The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-08-12
DEATH OF A PIONEER
John Diamond Succumbs Late
This Afternoon.
Well Known and Highly Re-
spected Citizen.
Held Many Offices of Trust in
This Community.
His Illness Covered Period of
Several Months.
From Mondays Daily.

John Diamond, one of Mankato's ear
lest, best known and most highly honor
ed citizens, died this afternoon at his
home, 32l North Broad street. Mr.
Diamonds life had been hanging in the
balance for some time past. He had been
suffering with heart trouble for long
time, and ever since he was taken seri-
ously i'll last spring, his family and
friends have been more or less apprehen-
sive that the end was near.
John Diamond was born at Baltimore,
Md, Jan. IA, 1928, of Scotch Irish par
ents. He was left an orphan in early
childhood, and moved with his guardian
in 1888 to Downing, Chester county,
Penn, where he worked on a farm until
1850, when he went to Lancaster City,
Penn. Here he first learned the tanning
business and then the machinist's trade.
He moved to Minnesota in 1857, reaching
Mankato on May IL of that year. He
-CIHpCCu a lain HI oCCClOH 81. VI
Sterling, but resided for number of
years at Shelbyville, operating a saw
mill for Henry Stocks. In 1860 he re-
moved to his farm, where he resided
during the trying days of the Indian
massacre, in which he bore himself with
fortitude. In 1869 he was elected
sheriff, and was continued in the office
for three terms. He then purchased
farm near the city limits of Mankato
township. In 1884, he was elected coun-
ty commissioner, serving two terms, and
was largely instrumental in having the
present county court house erected. He
has been president of the Blue Earth
County Agricultural society, and up to
the time of his death he was president of
the Blue Earth County Territorial Set
tiers association. He has always taken
an active interest in all political and So
Geological questions of the day.
Mr.. Diamonds name has been of late
quite prominent in the public eye by rea-
son of his connection with the Broad
street asphalt controversy, wherein he
fought legal battle for his view of the
situation, and on behalf of those who
thought as he did.
He was married May II, 1854, to Mary,
daughter of John and Mary Shut of
Marietta, Penn. She died September 4,
1898. The sons and daughters are: John
Everett Diamond, attorney at law, of
Mankato; Annie Elizabeth, wife of T.
F. Brown of st. Paul; Miss Sarah Jane
Keith Diamond (deceased); Calvin A.
Diamond of Lincoln, Neb.; Miss Mar
garet Alice Diamond of Mankato; and
Lewis Clayton Diamond, dealer in feed,
of Mankato.
The life of John Diamond, as one of
the early battlers for the cause of civil
zation in the wilderness, is rightly held
in grateful remembrance by many who
know his history and can appreciate
the thorny road those pioneers were
obliged to travel. His was a career of
arduous toll, and one the memory of
which is kept alive by monument
greater and vaster than any gravestone
that ever existed, namely the white
mans institutions for which he helped to
prepare the way.
The funeral will be held from the
Presbyterian church Tuesday afternoon,
but the hour has not been fixed.