An Illustrated History of the State of Washington, by Rev. H.K. Hines, D.D., The
Lewis Publishing Co., Chicago, IL., 1893 A portrait of Mr. Hill appears between
pages 524 and 525

GEORGE A. HILL was born near Nashville, Tennessee, in 1842. His father, Reuben
C. Hill, a physician and active Baptist clergyman, married Margaret Lair of
Kentucky. They moved to Missouri in 1849, and after making his family
comfortable in their new home upon a farm, in 1850, Dr. Hill crossed the plains
to California, leaving his older children to look after their mother and the
farm. In 1852 Dr. Hill returned to his family and in 1853 crossed the plains
with them to Oregon and located in Benton county, subsequently removing to
Albany, where he actively followed his profession. In politics he was an
old-line Whig, and an earnest worker in the State, serving several terms in the
Legislature. George A. spent his boyhood upon the farm, improving the
educational facilities which the county and the city of Albany afforded. At the
age of nineteen he began teaching school in Albany, but after one year started
for the Boise mines in Idaho and then passed three years in placer mining,
prospecting and packing, and encountering the varied experiences of success,
danger and adversity which mark the history of the average miner. Returning to
Albany he then engaged in the drug business with his father and began reading
medicine. Being an apt student, he soon became an able chemist and successfully
conducted the business for six years, serving two years of that time as a member
of the city council. In 1874 he retired from the drug business to accept the
office of Clerk of Linn county, in which capacity he served the term of two
years. In the meanwhile he pursued the study of law during his hours of leisure,
and under the combined strain his health became impaired and he went to eastern
Oregon for change of climate and there engaged in the health-giving exercise of
stock farming. This he continued about three years when loss of crops and Indian
depredations drove him from the country, substantially without financial
resources. In the fall of 1880 he came to Seattle, where he permanently located.
In 1882 Mr. Hill was admitted to the bar and engaged in active practice,
subsequently forming a copartnership with Harold Preston, which association
continued until 1884, when Mr. Hill was elected Police Magistrate, a position to
which he was re-elected in 1886, serving throughout both terms. He has since
been engaged in the practice of law, giving particular attention to land
practice. He has dealt quite largely in real estate, in which line of operations
he has displayed good judgment, keen foresight and has acquired a modest
competency. Mr. Hill was married at Albany, in 1870, to Miss Julia A., only
daughter of Jeremiah Driggs, an Oregon pioneer of 1847. Three children have been
the issue of this union, two of whom survive: Victor L.W. and Donald V.S.
Socially, Mr. Hill affiliates with the F. & A. M., Royal Arch degree, also the
I.O.O.F., I.O.R.M. and A.O.U.W. He speaks with pride of his connection with the
volunteer fire department. Having served in Albany from 1872 up to the time of
his leaving that city, he became identified with similar work in Seattle. He was
one of the organizers of Company No. 4, and an active member until the service
was changed to a paid department. He also served as President of the Board of
Fire Commissioners. While the management of his private affairs consumes much of
his time, Mr. Hill is ever ready with encouragement and financial support in
aiding such enterprises as tend toward the development of Seattle. He is a man
of pleasing addresses, genial and kindly instinets, and possesses many warm
friends, while his honesty and integrity command the respect of all who know
him.

Submitted to the WA. Bios Project in January 2004 by Jeffrey L. Elmer

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Notice: These biographies were transcribed for the Washington Biographies
Project. Unless otherwise stated, no further information is available on the
individual featured in the biographies.