The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-07-14

fatal illness are given in the tele-
gram. A few days ago Mr.. Will
ard was informed of the sickness of
Mr. Dukes and it was the fear of
Mr.. Willard that his old friend could
not recover on account of his ad-
vanced age. Several times during
the past few years Mr. Dukes was
confined TO his bed on account of
serious illness, and each time his
indomitable will asserted itself and
he recovered to take up the
multiplicity of duties which his
busy life had brought upon him.
Grand Good Man.
"A grand good man is dead" said
Mr.. Willard to The Free Press this
morning. Mr.. Wizards sentiment
will be Endorsed by everyone who
knew Mr. Dukes, and his friends
and acquaintance were many. He
was a man of large ideas and pos
sessed the ability to carry them out
long, busy and useful life. He was
a live-wire while he lived in Man
kato, and his enterprise and energy
did much TO build up and expand
the industrial and financial and CON-
mercial influence OF Peru, Ind. Mr..
Dukes was helpful to Mankato. He
gave literally of his means and it
was his generosity to the Sisters OF
Notre Dame that decided the lOca-
ton of the Catholic mother house,
and academy in this city.
Was of English Descent
Aaron n. Dukes was native of
Randolph county, Ind, where his
birth occurred, October 81, 1884. His
grandfather, Isaac Dukes, emigrated
from England to Maryland, whence
his father, William Dukes, removed
TO Randolph county, Ind, and for
many years was successfully engag-
ed in merchandising, milling and
agricultural pursuits. In 1916, he
moved to Miami county, Indiana,
and A. ID. Seward, in the erection
adjoining the city of Peru, Ind,
where he died in 1878 Mr. Dukes
mother, Mrs. Matilda Dukes, was
daughter of William and Jane Nc
Kim, who emigrated to the United
States from Ireland, about CEN
fury ago, and settled near Chilli
Gothic, Ohio, but subsequently re-
moved to Randolph county. Indiana.
and thence to Miami county, where
they died MIR. Dukes received a
good public school education and, at
the age of seventeen, accepted the
position Of salesman in the mercan-
Ind, and at the end of a year he
formed co-partnership with his
employer in a general store in the
town of Gilead, in the same county.
Came to Mankato in 1856.
After remaining two years in the
latter place, he disposed of his in
terest, and, in the spring of 1856,
came TO Mankato, where in the fall
of that year he erected store
building, 20X60 feet in block IA.
II was constructed of Eastwood
boards-about the first product of
the first saw mill in Mankato, which
George w. Lay had then just start
ed, about where the Mankato pump
ing station now stands. Most of
the work on the building, Mr.. Dukes
did himself, with the assistance OF
the late John A. Willard, whose SER
vices he repaid. by helping him put
up his law office on an adjoining lot.
There being no facilities for plaster
ing, the store walls were lined with
heavy muslin, and the counters OF
undressed lumber covered with oil
cloth In such quarters, then as
elegant as any in town, Mr.. Dukes
opened what was considered very
large stock of general merchandise,
which he conducted with success for
several years. His first stock OF
goods was lost in transit, through
the closing of navigation, and he had
to spend two or three weeks, in the
dead of winter, chasing up and
down the Minnesota and Mississippi
valleys, looking for them, and then
had to haul them over land at great
expense, so that his -four had to
be sold at $1,000 per barrel and
other goods in proportion. This
transportation experience was a
common one, however, with our pio-
neer merchants.
Formed Partnership.
In 1857, he formed co-partner-
ship with Abel and Josiah Keene
and A. ID. Steward, in the erection
OF a saw mill, to which later were
added grist, shingles and lath mill