Bio of DUNSMOOR, Dr. Frederick Alanson (b.1858), 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
========================================================

FREDERICK ALANSON DUNSMOOR, M.D. - Vol II, pg 154-157
Dr. Frederick Alanson Dunsmoor, a representative member of the medical
profession in Minnesota and one of Minneapolis' foremost citizens, was born in
the little settlement of Harmony, Richfield township, which is now within this
city's limits. His father, James A. Dunsmoor, came to St. Anthony in 1852, from
Farmington. Maine. He was at that time in very poor health and settled on a farm
here that he might have every opportunity to grow well and strong again. A
dominant factor in the public life of his old Maine home, he lost none of his
executive ability when he came to Minnesota and during the years of his
residence in Minneapolis he was a man of unusual enterprise and high standing.
His health again failing, he went to California in 1873, and died there soon
afterward. His wife, the mother of Dr. Dunsmoor, was Almira Mosher, a native of
Temple, Maine. She was a woman of much culture and refinement, possessing
splendid talents and mental equipment. To the union of Mr. and Mrs. Dunsmoor
eight children were born, six sons growing to manhood.
The youngest member of the family was Frederick Alanson Dunsmoor, who was born
on the 28th of May, 1853. He received his early educational training in the
public schools of Richfield and Minneapolis and in due time enrolled in the
University of Minnesota. In early life he determined to make the medical
profession his life work and at the age of sixteen years he entered the office
of Drs. Goodrich and Kimball to study medicine. Subsequently he went to New
York, where he took a full course in the Bellevue Hospital Medical College and
while in that city was a private student of Frank H. Hamilton, being privileged
to come under the instruction of such eminent specialists as Alfred G. Loomis,
Austin Flint, Sr., E. G. Jane-way and R. Ogden Doremus. After graduating from
medical college and winning his degree, he went to California to visit his
parents, and they held out every inducement to him to remain and practice there.
He was not prevailed upon to stay, however, and returned to Minneapolis, forming
a partnership with Dr. H. H. Kimball. That partnership was maintained until
1877, when Dr. Dunsmoor began to practice independently. About the time the
partnership was dissolved he accepted a position as professor of surgery in the
St. Paul Medical College, teaching there until 1879. During the year 1879 he was
active as county physician for Hennepin county. Dr. Dunsmoor then accepted the
chair of surgery in the medical department of Hamline University and was active
in that connection for two years, at the termination of that time resigning to
devote himself to the organization of the Minnesota College Hospital. That
institution was established as a demonstration of his theory of the importance
of giving prominence to clinical over didactic instruction. He bought the old
Winslow Hotel, which had been occupied by the Macalester College, and with the
cooperation of others the Minnesota College Hospital was organized. Associated
with him in this work was Thomas Lowry, who was made president of the board of
directors; Dr. George F. French; Dr. A. W. Abbott; and Dr. C. H. Hunter. Dr.
Dunsmoor became vice president of the board of directors and dean of the college
and for years he gave the best of his ability and energy to this institution.
Aside from being dean and vice president he was professor of surgery, surgeon to
the dispensary, and attending surgeon to the hospital. He was so occupied until
the Minnesota College Hospital was merged into the State University, at which
time he transferred his enthusiasm and energetic spirit to the new organization.
Even then he felt the need of a fully equipped hospital for clinical purposes
and he threw himself heartily into plans and arrangements for the Asbury
Methodist Hospital. For a time this hospital occupied the building of the old
Minnesota College Hospital. Dr.. Dunsmoor held the chair of clinical and
operative surgery in the medical department of the University of Minnesota until
1913, when he resigned. Other hospitals to which Dr. Dunsmoor has lent his skill
and ability at different times are St. Mary's Hospital, the St. Barnabas
Hospital, the City Hospital and the Swedish Hospital. In 1913 the St. Barnabas
Hospital equipped a suite of rooms especially for the use of Dr. Dunsmoor in
surgical operations, the only surgeon having such accommodations in the
hospital. The Doctor has been the surgeon for a number of railroads, including
the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha; the Minneapolis, St. Paul and
Sault Ste. Marie; the Northern Pacific; the Great Western; and the St. Paul and
Duluth.
Like the greater majority of the modern physicians Dr. Dunsmoor has devoted
himself to specialties, making an especial and extensive study of gynecology and
surgery. Every year he spends a short vacation from his practice in study in the
great hospitals, colleges and scientific centers, in both this country and the
old world. Dr. Dunsmoor's fame as a specialist has gone abroad and he is hailed
as a leader in all the scientific centers of the world. His library contains all
the latest and best books, not only on the subjects of deepest interest to him,
but along all scientific lines. Dr. Dunsmoor is a writer of note and his
articles on his specialties always carry authority and appear in the leading
medical journals of the country.
On the 5th of September, 1876, occurred the marriage of Dr. Dunsmoor to Miss
Elizabeth Emma Billings Turner, a daughter of Surgeon George F. Turner, who was
stationed at Fort Snelling in 1846 and was the contemporary and close friend of
such pioneers as Governor H. H. Sibley, General R. W. Johnson, Franklin Steele,
Father Greer, and Rev. Dr. Williamson. Mrs. Dunsmoor is a direct descendant of
Miles Standish. To the union of Dr. and Mrs. Dunsmoor seven children were born,
three of whom lived to maturity: Frederick Laton, their only son, died in 1911;
Marjorie became the wife of Fred McCartney and lives in Colorado; and Elizabeth,
who is the wife of Homer Clark, resides in St. Paul.
The political allegiance of Dr. Dunsmoor is given to the republican party and
the principles for which it stands. His religious faith is that of the Methodist
church, and he has served in an official capacity in Hennepin Avenue church of
that denomination for many years. Fraternally he is a Mason, a Druid and a Good
Templar. He is identified with nearly all of the principal clubs of the city,
being a charter member of the Minneapolis and Commercial clubs. He is a member
of the International Medical Congress, the National Association of Railway
Surgeons, the American Medical Association, the Minnesota Academy of Medicine,
the Western Surgical & Gynecological Association, the Tri-State Medical
Association, the Crow River Medical Association, the Society of Physicians &
Surgeons of Minneapolis and the county and state medical societies.
For recreation from his arduous professional duties Dr. Dunsmoor turns to art
and music. As a lover of music he ranks very high in this city and likewise as
an art critic. He devotes a great deal of his spare time to various musical
organizations and his collection of etchings and art treasures is the fad which
gives him the most pleasure. He is a very warm-hearted, companionable man and
his home offers unlimited hospitality to his many friends. He built a beautiful
home on Tenth street in the early '80s, which was the show place of the city for
a great many years, but with the encroachment of the business district upon the
one-time beautiful residence street, Dr. Dunsmoor sold his home and has since
resided at Lake Minnetonka.