siilistantial basis, lie opened his first oflices in
this city. Progress was so rapid that iVIr. Peavey
ino\ctl to .Minneapolis in 18S4 and from that
time on took ,1 nmst prominent p.irt in building
lip the Minneapolis market. In the same year
he extended his operations to .ill points on the
.Minneapolis i<: .St. Louis railroad. h'^nn 18X4
the history of the business is one of constant
extension and expansion of resfjurces. Only a
few notable steps can be mentioned. The year
iS.'sci saw the building of the Interior elevators
.it -Minneapolis; ,ind in the same year Mr. Peavey
limit .1 gic.il rhxalor al Portland. Oregon, aiul
put lip tliirly country houses on the lines of the
( )regoii Railway i& Navigation Company in Ore-
gon .and Washington. This was the first great
tcnniiial elr\.iloi- ..n tin- Pacilie coast. During
tlie next \c;ir lie luiill the L'nion Pacific eleva-
lor at Kansas t'it\. extended his operations to
llic lines iif the Cnion I'.icific and leased a ter-
inin.il elev.itor .11 ()in.iha. In iXi).; he took in
poiiils on the Ndrtlurn Pacific. In 1894 he built
tlu' kepulilic eUv.ilor at Minneapolis, and in
i8()7 ;ii'c|nircd the I'.elt Line elevator at West
SiiperiiM- In iSiiS the Peavey elevators at South
Cliiciigo win luiill. ,ind in 180Q the Peavey Du-
lutli terminal house, .at Hnlulli, .and tlu- big eleva-
t(M' at Coiiiuil I'.lnlfs, ;mil operations were ill
378
A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS
that year extended to a part of the Great North-
ern railway system. The Dnluth Terminal ele-
vator was the result of a long series of investi-
gations and experiments looking to a more per-
manent and less destrnclihle metliod of eleva-
tor construction. Mr. Peavey sent a special
representative to Europe to investigate the con
Crete storage of that continent, and. as a result
determined to adapt the system to the needs of
grain handling in America. An experimental
coticrcte bin or cell was huilt at one of the Min-
neapolis elevators and after being thoroughly
tested by tilling and operating for some months
satisfied Mr. Peavey with the success of the sys-
tem. He then commenced the erection uf the
Ui'hitli Terminal elevator wliich was the llrst
great ci>ncrete elevator tn be erected in this
country. In igoo the Peavey Steamship Com-
I>any was organized and four large grain carriers
were built to operate on tlic Great Lakes. This
was the last of Mr. Pe.ivey' - new enterprises.
His sudden death on Deeemlier 30. igoT, ended
a most remarkable business career. Counting
from Uie lime he establislied his Minneai^olis
bt^^ine^^ ill iHSj, only nineteen years liad bei'ii
-pent ni bnibling up the largest grain liandlin,!;
bnsiiu-.s in the worbl, the establishment of the
highest credit ami the acquisition of a large
fcirtune. A dozen or more constituent corpora-
licins had been formed, owned or controlled by
I''. H. Peavey & Company. The (iperation-, ol
llie company, centered al Alinneapolis. tiiiicliecl
ilie (ireat L.ikes at Chicago and Duluth. exteiideil
far into the southwest beyond Kansas Cit\- and
( )inaha, anil reaelieil far away to the I'aeilic
northwest. .Since .\lr. I'eavey's death the busi-
ness has continued under the management ol
his stni George W. Pea\ey, and Frank T. Ilel-
ullinger, Frederick 15. Wells and Charles I''.
I leaver, all of whom had been associated with
.\lr. Peavey for some years. Although engrossed
in pulilic matters Mr. Peavey looked forward lo
the period when he might devote time to other
tilings than Inisiiiess. His interest in the public
schools led him to accept a place on the board
of education in 1895; otherwise he luser held
liublic ollice. He was a re|)nb]ic.in 111 ]>iiiieip!e
.ind pr.actice though independent in his political
lliiiikiiig. lie was conneeled willi the Univer-
salist denomination. .Mr. I'ea\ey was married
in 18 - ' to .\larv Dibble Wright. They had three
chililreii, .Mrs, h'raiik T. lleffellinger, Mrs. h'l'ed-
erick I',. Wells and Georg.' W. Peavey.
I'IPI''I\. (ieor.ne I*'., \ice president of the .Mill
neapolis ('lianiber o[ Coniinerei . is a ii.ilur son
iti .Minnesota. lie was born in M iiiiu .i])olis ..n
April it, 185(1, the son id' Jelfeison I'iprr ami
Mary AlcHuffee Piper, The father li.id eonir
from New England to .Miiinesola for his health.
•Stopping first in Minneapolis and afterwards en
gaging in farming near Mankato. His son.
• ieorge, though born in .Minneapolis, griw up on
the farm and did not return to Minneai)ohs until
187J, when he entered the University of Minne-
sota. .\fler a time, he entered the linseed oil
business making a pronoimced success. The
larger opportunities opening in .Minneapolis Ud
him to remove to this city in i8g6 and since then
he has been prominently connected with the de
vclopment of an industry which now has grown
to such proportions that Minneapolis is the larg-
est linseed oil [n'oducing point in the cmintry.
.Mr, Piper is one of the principal owners of the
Miilland Linseed Co. and also has large interests
in the Canadian Elevator Co., the Winnipeg Ele-
vator Co. and the Empire Elevator Company of
Canada. These companies have extensive ele
vator holdings in the Canadian Northwest and
also operate a line of lumber yards. His ac-
<|uaintance with the western Canada country ha-
led Mr. Piper to invest extensively in farm lands
in that section and he is treasurer and a large
stockholder in the Saskatchewan Valley Land Co.
Among his other interests are holdings in Doug-
las & Company of Iowa, one of the large manu
facturing concerns of that state. He is director
and secretary of the JMoran Oil Company in the
Indian Territory. This is one of the prominent
and .substantial oil properties in that part of the
country and is also extensively interested in luni
lier business in British Columbia. In Minneap-
cdis he has many interests aiid is connected with
various linanci.al institutions, holding among
other offices a directorship in the Security Na
tional Bank, l'"or a number of years he has been
.associated with the grain commission business in
this city, and is now a member of Piper & Com
|)any, grain dealers, and of Piper, Johnson &
Company, which conducts a large business in
.yraiii coinmission, stocks and bonds. .Mr. Piper
h.is been for years a prominent member of tlie
Chamber of Commerce and h.is been its vice-
jiresident for several years. He is also a leading
miiiiber of the social and commercial organiza-
tions of the city, including the Minneapolis Club,
the Minikahda Clid) ;ind the Lafayette Club .iml
is also ,1 ineniber of Zuhr.ih Temide .'ind i- .1
.Shriller. lie w.is married in
sons — Clarence I'.,, Louis I I
The f.iiiiiK-
li
8Sj and h
1 lar\ ey t , and
tleiiils the West
George F.. Jr.
minster Church,
I'l 1 i',i I I.I'IK. ,\l\iii ileiiry. .1 ])roniiiieiit .yrain
dealer of .Minneai)olis, was born .at lleudersoii,
.Minnesota. Jamiary 15, 1864. the son of lleiny
and IClizabeth ( P'rankenfield ) I'oiliKr, lie at
tended the ]niblic schools of 1 I eiidersoii .ind then
eiiliTcil llie Sh.illiick School .11 b.iriliaull from
whieh he yr.idualeil ill |8S.(. the \;ileilictori.in of
liis cl.iss. ,ind e.ipl.iiii of Co. I',, hi the fall of
till' same year lie lie;.;.Ln his luisiiies- career and
ilnrin.u the next four years oblaineil esperii'iief
in the banking liusiness :il (;a\lonl, in general
nurch.andising with his father al lleiiderson, and
ill I he .gr.ain business ;it .\l inni.'.ipolis. He located
liennaiieiilly in .Minneapolis in |8,S7. Cp,,,, die
incorporation of the business of .Mr. Henry
ewsET, FMoro
o( . cf^^ji^-foiji^
380
A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS
8«u5». PKOTo Ai.\i,\ n, I'ClHIir.KIt.
T'c'cliU-r and his sons, as H. Poelilcr Conipan}',
Mr. Alvin Poelilcr became its treasurer and has
been its executive manager, in fact, for some
years. Is also treasurer of the E.xchange Grain
Company and vice-president of the Pacilic Ele-
vator Company and of the German Bank at Eu-
reka, South Dakota. Mr. Poehler is a democrat
in politics and is a member of Governor John-
son's staff with the title of colonel. He is a
trustee of Shattuck School, a director of the Min-
neapolis Chamber of Commerce, a member of the
Dululh P.oard of Trade, of Milwaukee Chamber
of Commerce, and St. Louis Merchants Exchange.
Plis club and fraternal associations are many, in-
cluding membership in the Minneai)oIis Club, the
Commercial Club, the Minikahda Cltib, and the
Linwood Gun Club, while in Masonry he is a
Scottish Rite Mason .and Knight Templar. Mr.
Poehler was married .il Minneapolis, February 19.
i8y6, to Miss Eugenia 1.. Co]e. daughter of the
late Emerson Cole.
POElll.i'.K, Henry, president of the H. Poeh-
ler Company of Minneapolis, is the oldest living
grain dealer of Minnesota and has been actively
identified with tlu' nureaiitiU :ind political life
of .Minnesota for the last half century, lie is a
native of Germany and was born on August 2->,
i**33, at Iliddesen, a village at the foot of a small
mountain along the Teuteburger Wald on the top
of which mountain stands the noted monument
of Hermann, or .\rminiiis, the deliverer of the
Germans from the Roman Yoke, in the year
A. D. 9. Mr. Poehler's father was the principal
of the school at Iliddesen. Mr. Poehler with
an uncle eniigr.iled to .America in the spring of
r.S4cS at tlie age of fourteen, landing at New
Orleans. He lived in Iowa a number of years,
going to St. Paul from Burlington in the year
1853, and thence up the Minnesota Valley. That
same year, he and his elder brother, Frederick,
built two of the first log cabins near Mankato,
intending to take up claims at that point. A year
later, by chance, he became employed by Maj.
Joseph R. Brown, a prominent man in the early
history of Minnesota, and assisted in the trans-
portation of goods from the outpost of Hen-
derson to Fort Ridgely. All transportation up
the .Minnesota Valley was then done by boat and
tei'.nis. In 1S55 Mr. Poehler bought out the
mercantile business of Maj. Brown at Hender-
son. The grain business in those days was done
by steamboats and barging down the river to
market at St. Paul .and La Crosse. The ex-
periences of the early days were much the same
as that of all the regular pioneers and merchants.
The Sioux Indian outbreak of 1862 saw Mr.
Poehler with others defending the frontier, while
the women and children were transported for
safety to Fort Snelling and St. Paul. Mr.
Poehler moved to Minneapolis in 1887, became a
member of the Chamber of Commerce and es-
tablished the business in its present form, though
it was not till 1893 that it was incorporated. The
members of the company are Henry Poehler and
sons. Alvin H. Poehler, Chas. F. Poehler, and
Walter C. Poehler and Geo. A. Duvigneaud,
\l\in II. I'liehler became idcntilied with the
gr.iin business in 1883 and came to Minneapolis
in 1S85. George A. Duvigneaud. the vice-presi-
dent of the company, came from Wisconsin in
1883, having received part of his commercial
training in the Milwaukee market and on the
Chicago Board of Trade. He became identified
with tliis Company in 1887. Chas. F. and Walter
Poehler entered the company upon their gradua-
tion from college. A. H. and C. F. Poehler are
.graduates of .Shattuck School and Walter Poeh-
ler is a graduate of Minnesota State University.
The company is afliliated with the grain trade
iiT il-i v.irious branches at the principal markets
of .Minneapolis. Duliith, Milwaukee, Chicago and
.St. Louis. The company celebrated its golden
anniversary or semi-centennial May i, 1905. Mr.
Poehler's political record shows that he was
elected a member of. the first state legislature in
'857-.SS, and re-elected in 186.S; was elected state
senator of 187J-73 ;\nd re-elected for 1876-77; and
was elected in 1878 to the Forty-sixth Coiigrc'^s
BnUSH, PHOTO
382
A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS
at Washington as a democrat (the first demo-
cratic congressman since 1859 from tliis state,
ixccpt F.ugene M. Wilson) representing the
.-econd of the then three distrii;ts. Since his
congressional service he has not been very ac-
tively in politics; but has served on various state
boards, including the state reformatory board,
he having also been on the commission which
located the refornKitnry at St. Chnid, Mr. I'oili
ler is a member of the \<h-;\] ("hainber of Com
merce and the Chicago I'.o.ird of Trade. His
church alTiIiations h.-ive Ijcrn with the German
Reform church. .\lr. I'oehlcr was married Se])-
tember i.S, iSOi to I'.lizabeth I'rankcnileld of
Bucks county. Pennsylvania. 1 luy liad si.s chil-
dren, fnc of whom survive and are Alvin H..
Charles ]•"., of Minneapolis: Walter C, of Duluth,
and the Misses Irene and Augusta of Los An-
geles, California. Mr. Fochlcr moved his resi-
dence from Minneapolis to l.os .\ngeles in 1895.
l)Ut spends the summer and .luiumn seasons in
Minnesota.
TOWKRS. Walter K
of the Towers l^lexator
Tccuni~eli, Lenawee cumty. .Michigan.
. lre.i - iirer and manager
Companv. wms liorn at
1861).
He commenced his career as a grain man early in
life as he left school at the age of sixteen and
went to McGregor, Iowa, where he entered the em-
ploy of Bassett. Hunting & Co. After two years
he came to Minneapolis and since 1887 has been
one of the active members of the Minneapolis
Chamber of Commerce. 'J'he Powers Elevator
Company under liis management has developed
frcini a small business to an extensive concern
o])er;iting elevators and lumber yards through
North Dakota and handling a large volume of
business on the floor of tile Chamber.
Rl 11 lU.DAFl'Lk. John Henry, son of Rev.
John G. Riheldaffer, D. 1)., was born in St. Paul.
Minnesota, on December 2, 1859. His father, a
Presbyterian minister, came to Minnesota in
1850 and located at St. Paul, where he made his
residence until his death. John H. obtained his
grammar and high school education in the pub-
lic schools of St. Paul and after graduating from
the latter, entered the University of Minnesota
with the class of 1882. He did not desire to take
up a profession, so he did not complete his col-
lege course, hut took up .architectural work in
the ..Hice oi A W. Radcliff of St. Paul. He re-
mained uitli Mr. Radclit¥ about a year, and in
1880 accepte.l ,1 position as clerk at Elevator H.
in St. Paul. \llrr a year's experience in that
cap.-icity lie was made superintendent ol tin-
plant and remained in charge until 1893. wlien
he resigned his i)lace to associate himself w^ith
J. Q. .\danis i>i: Comii.iny. grain dealers of Min-
neapolis, lie severed his connection with that
lirm tinrr years later and associated himself
with Coninions S; Company with whom he re-
mained until 100;. (1,1 .\l,iy 8tli of that year Mr.
Riheldaffer. with I ). L. Raymond, purchased Ele-
vator â– â– II" Iroiu the (ireat Eastern Elevator Com-
pany and incorporated as the Sterling Elevator
Conii)any. .Mr. Riheldafifer is vice president and
general manager of this comiiany. Mr. RiheL
daffer li.as liecome proniiiuul in the grain liusi-
luss of tlu' Norlhwesl .-md al the present limc
is ehairinan of the I'oard of Appeals of the .\lin-
,n:,],olis Ihainber ni Commerce. He is a mem-
],, I- ;mi,| foi- six years has been a director of the
Coninuiei.il Club; lu is a member and treasurer
,,| liie ,\inonioliile Club; is vice president of the
Miimeap.dis Curling Club, and is on the board
of man.agers of the Sons of the .\merican Revo-
lution, .Mr Kihaldaffer was married in (88,; to
.Miss Susan rimermaii of St. Paul and they have
live cliildi.n. llrl.n. .M .ir.Lj.irel . Kalliryn. l-'lorence
v.. and John Paul 'llie family aK.iids llie ("".race
Prisbvleriau Church,
.loiiN II KiiiKin \i I i:k
Sll I'.l-I II iN. \lberl .Mill.ird. was born in
Owaloini.c. .Minnrsoia. on >l.-.y 1.;. 186S. The early
years ,,| hi- life he passed al the same place and
lugaii his iduc.ilio
In (he \e;n- iXSj In
.school and L;radii.iUd lour >e.irs later. Not car-
tlie local public schools
k rrd llie ( )watonn;i high
GRAIN TRADE AND CHAAIBI'.R OK COMMERCE
383
BWfcET, PMOTO
.m.i;i:ki' .\r. siiki.ddn.
iiig I'lT a prufc^sional education, ininirdiauly
after leaving the high school in 1886. Mr. Sliel-
dim entered upon his active business career and
entered the employ of the First National Bank
of Stillwater. Minnesota, as bookkeeper. He oc-
cupied this position until 1889, when he estab-
lished the lirni of Prince. Sheldon & Company,
and organized a private bank at Cloquet, Minne-
sota. This banking business he managed until
i8g6 when lie became convinced of the great up
portunities offered by the grain business in .\lin
neapc«lis, and to.gethcr with P. I^. Howe organ-
ized the Imperial Elevator Company. Since that
time he has continuously held the office of treas-
urer and manager of this business. .\lr. .Sheldon
is a member of the .Minneapolis Club and at-
tends the Park .\venue Congregational Churcli.
He was married in June, 1S9,?, to Miss Wilhelminr
C. Heegard and has oni- child, a son. I-Jalph Mil
lard Sheldon.
TRACY, John I,., a member of the linn ..t
Brown & Tracy, grain commission, was l)orn
at Titusville, Pennsylvania, June, 1861, the s<hi
of John S. and Margaret (Madden) Tracy. Hi-
attended the i)ublic schools and graduated from
a high scho(d course, then entering commerci.il
life. In 1881 he engaged in the speculative branch
of the oil business and was in that line for ten
years, withdrawing in 1891 to enter the grain
trade. Two years later, in 189.5, he moved to
Minneapolis. He was first in business under the
name of J. I.. Tracy & Company, which was
changed in 1906. to Lake, Brown & Tracy, when
a partnership was formed with William H. Lake,
of Chicago. an<l Edward L. Brown, of this city.
Later the lirm became Brown & Tracy. The
lirm is a member of the Minneapolis Cham-
ber of Commerce, the Cliicago Board of Trade
.md Stock Exchange and the Milwaukee Chamber
ipf Commerce. Mr. Tracy has been prominent in
the affairs of the Cliamber of Comnierce and is
one of tlie board of directors. He is a member
of the Minikabda, Commercial and .\utomobile
.lull- .111(1 i- a Scottish Rite Mason of the thirty-
Tcoiiil degree. In 1S86 .\lr. Tracy married Miss
Kate Tunnicliffe at Erie. Pennsylvania, and they
now make their home in this city.
WHALLON, James V.. was born at Mayville,
New York, on March 13, l8.s8, the son of G. W.
Whallon and Helen Pratt. His father was a mer-
chant both of Mayville and either cities of New
York, and in that state Mr. Whallon passed his
early boyhood, until the family came west to
.Minnesota in the year 1866. His father again en-
gaged in business and James F. entered the public
schools of this state and there received his ele-
mentary training. He continued his education at
the Shattuck Military .\cademy in Faribault, Min-
nesota, leavin,g school in 1876 to accept a position
in the office nf the Chic.i.sro. Mi-twaid<ec & St. Paul
SWEET, PMOTO
.i.\.\ii;s f. wii.\i.i.o.\.
384
A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS
Railroad at l-'aribault where he remained until
1884 in tlie capacity of agent. The grain business
seemed to offer large opportunities in this city,
and in 1884 -Mr. Whallon came to Minneapolis,
and became connected with the grain firm of
Pratt, Porter & Morton. This relation he discon-
tinued in ll^'go to begin (Kalinu in grains in his
own interests under the ririn iianie of Whallon &
Co., and operated a line of country elevators
through the Northwest. This proving to be a
very successfid venture, the company was, owing
to the rapid increase in the business, reorganized
and incorporated in moj as the Columbia Elevator
Company, which n.^w cmitrols a system of eleva-
tors throughnut tile whole northwestern territory,
and of which Mr. Whallon is vice president and
manager. In August. 1901, Mr. Whallon together
with Geo. P. Case. Charles M. Case and George
C. Kaglcy established the firm of Whallon, Case
& Co., doing a general commission business in
stocks, bonds and grain. On January i, 1908,
the firms of Whallon. Case & Co. and Piper,
Johnson St. Co., consolidated, the new firm becom-
ing Piper, Johnson & Case. The firm is a mem-
ber of the New ^'ork Stock Exchange, of the Chi-
cago Board of Trade, the jNlinneapolis Chamber
of Commerce and the Duluth Board of Trade, and
has a large established clientage in the city. Mr.
Whallon is well known among his business asso-
ciates and is a member of the Minneapolis, the
Minnesota, llie Minik.ihila and Lafayette clubs of
this city. In politics he is a republican, but does
no active work in party affairs. lie is a member
of the Episcopal church. Mr. Whallon was mar-
ried on January 2^. iQOj. to Miss Louise Eustis of
this city. They have no children.
TIMEkM.W. William O.. of the gr.-nn firm
of Stair. Christensen iS; Timerman. and f.irni
crly secretary and treasurer of Nye. Jenk-. iv
Company, grain dealers, w.is born on July iS.
1859. at Minneiska. Minnesota. He was the s.m
of William S. Timerman ;.nil Carrie J. (()rlonl
Timerman: the former engaged in bn - ine^s ;is
a grain dealer. The son rcceivrd his eouinicm
school education at l.aki- City. MinnesDla. .iml
in St. Paul, where Ihe faiiiil.\ l.iler resided .ind
where Mr. Timenn.m w.i^ in lin-~iniss nnlil li â–
came to .Minneapolis in I.Soo. lie Ini - been uiiin
ager of tin- business of Nye. jenk'- X: Ciinip.inv
for many years and is one <if the u ell-kncw 11
grain men in the Minneapolis Chamber ol Lorn
merce and a director at the present time. The
rres.-nt I'crm was formed in Sr|>lr'nl>er. 1')I1S .Mr
Timerman belongs to the rciiuhlie.in p.irty, is
a member of the Minneapolis Commercial Club,
of the Masonic fraternity and is a Shriner. II r
was married in 1884 to Miss May ll.azzard o|" St
Paul and they have two children. Donald and
Dorothy. The family attends h'ouler M.lh..di-t
Church.
WEN/.ICL, Charles F... w:is b..rn in IlilNdah-
county. .Michigan, son of V'.ihnline .mil Calli.i
;-ine Wen/el, His father w;is .a fanner who came
to this country from Darmstadt, Germany, the
capital of the grand dnchy of Hesse-Darmstadt,
to test the breezy atmosphere of the New World's
Northwest. Charles E. spent sixteen years on
his fal Iter's farm working in the usual round of a
farm boy's duties and attending the public school.
Wishing a larger I'leld fnr his life work, he took
a course of training at a business college, and
believing th.it there was profit to an industrious
and practical man who understood the grain busi-
ness, he early gave it attention and study and
since he was eighteen years of age has devoted
his time and energies to this line. His experi-
ence has been chiefly in Minneapolis, where he is
now secretary and manager of the Inter-State
Grain Company, which has a line of terininal and
country ele\ators with a storage capacity of three
million bushels. He is also president of the Belen
Mining Company, of the state of Sonora, Mexico.
Mr. Wenzel is a democrat in his political affilia-
tions, but did not join it in its rambles among
the quantitative and flat money theories and ad-
hered to sound money principles. He is a mem-
ber of the Minneapolis and the Commercial Clubs
and of the Masonic order. He was married in
1870 and has three children.
-•«^-
1 i\ii;K\r\.v.
CHAPTER XXI.
VARIED PRODUCTIVE INDUSTRIES
Tl I IC first explorer who i;azc(l U|)iin
the primitive Falls of St. Antlir>iiy
must have realized that cventviallv
they must be exceedingly useful to man.
This certainly was the conclusion of the lat-
er explorers and the opinion of Franklin
Steele when he made the first claim at the
falls and started the utilization of the power.
Just how useful the falls would be could
not have been anticipated by the pioneers or
explorers, however, for few of them could
have fancied that after a while the falls
would move but a small part of the wheels
of industry turning in the vicinity — having
served their purpose of centering produc-
tion at this point and having been outgrown
by the sturdy makers of things who have
succeeded to the rights of the pioneers. The
falls created -Minneapolis Init the majority
of the manufacturers of the present day
scarcely realize their presence and it might
almost be said, that they might be wiped
out entirely without affecting the perma-
nency of the manufacturing industries of
the city.
For decades, however, the falls were the
mainstay of the city. The lumber and tlour