George Washington Cairns (February 12, 1826 - February 22, 1900) was a native of New York state. In 1849 he migrated to Middleton, near Madison, Dane County, Wisconsin. While at Middleton he was active in the local lyceum, served as town clerk, and combined his professions of carpentry and teacher by building a school and being the school's first instructor. In addition, he erected other buildings in the Middleton area. In 1853 he moved to Pierce County and the next year settled at River Falls, Wisconsin. Along with other building enterprises he built River Falls' first hotel, the Greenwood House. At River Falls he served as a justice of the peace, helped found a local lyceum, and was the clerk of the River Falls Academy. Elected as county register of deeds Cairns moved to the center of Pierce County government at Prescott. After the county seat was relocated at Ellsworth, Cairns settled in that community. He served as justice of the peace at Ellsworth and also was a deputy clerk of the district court. He also was a deputy treasurer for the county. In addition, he served on the local school board, was an organizer of the Bank of Ellsworth, acted as private agent for lands in both Pierce and St. Croix counties, and for many years served as superintendent of the fruit department at the Pierce County Fair.
On March 26, 1866 he married Miss Abbie S. Leavitt. A native of Maine, Mrs. Cairns had come to Pierce County in 1857 and taught school at Prescott, Clifton, and Ellsworth. One son, William, was a professor of English at the University of Wisconsin. Another son, Rolla U., established his first medical practice at River Falls after graduation from the University of Wisconsin and the Northwestern Medical College at Chicago. Their daughter, Gertrude M., graduated from the University of Wisconsin and taught school at Durand and Superior before returning to Ellsworth. A fourth child, George Wilfred, died at the age of five.
A short biographical sketch of George W. Cairns and his family is found on pages 524 and 525 of Augustus B. Easton, editor, History of the Saint Croix Valley (Chicago, 1909), Vol. I. In addition, several newspaper clippings within the collection relate to family members.
