; thirty-seven of the original number were dead.  The regiment was mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, and a passenger car was provided for the officers to come north, and cattle cars for the privates; Captain Gebert rode with his men in the cattle cars.  Upon returning home he resumed his mercantile business.  In 1876, he went to Colorado and engaged in the manufacture of lumber six years; then removed to Louisiana and engaged in the manufacture of shingles on an extensive scale in company with his two sons.  In 1889, having secured a competence, he came North and located in the city of Sioux Falls.  The writer for several years was his next door neighbor, but it did not take long to discover that he and his good wife were royal good neighbors.  He is upright, enterprising, generous, and in every way an exemplary citizen.

GEORGE, William G., is a native of Ems, Germany, and was born January 13, 1851; was educated in the public schools, and when sixteen years of age entered a printing office; emigrated to the United States and settled at West Bend, Wisconsin; worked at his trade in Winona and St. Paul, Minnesota, and came to Sioux Falls in April, 1886.  In 1887, was employed by Caldwell & Bliss, and took charge of the job department in their printing office until 1895, when he opened a job printing office on his own account, and is conducting his business at the present writing.  He is a member of the Modern Woodmen, the A.O.U.W., Germania Verein, and Modern Brotherhood of America.  Mr. George is a good business man, and a respected citizen.

GERIN, Michael, was born at Donnybrook, Ireland, September 10, 1846, but removed to Canada when quite young.  He attended school for a short time, and when thirteen years of age commenced clerking in a grocery store.  From that time he has continuously been in the grocery business.  He left Canada in June 1878, and came to the United States, and on the 8th day of August, 1878, arrived in Sioux Falls on the first train over the Omaha.  He immediately went into the grocery business, and built the building he now occupies on Phillips avenue known as the Red Front Grocery.  He has been largely interested in real estate, and has a farm in Palisade upon which he has a very find and valuable herd of registered Shorthorns.  He has built up a good business, is popular with his customers, and is universally respected as a citizen and neighbor.  There is no person in Sioux Falls, mingling so much in society and business circles as Michael Gerin, who meddles so little with the affairs of others; he minds his own business; and in this respect he is without a peer in the city.  Always genial, pleasant and happy, his list of friends is as extensive as his acquaintance.

GERMAIN, Dr. William A., was born at Delafield, Wis., March 21, 1855.  Attended the public schools, and the State University at Madison, where he graduated in 1878.  The next two years was principal of the schools at Sharon, Wis.  Studied medicine and was graduated from the Butler Medical College at Butler, Ind., in March, 1882, and immediately thereafter left for Sioux Falls where he commenced the practice of his profession the same month.  He is connected with all the Masonic bodies located at Sioux Falls, and has been elected to the highest official positions in nearly all of the Masonic organizations of the city; is president of the Board of Pensions of this district and local surgeon of the C., M.& St. Paul railroad company.  He has built up a large and lucrative practice, and is recognized as one of the most skillful practitioners in the city of Sioux Falls.  He is an active citizen and contributes his share to all public enterprises.

GILBERT, Herman, is a native of Germany, and was born May 26, 1833.  During his early youth he attended the public schools and worked on a farm.  In 1846 he emigrated to this country and lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ten years; then opened a country store in Sheboygan county and remained there four years; the next six years was engaged in the manufacture of flour and lumber.  His next business was that of a hotel keeper at Fon Du Lac, Wisconsin, where he remained several years.  In 1873 he came to Sioux Falls and was in business there until 1888, when he removed to Seattle, Washington, where he now resides.  He has considerable property in this county at the present writing and has been spending a few months, this summer (1898) with his friends in Sioux Falls.  He is an honest, upright man.

GILBERT, Jacob T., was born at Rockville, Wis., August 17, 1861, and lived in that state until 1873, when he removed to Sioux Falls where he has since resided.  When fourteen years of age he engaged in the mercantile business, and in 1881 opened a dry good and grocery store on his own account, and continued in this business until about three years ago.  In 1884 he was a delegate to the Democratic territorial convention at Pierre, and was secretary of the convention.  In the fall of that year he was a candidate for the legislature from the district composed of the counties of Hanson, McCook and Minnehaha, and was defeated by only twelve votes.  In 1886 he was again a candidate and was elected.  In 1889 he was elected a member of the school board and served on the board until 1895, two years of which he was its president.  The Gilbert block on Phillips avenue was built by him.  Mr. Gilbert makes a good official and is a respected citizen.

GILLETT, Frank H., was born in Oswego, N.Y., May 2, 1850, and removed with his parents to Lake City, Minn, in 1856.  In September, 1864, he enlisted in Co. A, Minn. Heavy Artillery, and served until the close of the war.  In 1865 went into a machine shop at Lake City and remained in this business until he removed to this county.  He arrived in Sioux Falls April 23, 1878, where he engaged in the farm implement business until 1895, since which time he has been engaged in the marble business.  Jolly, good-natured, an agreeable business man and a good citizen are the principal elements in his make-up, and recognized by all who know him.

GILMAN, Peter, is a native of Bavaria, Germany, and was born December 31, 1833.  At the age of eleven years he came to Washington county, Wisconsin, and worked on a farm until 1863, when he enlisted in Co. C, 21st Wisconsin Infantry.  Soon after, being disable, he was discharged, but recovering from his disability re-enlisted in the 45th Wisconsin Infantry and remained in the military service until August 18, 1865, when he was discharged at Nashville, Tenn.  In 1867 he went to Fon du Lac, Wis., and was engaged in the agricultural implement business nine years.  On the 16th day of March, 1876, he arrived in Sioux Falls and has since resided there.  He owned for several years a farm in Lincoln county; was in the agricultural implement business several years and for four years operated a vinegar factory in Sioux Falls.  He is a strong, vigorous man physically, a good neighbor and an active, energetic citizen.

GIPSON, Arthur H., was born in Brandon, Vermont, December 4, 1856, and removed with his parents to Racine county, Wisconsin when four years of age.  He worked on a farm and attended school until he was eighteen years of age, graduating from the Rochester Seminary.  He then went to Colorado, where he was engage in various pursuits for several years, and then came to Dakota and resided at Volga until the spring of 1883, when he removed to Sioux Falls, where he has since resided engaged in the real estate and collection business.  He has taken quite an active part in local politics, is a genial good fellow and a good citizen.

Glidden, Daniel S., was born in Clarendon, Orleans county, New York, on the 24th day of February, 1844.  He was reared on a farm, attended the common schools, and completed his education at the State Normal school at Brockport, N.Y.  He taught school one term in new York.  In 1867, went to Anamosa, Iowa, where he taught school during the following winter.  In 1868, went to Indian Town, Iowa, where he was in charge of the public schools five years.  The next five years he was interested in a mercantile business at Montour, Iowa, and during the same time was in charge of the public schools at that place, and was a standing Democratic candidate for county superintendent of schools.  Right here it might as well be said that he is a Democrat of a mild type.  In 1878, he came to Sioux Falls, and engaged in the boot and shoe business five years.  For four years he was a member of the territorial executive committee of the Democratic party, and treasurer of the organization.  In 1887, he was elected warden of the South Dakota penitentiary, and conducted that institution for two years with credit to himself and the Territory.  Mr. Glidden has been an active Mason for more than a quarter of a century, having held nearly every office in his lodge, chapter and commandery; “is known” as a Past Master, Past High Priest and Past Commander, and during 1887-8, he held the office of Grand Commander of the Territory of Dakota.
     He is one of the best informed men in the state, his reading comprising about everything but theology, and it is entertaining to hear him discuss any subject but that.  He stands by his friends, especially when they are in trouble, always feels well, is generous to a fault, is a good, honest, upright citizen, and has hosts of friends who are always ready to fall in line when Dan wants help.

GLIDDEN, Mrs. D.S., whose maiden name was Josephine Martin, was born in Clarendon, Orleans county, New York.  She was educated in the public schools, and took a two years course at a school for young ladies at Rochester.  She was married June 22, 1871, and came with her husband to Montour, Iowa, and resided there until they moved to Sioux Falls.  Although her name appears incidentally elsewhere in this work in connection with the literary and musical organizations in Sioux Falls, the character of her services to the public requires a more extensive notice.  Nearly twenty years ago she became interested in the establishment of a public library, and from that time up to the present, has labored persistently in this work.  It is the method she adopted to accomplish her purpose, and the lesson it teaches, which we wish especially to call attention to.  The library is now an established institution, and through the munificence of one of our citizens, W.H. Lyon, has one of the finest buildings in the city for its home.   But, as Kipling would say, “that is another story.”  Mrs. Glidden did not procure large donations, but went at the work before her upon the cumulative plan, and from a small beginning gradually procured about four thousand well selected books which now belong to the Sioux Falls Free Public Library Association.  We do not mean to say that she accomplished this result alone, but we do mean to affirm that during all this time she has been the central figure in the enterprise, and it affords a splendid illustration of what might be accomplished in time by the constant, well-directed efforts of a person whose heart is in the work.  Mrs. Glidden has also done much to cultivate and expand the literary tastes and attainments of quite a large circle of ladies in Sioux Falls, and this has been accomplished with such rare tact and genuine disinterestedness that she is admired and loved by all her associates.

GLIEM, Charles C., of German parentage, was born at Charleston, South Carolina, Nov. 5, 1875.  When only two months old went with his parents to Germany.  In 1881, he returned to this country with an uncle, who settled in Benton county, Iowa.  He was reared on a farm and educated in the public schools, and was graduated from Tilford college at Vinton, Iowa, in 1895.  The next six months he spent in Germany, then returned to Lyon county, Iowa, and studied law, and was admitted to the bar in South Dakota April 5, 1898, and since then has been practicing law at Sioux Falls.  Mr. Gliem attends strictly to business, and will make a good lawyer.

GOODELL, Leicester B., was born in Buffalo, New York, December 21, 1833.  When twelve years old he commenced work for himself at first in a box factory, then in a lath mill and ship yard, and when eighteen years old went to Illinois and worked on a farm five years.  He then worked at the mason’s trade until the civil war broke out, when he enlisted in the three months’ service, and after that re-enlisted in Company B, 34th Illinois infantry, where he served a little over three years, and then enlisted in the Second Minnesota battery, and served until the close of the war.  He then engaged in mason work and the scrap-iron business until in the spring of 1883, when he moved to Dakota, and located at Howard on the 7th of March of that year.  He came to Sioux Falls on the 15th day of September, 1891, where he has since been engaged in city farming.  He is an independent, positive character, and freely expresses his opinion upon public matters, and is an honest, upright citizen.

GRANT, Rev. Arthur Hastings, is a native of New York City, N.Y., and was born November 16, 1865.  He graduated from Cornell University in 1887, and was Registrar and Secretary of the same in 1888-90.  He was pastor of the Unitarian Society of Freeville, N.Y., in 1889-91, and during this time was a regular correspondent for the New York Evening Post.  He was on the editorial staff of the Dryden Herald in 1891, until he removed to South Dakota in July of that year to assume the duties of pastor of All Souls church of Sioux Falls.  In this capacity his discussions on questions of public interest from the pulpit drew quite large congregations, and he frequently availed himself of the newspapers to put before the people his views upon public affairs.  He was as prominent as a citizen as he was as a pastor.  In 1892, he was elected president of the Sioux Falls Library Association and remained as such, until he removed to Newburgh, N.Y., in July, 1893, to take charge of the Unitarian church at that place.  He met with very flattering success at Newburgh, and at one time caused quite a sensation in that staid old town by challenging the ministers of the orthodox churches singly or collectively to a public discussion of some of the fundamental propositions of evangelical religion, which challenge was accepted and a joint discussion with an immense audience was the result.  From the newspaper accounts that followed, it would seem that Mr. Grant was well equipped both for attack and defense, and made quite a reputation as a public debater.  In October, 1898, he left Newburgh to become minister of Unity church, Montclair, N.Y.  The same year he published the Grant Family History, in which the descendants are numbered by a very ingenious method devised by him.  Mr. Grant has a well stored and thoroughly disciplined mind, and with his studious and persevering habits, will undoubtedly be heard from in the future.

GREENE, Herbert Lawrence, was born in Boston, Mass., October 14, 1861, and removed with his parents to Iowa in 1866.  He received an academic education at McGregor, Iowa.  At the age of eighteen years he was appointed to a clerkship in the Interior Department at Washington and remained there nine months.  The chief clerk in the department accused him one day of being sparing of the truth, and a little episode occurred “then and there,” and the next day the chief clerk was well enough to get Mr. Greene discharged.  He then went to Rock Rapids, Iowa, and was engaged as principal of the high school for one year, at the expiration of which time he came to Sioux Falls.  While in Washington he attended lectures at the Columbian law school, and upon his arrival in Sioux Falls in 1883, entered the law office of Winsor & Swezey and remained with them until he was admitted to the bar April 7, 1884.  After his admission he practiced law in Sioux Falls for one year alone, and then formed a copartnership with Judge Parliman under the name of Parliman & Greene.  This partnership continued for one year, when Mr. Greene accepted the position of general solicitor for the Insurance Company of Dakota, and remained with this company two years.  After severing his connection with the insurance company he left the practice of law and engaged in the real estate business in Sioux Falls, in which he proved to be a successful promoter.  During the dull times on 1892, he, with one or two others, secured the town site of Sisseton, in Roberts county, and this enterprise will undoubtedly materialize to his advantage in due time.  He is well up in Masonry, and was one of the charter members of Granite lodge No. 18, of the Knights of Pythias, and was the first commander of the order in South Dakota.  He has been very prominent in political matters.  For two years he was president of the State Republican league, and received universal praise for a masterly thirty days’ campaign, which he conducted at the time of the first Congressional election in the state.  He was also at the Mitchell convention in 1890, and distinguished himself by his admirable conduct of J.M. Bailey’s fight for the nomination for state treasurer.  His speech in placing his friend in nomination before the convention was excellent, and called forth the heartiest applause from his opponents.  He is one of the finest after-dinner speakers in the state.  At the banquet upon the opening of the Sioux Falls, Yankton and Southwestern R.R. he responded to the toast “South Dakota and South Dakotans.”  It was a splendid speech and was pronounced by those who heard it as one of the finest, most finished oratorical efforts that South Dakotans ever had the pleasure of listening to.  This sketch will close here, but the future history of the county and state will undoubtedly have many lines interwoven, inspired by the work of Herbert L. Greene.

GRIGSBY, Col. Melvin, was born June 8, 1845, at the village of Potosi, Grant county, Wisconsin.  When four years of age he moved with his parents on to a farm, where he spent his early youth, attending district and village schools.  At the breaking out of the war in 1861, he was anxious to enlist, but his father thought him too young to enlist, and sent him to the Lancaster Institute at Lancaster, Wisconsin, which, however, did not quench the war fever, and in November, 1861, he enlisted in Co. C, 2d Wisconsin Cavalry, and remained in active service or in confederate prisons until April 13, 1865, when he received his discharge.  He was taken prisoner near Vicksburg, and spent eleven months in prison at Canton, Mississippi, Cahaba, Alabama, Andersonville, Georgia, and Florence, South Carolina.  About six months of his time he spent in Andersonville.  From the last prison at Florence, South Carolina, he escaped on the 10th day of January, 1865, and going south reached Sherman’s army on the first day of February.  He remained with the army until it reached Goldsboro, and then got permission to accompany General Sherman when he went to Eagle Point to meet General Grant, and from there he came on to Washington and home to Wisconsin.  His experience while in prison, inspired him to write a book with the title of Smoked Yank which has brought him considerable notoriety.  After leaving the army he attended the university at Madison, Wisconsin, one year, and in 1866 went to the Normal school at Platteville, Wisconsin, where he remained until he graduated in 1869.  He then was employed for one year as principal of the public schools at Horicon, Wisconsin, and held the same position at Darlington and also at Delevan in that state.  During this time he had studied law, and at the end of his career as a teacher he entered the law office of Pitt Dewey at Lancaster.  In the spring of 1872, he was admitted to the bar, and immediately thereafter started out on horseback in search of a place in which to locate.  He arrived in Sioux Falls the first Sunday in June, and soon settled the question of residence in favor of this place.  He entered into a copartnership with R.F. Pettigrew for the practice of law and in the real estate business, which continued until the all of 1876.  In 1877, in connection with Geo. M. Smith, he established the Dakota Pantagraph at Sioux Falls, but sold out a few months after.  Mr. Smith remained in copartnership with Mr. Grigsby for nearly six years, during which time they started the Bank of Egan, at Egan, South Dakota, with Mr. Grigsby as president for the first year.  He also started the Union County Bank at Elk Point, and was its first president; was one of the principal promoters of the Dakota National Bank in Sioux Falls, and was its first president.  He has been very active in political life.  In 1886, the Minnehaha county republican convention instructed its delegates to the territorial congressional convention to present his name to the convention for nomination.  In 1886, he was a pronounced candidate for the congressional nomination.  The convention was held at Watertown, and it was one of the notable conventions of territorial days.  He had a large following and nearly votes enough to secure the nomination.  The same year he was elected to the territorial council, and served in that capacity with marked ability.  He was elected alderman from the Third ward at the first city election in 1883, and the same year was a delegate to the constitutional convention held at Sioux Falls, September 4.  Up to the time of the holding of the republican state convention in 1894, he had been a Republican, but not liking the financial plank in the republican platform he joined the Populists, believing the free coinage of silver to be the most important issue before the American people.  He was nominated by the party of his adoption for the state senate in 1894, but went down before the republican majority which swept the political ranks in Minnehaha county that year.  In 1896 he was nominated on the populist state ticket for attorney general.  He stumped the state for Bryan and free silver, and when the votes were canvassed he had the pleasure of knowing that he had more votes than any other candidate upon the ticket in his own county and in the state.  He was elected and performed the duties of his office until the war with Spain broke out, when he promptly tendered his services to the government, asked for a colonel’s commission and proposed to raise a cavalry regiment of cowboys for the military service.  April 11, he went to Washington, where he learned that a bill inspired by Theodore Roosevelt was before Congress providing for the organization of the regiment of cowboys.  Seeing that only one regiment of special volunteers could be raised under the provisions of the bill, Grigsby had his friends among the congressmen during the last forty minutes before a vote was taken propose an amendment which was adopted “authorizing the secretary of war to organize companies, troops, battalion or regiments possessing special qualifications from the Nation at large, including the appointment of the officers thereof.”  This bill was passed on April 22, and a week later he received his commission as colonel, with instructions to recruit the regiment of the Third United States Volunteer Cavalry.  His force was mustered into service May 19, and the next day left for Chickagauga, the southern rendezvous.  This regiment, known as “Grigsby’s Cowboys” was a splendid regiment, and before long had the reputation of being the best drilled and equipped of any at the park, and was frequently compared with Col. Roosevelt’s regiment, known as “Teddy’s Terrors,” who did valiant service in front of Santiago, and made its colonel governor of New York.  But, to the great disappointment of not only Col. Grigsby but the entire regiment, the war was brought to a close without his regiment being ordered to the front.  But the promptness of Col. Grigsby in not only offering his own services to the government, but in enlisting a body of men inured to hardship, with superior qualifications for the service expected of them, is a tribute to his good judgment, courage and patriotism that will not soon be forgotten in South Dakota.  He was popular with his men, and when the regiment was mustered out its officers presented him with a beautiful sword.  During his absence at Chickamauga his son, Sioux K. Grigsby, as deputy attorney general, attended to the duties of his office with great ability.
     The foregoing comprises a brief sketch of the colonel up to date, but when the time comes for the writing of his obituary, many things will undoubtedly have to be added to make this record complete.