Arthur Samuel Garretson

Arthur Samuel Garretson (November 7, 1851 – February 20, 1917) was an American banker, businessman, and politician in Sioux City, Iowa. Garretson had a part in several major aspects of Sioux City's growth. Garretson, South Dakota, was named after him.

Personal life Garretson was born on November 7, 1851, on a farm in Morgan County, Ohio. Garretson lived in Morgan County for 17 years, and he attended school there.

He married Belle Smith in 1870, and they had eight children. The Garretsons had a mansion built in the Morningside neighborhood of Sioux City by Peter's Park, and they owned the building until 1906, when Morningside College purchased it. The Sioux City Public Library purchased the mansion in 1931 to construct it as the Morningside Branch Library. The mansion was torn down in 1967 after a vote by the Library Board, and a new building was built in its place.

Career

He moved to Taylorville, Illinois, in 1869, and worked there as a bookkeeper. In 1874, Garretson became a clerk and bookkeeper at the Sioux City Savings Bank in Sioux City, Iowa, and he worked there until 1878. He was a teller and a director at First National Bank from 1878 to 1880. Garretson founded the Sioux National Bank of which he was the cashier until 1890.

Garretson became a Democratic Party candidate for Iowa's 4th congressional district in 1898. He received support from multiple prominent people including a judge and the Sioux City chief of police. In 1903, Garretson ran against John H. Jackson as the Democratic candidate for senator, but he lost by 34 votes. Garretson, South Dakota, was named after him.

He died at his home in Vilas, South Dakota, on February 20, 1917.