"History of Cottonwood and Watonwan Counties of Minnesota, 1916"



Donald Robertson Savage, manager of the Tri-State Telephone Company at Windom, former superintendent of schools of Cottonwood county, a district engineer for the Minnesota state highway commission and for years actively identified with the rapidly developing interests of his home county, was born on August 8, 1871. Upon completing the course in the public schools at Windom he began teaching school, at the age of twenty years, and for nine years was thus engaged during the winters, spending his summers farming and threshing. In 1901 he was elected county superintendent of schools for Cottonwood county and for eight years filled that important and responsible office very acceptably. He then was appointed superintendent of schools at Heron Lake, in Jackson county, in the meantime engaging in surveying, he having become a very competent civil engineer, and on May so, 1912, was appointed an engineer for the Minnesota state highway commission, which position he still occupies. In 1914 he was appointed manager of the Tri-State Telephone Company, with headquarters at Windom and has since then been actively engaged in administering the affairs of that progressive and rapidly growing concern.

In 1903 Donald R. Savage was united in marriage to Winifred Robison, daughter of George F. and Mary (Smith) Robison, of Windom, pioneers of Cottonwood county, and to this union three daughters have been born, Margaret, Mary and Edith. [transcribed for Cottonwood Co. AHGP] Mr. Savage is a Republican, a Mason is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America and of the Royal Arcanum.