George Dayton
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| George Dayton | |
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George Dayton in his office portrait
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| Born | George Draper Dayton March 6, 1857 Clifton Springs, New York, U.S. |
| Died | Error: Need valid death date (first date): year, month, day Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Cancer |
| Resting place | Lakewood Cemetery, Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
| Political party | Republican[citation needed] |
George Draper Dayton (March 6, 1857 – February 18, 1938) was an American businessman and philanthropist, most famous for being the founder of Target Corporation.
Life and career
Dayton came to the U.S. state of Minnesota from New York in 1883. His family was one of average means[citation needed], and he had hoped to become a minister, but was lured by the urge to be in the business world. He married Emma Chadwick in 1878 and began buying farm mortgages in southwest Minnesota. In 1883 he and his family moved to Worthington, Minnesota where he was able to build wealth in the growing economy.[citation needed]
He presided over the Bank of Worthington and founded the Minnesota Loan and Investment Company, advancing his social status and prosperity. In 1890 he built a large home on eight lots, designed by Sioux Falls architect Wallace Dow. Dayton continued to live by his religious principles by improving his community and dedicating himself to the service of others; he served on the Worthington Board of Education, and was church clerk, elder, and trustee of Westminster Presbyterian Church, teaching Sunday School and hosting church events at his home.[1]
In 1902 he purchased land on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis and founded Dayton's Dry Goods store, later to become Dayton's department store. Dayton’s dedication to service continued after his move to Minneapolis, as he continued to donate significant sums of money to the Worthington church and he established The Dayton Foundation, dedicated to promoting the welfare of mankind. In 1926, he served on the finance committee for the Community Fund, a predecessor of today's United Way. Dayton's sons David Draper Dayton (1880–1923) and George Nelson Dayton (1886–1950) continued their father's business and his commitment to the community.
In 1956, the Daytons built Southdale Center in Edina, Minnesota. In 1962 Dayton's began the Target discount store chain.
George Nelson Dayton was great-grandfather to Mark Dayton, former U.S. Senator and current Governor of Minnesota.
Dayton died of cancer in Minneapolis, Minnesota on February 18, 1938, at the age of 80. He was buried at Minneapolis's Lakewood Cemetery.
References
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- Kristal Leebrick, Dayton's: A Twin Cities Institution (The History Press, 2013). excerpt
External links
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- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- Pages with reference errors
- Age error
- Articles with unsourced statements from August 2014
- Pages using infobox person with unknown parameters
- Infobox person using religion
- Articles with hCards
- Articles with unsourced statements from January 2013
- 1857 births
- 1938 deaths
- Retail company founders
- Businesspeople from Minnesota
- People from Nobles County, Minnesota
- Cancer deaths in Minnesota
- American Christians
- Target Corporation people
- People from Clifton Springs, New York
- Burials at Lakewood Cemetery
