The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-04-20
so FAR OUR NICE BIG COUNTY
HAS PRODUCED NO GOVERNOR
However, We Are Not Alone in This Seventyx of the
States EghtySeven Counties Are Also in the Minus Class
According to Figures Compiled.

Minnesota has had % governors In
its rs years of history, but so far st.
Louis county has not earned the dis
tinction of producing one, according to
an interesting story in a recent issue
of the Minneapolis Mirror: 1T has 81
counties, so if the voters were in the
habit of passing the honor around.
practically three-fourths of the counties
(65 to be exact) would still be waiting
their turns, says the Mirror.
But the honor has been pretty well
concentrated.
Truth is, only II counties have fur
nished Minnesota governors, leaving 76
yet to have chance.
And of the % governors five have
come from big in population Hennepin,
five from Ramsey, four from little MIC
ollet and one each from eight other
counties.
st. Louis Left Out.
1T is a noticeable fact that the
third largest county in the state from
a population standpoint, st Louis, has
never furnished a goVernor-nor even
a formidable candidate for governor.
Winona, which in the earlier days of
the state, was third with its then big
city of Winona, has furnished but one
governor.
There may be some dispute regarding
Ramsey'S claim to five governors,
though the records accredit the first
governor, General Henry H Sibley, to
st. Paul, though his residence, according
to history, was at Mendoza, where his
old home is one of our Minnesota
ShrineS.
However, Dakota county, in which
Mendoza is located, was not organized
until Oct. ~, 1859, while Sibley was still
governor. Before that it was in Ram
sey county.
Ramsey Starts Early.
/ Anyway Ramsey county came
through with governor right away in
1850 when the man after whom it was
named, Alexander Ramsey, became the
second governor. In 1874 the county
again furnished the states chief execu-
tive in the person of Cushman Z. Davis,
seventh governor.
But it was kept out of the front
office of the old state house for a
quarter of a century thereafter until
William p Marrio N, ,,,apauad 70 oroSb
through in 1889 as the eleventh gov
ernor.
"T.he next wait for Ramsey county
was a long one, too, for it was %
years from the end of Merriam's term
in 1893 until j. A. A. Burnquist became
governor on the next to the last day of
the year 1915. And in the Is years
since Burnquist's term ended in 1921,
Ramsey has not had look-in.
Mother of Governors"
st. Peter (Nicollet county,, often
called the mother of governors before
Hennepin got to going SO strongly, fur
niShed its first governor in 1863 when
Henry A. Swift was sworn in. Seven
years later Horace Austin came up from
st. Peter to assume the Office and II
years after that A. r. McGiu was in
augurated. John A. Johnson was the
last of st. Peters favorite sons to win
the place, taking the post in 1904 and
holding it until his death in 1910.
| William r. Marshall was the first
governor from Hennepin, coming in 1866
as the fifth executive. John s. Pills
bury was next in 1876, incidentally being
the states first three-term governor.
None has ever served longer. David NJ.
Clough was the third and served from
1895 to 1899.
Then came 22-year wait until j.
A. o. Preus was installed in 1921. Six
years after he completed his two terms
Hennepin furnished the present COVER
nor, Floyd B. Olson.
From Other Counties.
MOBILES county gave the state Gov.
Stephen Miller in 1854: Goodhue county,
0of. AuSiuS E. 11uUudIO III 1ooz-aQQ
he put in five years on two elections
because elections were changed from
odd to evn-numbered years In 1885:
Douglas county sent Knute Nelson In
odd to even-numbered years in 1885:
Winona county, Samuel r. Van SAINT In
1901; Blue Earth, A. o. Eberhart in
1909, and Lac qui Parle, Theodore
Christensen in 1925.
"of the five living ex-governors, all
who reside in this state are citizens of
Minneapolis df that mean sanything).
They are Mr.. Van SAINT, MIR. Burnquist
and Mr.. Christianson. Both Mr.. Eber-
hart and Mr.. Preus live in Chicago.
"As for st. Louis county with its
third city in the state, Duluth. 1t not
only has never furnished governor, but
has furnished but one state officer in
the history of the state, namely Walter
J. Smith, once state treasurer. It has
had two associate justices in the persons
OF the late G. L. Lewis and Homer B.
Dibell.
1T would be difficult to explain the
reason for this seeming discrimination.