Gabriel W. Abell, born June 7, 1844, in Hardin County, Kentucky, became the South Dakota representative of Trevett, Mattis & Abell, an established investment and real-estate firm. Moving to Huron, South Dakota, in 1882, Abell expanded the firm’s operations across South Dakota, North Dakota, and Nebraska. With extensive expertise in real estate and land values, he played a key role in the firm’s success during economic downturns. Politically active, Abell was nominated for governor in 1902 but declined. He married Louisa Hughey in 1868, and they had two daughters, Clara and Pearl.
Gabriel W. Abell, who is in charge of the South Dakota business of the extensive investment, banking, and real-estate firm of Trevett, Mattis & Abell, of which he is an interested principal and which is one of the oldest and most solid and popular concerns of the sort in the Union, having had its inception in 1861 and having continued business consecutively since that time, with but few changes in the personnel of its principals, is established with headquarters in the city of Huron, Beadle County, while he controls a business extending throughout the entire eastern section of the state. He has at all times most attractive properties listed on his books, and special attention is also given to the negotiation of financial loans on farm realty. Mr. Abell is an authority on land values in the Northwest and elsewhere and stands as the local head of the firm of which he is a member, while he is known as one of the representative citizens of the state and as one worthy of the confidence and esteem in which he is so uniformly held.
Mr. Abell was born in Hardin County, Kentucky, on the 7th of June 1844, and is a son of Washington and Eleanor (Overall) Abell, who were likewise born and reared in that state, being representatives of old and prominent families of that favored section of the Union. Samuel Abell, the grandfather of the subject, was likewise born in Kentucky. The original American progenitors were three brothers of the name who emigrated hither from Wales in the colonial epoch, and the Kentucky branch of the family has been principally identified with agricultural pursuits during the several generations. The father of the subject followed this vocation and both he and his wife passed their entire lives in Kentucky. They became the parents of ten children, of whom three are living, while two of the number still maintain their home in Kentucky.
Gabriel W. Abell passed his youthful years on the homestead farm and received his educational discipline in the common schools of that section. At the age of seventeen years, he removed to central Illinois, locating in Shelbyville, where he eventually engaged in the mercantile business and later in the farm, mortgage, and bond business, becoming one of the prominent citizens of that section. There he continued his residence until November 11, 1882, when he came to South Dakota and located in Huron, which has since been his home and base of business operations. He had previously become associated with the real-estate firm of Burnham, Trevett & Mattis, a large concern with headquarters in Champaign, Illinois, and he came to Dakota Territory as the representative of this firm, which already controlled an extensive business in the middle and western states. The firm was established in 1861, as before noted, and at this time stands as one of the oldest banking and farm-loan concerns in the West, while the history of its business has since continued without interruption. On the death of Mr. Burnham, in 1897, the firm name was changed to its present form, and Mr. Abell continued in charge of the South Dakota branch of the business, having greatly expanded the interests of the firm in this section of the Union. He not only has jurisdiction in this state, but from the headquarters in Huron also controls the business of the firm in a portion of North Dakota and the northern section of Nebraska. The business controlled now runs into the millions, and the subject has gained a high reputation as an executive, having ably and successfully protected the interests of his concern and those of its patrons in this section during the dark days of financial depression from 1893 to 1896, passing through the ordeal with flying colors and gaining new prestige for the old and reliable firm, whose entire history has been one of unqualified business integrity and honor. They own and control a large amount of valuable farming land in the state, as well as in Nebraska and North Dakota, while the Huron headquarters are established in a fine modern building of brick and stone, the same having been erected by the firm for the purpose, while in the structure are found the best of office accommodations for other business concerns and professional men. In politics Mr. Abell is a staunch supporter of the cause of Democracy, and he received the distinction of being nominated for governor of the state on the party ticket in 1902, but declined to make the campaign or to accept the nomination, feeling that his business interests would not permit him to give the requisite time to either the preliminary canvass or to the duties of the office in the event of his election. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, in which he has attained the Knights Templar degrees, and is distinctively popular in both business and social circles as well as in the coteries of public men in the state. He and his wife are identified with the regular Baptist Church.
On the 22d of September 1868, Mr. Abell was united in marriage to Miss Louisa Hughey, who was born and reared in Bracken County, Kentucky, being a daughter of Richard J. and Elizabeth (Fallin) Hughey. Of their children we incorporate the following brief record: Clara Eleanor is now the wife of John L. Trincher, of Danville, Illinois; Pearl Louise is the wife of Rev. Marshall F. Montgomery, rector of St. John’s Church, in Aberdeen, who contributes the interesting chapter on the history of the Protestant Episcopal Church to this work, being also chaplain of the First Regiment of the National Guard of the state.
Source: Robinson, Doane, History of South Dakota: together with mention of Citizens of South Dakota, [Logansport? IN] : B. F. Bowen, 1904.