Bio of CROSBY, John (b.1829 d.1888), Hennepin Co., MN
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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
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JOHN CROSBY - Vol II, pg 5
John Crosby, founder and former president of the Washburn-Crosby Company of
Minneapolis, died in this city December 29, 1888, at the age of fifty-nine. He
was born in Hampden, Penobscot county, Maine, November 1, 1829, and was of the
third generation of the family in direct line to bear the name of John Crosby.
The paternal grandfather, John Crosby (I), of Scotch descent, removed to
Hampden, Maine, from New Hampshire. His son, John Crosby (II), who owned and
operated several paper mills in New England, had ten children, of whom the
second in order of birth was John Crosby (III) of this review. The latter became
active in the management of his father's paper mills and was later connected
with an iron foundry and machine shop at Bangor, Maine. He secured a home in
that city and thereafter made it and Hampden alternate places of residence. The
year 1876 witnessed his arrival in Minneapolis. Here he assumed management of
the Washburn B flouring mill and subsequently acquired an interest in all the
mills built by Governor Washburn, becoming president of Washburn, Crosby &
Company.
In Bangor, Maine, Mr. Crosby wedded Olive Muzzy, daughter of Hon. Franklin
Muzzy, a manufacturer of that city. They became parents of two sons and a
daughter: John, Caroline M. and Franklin M., all now residents of Minneapolis.
In 1879, several years after the death of his first wife, Mr. Crosby was united
in marriage to Emma Gilson of Minneapolis, daughter of the late F. A. Gilson.
John Crosby (IV), the present chief executive of the Washburn-Crosby Company,
was born in Hampden, Maine, August 23, 1867, and was nine years of age when
brought by his father to Minneapolis. Following the completion of his high
school course he spent two years as a student in Phillips Academy of Andover,
Massachusetts, and in 1886 entered Yale University, from which he was graduated
in 1890. Three years later he finished a course in the Harvard Law School and
was afterward engaged in law practice in Minneapolis until 1910. He then
succeeded C. J. Martin as secretary and treasurer of the Washburn-Crosby Company
and thus served until called to the presidency, since which time he has been at
the head of what is known as the largest flour house in the world. He is also a
director of several banking institutions of Minneapolis and has served as
president of the city council.