The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-05-18
Joseph A. WheeIock Responds
to the Call of Death.
"IHIRTY" FOR GREAT EDITOR
Was Prominent in Newspaper Field
and Pioneer Who Did Much
for This Commonwealth.

In the death of Joseph A. Wheelock
Minnesota has not only lost its greatest
editor and most brilliant writer, but one
of the men who helped to lay the foun
dation for this magnificent common
wealth. He was among the pioneer
residents.
Mr. Wheelock was born at Bridgetown
Nova Scotia. Feb. 8, 1881, so that he
was in his seventy sixth year when he
died. He was educated at Sackvile
academy, where apparently the course
iects which make for liberal culture
At all events, he was a student of litera-
twe and appreciated the best things in
literature. He was known among his
acquaintance around Mendoza in the
early days for his readiness in quoting
from classic authors.
He came to Minnesota in 1850. and
secured position as clerk in suffers
store at Mendoza, then lively trading
post under the shadow of Fort Smelling.
His first editorial experience was as
editor of the Real Estate and Financial
Advertiser, published in st. Paul, with
which he became connected in 1856. Two
years later he was employed on the st.
two years. In 1861 his ability in mar
shalling facts, his appreciation of the
new state brought him the position of
commissioner of statistics for Mime
sofa.
He prepared a report at the end of his
two years service which was remark
able for its grasp of the resources and
possibilities of Minnesota and valuable
as a careful outline of its physical char
acteristics and comparative geography.
In 1861 in company with William Mar
shall, Mr.. Wheelock founded the st.
Paul Press, and thus begun his notable
editorial career. In 1875 the Pioneer was
merged with the Press and became the
Pioneer Press, with which Mr..
Wheelock has been identified as editor
for more than thirty years. From 1871
at st. Paul, although this did not sever
his connection with his newspaper. This
is the only public office he ever held eX
cept that of member of the st. Paul
park board, of which he was one of the
originators, and in which position he was
for number of years rendering i'm
portant services to the city.
Mr. Wheelock married Miss Kate
French. daughter of Theodore French of
Concord. n. H., in 1861. His wife sur
wives him; he has also one son living,
Webster Wheelock, associated with his
father as editorial writer on The Pioneer
Press. and two daughters, Mary Ellen
and Katherine. He had been out of
" from asthma. On this account he has
spent the winters on the Pacific coast
for several years, and returned only
Monday from Redlands, Cal. The cause
of his death is described as heart fail
IRE.
e. aweH71 II =: +
H. P. Hall, from long time association
and personal acquaintance with Mr..
Wheelock writes the following interest
ing sketch for The Minneapolis Journal:
SIN the death of Joseph A. Wheelock
both the state and the editorial frater
nifty suffer a loss which cannot be re
paired. / say this advisedly, because he
came to Minnesota at so early a day
that no one else can ever reproduce or
re-enact his experience. Others must
take things at second hand, but he be-
gan at the beginning, and it can literal
" be said of him in connection with
the history of the territory and of the
state: All of which he saw and part
of which he was
'He was associated with W. R. Mar
shall, afterwards governor, in establish
ing The st. Paul Press in 1860, and has
ever since been the editorial head Of
that paper and its successor The Pho
neer Press.
His early career as an editor was
much more stormy than his later years.
The great contest between the Donnelly
and Ramsey factions in the state con
tinued perhaps for twenty years, and
Mr.. Wheeock was ever in the fore az
the champion of the Ramsey faction; in
fact, it can be said for him that by his
energy, impetuosity and indomitable
will he made and saved the Ramsey fac
tion from utter and ignominious defeat.
'He never sought popularity as an
editor. In fact, in his most active days
he was regarded by the whole republi-
can party as "a bull in china shop.
and it was customary to say when he
was in his prime that if Wheelock would
oppose a man he was almost certain to
win. This was not true literally. be-
cause his opposition really was ,forceful
but he could not be controlled. 1 can