The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-10-18

Few men have, filled a larger place in
PilIsbury. = Indeed, it is doubtful if any
man prominent in the annals of the state
more permanently, to the progress of the
state. When the history of the founding
and the building of the North Star state
is finally told, the name of Gov. Pills
| bury will be written large in the story.
He was born in Sutton, N. H, ON July
29, 1927. He was the son of John and
sides were of sturdy Puritan stock. A
land grant received by Joshua Pillsbury
in 1860 at Newburyport, Mass, is still
| owned by the Pillsbury family.
His opportunities for education were
| very limited and were confined to the
/ common schools of his native town. He
| early learned the trade of a sign painter,
| but at the age of sixteen, a natural taste
! don the painters trade and enter upon a
| mercantile life. He commenced work as
a. clerk in the general grocery store OF
| his brother, George A. PillSbury, in
! Warner, n. H., where he remained four
| years. At the age of twenty-one he form
| ed partnership at Warner with Walter
| Hartman. who had succeeded his broth
| er, George A. Pillsbury, in business. This
! firm existed for two years. A peculiar co..
| incidence was the fact that Mr., Harri-
| man later became governor of New
Hampshire while Mr.. PilSbury became
| governor of Minnesota.
| In those early days he developed that
| business sagacity and persfstency which
| afterward made the name of Pillsbury
! known the world over as a synonym for
| enterprise. AS a young man he was an
| indomitable worker, toiiing long hours,
| day and night and counting no sacrifice
| of bodily strength that advanced him
| toward his goal.
! For two years he was engaged in the
| business of tailoring, and in the CLOTH trade
while plodding along at his daily work,
| had kept an eye open for better oppor-
! tunities and early became impressed with
the growing possibilities of the new
Western country, and in. 1853 he started
| on a tour of inspection through the;
| West. In June of 1855 he visited Mime.
| sofa, and when he first viewed ST. An>
thony falls he was convinced that i'm
some future day this would be the seat of
! great metropolis. He settled perm ~
| nently at st. Anthony which later be-
came part of Minneapolis: He engaged
| at once in the hardware business with
| George f. Cross and Woodbury. FIske.
| The firm prospered and did a good bust
ness until 1857, when the great panic oc,
| CURED. just at q time when all business
! men We're struggling to keep above wa
| ter, the Pillsbury firm lost its all in a
| disastrous fire. which entailed loss of
| $3S, co., Burdened with debts and with all
! the savings of his first years swept away,
| and little to begin anew with, Mr.. Pills.
| bury, had be been like most men, would
| have given up. But with characteristic
| perseverance he re-established the bust
| ness and assumed all liabilities cheer
fully, and forced success from untoward
| conditions by his indomitable determine
| ton. He continued in the hardware bus
| mess until 1875, when he sold out to en-
| gage in the milling business, which he
| established with his nephew, Charles A.
Pillsbury. the firm Afterwards taking In
! George A. Pillsbury and Fred c. Fills
| bury. OF the success of this enterprise 1t
| is not necessary to speak Pillsbury flour
| is known the world over, and the Pills
bury mills are the largest in the entire
| world.
| Mr.. Pillsbury early became prominent in
local affairs, being elected to the council
! of st. Anthony in 1858, a position which
| he held for six years. When the Civil
| war broke out he was largely instru-
| mental in organizing the First, Second
! and Third regiments OF Minnesota vol
unteers, and, i'll 1862 he helped to raise
4 and equip mounted company for serv-
| ice in the Indian outbreak.
/ He had early taken an interest in the
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