George Woodward

Died
 Cause of Death
 Occupation
 Spouse
 Children
 Parents

**George Woodward** (February 18, 1825 -- December 14, 1893) was a businessman in Langdon, Minnesota. He was the founder of the Woodward and Son General Store, which continued in operation throughout three generations of Woodwards. He also partnered with Franklin Tibbetts to form a creamery.

## Family Life

George married Lydia Munger at Orwell, Vermont on February 17, 1847. They had two children while they lived in Vermont: Irving, born June 6, 1851; and Forrest, born December 27, 1852. In 1855, George briefly moved his family to the township of Cottage Grove, Minnesota, relocating to Iowa in less than a year. But in 1856, the Woodwards returned to Cottage Grove and George purchased 160 acres of land there. Over several years he began buying up more land in the area until he owned 1,000 acres within the township.

## Business and Professional Life

George Woodward was a prominent businessman and played an active role in local affairs. He was a Washington County commissioner for fifteen years as well as an assessor of Cottage Grove Township. He was the director of three banks: the St. Paul Marine Bank, the St. Paul German Bank and the People's Bank of St. Paul.

### Langdon Businesses

George Woodward owned a general store in the village of Langdon called Woodward and Son. This store was passed down in operation through three generations of Woodwards, starting with George's son, Forrest, then to his grandson, George Eugene. In addition to the store, George owned a grain elevator and a feed mill in Langdon. All of these businesses were situated along the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway.

### Langdon Butter and Cheese

In 1875 the Langdon Butter and Cheese Factory was organized as a joint stock company with George Woodward as a director and principal investor. Primary ownership was shared by him and Franklin Tibbetts and in many instances the firm was referred to by their names. In it's first year of operation, the creamery produced 52,000 pounds of cheese and 300 of butter.

## Death

George Woodward passed peacefully in his Langdon home on December 14, 1893 with the assurance that his business affairs were in the capable hands of his son Forrest.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Easton, Augustus B. (1909). *History of the St. Croix Valley, Vol. 1.* Chicago: H.C. Cooper. 398. [1]
2. ↑ Warner, George E. (1881). *History of Washington County and the St. Croix Valley.* Minneapolis: North Star. 371. [2]
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Blegen, Theodore C. (1975). *Minnesota: a History of the State.* Minneapolis: U of Minnesota. 393. [3]
4. ↑ Washington County Historical Society. *History of Washington County Communities: Cottage Grove.* [4]
5. ↑ Minnesota State Dairy Commissioner. (1889). *Biennial Report of the Minnesota State Dairy Commissioner, Vol. 2.* St. Paul: Pioneer Press. 225. [5]
6. ↑ State of Minnesota. (1893). *Executive Documents for the State of Minnesota for the Year 1892.* Minneapolis: Harrison & Smith. 490. [6]
7. ↑ Robinson, Edward Van Dyke. (1915). *Early Economic Conditions and the Development of Agriculture in Minnesota, Vol. 3.* Minneapolis: U of Minnesota. 81. [7]