Brown County MN Archives Biographies.....Mullen, Michael 1839 - 1910
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00001.html#0000031 November 27, 2014, 12:25 pm

Source: See Below
Author: L. A. Fritsche

MICHAEL MULLEN.

    There have been few men who have exerted a stronger or more potent influence
upon the financial and commercial life of this community than did the late
Michael Mullen, for many years prominently identified with the banking interests
of New Ulm and who was the founder of the Citizens State Bank of that city and
president of New Ulm since 1875 and had therefore witnessed the greater part of
that city's growth and development, ever doing his full share toward the
advancement of the same.

    Michael Mullen was born at St. Albans, Vermont, March 12, 1839, son of Peter
and Carolina Mullen, both natives of Ireland, but who were married in Vermont.
Peter Mullen was a farmer and followed that vocation all the active days of his
life. In 1843 he moved with his family to Stevenson county, Illinois, where he
bought a farm and there established his permanent home. His wife died there in
1851 and many years later, when he retired from active labor, he came to this
county, rejoining his son, the subject of this sketch, at New Ulm, and there he
spent his last days, his death occurring in 1882. Peter Mullen and wife were
devout Catholics and their children were reared in that faith. There were five
of these children of whom none now survive.

    Michael Mullen was about four years of age when his parents emigrated from
Vermont to Illinois in 1843 and he grew up on the pioneer farm in that state,
receiving his education in the schools in the neighborhood of his home.

When a young man he came up into the Northwest and settled at St. Peter in the
neighboring county of Nicollet, where he began clerking in the hardware store of
Boardman, Miller & Company. He presently bought an interest in that concern and
in 1875 was sent to New Ulm as manager of the firm's branch store in that city,
and there he spent the rest of his life. Not long after locating at New Ulm he
bought full control of the store and for twenty-three years was one of the
leading merchants of the city. He then sold his store and thereafter devoted his
time to the banking business. For several years he served as president of the
Brown County Bank at New Ulm and then, resigning that position, organized the
Citizens State Bank of New Ulm, of which concern he was elected the first
president, a position he held to the time of his death on June 29, 1910. Mr.
Mullen was a man of fine judgment in business matters and his bank grew to be
the largest in the county. Mr. Mullen's extensive interests were not confined
wholly to his bank and he was connected with various enterprises in and about
New Ulm, long having been regarded as one of the most active and influential
business men in this part of the state. He was leading stockholder and president
of the Minnesota and Dakota Cattle Company. Mr. Mullen also for years was one of
the most prominent figures in the political life of this district, having been a
member of the Minnesota State Democratic central committee during the first
Cleveland campaign and was a delegate to the national convention of that party
which nominated Mr. Cleveland for the presidency the first time.

 On August 3, 1869, Michael Mullen was united in marriage to Eleanor O'Brien,
daughter of James and Eleanor (Kenney) O'Brien, who survives him and who
continues to make her home in New Ulm, where she is very comfortably situated.
To that union one child was born, a daughter, Eleanor, who married Louis A.
Blatterman, of St. Louis, Missouri, and has four children, Headlee, Eleanor.
John M. and Louisa A. Mrs. Mullen is a member of the Catholic church, as was her
husband, and for many years has been active and influential in parish affairs
and in all neighborhood good works.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:
HISTORY OF BROWN COUNTY MINNESOTA
ITS PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS

L. A. FRITSCHE. M. D.
Editor

With Biographical Sketches of Representative Citizens and Genealogical Records
of Many of the Old Families

VOLUME II
B. F. BOWEN & COMPANY, Inc. Indianapolis, Indiana


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mn/brown/bios/mullen487gbs.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mnfiles/

File size: 4.6 Kb