George Edward Lemmon was born at Bountiful, Utah, on May 23rd, 1857. He moved to Nebraska in 1866 with his parents and at the age of 13, he began the work which made up his career during a large portion of his life.

Nearly 75 years of activity on the cattle ranges of the western Great Plains from the Canadian border to Texas, the founding of this thriving city, many business enterprises, and the creation and successful operation of far-flung ranch empires crowed into his long colorful career. In the late 1870’s he came to the Black Hills, from there going to the northwestern section of South Dakota with his cattle outfits.

In the year 1902, he settled on the L-7 ranch, which was located near the present site of Lemmon. During that time land was plentiful and the L-7 leased 865,000 acres of land on the Standing Rock Reservation and enclosed it with standard three-wire fence, making it the largest fenced pasture in the world at the time.

Several years later Lemmon sold his interest in L-7, moving with the homesteaders to settle a new town after the Milwaukee Railroad had crossed the Missouri and moved westward.

On May 16, 1906, the land embraced in what is now the original townsite of Lemmon, was scripted by Mr. Lemmon with “Santa Fe Railroad scrip” and this land was later conveyed to the Northwest Town Site Co., and by them platted in September 1907, and it was during the same time that “Tent Town”, or the beginning of this city, sprung up.

Due to the fact that Lemmon, also had in mind the route for the Milwaukee railroad from Missouri River to Lemmon when the company decided to build west, it was recommended by the vice president of the railroad that the proposed city be called “Lemmon”.

“Dad” Lemmon was one of the few remaining Texas trail drivers who made the delivery of herds from Texas to northern maturing ranges, these herds laying the foundation of the cattle industry in western South Dakota. His range life covers experiences in Wyoming, Nebraska, the Dakotas, Montana and Texas.

Lemmon died on August 25, 1945, in the town he founded and was buried in Greenhill Cemetery, south of town.

In 1958, Ed Lemmon was inducted into the National Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. It honors leading figures of the early west including former President Theodore Roosevelt, Will Rogers, “Buffalo Bill” Cody, and others who have answered the “Last Roundup”.

More can be learned of George Lemmon and his friendship with Theodore Roosevelt as well the town's early history at the Grand River Museum.