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Not to be confused with George Colton.

George Radcliffe Colton
Governor of Puerto Rico
In office
November 6, 1909 – November 15, 1913
Preceded byRegis Henri Post
Succeeded byArthur Yager
Personal details
Born(1865-04-10)April 10, 1865
Galesburg, Illinois, U.S.
DiedApril 6, 1916(1916-04-06) (aged 50)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Resting placeOak Hill Cemetery
Spouse
Jessie T. McLeod
​
(died)​
Children2
EducationKnox College
Occupation
  • Politician
  • banker
  • civil servant

George Radcliffe Colton (April 10, 1865 – April 6, 1916) was an American politician and civil servant. He served in the Nebraska House of Representatives and as governor of Puerto Rico from November 6, 1909, to November 15, 1913, a position to which he was appointed by President William Howard Taft.

Early life[edit]

George Radcliffe Colton was born on April 10, 1865, in Galesburg, Illinois, to Francis Colton. His father was a bank president, diplomat and railroad financier.[1][2] He attended Knox College.[3]

Career[edit]

In the 1880s he was a rancher in New Territory.[3] Colton organized the Central Nebraska National Bank in David City, Nebraska, in 1887. He served as vice president of the bank from its organization until January 1, 1889, when he became cashier. He remained cashier until his resignation on February 15, 1898. He then worked as national bank examiner for a few months.[1][4][5] He served in the Nebraska House of Representatives from 1889 to 1890.[1][3] He served as a colonel in the National Guard. He served as a lieutenant colonel of the First Regiment of the Nebraska Volunteers of the United States Army in the Philippine–American War from May 1898 to 1899.[1][5][6]

In August 1899, he joined the customs service in the Philippines as a deputy collector. He later became a collector of customs in Iloilo. In 1905, he was chosen to organize the Dominican customs service and served in the Dominican Republic as a U.S. receiver. In 1907, he was appointed as collector of customs in Manila. In 1909, he returned to the United States to help in the revision of tariff laws with the Philippines.[4][5] Colton was appointed as governor of Puerto Rico in December 1909. He held the office until his resignation on November 5, 1913. After his retirement, he focused on his property interests in South America and returned to the United States to work in business.[1][4]

Personal life[edit]

Colton married Jessie T. McLeod on October 16, 1889. They had two sons, Francis and George. His wife predeceased him.[1][4]

According to the 1910 U.S. Census of Puerto Rico, Colton lived in barrio Catedral on Allen Street (Calle de Allen). He lived there with his sister Margarite Colton and three servants.[citation needed] He later lived in Connecticut and by the time of his death, he had moved in with his sister in Washington, D.C.[1][4]

Mausoleum in Oak Hill Cemetery holding the remains of Colton

Colton died on April 6, 1916, at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C.[4] He was buried in Oak Hill Cemetery.[7][8]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Geo. R. Colton Dead". The Eddyville Enterprise. April 13, 1916. p. 3. Retrieved April 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  2. ^ "Francis Colton Dead". The Washington Post. March 10, 1913. p. 2. Retrieved April 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  3. ^ a b c 'The Encyclopedia Americana' vol. 7, Encyclopedia Americana Company: 1918, pg. 333
  4. ^ a b c d e f "George R. Colton Dies; Was Ill Two Months". The Evening Star. April 7, 1916. p. 15. Retrieved April 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  5. ^ a b c "Col. George R. Colton Dead". Butler County Press. April 13, 1916. p. 1. Retrieved April 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  6. ^ "When Nebraska Boys Left to Fight the Spaniards". Lincoln Daily News. June 24, 1916. p. 3. Retrieved April 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  7. ^ "Death of Col. G. R. Colton". The Washington Post. April 8, 1916. p. 4. Retrieved April 10, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.Open access icon
  8. ^ "Oak Hill Cemetery – Lot 280 (Colton Family Mausoleum)" (PDF). Oak Hill Cemetery. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 2, 2022.

See also[edit]

  • LAST MOST BRILLIANT; Army and Navy Reception at the White House. THREE THOUSAND INVITATIONS Larger Number of Guests Than Were Present on Previous Occasions This Season—President and Mrs. Roosevelt Assisted by Members of the Cabinet and Ladies of Their Households. The Washington Post. Washington, D.C.: Feb 17, 1905. pg. 9, 1 pgs

External links[edit]

Preceded by Governor of Puerto Rico
November 6, 1909 – November 5, 1913 		Succeeded by
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Radcliffe_Colton