The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-10-25
John S. PiIlsbury Died This
Morning at His Home
in Minneapolis.
closely Connected With Commercial ant
Industrial Affairs He Leaves His
Impress Upon the Great
Northwest

after severe illness. Hope of his re-
covery has been abandoned for severa!
days back, but his wonderful vitality
prolonged his life for. some time. MIR:
Pillsbury is one Of the pioneers. OF
Minnesota, and has been lone of the
master hands which helped to build |
the great North Star state. He has |
been engaged in many different enter |
prises important in northwestern ad- |
vancement, prominent in affairs of
state, closely identified with matters
of education, and in every walk of
life fully acquitted hims elf an able
business man, broad minded indi-
vidual and a patriotic citizen. Follow
ing is short sketch of his busy life
John Sargent ,Pillsbury,,is so closely
identified with the history of Mime
sofa that to write his history full and
| completely would be to write the his
| tory of the state during the last
! twenty-five years. Mr.. Pillsbury was
born at Sutton, New Hampshire, July
| the goth, 1928. His parents were
John Pillsbury and Susan Wadleigh
| (Pillsbury), and his descent on both
sides was from the original Puritan
stock. The family on his fathers side
/ started, in America, with Joshua
! Pillsbury, who received a grant of land
at Newport, Mass, portion of which
still belongs to the Pillsbury family,
and came from England in 1910 to oc-
cupy it, The fourth child of John and
Susan Pillsbury is the subject of this
sketch. The opportunities for an edu-
cation afforded him were limited, and
in his early teens he began to learn
/ the painters trade, but his natural
taste for trade and merchandise lea d
him to engage as clerk for his brother,
Geo. A, in a general country store at
| Warner, New Hampshire. Soon after
wards, reaching his majority, he
formed a partnership with Walter
Hartman at Warner, and the singular
fact is that in after life Hartman be-
came governor of New Hampshire and
Pillsbury governor of Minnesota. The
experience which he obtained in the
New England country store laid a
foundation for his business success
afterward. After dissolving partnership
with Hartman, Mr. Pillsbury re-
moved to Concord, and for two years
was engaged in the business of mer-
chant tailoring. At this time he was
a watchful observer of the develop
ment of the northwest and in 1858
started on a prospecting trip, which
finally brought him, in June, 1866, to
Minnesota. He settled permanently at
st. Anthony, persuaded that there
would ultimately be great city. He
engaged in the hardware business with
George F. Cross and Woodbury. Fiske.
Those were the days of wild cat
banks and deprecated currency, and
with the panic of 1857 the ability and
courage of the young merchants were
tested to the utmost. Added to this
came a fire, which, in single night,
entailed the loss of $4S, 000 But this
did not discourage John S. Pillsbury.
He reorganized the business, paid off
the debts of the firm, and in few
, years found himself better off than
before In 1875 he sold his hardware
business for the purpose of engaging
more extensively in the milling bust
ness, in which he had embarked with
| his nephew, Charles A, under the
firm name of G. A. Pillsbury and COM
pany. Early in his career Mr.. Pills
bury mad become a leader in local
affairs, and in 1858 was elected a
\ member of the city council of st. An
thony, and was retained in that posi-
tion for six years. At the outbreak of
the war he rendered efficient service
in organizing the First, Second and
2 Third regiments, and in 1862 assisted
, in organizing and equippiug mount
ed company for service in the Indian
outbreak One of the most interesting
s chapters in the history of Mr.. Pills
bury relates to the service to the STATE
f university. This institution had re
= ceived a grant of forty-siX thousand
e acres of land in 1851. In 1855 this LAND
y was mortgaged for forty Thousand
dollars for the erection of university
: buildings. In 1857 the building wa
o completed and mortgage of tfteel
a thousand dollars placed on it. Whe1
II the crisis of 1857 came the trustees
e were unable to meet their obligations
and creditors were clamorOus. Afte
two or three years of hopeless sffor
,e the friends of the university dispaire'
Il of preserving it, and the executive, il
g 1862 recommended to the legislature t
j. give all the lands in settlement for al
If the Indebtedness of the institution
Mr.. Pillsbury, however, had bee
making a study of the affairs of tn
"a institution, and having been appointe
N one of the regents in 1868, began a
| investigation of it's affairs and adopte
!. plan which finally resulted in full
10 discharging all outstanding obligation
he saving to the university upwards {
III thirty three thousand acres of Ian
grant, with the grounds and buildings
and putting it on the road to the pht
nominal success which it has since at
tanned. Gov. Pillsbury has earned til
name of the ''Father of the Unive,
sity," given him by the grateful stu
in dents of that institution, and ha
crowned his long years of service ,
regent with a gift of one hundred an
ne fifty thousand dollars, made in 1885
a, In 1875, without any effort on his par
y Mr. Pillsbury was nominated by I'll
). Republicans and elected governo
IT Following the ravages of war I'll
y. state had suffered from severe gras
hopper scourge, and poverty and di
couragement were widespread amor
dis the people. He set himself resolute
It to work to help relieve the want whio
to confronted the people and most su
ne cessfully accomplished the great tasl
:, 1t was during his administration tn
on the Younger brothers raid occurred
nd Mortified and he was most active
j. his efforts for their capture. On Il
40 whole he made one of the most alb
:. governors Minnesota ever had and b
Id administration will ever be recall.
nd for the great work accomplished f,
the welfare of the state.
a While Gov. Pillsbury was conduc
!. ing the affairs of state, his private il
h - II,