Daily globe., 1883-07-20
Duluth Tribune. Is.

able estate.
Duluth Tribune. 49,
About 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon a
telegram brought the sad intelligence of
the sudden death of Col. J. B, Culver,
mayor of Duluth and president OF the
chamber of commerce, which occurred in
Buffalo at o'clock p. N. yesterday. Col.
Culver's health had been failing visibly
for the last six months, the disease being
of a nervous order and ailment of the
heart. On the End of July. accompanied
by his wife, he started on a trip to New
York city and other cities of the east, in
the hope that the change of climate, and
especially the rest from business and
official cares, would result in lasting benefit
to his health. Last Saturday ne wrote a
letter from New York city to his family in
Duluth, stating that, though he had been
very sick, he was we'll enough to start for
home, and that he would take passage on
the propeller China at Buffalo last night.
This letter was received here last evening,
but not until after the telegram had an
nounced his death to his grief-stricken
children and a sympathetic community.
The dispatch was from Mrs. Culver and
was very brief, giving no particulars.
The supposition that death was caused by
heart disease is probably correct. The sad
news, of course, spread rapidly through
the city, calling forth expressions of
heartfelt sorrow from all. Col. Culver
was one of the Oldest residents Of the city,
and of the first settlers in fact, at the head
of Lake Superior, and no citizen was more
widely known or more generally
| respected than he,-as a social gen.
tleman, an upright business man
and an official who had always at heart the
! best interests of the city which had been
his home for so many years, and for the
prosperity of which he had iabored unceas
ingly and unselfshly. By his death Duluth
has indeed lost one of her most prominent,
| influential and highly respected citizens
one who has been honored by official posi-
ton because he has been worthy in every
way. While his death casts shadow of
! deepest grief over one household, it moves
a whola community to real sorrow, which
is equaled only by the hearty sympathy
for the widow and children.
Col. Joshua b. Culver was native of the
state of Delaware, born in 1880. While yet
| a young man he came west and located at
! Prarie du CHEN, Wis, where he was mar
ried to Miss Sarah V. Woodman, daughter
of DAVID Woodman, now of Pawpaw,
| Michigan. From Prairie du Chien he re-
moved to st. Paul, and from there to Su-
perior City, in the bright days of that
town. In 1856 he settled upon the rocky
north shore of Lake Superior at Duluth,
and established himself as an Indian
trader when there were but several white
families where is now the busy city
| whose growth he has watched with
great interest and assisted with con-
tinuous effort for twenty seven years.
When the war of the rebellion broke out,
Mr.. Culver enlisted and went to the 'front.'
serving his country faithfully until peace
was declared. He was colonel of the
Thirteenth regiment of Michigan voluu-
teers, under General Rosecrans. After he
war, he associated himself with Col. ,. il
Graves in the insurance business III Du-
luth, and afterwards, with Geo. =. Stone
established the First National bank HIS
last business change was to purchase an
interest in the dock and business of VIM.
R. Stone, and for several yesrs past he
has owned that property alone, and has
been doing an extensive dockage aud gen.
| eral commission business. When Duluth
became a city, some ten years ag0. Col
Culver was elected first ma or; and last
spring he was elected mayor o. the pres
ent village of Duluth.
Besides his widow are left to mourn his
death a family of six children: Kate F.
Minnie j., Charles W., Frank Edward
Jenny Belle and Sarah Woo9man. Two
children, a son and a daughter, are dead
F. E. Culver, the second son, started on
last evenings train To meet ms mother
and return with the remains. which will be
brought to Duluth for burial. Col. Culver
stood high in the order of kaspns, who
will turn out to the funeral. with all the
other societies of the city. So honor the
memory of our dead mayor. and q we'll be.
loved citizen.