Bio of HARRINGTON, William V., 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

WILLIAM V. HARRINGTON - Vol III, pg 418-421
It is entirely as the result of his own unaided efforts that William V.
Harrington, a well known automobile dealer of Minneapolis, has attained his
creditable position as president and treasurer of the Harrington Motor Company.
Starting in the business world at an age when most boys are just entering high
school, he has steadily worked his way to the front. Every day has been to him a
new opportunity and he has made it the rule of his life to accomplish something
worth while before the day drew to a close.
William V. Harrington was born at Avoca, Minnesota, of Irish parents. His father
and mother, Michael and Mary (Driscoll) Harrington, were born in the Emerald
isle and came to the United States after their marriage. They first located at
Paterson, New Jersey, but subsequently came to Minnesota, establishing their
home at Avoca, where their son William was born. When the latter was still very
young they returned to Paterson, New Jersey, in which city William V. Harrington
attended the public schools and after study hours sold the New York World as a
newsboy. When he was about twelve years of age his parents again took up their
abode in Avoca, Minnesota, where he remained until he was a youth of fourteen,
at that time leaving home to provide for his own support, working in grain
elevators in different small towns in this section of the country. After
acquiring a thorough knowledge of this business he traveled as a grain buyer for
Davenport, Milwaukee and Minneapolis firms and at the age of twenty-two was
appointed superintendent of the Peavey System's line of elevators in
southeastern South Dakota, southwestern Minnesota and northeastern Iowa. When
that line of elevators was sold out in 1905 Mr. Harrington embarked in the grain
business for himself in Sioux Falls, where he remained until 1913, which year
witnessed his arrival in Minneapolis. Here he has remained throughout the
intervening decade and for a number of years merchanted coast grain and imported
linseed from China and bags from Calcutta, India. Mr. Harrington enjoys the
distinction of importing the only full shipload of linseed that was ever brought
to this country. It was landed at West Seattle, Washington, May 15, 1917, from
the steamship "Niels Nielsen." In 1917 he became identified with the motor car
trade, organizing the Harrington Motor Company, Incorporated, of which he is
president and treasurer. They are the dis­tributors of the famous Hupmobile car
for the Northwest. Into the new business Mr. Harrington brought all of his
remarkable push and energy, with the result that his agency has developed and
expanded in a most phenomenal manner. In the six years
he has been in charge this agency has jumped from a small distributor to one of
the largest in the entire list of distributors of the Hupmobile throughout the
country. Mr. Harrington is well known in automobile circles all over the
country, and at Chicago, in February, 1923, was elected a director of the
National Automobile Dealers Association for the term of three years.
Mrs. Harrington was formerly Miss Marie Antoinette Billion. Outdoor sports and
athletics form a large share of Mr. Harrington's recreational interests.
Intensely fond of outdoor life, he finds in golf and the winter sports a welcome
diversion from business cares and maintains a membership in the Interlachen
Golf, the Minneapolis Curling, the Minneapolis Automobile, the Minneapolis
Athletic and the Minneapolis Gun clubs. Fraternally he is identified with the
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, belonging to Lodge No. 262, at Sioux Falls,
South Dakota.