George Bolles
(1821-1902)
George Bolles was born on January 16, 1821, in Pomfret, Connecticut. His life would come to reflect the restless energy and wide-ranging movement of nineteenth-century America—marked by travel, enterprise, and reinvention.
Early Life and Travels
In 1837, George moved with his family to Elyria, Ohio, traveling overland through Hartford, Albany, Syracuse, Buffalo, Erie, and Cleveland. In his early years, he attended school and worked primarily in farming.
At the age of 21, in 1842, he inherited money from his grandmother Goff’s estate and invested in a mill, where he suffered financial loss. That same year, he traveled to Cincinnati by way of Columbus and Portsmouth, and later journeyed down the Mississippi River to Blount Springs, Alabama, where he spent about a year teaching school.
In 1843, George continued his travels to Port Lavaca, Texas, via Mobile, New Orleans, and Galveston. There, he cared for family land while teaching. After the death of his uncle Monroe Goff in New Orleans, George eventually returned to Cincinnati.
Career and Settlement
Returning home in 1845, George briefly studied medicine and later entered into business, purchasing a store from his father and brother Lemuel. He sold the business in 1847 and resumed traveling, practicing medicine, and selling patent medicines.
In 1850, he married Mary Angeline Powers, a decision that led him to abandon plans to join the California gold rush. In the years that followed, he moved between Wisconsin and Indiana before settling in Winneshiek County, Iowa, in 1856.
George established himself in Bluffton in 1857, where he operated a store. In 1864, he moved to Decorah, engaging in land transactions, trade, and active participation in the Methodist Church. In 1868, he relocated to Ridgeway, where he again operated a store.
California and Religious Life
In 1872, George and his wife adopted the Adventist faith, a change that created tension within their Methodist community. The following year, in 1873, the family moved to Marysville, California, traveling by rail and visiting several cities including Sacramento, San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Rosa, and Chico.
They eventually settled in Santa Rosa, where George engaged in farming. However, feeling homesick, he returned to Iowa in November 1874 and established a drugstore.
His first wife, Mary Angeline Powers, died in the winter of 1875. He remarried in 1876 and had an additional child the following year.
Later Years
In 1878, George moved to Flandreau, South Dakota, where he once again operated a store. In his later years, he lived with family members, including his son George Sumner and later his daughter Augusta.
Between 1899 and 1902, he wrote his autobiography, preserving the account of his wide-ranging life and experiences.
Family Life
George Bolles and Mary Angeline Powers had seven children:
- Mary Augusta Bolles (1851–1936)
- Edgar Goff Bolles (1852–1875)
- Cyrus Story Bolles (1854–1856)
- Clara Bolles (1857–?)
- Estella Bolles (1859–1892)
- George Sumner Bolles (1860–?)
- William Emery Bolles (1865–?)
Siblings
George Bolles had two siblings:
- John Monroe Bolles
- Lemuel Bolles
Later Years and Legacy
George Bolles died in 1902 at the age of 80.
His life reflects the spirit of nineteenth-century America—marked by constant movement, enterprise, faith, and adaptation. From Connecticut to the Midwest, the South, Texas, California, and back again, his journey embodies the restless energy and opportunity of a growing nation.
