])resent time originated before the war. .\ml coi-pi iiated lor ^ome \ ears with .Mr. Xewell

it was not nnlil the reaelion after the war as president and his mui, L. 1'.. Xe\sell, as

time thai an\ e\idusi\el\ w hol^â– ^ale house seeretar\- and treasurer.

was establisheil in .Minneapolis. In ]S6fi In i8(i() the hrm of Lyman X: Tueker was

( ie()rL;;e R. Xewell eame to Minneapolis and established soon to be sueeeeded by Lvman

soi)n enle)'ed the ijroeerN bu - ines>. In \Xjii lirothers, the first exelusi\e Avholesale druL;'




\:(iiii:i;n 'I'i i-i'. lU' wniirisAi.i': r.Mi.niMi i\ miwk.mmh.

W.viiiiili, IMrlriclj;i' .V ('.â– iii|..ili.\ . \V li.i|. ^.ilr Ul.v liuods.



he beeame partner in the firm ipf .Su\ins. hou'-e in the eity. ( leejri^e K. I,\man. who

.M'MNc \- .XTwill, wholesale grocers, and funnded the hn^ine^s remainrd at its head

has eontinneil tin- business ever since with \i<v lhirl_\-si.\ years, llis brMilur, Frederick

out intermission, though there ha\e hei-n \\ ., who entered ihe lirm duriuj; the /O's

se\'eral ihani^t-s in the tirm. Afti'r the with- hail been associated with 1 lorilus .Morrison

dniwal of .Messrs. Slexens and .Morse. .Mr. in tin- .\1 inneapolis C'olt'Mi .Mill. I'.olh were

Xewell continued the business alone a sliurl yunm; and enerm'tic men. Their business

lime anil then foinied a ])arlnershi|i with ile\ eloped rapidly and in I SS_^ was incor-

11. ( i. llai-risiin as Xewell X- llarrison. In ])orateil as I he I .y man I'.liel 1 )rnt^ (.'ouipany,

uSiSj the lirm became ( ieor.i^e 1\. .Xewell X the lale J. ( '. h.liel ami II. II. I'^liel coniinf,^

Co. For \ears the concern occu])ieil ibe intu the hnsiiu'ss at thai time. The busi-

bnildiii!; at (). II and I ,^ Xm-th Washini^li m iiess was located al 4_\^ and 4J5 Nicollet

a\cnue. but in iS.Si moved to Washiimlou a\enue in buildings which liaxc since been



WHOLESALE TRADE



429



displaced by the Powers Mercantile Com-
pany buildinij. After a disastrous tire in
this location the concern moved to 111-113
First avenue south, reopening at once on a
larger scale. The business grew so rapidly
that the large warehouse at First avenue
north and W'ashmgton was occupied as soon
as vacated by George R. Newell & Co.
about 18S8. This building was in turn mit-
grown and the present structure at I'irst
a\cnnc iinrtli and Third street was secured.



1.S73. The Keiuiedy-.\ndrcws com])any was
one of the later wholesale houses of the city.

il\i\ O'KJDS.

The jobliing lA drv goods in .\1 innea])olis
commenced with the fornialion nf ihe firm
(if Wyman & Mullen in 1^74. At the be-
ginning the business was cc inducted on a
small scale, the young concern occupying
but a single floor of a warehouse and having
to meet the coni|)etitii m <if lung established




.V .MODEL F.\UM IMrLK.\Ii;.\'IS W AiaOUdl SK.
I'.iiilclliiir "f Prnu i^ CnnipiLiiv. Ilcrlnincl .i^- Cliiiiiiln'iliii. Anliitii'ts.



In 1905 the Fymans retired ti 1 give their

attention li) their large ])rivate interests and

Charles A. Jerman actjuired a large holding

in the business, the name at the same time

being changed to the Eliel-Jerman Drug

Company. During 1007 the business was

consolidated with that of the Kenned}-. \n-

drews Drug Company and the wdKjlesale

cigar business rif \\'inecke & Doerr, as The

Minnca])iilis Drug (Ompanw making it the

largest house in its line in tlie north wesl.

W'inecke & Doerr was the pioneer cigar joh- linn of Coykcndall I'.ros. I'v- Co. had been

bing house. ha\ing conunenced Inisiness in foi-med. brst as a retail house in 1S7,?: an(l



house - - in other cities. I'.ut ])rogress was
rapid and A\'ithin a comparat i\el}- short time
tlu- building at 214 and Ji() Henne|)in a\e-
nin- was erected especially for the occu-
pancy of the firm. ( ). C. W'yman. then, as
now. llu' head of this business, early devel-
oped marked abilities for wholesaling and
handled his business with skill and facility.
In iSc^o W . I. \';in Dyke was admitted to
p.irtnci-ship. the firm ln'coming W'ynian,
.Mullen \- \ an l)\ke. In the meantime tlie



430 A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS

later utrniiiL; to jobbiii','- (in 1877) and occu- 1880. Tlii^ was tlu' wholesale grocery firm

pyins; the hnildint; at Second street and of 11. ( i. llarriscjn iSc Co., which almost from

l""irst a\eniu' north nnw hoiisin^ the Inisi- t!ie he^innini;- occupied a Iniildiiig- at h'irst

ness of the I'aris-.M nrlon Company. |ohn a\enue south and Second street, now the

K'. Coykendall, the resident mendier nf the iioine of the W. S. Nott Company. In 1884

firm was drowned in Lake Al innetonk.i in II. (1. Harrison retired and his son llni.;h

1885 and tile sudden interruption iif the .md Samuel 1'. h'arrinnton continued the

business made necessary a change which business as llarrisun, b'arrington & Co.

was ctTected by consi 'li<latinu with \\ yuian, Mr. Farringli>n had had long experience in

Mullen iV: \ an l)yke. At this reorganiza- grocery jobbing in Chicago and the business

tion the firm became Wyman, .Mullen iK: at .Minnea|)olis was rapidK developed. In

Company. li\t' years later upon the retire- i8()j Mr. Harrison retired and his interests

ment of .Mr. .Mullen, (lefjrge H. Partridge, were ])urchased by l-'endall (i. Winston, the

who had lorn; been with the cimcern, was firm name becoming Winston, b'arrin.gton

admitttd In ]iarlner - hi|). and the hnusc as- vS; Co. .Mr. l''ariington remained in active

sinned its |)resenl name ni Wyman. I'ar- management of this business until his death

t ridge i^t Co. l'"or some }ears the large in 1897 and was succeeded by his son. 1.. H.

warehouse at b'irst avemte s(nith and .Sec- b'arrington. The business was incor]iorated

ond street was occupied and in \X'i7 the in 1904 as Winston, Harper, b'isher &

modern building at hirst avenue north ami Co. It occu])ies a large warehouse at

Fourth street was erected. This has since l'"ourth street and Second avenue north,

been supplemeiUi-il by the construction nf 'The name of Harrison occurs frequently

an inunense warehouse at Seventh street in the records of .Minneapolis commercial

and Third a\enue mirth, a factory on hirst enterprises. The brothers, T. .\. and Hugh

a\eime niprtli near Seventh street and the ( i. \\-ere acti\el\' engaged in banking, but

leasing df nther warehouse buildings. The took a li\'el\- interest in the ]iromotion of

h(.)use does the largest dry goods business iobJ)ing and manufacturing. ,\nothcr large

northwest of Chicago, giving Mimieapolis concern which T. .\. Harrison fostered at

a pre-eminence in this <le])artment of job- the I)eginning was the heavy hardware

bing. hiinse of Harrison & Knight, which he (with

The coal business cpf the city in a large J. M. Knight) founded early in tlie eighties,

way had its bt'.ginnings with the nrganiza- Counnencing business at X)~ .Nicollet ave-

ii(in (if the \Mrth western h'uel Company in nue the firm soon moved to 240 and 24J

1.S73 with jclm .\. .\rmstrong, the ])ionccr I'Mrst avenue south. There have beeti vari-

.\linnea]iolis fuel dealer, in charge of the ous changes in its management and location

business al this pkuH-. but it is now the Minneapolis Iron Store

A wholesale f.incw -n icer\- hcmse was Cnmp.auN and is Icieated at Second street

opened in I .S77 b\ W . \\ . llarrisnn at jjj •'ind Seccnd ,i\enue nwrth. 11. S. Cregg is

liennepin avemie. In I N.Xc 1 the lirm of W . t he president an<l executive head of the coii-

W. Ilarri - iin >S: (U. \v;is organized ami the cern.

business was Iransfi-rred p. H) Washin^tiMi dhe picmeer in the wholesale glass busi-

avcnue north. 1). II. .\lmra\ iV ( o. soon ness was the fnni n| Steele, l'"orman iK; I'"ord,

succeeded t.i the business .and in iSSj the which in 1 SSo . .pened a warehouse at 41 4-lb

CMUeern became .Murray, Warner \- ( n, Tliird .iNemie north. This ciicern subse-

the CMinp,in\ luing T. .\. Il.irrison. :i |ir(im- <puntl\ became hi imi.iii, I'.ird \- C.im|)any,

ment capitalist .and president < >\ the Security -'H'' under that s|ylc is n.iw the leading

bank. I'nr several years iIr. firm ,|i,l ;, ycvy wln.les.ale gl.ass h(puse in llu' northwest. Its

successful business ;it _'I7. JM) .and _'_>! warehouses e.xtend from Washington to

North Third street, but upon the ilealh of Second street between hirst ami Second

Mr, Harrison, retired li'om the li.ide. \n axennes south.

othei- laii;e business w.is foiniileil li\ II. (,. In the whoK'sale rnhbei' Ljoods .and belt-

.Harrison, brother to T, .\. Ilarrisou, in Iul; line \\ . S. .\'oll w a.s the jiicjueer. lie



WHOLESALE TRADE



43i



entered the field in 1880 as the manai^er of
the firm of I-:. I!. Preston & Co. Business
was commenced at 240 Hennepin avenue
and rapid expansion necessitated several
removals until suitable quarters were found
at Second street and First avenue south.
For many years the firm has 1)een the \V. .S.
Xott Company.

Tin-; I'Ai'i'iK TkADi':.
AMiolesale trade in paper was commenced
early in the eij2;hties by the Bradner-Smitli
Paper Company at i-'i-23 North Washing-
ton avenue, ll'iey were succeeded by James
H. Bishop. This concern subsequently
closed out but the jobbing of paper has been
continued and develo])ed by several firms.
The Minneapolis Paper Company, founded
about 1890, first occujjied a small store on
Nicollet avenue near Second street, and aft-
er repeated moves to accommodate growth
of business built a modern paper warehouse
at Fifth street and Fourth avenue .south.
Its president and executive head for many
years has been E. J. Stihvell. In 1892 John
Leslie, who had been for tiiree years the
manager of the Minneapolis Paper Com-
pany, founded the firm of Leslie & McAfee,
which became after the death of Mr. :\Ic-
Afee, the John Leslie Paper Company.
After several enlargements of quarters the
firm erected its present large warehouse at
Fifth street and Third avenue south. The
McClellan Paper Company was established
about the same time and grew fmni small
beginnings to the occupancy of a large
warehouse on First avenue north between
Washington and Third street.

The jobbing of hats, caps and furs was
begun in 7884 when Robert II. Patterson
came to ?^linncapolis from Ohio and orga-
nized the Patterson i^- Chestnut Company.
Quarters were first secured at 511 Hennepin
avenue, but these were speedilv outgrown
and several moves were made' before the
present large warehouse was occupied at
422 First avenue north. Thomas \\\ Ste-
venson came into tiie firm in 7891 and it is
now the Patterson & Stevenson Company.
Immediately after tjie war Maj. C. B.
Flefifelfinger opened .-i retail shoe store in
Minnea))oh> in i..irtner,shi|) with John S.
Walker, Seeing larger opportunities Maj.



Hefi'elfinger in 7873 organized the North
Star Boot & Shoe Crnnpany, which at once
entered the jobbing and manufacturing of
footwear. At first the jobbing end was tlfe
largest part of the business but the firm has
gradually developed manufacturing unlil
the most of tiie goods sold are of its own
make. It is n(.nv the North Star Shoe Com-
pany and Maj. HefTelfinger remains at its
head as president of the corporation.

F7RST 7.V F.\U.M I A7P7.EM KNTS.

William J. Dean commenced the jobbing
of agricultural implements in Minneapolis
m 1877 — tlie pioneer in a line which has
grown to be one of the most important
branches of local wholesale trade. A few
years ago Dean & Company erected one of
the most complete implement warehouses
in the country at the intersection of Wash-
ington avenue north and the Great North-
ern Railway. David Bradley & Company
connnenced business in 1879 and have con-
tinued without break, except the change of
name to Bradley, Clark & Company, caused
by the admission of George A. Clark to
partnership. The Deere & Webber Com-
pany had its beginning in 7880 as a branch
of C. 11. Deere of Molinc. Illinois, .\bout




A .MODliKN MI.NMAI'OI.IS lOlllMNf. IHII-DING



432



A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS



the same time the J. I. Case Implement
Compaii}- was started. This is now the
(]real Xorthern ini]ilemenl t'om])any. T.
r>. Lindsay entered tlie tfade about the same
period and in i(SS() WiUiam Lindsay was
admitted to tiie partnership. ihe firm
(Lindsay lirothcrs) l)uilt one of the most
sul)stantial of tlie threat warehouses devoted
to implement johhinj:; and has carrieil on a
lar,t^e business fi>r twenty years.

'I'hese an- hut a few <>f the earlier imple-
ment concerns. To mention all which ha\e
been started duriuL;' the thirty years would
he impossible. .\lan\' mannfactiiriiiL; estal)-
lishmenls in all i)arts of the country have
o])eneil branches nv a^encie - here and there
have been changes and consolidations, dis^
soluliiins and new arrangements, without
nund)er. A large |)art of the sale of imple-
ments is that of the ])roducts of local fac-
tories and the more conspicuous firms, espe-
cialh interested in manufacturing are men-
tioned in the chajiter nn thai snliied.

.\1 innea])! ilis miw leads Kair^as City as a
jobbing pciinl for larm impK-meiits. ni i ntliei



cit\- in the cmintry approaching these two
.as a distributor of this class of merchandise.

Till-: I'HODIHI': I'.fSINKSS.

The wholesaling of fruits, vegetables and
ciiuiUry produce generall}- has become one
111 the important branches of Minneapolis
jijb])ing. It was commenced soon after the
tirst railni.ii! entered Minneapolis in a very
^mall \\a\. ( ieorge H. \\'hiting, 1-'. S. (lib-
sun, Le\i Longfellow and T. ( i. Ililman
were pioneers. In the early da_\s the trade
was ])ractica]ly all on a commission basis
ami each merchant handled any and all
classes of goods which might be consigned.
With the development of the business it
became specialized and exclusi\-e fruit, or
butter houses appeared, while the dealers
are now \ery generally buyers as well as
commission men. At first the business was
much scattered Init was finally centralized
at the ])resent "ci immission row" on and
about Xorlh Sixth street in the \icinity of
the central market erected by T. I'.. Walker.
The ,\l innea])! lbs I'roiluce exchange was or-




I'ln; i.m:i;i:s'1' .Kir.i-.iM; r.in.hiM; \\ i;s r

|:in|l„.|-' X'Tlliwcslcni Pr|.nli il. ll;ni\ W,



II' c nil'. Mill.

.I.ilH'S. .\i,-hili-<l.



WHOLESALE TRADE



433




T'titililiiifr



ONE OF THE NEW WHOLESALE WAREHOISE TYPES.
r'f tlie John Lfslie Paper Culiiimiiy. Bprtrjliid & Cliiinilipiiiii. An-liittets.



j^anized in i.Si<4. rrominent firms at this
time were S. ( i. 1 'aimer & Co., E. P. Stacey
& Sons. E. G. I'litter. Woodward & Co.. L.
Longfellow, G. C. llillman. and W'ni. Yi.
Sargent & Co. l{\en at this date the pro-



snrts of goods nut alrcacK' ciumu'rated. in-
cluding specialties handled also l:>y the
larger wholesalers. The lines include crock-
ery, glass ware, paints, oils, shoes, notions,
cigars and tobaccos, candies, leather goods



duce and grain i)usinesses were still more and findings, s))ices, coffee and tea, macliin-
or less mi.xed, l>ui ihe division lines were



soon clearly drawn. .Minneapolis has now
become tiie fourth largest fruit distributing
point in ihe I'nilcd States and the annual
business in fruit and
least $25,ooo,o(X).

(;i<h;.\i' \'.\kii; I ^ oi- \.\ svs.



line of gcKids handled
now be pnrchaM'd in



Practically every
by merchants may
Minneapi)lis wholesale houses. Within the
past two decades, or a little longer, there
ha\e been established houses handlinij all



er\-, bakers' supi)lies, barbers' supplies, brick
and building materials of all kinds, vehicles
of ;ill kinds, carpels, furniture, clothing,
<-oal, electrical machinery and a])])aratus,
lirewiirks. tisli, fruits, gentlemen's furnish-
ings, harness, hides, hops, hosiery, jewelry,
laundry machinery and supplies, leaf tobac-
co, lime and cement, li(ptors, lumber and
all kiu<ls of lund)er specialties, forest prod-
ucts of .all kinds, meats, (lour mill machin-
er\-. sawmill machinery, elevator machin-
er\ . millinc-r\. mirrors, mouldings and pic-
ture frames, oils, paints, paving materials,



434 A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS

plumbers" supplies, radiators and steamfit- The general wholesale trade of the city is

Icrs' supplies, scales, seeds, silks, cloth and rapidly getting into quarters in the district

tailors' supplies, wall i)apers, plaster, watch- immediately north of Hennepin avenue,

es. wool, etc., etc. from the ri\er to .Sixth street. Tliere is a

While many specialt\' Imuses ha\e been tendency in the agricultural implement line
established, perhaps the most notable event to scatter beyond this limit, the main pur-
in wholesaling in many years was the selec- pose being to secure track facilities, but
til 111 (it .Mimiea]iolis as one iif its ])laces of there seems no doubt that the main whoic-
i)iisiness In i'.ittler ilrdtlters, the great sale center will be in the district mentioned,
wholesalers of general mercliaiidise. This b'igures purporting to give the totals of
concern erected in .\liimea|)olis. in njoO-07. the wholesale business in any cit\' are aj^t
a mammoth warehouse in which is carried to be far from accurate. Xo government
every article of merchandise likely to be statistics are collected and private tabula-
wanted in a country store. Minneapolis is tion is largely based on estimates. Such
made the Xortlnvestern headquarters of a estimates have always been made, however
business which covers the L'nited States some of them in the early days when job-
and this city shares with New York, Chi- bers were few. probably quite accurate. At
cago and St. Louis the commercial distinc- the present time atiy canvass of the city
tion of the maintenance nf such head- wholesaling is ( il)\i( msly impossible. In
(|iiarters. 1880 the wholesale trade was estimated at
iMi'Ko\i;i) AKCiiiTi-xTUKE. about $24,000,000: in i8(jo, at $133,000,000:

The I'lUtler lirothers building is (.)ne i>f in 1900, about $200,000,000; and in igoj,

the examples of modern commercial archi- about $280,000,000.

lecture in ^Minneapolis. One of the inter- In the latter year Minneapolis wholesale

esting and very creditable evolutions of the trade had reached a point of unquestioned

later period of local wholesaling has been supremacy northwest of Chicago, and there

the distinct change from slipshod building seemed nn limits to its future development.

to substantial architecture. Xo class of busi-

ness is now better housed than the whole- brqwN, Charles William, a pn.niiiunl busi-

sale trade of Mmneapolis, and many of the ncss man of Minneapolis in the decade following

structures are models of the best liusiness 1886, was born on June 14, 1858. at Ncwburyport,

architecture. It has been found that beauty ^lassachusetts, the son of Jacob B. and Anna A.

, • ,1 1 ■<.! 1 • »•!•* Brown. His father was a sea captain and after

IS not mcomtjatible with business utilitv, .. i- .1 • 11 11 1

' â–  attending the primary schools and such secondary

and that architectural correctness is not schools as Allen's English and Classical .School

necessarily pn ihibilixeh' expensive. The at West Newton, Dummer Academy at Byfield

implement warehouses of the .\dvance ='"'• Newburyport high school from which he

Thresher Companv, the Creat Northern graduated, the son at the aee of sixteen gratified

, . ,1- ''ni intense desire for a sea life by sailing for

Impleimnt Company ami adjacent cm- China in a sailing vessel. He was for some time

cerns. the new warehouse of the llurty-Sim- in the employ of the China Merchants Stcam-

mons llardware Com|)an\-, the \\\ni,-in- ship Navigation Company and obtained rapid ad-

I'artridge cV Comi)anv main building, as v^ncement, becoming master of a ship at a very

,, ,, , ' ,. ,1 , ^ ,1 early age. Captain Brown served as master

well as the warehouse on Se\entli street, the • <■ ,- • i / i

manner lor tive vear< in cimimand of a vessel

Leslie Paper Compan\ building, the .Miline mgaged in tin- AiislralMii ami Chinese trade

apolis Paper ("ompam building — these are Init in 1885 left the sea and came to .Minneapolis

all structltres which slmw the jiiogress where he established the first stained glass works

,..1 • ,1, ; I • .. , , 1 ■ 11 1 1 '■, in the Northwest. The firm was at first Brown

which IS l)emg made 111 wlmUsale architec „ , , ,,,.-. 1 , .

i-V Mavu 1. In i.Siii its scope was enlarged to

ture 111 .Minneapolis. indudV the ji.lil)ing of jdate and window glass

Se\eral times diU'iiiL; the last quarter cen- .nid tin- business w;is incorporated .as the I'.rown

turv the ultimate loc;ition of the johbing & Haywood Company, it developed rapidly and

cen'ter has been consi.lerablv in doi,l,t. The '''^'^ """ "^ "'^' '^-^'I'-'S ^'neerns in the city in

, ... -Ill t 1808 when the business \\a> miIiI In the Pitts-

latter ),,n-| ol the period has. however, de |„„.^|, |,,^,„. (^,,.^^^ Company. Will, ibi. en

lermiiiei] more dehiiite boiiiids and Iniiils. s.ili.l.aii. .11 Captain Brrnvn lucanie a slocUh.ihler



WHOLESALE TRADE



435




and director in the Pittsburgh company and \va>
app-'inted its secretary and at once moved to
Pittsburgli where he has since lived. He is now
vice-president and chairman of the commercial
department of that company. While in Minne-
apolis Captain Brown took an active part in the
commercial and public affairs of the city. He
was president of the Jobbers' association in iSgb
and 1897 and a director in the Commercial Cluli
from 1894 to i8g8. During the campaign of i8y0
he served as chairman of the non-partisan busi-
ness men's sound monej- committee and rendered
such effective service that he was tendered, after
the election, a complimentary banquet at llie
West Hotel at which about five Iiundrcd of tlie
leadinjj men of the city joined in the expression
of their appreciation. This work and its recogni
tion was the more appropriate in that Captain
Brown has always been especially indcpendeiii
in political matters, making no party affiliation^,
and supporting the best men and measures with
out regard to party. In 1894 and 1895 Captain
Brown was president of the National Window
Glass Association. He is also president of the
Michigan Chemical Company and a director of
the National Bank of Western Pennsylvania.
Captain Brown retains his mombcrsliip in the
Minneapolis Club an<l Zuhrah Tini|iK'. /.ion ('.hm
mandery .iiul M iinu;ipolis l.ccbjr 4.1 I'. I' (> Iv,
.'Mle^'hany Connlry Club .nid is pioideni ol



the Edgeworth Club. He was married in 1885 to
Miss Alice Greenleaf and they have si.x children
— Agate, Jacob Bartlett, Theodore F., Alice G.,
Charles W., Jr.. and Harold DcWolfe. The
family home is at Sewiokley, near Pittsburgh.

BURNETT. William J., manager and pro-
prietor of the Northwestern Hide & Fur Com-
pany, of Minneapolis, was born at Pittsburgh, Pa.,
in 1842, the son of Virgil Justice Burnett and
Harriet S. Burnett. liis ancestry on both sides
of tlie family was Scotch- English, his father's
family presumed to have been of tlie same as that
of Bishop Burnett. His fore father in America was
Thos. Burnett who landed in Salem, Mass.. from
England about 1635, and who moved from there
.mil helped to settle the town of South Hampton.
I. I. in 1643. There most of the family lived
until about 1700 when two of his ancestors moved
to Madison, N. J. This was the last settlement
of the old Puritan stock. Mr. Burnett's father
was engaged in business at Newark, N. J. in 1837
when the panic of that year brought him financial
ruin. He started west with his family and it
was while enroute that lii^ son William was born
at Pittsburgh. They came west by boat from
Pittsburg to Evansville, IniL. and by river to
Terre Haute. When they arrived there the father
liad just fifty cents left, but having friends, in-
dustrv and skill he was soon in comfortable cir-




wir.i.i.wi .1. in [!Ni-.i-[-.



436



A HALF CENTURY OF MINNEAPOLIS



cmiistances. He was a man of studious tastes,
and like Elihu Rurritt, became known as tlic
â– 'learned blacksmith." He was elected to the
legislature in 1S56 and was one of the prime
movers in the passage of the famous Indiana
liciuor law. He died in 1859 honored by all who
knew him and survived by his wife, si.\ boys and
'.wo girls. The mother died at the advanced age
of ninety-four. In 1858 William J. Burnett en-
tered the hide and fur business with a cousin at
Terre Haute and after thoroughly learning the
bu>iness and following it in several locations