Bio of BALDWIN, Mathias (b.1875), Hennepin Co., MN ========================================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, material may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material, AND permission is obtained from the contributor of the file. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for non-commercial purposes, MUST obtain the written consent of the contributor, OR the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. If you have found this file through a source other than the MNArchives Table Of Contents you can find other Minnesota related Archives at: http://www.usgwarchives.net/mn/mnfiles.htm Please note the county and type of file at the top of this page to find the submitter information or other files for this county. FileFormat by Terri--MNArchives Made available to The USGenWeb Archives by: Laura Pruden Submitted: June 2003 ========================================================================= Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ======================================================== EXTRACTED FROM: History of Minneapolis, Gateway to the Northwest; Chicago-Minneapolis, The S J Clarke Publishing Co, 1923; Edited by: Rev. Marion Daniel Shutter, D.D., LL.D.; Volume I - Shutter (Historical); volume II - Biographical; volume III - Biographical ======================================================== MATHIAS BALDWIN - Vol III, pg 612-615 Mathias Baldwin, Judge of the District Court, is a leading representative of the legal fraternity of Minneapolis, and his record upon the bench is in harmony with his record as a man and citizen-distinguished by marked fidelity to duty and a comprehensive understanding of every problem presented for solution. He was born in Stewartville, Olmsted county, Minnesota, August 26, 1875, and his parents were Cornelius and Julia (Monette) Baldwin, the former a native of Cork, Ireland, while the latter was born in Quebec, Canada, and was of French descent. The father passed away in 1895 and the mother died in 1917, both being seventy-one years of age at the time of their demise. In the acquirement of an education Mathias Baldwin attended the grammar schools of Olmsted and Rock counties, Minnesota, and the high school at Luverne, this state, from which he was graduated in 1898. He then entered the law school of the State University, from which he won the LL. B. degree in 1903, and in the following year the Master's degree was conferred upon him. When seventeen years of age he began teaching in country schools and continued to follow that profession during his attendance at high school, teaching intermittently for a period of seven years. Entering upon the practice of law in Minneapolis, he became associated with Frank D. Larrabee in 1903 and this relationship was maintained for two years. For the next three years he practiced independently and then formed a law partnership with Joseph L. Murphy, with whom he continued until he entered upon the duties of assistant county attorney, serving in that capacity from 1911 until 1914, inclusive. He then returned to private practice, to which he devoted his attention until 1919, when recognition of his professional ability led to his appointment as municipal judge of Minneapolis by Governor Burnquist. He was elected to the office of municipal judge in 1921, and at the general election in the fall of 1922 he was elected judge of the district court. In the natural course he would have taken his seat on January 1, 1923, but the death of Judge Hale led Governor Preus to appoint Judge Baldwin to fill the vacancy on December 1, 1922, and he now fills the chair of district judge. His decisions are strictly fair and impartial, embodying the most correct application of legal principles, and he has proven a most able presiding officer over the tribunal of which he has charge. He also has business interests and is a director of the Modern Life Insurance Company. Judge Baldwin has an interesting military record. In 1896 he joined Company H, Second Infantry, Minnesota National Guard, of which he was made sergeant the following year, and he also served as sergeant of Company G, of the Fifteenth Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, during the Spanish-American war. From 1904 until 1914 he was a member of Company F, First Infantry, Minnesota National Guard, in which he held every rank up to and including that of captain, and for six years served in that capacity, retiring in June, 1914. He is an expert rifle and pistol shot and has captained or coached three Minnesota rifle teams at national matches, while during his term as captain of Company F his command won five regimental team championships, three state team championships and one national match. He served as major in the Citizens Auxiliary during the World war and also as drill master for those who were drafted into the service from the third ward of Minneapolis. In this city, on the 28th of June, 1911, Judge Baldwin was united in marriage to Miss Anna L. Kennedy, a daughter of John and Margaret (Duggan) Baldwin, the former for many years a sergeant of the police department of Minneapolis. To Judge and Mrs. Baldwin four children have been born: Margaret Julia, John Ken­nedy, Ann Bernadine and Mary Geraldine, aged, respectively, ten, eight, six and four years. The family residence is at No. 1411 Seventeenth avenue North. Judge Baldwin is a Roman Catholic in religious faith, having membership with the Church of the Ascension, and his political allegiance is given to the republican party. His fraternal connections are with the Ancient Order of Hibernians; the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, of which he served as exalted ruler in 1921; the Knights of Columbus, of which he was grand knight in 1917 and district deputy in 1909; and Anchor Camp (now united with Plour City Camp) of the Modern Wood­men of America, of which he was consul in 1907. He is also a member of the Lincoln Republican Club, the North Side Commercial Club, the Elks Club and the Golden Valley Golf Club. His interests and activities are evenly balanced and his is a well rounded character. His work upon the bench has won high encomiums from members of the bar and proves the fact that in the practice of law he has taken up a line of activity for which his natural ability well qualifies him, and no man has a higher conception of the dignity and responsibility of his profession.