George S. Montgomery was born in Petersburg, Illinois, February 20, 1856, the son of Humphrey W. Montgomery and Emily (Wilson) Montgomery. He attended Miami University at Oxford, Ohio and then entered Illinois College, where he remained two years until graduation. In 1882, his family left Petersburg for the Dakota Territory, settling in modern day Ransom County, North Dakota. Here Mr. Montgomery worked as a school teacher and principal, farmed, and did some banking business.

On January 1, 1887 he married Mary Bishop of Oxford, Ohio, with whom he had five children. Mr. Montgomery was a member of the first legislature of North Dakota and of the first board of railroad commissioners for the state. He was active and successful in fighting the granting of a license by the legislature of North Dakota to the Louisiana Lottery. In 1903, he moved to Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where he was interested in extensive ownership of farm lands and coal mining, which occupied him until his retirement in 1927. During his residence in Edmonton, he was American Consular Agent. Mrs. Montgomery died in 1935, just a year before her husband, and both are buried in Long Beach, California, where they went to live at the time of Mr. Montgomery's retirement from business.