The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-12-17
His Life.

John A. Willard was born in Oneida
county, New York, in 1888, and was
the OI1esJ son Of David s. Willard and
Catherine Willard, nee Williams. The
latter were honest, religious PreSby
terlans, hard working farmer people,
who always lived on The place where
their seven children were born until
1867, when they moved to Mankato,
where Mr.. Willard died the following
year, and Mrs. Willard died in 1875.
Mr.. David S. Willard's father and
grandfather came from McKinstield,
Conn. to Trenton, n. Y. in 1900, aud
were among the first settlers. His
mothers father and mother came
from Weeks, Great Britain, the same
year 10 Philadelphia, Pa, moving
afterwards to New York. John A.
Willard was the eighth generation
from Capt. Simon Willard, who land. d
in Boston from HOeswarden, England,
in 1864. Els ancestry in the latter
century. John A. Willard received
his education in the common schools
and went for a short time to an
academy at Holland Patent. n. Y,
and term with maternal uncle at
classical school which he conducted
al Utica, n. Y. His early life was
spent on the farm, and he had de-
sire TO secure better education, but
his parents, while asserting their will
lingness, were not able to give it to
him. He taught district school three
winters when seventeen to twenty
years old, worked on the farm in the
summer, and attended no
school after leaving his uncle's at
eighteen years. When about twenty
years of age it became evident to him
self and his family that his ambition
did not warrant him in continuing
the life of farmer and he concluded
to study law, which he commenced in
the city of Utica in December, 1854.
A year later he was admitted to
practice in all the courts of the state.
In June, 1856, when twenty-five
years of age he started west to locate
and practice his profession, with
enough money to pay his way and buy
few books, for which he owed one
half to an Albany firm, and in Sep
TENDER of that year he settled in
Mankato, and has ever since resided
here. He practiced law until 1870,
mostly in the firm of Willard & Bar
ney, and then became interested in
building railroad,as president of the
company which built the line from
Mankato to Wells, now part of the
g. M. & St. Paul Ry. system. While
still engaged in the railroad project,
in 1872, he became interested in the
manufacture of linseed oil. Later he
became interested in many other
kinds of manufacturing and other
business.
In 1891 Mr. Willard was nominated
for mayor of MankatO by mass meet
ing, and was elected without opposi-
tion, and served for two years. He
was president Of the First National
bank of this CITY, the National Bank
of Commerce, Duluth, and the Granite
Falls Bank, of Granite Falls, Mimi,
and of seven other manufacturing
and other corporations of Mankato
and Duluth, and director in about
as many more corporations of which
he was not president He joined the
local Masonic lodge in 1856, and has
held many of it's offices.
He was worshipful master in the
early days, and was Knight
Templar 1t is believed that he left
considerable life insurance, as he at
one time carried about 100000, OF
this. 5000 was in the Bankers of St.
Paul,