Bio of HERRLY, Peter F. (b.1883), 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 ======================================================== submitted by Laura Pruden, email Raisndustbunys@aol.com ======================================================== 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 PETER F. HERRLY - Vol II, pg 158-161 While there are those people who contend, and not without cause, that with the disappearance of our economic frontier and the increase of population the greater competition in our commercial life limits the possibilities of financial success that characterized the exploits of the business men of the passing generation, there remain some convincing evidences to the contrary. There are young men who have not yet turned the fortieth milestone, whose careers raise just hopes in the breasts of the ambitious youths of today. Industry and skill still form the principle ingredients of success. Among the younger generation one of the men who has tested this recipe and found it satisfactory is Peter F. Herrly, general manager and treasurer of the Pittsburgh & Ashland Coal & Dock Company, with offices in Minneapolis. Peter F. Herrly began his business career as a grocery clerk in his native city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He had just graduated from St. Vincent's College as a member of the class of 1901, and was eighteen years of age, his birth having occurred on the 9th of December, 1883. His parents were Peter and Theresa (May) Herrly, who represented the "lost" provinces of Alsace and Lorraine. Peter Herrly was born in America of Alsatian parents, while his wife's family came from the adjoining province of Lorraine. Their son, Peter F. Herrly, spent his boyhood in Pittsburgh, where the family made their home, and after finishing school he started out in the business world. He did not long remain a grocery clerk, however. At the end of six months in this humble capacity he obtained a position in the packing house of A. L. Brahm. Later he became financial manager for Mr. Brahm and remained with him for five years, resigning to become private secretary to a leading Pittsburgh capitalist. These duties occupied his time for the following two and one-half years, during which he learned much of the methods and aims of "high" finance. His next move was to embark in the wholesale grocery business with his father, continuing in this line of activity until the death of the elder man in 1914. It was some time after this before he could finally settle the last details of his father's estate and invest the proceeds in a safe form for his mother's benefit. For many years Mr. Herrly had been on terms of intimate friendship with J. A. Maher of the Pittsburgh & Ashland Coal & Dock Company, and for some time Mr. Maher had been urging him to come west. Hence, after settling his father's estate, he came to Minneapolis, in May of 1917, as secretary of the company with which his friend was identified. The following December Mr. Maher went to Prance, leaving the entire financial end of the business in Mr. Herrly's hands, a convincing evidence of his faith in the young man's business ability and integrity. Shortly afterward Mr. Herrly became treasurer of the company and later general manager and treasurer. His policy and that of the Pittsburgh & Ashland Coal & Dock Company is to maintain the high reputation that the firm has so Justly earned, namely, that they have never failed to deliver one hundred per cent of any contract entered into. The firm has a dock at Ashland, Wisconsin, and a long-time lease on a splendid dockage site at Superior. Mr. Herrly is a stockholder in two producing coal companies which own the Pittsburgh & Ashland Coal & Dock Company, and is interested in other business enterprises outside of this particular field. Since coming to the Northwest Mr. Herrly has made a comprehensive study of the shipping facilities of this region. The situation, as has long been well known, is far from satisfactory, and the coal companies are putting on a publicity campaign to educate the people regarding the real effect of the present railway rates on the business of the nation in general. Their relation to the cost and distribution of farm commodities and other necessaries of life, as well as coal, has been carefully studied out. This is a question that should rouse nation-wide interest, although the situation is particularly acute in the Northwest, and Mr. Herrly is taking an active part in getting the facts before the public in the east, as well as in the west. The hope of the dealers is that when the public is thoroughly informed as to the present deplorable situation in our transit facilities, the pressure of popular demand will lead to some effective action toward the solution of the problem. On the 20th of September, 1910, Mr. Herrly and Miss Mary Anton of Pennsylvania were married. They are the parents of five children: Rosemary, Rita Jane, Raymond, Margaret Josephine and Dorothy Irene. The family home is at No. 3925 Harriet avenue, in one of the most attractive residential districts of Minneapolis, the property having been purchased by Mr. Herrly since he has made this city his home. Mr. Herrly is a member of the Knights of Columbus, in which he has taken the third degree. He belongs to the Minneapolis Civic and Commerce Association and also to the Commercial Clubs of Ashland and Superior, Wisconsin, where some of his business interests are located. Among the social clubs he is identified with the Minneapolis Athletic Club and the Minneapolis Golf Club, in the latter of which he is known as the "Iron Man," because he never uses a wooden club.