Simons, George, 1834-1917

George Simons was born on January 22, 1834, and grew up in Streeter, Illinois. In 1853 he arrived in Council Bluffs, Iowa, with Grenville Mellen Dodge's railroad surveying crew, and remained in Council Bluffs almost continuously for the next 56 years. In Council Bluffs Simons worked as a portrait painter and occasionally as a locksmith and gunsmith. He served in the Civil War from 1862 to 1864, and in the late 1880s traveled to Washington state seeking employment as a stage scenery painter. He also traveled to Oregon, Utah, and California, returning home by way of Panama. Following his return from Washington, Simons lived in Iowa until 1909, when he moved to Long Beach, California. Simons died in Long Beach in 1917.

From the description of George Simons sketches, c.1853-1898. (Huntington Library, Art Collections & Botanical Gardens). WorldCat record id: 647769138