Dutton began as a railroad siding and was named for a little-known employee of the Great Northern Railroad. “Sinker Bill” Frixel first settled this land in 1909. He got his name from the roundup crews he cooked for. They described his biscuits as “sinkers.”
Frixel later sold his land to George Sollid. After five years, George sold his ranch but stayed in the area as a “land locater.” As one of the first real estate agents in the state, he is credited with most of the original growth of this town. George advertised the area with brochures and booklets to people in the midwest offering cheap land, a good life, and bounteous crops. He eventually located land for 85 percent of the homesteaders who came to the area. Many of his clientele were sent to him by his brother in Conrad. According to one source, newcomers were told: “Just go down to the depot and sit around looking like a sucker. It won’t be long before George will show up.”
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