Although I’m quite biased, there are a plethora of Aberdonians who would agree with the title “Renaissance Man” for Troy McQuillen. I can’t remember who first coined this nickname for Troy, but I’ve now heard it more than once. Although I’ve only known Troy for a little over a decade, the things I have seen Troy accomplish in that 1/6th of his life seem worthy of the title, but there is so much more to him. Troy was a good student in high school and was involved in various activities, like football and baseball, but Troy had a primary skill that shone through his whole life – creativity. For example, in high school, he built two large red mice out of cardboard and playfully positioned them around town as a joke. It’s the kind of thing that, if you told people today, they are likely to say – “I can totally imagine Troy doing that.”
During the summer of 1983, Troy, for some reason, attempted to build three of these giant cardboard mice of his own design. He got boxes from an appliance store, bought hundreds of sticks of hot glue, and painted the mice with thick, red enamel paint left over from a convenience store paint job. He completed two and would secretly set them around town at night, retrieving them before they were destroyed. His parents stored a lone survivor in the rafters of their garage until they finally moved and dispatched it many years later.
As a high schooler in the early 1980s, Troy, like many of us, was a huge fan of movies in that era. With movies like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Tron, and Blade Runner catching his attention, he became determined to go to the same film school George Lucas attended. So, Troy relocated across the country to attend college at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. Troy stayed in California post-graduation and worked in the film industry. He then put his creative skills to the test in the world of graphic design and publication production, working for USC and a boutique graphic design agency.
Ultimately, Troy decided he was ready to move home to Aberdeen to start his own graphic design and marketing firm in 1995 (a move inspired by the LA riots and earthquakes). Troy was initially housed in an office generously provided by Western Printing on north Main Street, and then he ultimately rented office space in the Citizens Building above the Red Rooster Coffee House (which had just opened on the ground floor of the Citizens Building). Justin Feickert, owner of Midstates Group, recognized the possibilities of working more closely with Troy. Justin always hoped to pitch Troy about shifting his print business to Midstates and was excited when Troy finally indicated it was time. Today, Justin expressed pride in being part of the machine that revived local newspapers in Aberdeen, noting, “Troy’s vision, professionalism, and overall mindset make all aspects of our collaboration a genuine pleasure.”
McQuillen Creative Group is the starting point of Troy’s Aberdeen professional career and the core of everything he’s done since, so writing about it as one of many things seems like a disservice. But, over time, while developing and continuing the services offered by McQuillen Creative Group to this day, Troy began to invest his creative heart and energy in four additional primary directions – Main Street, Aberdeen history, ongoing creativity, and publications. Oftentimes, these areas of interest overlapped, but each progressed in their own unique way.
Main Street
Preserving Aberdeen’s Main Street was important to Troy. Troy is very proud that his grandfather, A.F. McQuillen, who was an early Aberdeen resident, moved here from Duluth, MN in 1910 to become the superintendent of the original streetcar system in Aberdeen. Accordingly, over the years, Troy served in various roles in organizations seeking restoration and preservation of Main Street’s character and structures while growing its business environment. Established downtown businessmen encouraged Troy to head up the new Aberdeen Downtown Association with Jennifer Slaight-Hansen and Jon Webb – serving as its initial president and remaining actively involved from 2003 to 2010. He also served on the Association’s Design and Appearance committee to help preserve the historic character of Downtown Aberdeen.
Owning and restoring a Main Street building was a bucket list item for Troy. That dream became a reality when Troy purchased the building just south of the historic Capitol Theatre in 2002. His corner building included office space for Troy’s entrepreneurial ventures and rental space for two other businesses, as well as eight apartments managed under the name McQuillen Properties.
Several dozen came out to this year’s Brown County Fair to hear Troy present on a 1951 film of Aberdeen he had restored. He showed
20 minutes of the 50 minute film and answered a lot of questions.
Troy restored the exterior brick, even adding a nameplate on the Main Street façade, declaring the location to be called “McQuillen Block.” More recently, when a smaller business tenant vacated, Troy seized the opportunity to expand his growing entrepreneurial ventures into that office space. In addition, Troy longed to convert one of the apartments into a furnished shortterm rental and made it happen the summer of 2025. The colorful mid-century-moderninspired unit is compact but well appointed, and a colorful main street studio oasis fit for a single person or a couple seeking a unique stay. It’s been booked at a high occupancy rate with rave reviews since it went active online earlier this summer as just another example of Troy’s continual effort to enhance Main Street.
Aberdeen History
Troy, in an array of well-known local historians, has become a standout in the field of Aberdeen history. For example, because of his expertise, every year Troy volunteers with Aberdeen Parks and Recreation to offer walking tours of the historic Hagerty and Lloyd District, Highlands Historic District, and the Downtown Main Street Aberdeen – all of which are informative celebrations of Aberdeen’s notable buildings and residences.
Troy immerses himself in local, regional, and state historic organizations and events. Troy served on the Dacotah Prairie Museum and Foundation boards from 1997 to 2003. In that role, he was involved in a fundraising effort to restore the exterior of the building and renovate interior spaces to display and preserve Aberdeen area artifacts and materials. Troy also helped coordinate the Aberdeen Oz Festival from 1997 to 2004, joined Preserve South Dakota to advocate for the preservation of South Dakota’s historic assets from 2003 to 2014, and he was actively involved in the Brown County/Aberdeen Landmarks Historic Preservation Commission from 2004 to 2007.
Tom Aman, President of Blackstone Developers, noted that Troy is his go-to guy for anything related to Aberdeen history or downtown preservation. Tom recalled that one time he asked Troy to weigh in on a possible demolition of a historical building, but, unfortunately, the building was beyond restoration. Tom said he recalls that later Troy was featured in the newspaper, “…sadly observing the demolition with his chin in his hands.” Tom thinks he first met Troy early on for some logo design work, but, over time, Troy’s passion for Aberdeen and his entrepreneurial role on Main Street were something to behold, remarking, “Troy is a true entrepreneur in every sense of the word.”
In 2009 Troy and family removed the cinder block patching from the front of his building at 423 S. Main Street and had the entire front rebricked with brand new bricks. Pictures of the original 1917 building featured a cement name plate
embedded in the bricks. So Troy had this one made by Don Fordham out of dense, sign-grade Styrofoam and painted with auto paint. Troy’s dad Dave posed with him at the end of the project.
This affinity for history led Troy to work with Arcadia Publishing for another entrepreneurial venture – production of a historic picture book of Aberdeen in 2012. Troy researched and scanned over 200 black and white images to be included in the book, meticulously captioning each one with historic details and facts. The book emphasizes Aberdeen’s role in the development of the northeastern corner of South Dakota. Over 700 copies have been sold nationwide. The book, Images of America: Aberdeen, is available in Aberdeen and online.
After his book project, Troy produced a 2013 film, The Aberdeen Pheasant Canteen: A Living Legacy. This 38-minute documentary highlights the work of the Pheasant Canteen in the Aberdeen Milwaukee Depot, which served free meals, specifically pheasant sandwiches, to over 1,500 soldiers a day during World War II.
One of Troy’s most unique historical endeavors includes documenting the career of one of Aberdeen’s historical artists, Frank Ashford. Troy’s team created a website (www.frankashford.com) cataloging dozens of paintings and documenting Troy’s efforts to locate, catalog, and preserve Mr. Ashford’s life’s work. Frank Ashford traveled the world and the U.S. painting portraits, still lifes, and landscapes. Mr. Ashford lived in the Aberdeen area from time to time until his death here in 1960. Troy has combed the internet, traveled to painting repositories, and interacted with many painting owners in his ongoing effort to photograph or receive images of Mr. Ashford’s work.
Troy is frequently sought after for history speaking engagements at the Dacotah Prairie Museum, his aforementioned annual walking tours of Aberdeen’s historic districts, class reunions, college classes, and other regional and state events.
Ongoing Creativity
Although Troy has been creative his whole life, his first creative entrepreneurship venture began in 1995, when he launched McQuillen Creative Group (MCG, originally McQuillen Design Associates), which now boasts thirty years of quality services in the Aberdeen area. MCG provides web design, web hosting, social media, print advertising, graphic design, branding, and video production for businesses, non-profits, and individuals. Clients have included national companies like MyPlace Hotels (including design of their logo used on over 60 hotels nationwide), numerous cities across South Dakota, and countless Aberdeen and Aberdeen area organizations and businesses (including the design of the Aberdeen Police Department badge). MCG also serves clients across the country, but video production work has taken him as far as Haiti for one of his clients.
In addition to creative entrepreneurship, Troy also engages with the community in other unique creative ways. He is one of the cofounders of the South Dakota Film Festival in Aberdeen, which attracted participants and film makers from across the county as well as major celebrities, but also featured numerous local filmmakers – including filmmakers documenting South Dakota history. Troy served as media and marketing coordinator from 2007 to 2014 and actively assisted with print materials throughout its existence.
During the quiet Covid days, Troy drew this largeletter postcard design. There was a boarded up picture window on the side of his building that needed something. Quality Quick Print had it printed from a billboard supplier and Troy stretched it over a frame he built to perfectly patch the hole in the building. It has become a popular photo op spot, but it is in need of a severe refresh as it finally has faded quite badly.
In 2007, Troy launched an artisan woodworking business known as Elmwood Studios to prove that diseased elm trees could be put to artistic use. Since Aberdeen was losing so many of these historic trees to Dutch Elm disease, he experiments with cutting boards, chopping blocks and small furniture using predominantly Aberdeen elm wood. Troy has sold his creations to numerous individual and corporate clients and frequently donates his beautiful products for silent auctions for various non-profits throughout town, including Northern State University, Presentation College, the Boys and Girls Club, the Aberdeen Area Humane Society, and others. He most recently designed and built several beautiful pieces of furniture for his short-term stay apartment, all from Aberdeen elm wood.
Troy’s woodworking skills are handy in his personal life, helping family with various household projects and even building elements in his current residence such as picture frames, ceiling accents and the fireplace mantel. He, with help from his family, has also designed and built two separate office spaces, including some of the desks, a conference room table, ceilings, and all the trim work.
Gail Ochs, president and CEO of the Aberdeen Area Chamber of Commerce, described her excitement in seeing Troy driving around town in his signature orange car. Gail stated, “everywhere you look, Troy is always where he needs to be, ready to help us promote up-andcoming local leaders and entrepreneurs; he’s the guy you call if you want an involved community member’s perspective on anything.”
In 2012, Troy was selected as a Dakota Rising Fellow by Dakota Resources, which provides key investments, including capital and leadership development for South Dakota entrepreneurs. Troy completed a three-year fellowship, networked with other business owners across the state, and assisted subsequent fellows with their time in the program. As part of his fellowship, Troy received a $10,000 grant, which he invested in woodworking equipment for Elmwood Studios.
In 2020, Troy developed a line of clothing under the brand name University of Aberdeen. He and his team created logoed shirts, sweatshirts, and other clothing items for those who also want to proudly promote Aberdeen or are looking for a nostalgic gift for friends and family across the country. The idea was to feature “Aberdeen” on garments that mimicked an athletic team or college.
In 2021, Troy illustrated and affixed a largeletter postcard mural with the word “ABERDEEN” on the side of his downtown building. This beautiful mural, featuring local iconic buildings and symbols, is a hot spot for photo opportunities for locals and visitors. In 2023, Troy also commissioned a colorful mural from a prolific artist featuring a stylized pheasant to enhance the back of his building as well. At this point in the article, you really should be wondering when the Renaissance Man sleeps.
Publications
Troy had an interest in publications and journalism from the earliest days of his career. Whenever Troy travels, he picks up free community magazines across the country. He believes they provide a local “voice” and insight to each city. From 2001 to 2006, Troy wrote a twice-a-month community advocacy column in the Aberdeen American News to discuss ideas to help the Aberdeen region grow, attract more people and sustain itself. From 2006 to 2007, inspired to create a voice for Aberdeen, Troy published A-List Magazine to cast a contagious aura of positivity around the Aberdeen region with articles about people, events, places, and community culture. During these timeframes, Troy also worked to promote Aberdeen through the creation of websites that highlighted the benefits of living in Aberdeen, for both residents and those looking at Aberdeen from afar.
Troy formalized his efforts to promote all things Aberdeen in print form when he launched this magazine, Aberdeen Magazine, in 2013. Aberdeen Magazine is printed six times per year, with distribution of tens of thousands of free copies throughout town. In addition to serving as publisher, Troy also writes articles, many about historic aspects of Aberdeen. He takes many of the pictures for the magazine and pours hundreds of hours into the magazine as a labor of love.
The Watertown Current newspaper, started last year in 2024, is expertly managed by Brandon Heim, Tucker Hermans, Roger Whittle and Jen Pendley (and Troy). Not pictured is new hire Barb Andersh. MCG creatives
repeated all of the work necessary when they started the Aberdeen Insider to get The Current up and running.
For years, Troy mulled the possibility of starting a newspaper in Aberdeen as the existing newspaper’s local content dwindled considerably. So, in 2023, Troy embarked on a daring new venture – The Aberdeen Insider – which provides daily newspaper content online and a print version of the newspaper distributed weekly. Troy relied heavily on his staff to figure out absolutely everything including the name, design, website, subscriptions, ad sales, and classifieds, not to mention the news content. Just last year, Troy launched a similar newspaper 90 miles away, the Watertown Current. Earlier this year, the South Dakota NewsMedia Association awarded The Aberdeen Insider, in its first year of eligibility, the General Excellence award amongst all papers serving the larger population markets in South Dakota – one of the highest awards the Association offers.
Local businessman Jeff Stockert, who inspired me to write this article, also expressed his positive impression of The Aberdeen Insider. Jeff noted that although he has lived in Aberdeen for decades, he loves all the new things he constantly learns about Aberdeen from Troy’s publications. He noted Troy has a lot to be proud of, yet Troy remains pretty humble about his role in bringing local newspaper journalism back to Aberdeen. Every time I personally witness someone complimenting The Aberdeen Insider, Troy always says the same thing – “I have a great staff.”
Awards and Other Award-Worthy Stuff!
Beyond the four main areas initially highlighted, there are also some awards and other aspects of the Renaissance Man that must be mentioned. Troy has won a few awards in recognition of his efforts. In 2001, he received the Distinctive Creative Achievement Award, Friends of the Arts, from the Aberdeen Area Arts Council. In 2016, he was selected Entrepreneur of the Year by the Aberdeen Development Corporation. In 2022, Troy won the ViTality Award, which is presented to recognize individuals in a 17-county area of northeastern South Dakota who display enthusiasm for regional development and is named after renowned “regional thinker,” Vi Stoia. Finally, in 2024, Troy was inducted into the Central High School Hall of Fame in the Fine Arts category.
In addition to the fundraising for the Dacotah Prairie Museum described above, Troy has helped with other significant fundraising efforts. The pinnacle of Troy’s volunteer efforts involves his advocacy role securing first support and then significant donor funding for Aberdeen to replace its outdated library. As part of his service to the Aberdeen Library Foundation (formerly Alexander Mitchell Library) and Board of Trustees (still a member today), Troy helped coordinate a supportive fundraising drive as well as the campaign to win the December 2015 vote initiated by some individuals opposed to a new library. After the victory in the referred measure regarding the library, Troy worked tirelessly to personally solicit pledges, including the largest pledge for the naming of the new library. Local library usage grew dramatically (doubled) when the new building was completed.
Last, but not least, Troy is up for any random thing. He is an incredible chef. Although he has turned over recipe duties in the magazine and the newspaper to staff, for years he would create, cook, and photograph all the food and drinks in his publications. Aside from that, he not only excels in the kitchen, he also has experimented with unique ingredients or food and beverage production, such as growing grapes and making wine, but also making limoncello, harvesting high antioxidant aronia berries, making acorn flour from scratch, harvesting chokecherries, and extracting moisturizer from cottonwood buds.
As mentioned in the story, in 2018, Troy married Dani
Daugherty who came with several daughters, three still living with her. This photo was taken in 2020 by Joni Larson who drove around town during Covid and took free family photos from a distance. Left to right are Troy, Hayley, Madison, Axle (Cloe) and Dani.
Finally, Troy bravely married me, a mother of five daughters, and became an extra dad to the daughter of a west coast friend of a friend from his USC days when she came to play softball at Northern State University. He is up for any activity we propose, including being my partner in a recent pickleball tournament or painting or jigsaw puzzling at the library. He volunteers for or donates to numerous other community nonprofits or endeavors. And he is just a genuinely funny and quirky guy – entertaining, intelligent, and thoughtful. I am lucky to be his wife, but Aberdeen is lucky this dynamic character returned home to share his gifts with this town he clearly loves a lot.
After singing his praises, I have to add one very important note – Troy is always the first to say that the vast majority of things described above would have never happened without the love and support of family, friends, clients, and vendors as well as the incredible efforts of very, very talented and creative staff. He is not being self-deprecating or expressing token humility – he genuinely and openly says this sincerely and often. Because he feels this way, he’s never, not once, featured himself on the cover of this magazine. Despite his protest when I first told him I wanted to write this article, we still think it is important to remedy that lapse with this issue…
View more articles about:
Back- Share
